Photos: Bonnie Drake Photo
The celebration of love and the start of a new chapter—weddings bring together family, friends and cherished traditions while creating new memories to last a lifetime. In this, our debut wedding issue, we’re pleased to share the beautiful wedding stories of two of our staff members: Zoe Yates, editor of St. Croix Valley and White Bear Lake magazines, and Hailey Almsted, managing editor and editor of Woodbury and Maple Grove magazines. Come along, as they share a closer view into their special days, filled with unique touches and personal moments—reflective of their individual love stories. It all begins with that first meeting …
On the campus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, the future was foretold in more than one way. Zoe and October met while working on staff for a student—magazine! After graduating and eventually moving across the country to the Midwest, the couple exchanged vows on a warm June day on their idyllic property in Polk County, Wisconsin.
The groom’s three-piece custom suit from Milbern Clothing Co. was inspired—in fit, style and material—by 1930s cinema stars like Jimmy Stewart. An acorn-patterned tie and boots from Red Wing Shoes completed the look.
While they both grew up in Woodbury, Hailey and Nathan didn’t cross paths until meeting as incoming ninth graders at Woodbury High School. After growing together through some important milestones, the couple was married on a lovely September day at the Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis.
What inspired your wedding day aesthetic and ambiance?
Zoe Yates (ZY): We decided early on that we wanted a wedding that was true to our relationship and lifestyle, fun for our 60 guests and as sustainable and community-focused as possible. During our venue search, it became clear that our 5-acre property would be the best place to host our wedding, which we dubbed Zoctober Fest. This choice allowed us to spend more time with our friends (many camped on our land) and invest in home and property renovations.
The bride’s vintage dress was purchased and altered at Sienna Cole Bridal. Owner Lisa Ramlet replaced the original skirt with a flowy, organic fabric. Zoe balanced the look with her grandmother’s pearl jewelry, secondhand clogs and a blusher veil (also from Sienna Cole).
Hailey Almsted (HA): We both knew we wanted a more intimate wedding with the people closest to our hearts and sought to blend the elegance of traditional weddings with the peacefulness of elopements. To ease wedding day jitters, we chose a private first look and personal vow reading before the ceremony. In the evening, we opted for a dinner party atmosphere, which we and our 40 guests enjoyed. Our day was about us—and we felt surrounded by love.
The groom’s suit, from Milbern Clothing Co., included a sophisticated black jacket with satin lapels and a textured floral tie. His look was complete with Calvin Klein Brodie Oxford shoes and a gift from his bride: custom cufflinks adorned with the faces of their pets. Photos: Type & Timber
What special details and traditions were incorporated into your wedding day?
ZY: The morning of our wedding, we chose a private vow/letter exchange, with our photographer out of earshot. At our ceremony, we did a handfasting ceremony—a Celtic ritual in which two hands are tied with a cord to symbolize the binding of two lives—while reading mirrored personal vows. My friends gathered flowers for the reception tables, and we had a DIY beverage station and a homemade taco bar. We purchased secondhand plates, compostable utensils and Mason jars that we now use for canning. For dessert, we had an assortment of cakes, including one prepared by my 95-year-old great-grandmother that was topped with the cake topper from her wedding.
HA: Our ceremony was highly curated for us as a couple. We began with a ring-warming ceremony, where each guest held our rings, silently warming them with blessings, prayers and wishes for our marriage. At the same time, our officiant, my aunt Nicole Almsted, read sentiments she had gathered from several of our family members about how our love has impacted their lives. Following our traditional vows, we held a unity candle ceremony with our mothers. Finally, we honored both of our grandmothers by asking them to sign our marriage certificate—another tearful moment for all.
The bride’s lustrous satin gown from Vow’d Weddings was altered and customized by Heather Baldridge from Custom Sewing by Heather, who added satin buttons—flown in from Serbia—down the back of the gown. The look was paired with a chapel-length, angel-cut pearl veil from Tailored Tulle, pearl-drop earrings and white, satin heels, featuring dazzling bows. In the evening, the veil was exchanged for pearl gloves, also from Tailored Tulle.
What unique touches made your wedding memorable for guests?
ZY: The informality of our wedding day was a breath of fresh air for many of our guests. At the comfort of our home, there was an opportunity for everyone to relax and play. Our chickens roamed the property. My grandpa organized a game of Hammerschlagen with a giant log he procured. We had a bonfire, and the kids enjoyed racing around our forest trail and climbing tiers of hammocks hung from our white pines. Our friends played live music late into the evening, and we danced in the grass under the full Strawberry Moon.
HA: First, our favors: framed customized sketches of our guests created in real-time by Maria Ahrens. It’s a joy to visit our family and friends and see the sketches displayed in their homes. We had disposable cameras around from start to end, but we didn’t develop the photos until our first anniversary in September. Lastly, we had a traditional write-in guest book, paired with a vintage phone from After the Tone, where our guests left us voicemails and well wishes.
Zoe’s Vendors
Photo: Bonnie Drake Photo
- Desserts: Fiddlehead Kitchen, fiddleheadkitchenwi.com; Key’s Cafe and Bakery, keyscafe.com
- Florals: Louna Studios, instagram.com/louna.studios
- Music: Highway Y, zooschoolstudio.com; Tumbleweed Connection, tumbleweedtunes.bandcamp.com
- Photography: Bonnie Drake Photo, bonniedrake.com
- Rentals: Express Rental, expresslubeandrental.com; Wildwood Event Rentals, wildwoodeventrentals.com
- Wedding Attire and Alterations: Milbern Clothing Co., milbern.com; Sienna Cole Bridal, siennacole.com
Hailey’s Vendors
Photo: Type & Timber
- Alterations: Custom Sewing by Heather, customsewingbyheather.com
- Desserts: Cardigan Donuts, cardigandonuts.com; Nadia Cakes, nadiacakes.com; Nikkolette’s Macarons, nikkolettesmacarons.com
- Entertainment: After the Tone, afterthetone.co; Maria Ahrens, mariaahrens.com
- Event Planning: Rosetree Events, rosetreeevents.com
- Hair and Makeup: Taylor Marie Beauty, taylormariebeauty.com
- Jewelry: Brilliant Earth, brilliantearth.com
- Photography: Type & Timber, typeandtimber.com
- Venue and Catering: Hewing Hotel, hewinghotel.com
- Wedding Attire: Milbern Clothing Co., milbern.com; Tailored Tulle, tailoredtulle.com; Vow’d Weddings, vowdweddings.com
