A Rustic DIY Backyard Wedding at a Private Residence in Walker, Minnesota

Angela (29 and a marketing manager for W Minneapolis) and Alex (25 and an associate superintendent for Ryland Homes) grew up in neighboring towns, but didn't meet until hanging out with mutual friends the night before Thanksgiving. Although Angela was working in Minneapolis while Alex lived in North Dakota, they decided to take a chance on a long distance relationship. Conveniently, Alex worked part-time at an airport, which allowed them to travel rather inexpensively to visit one another. When he graduated, Alex moved to Minneapolis and proposed to Angela just a year later in a house strewn with candles and rose petals. Angela wanted to get married somewhere meaningful, so she chose her family's 100-year-old property in Walker, Minnesota. A tremendous elm tree (which family members also refer to as the wishing tree) decorated with hanging chandeliers and garlands served as the backdrop for most of the wedding . For the unity ceremony, Alex custom designed brands to permanently burn their initials into the tree. An antique barn door decorated with green hydrangeas served as the grand entrance to the ceremony. Almost all of the wedding decor was handmade, including the dance floor, centerpieces, lawn games, flower girl dresses, lollipop wedding favors, and a custom wooden bench that served as a guest book. At the end of the night, Angela's uncles surprised them with a shower of fireworks. Although it started to rain later in the evening, Angela, Alex, and their guests continued to dance on the open dance floor, embracing the elements in a celebration of love and togetherness.