A Sweet and Simple Fall Wedding at Bayview Event Center in Excelsior, Minnesota

Derek (26 and a sales manager) and Alyssa (23 and a graduate student) met at a mutual friend's cabin on the Fourth of July and started dating just four days later. After three years together, Derek took Alyssa to the same cabin for Labor Day weekend. When Alyssa came back from a trip to the grocery store, the cabin was covered in candles and music played in the background as Derek proposed. Knowing they wanted a waterfront theme for their wedding, the couple got married at Bayview Event Center overlooking Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, Minnesota. When it turned out to be too windy for an outdoor ceremony, they moved their wedding indoors. Alyssa assures, "Although it was not what I had originally planned, it still turned out beautifully!" A little bit of Pinterest research inspired the wedding's color palette of navy and orange, which worked their way into the bridesmaid dresses and brightly-colored bouquets. The centerpieces incorporated orange vases with snapdragons, mums, and garden roses on rustic wooden slabs. The wedding mantel was decorated with pumpkin spice candles and a light-up "Love" sign. When the wedding moved indoors and they could no longer use their wedding arch, they used the floral garland to instead decorate the head table at the reception (a brilliant solution!). Over the dance floor, white linens draped from the rafters with subtle strings of twinkle lights. After dinner and dessert, Derek and Alyssa served their guests pizza, saying, "If there is any advice I can give a bride planning her wedding, it would be to spend the money on a late night snack. It is always a hit with the guests!" For both place cards and favors, the couple ordered photo booth picture frames that guests could fill with their own pictures at the reception's photo booth. Alyssa and Derek proved that even with a little unpredictable weather, a few last minute changes to the wedding plan can still make the day just as special.