A Rustic, Woodland Wedding at Heartwood Retreat and Conference Center in Trego, Wisconsin

Annie Phillipson (23 and a math teacher) and Matthew Schroeder (23 and a software engineer) met on their first day of classes as freshmen at Minnesota State University Mankato. Matthew was pursuing a math minor and Annie a math major. The two sat together in class and immediately hit it off. The ceremony was held in a wooded area at the Heartwood Retreat and Conference Center which set the tone for the Annie and Matt's rustic, woodland wedding. Annie and Matt wanted a ceremony that was timeless and classic but also reflected their fun-loving personalities. Caricatures of the wedding party decorated the front of the programs and the couple danced down the aisle to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" leading into a cocktail hour of lawn games. Indoors at the reception, tables were layered in light lavender table runners accompanied by jars of crayons, giving guests the opportunity to doodle or write a congratulatory note for the bride and groom. Round slabs of wood set under mason jars full of deep pink and lavender wild flowers were set at each table with fruit topped cheesecakes as the centerpieces. Matthew wrote and recorded his own song for he and Annie to use during their first dance which was only the first surprise of the night. Annie and her bridesmaids coordinated their own dance as a surprise for the groom and were later surprised themselves when Matthew and his groomsmen performed their own dance! Guests were able to record their own memories in the photo booth and draw on customized place cards to leave for the bride and groom at the end of the night. "Everything was fun and there was something for everyone to enjoy!" says Annie.