The Luminare

Ceremony & Reception

Ceremony

Our Wedding

Shout out to Bumble &amp; the Minnesota Timberwolves!!! Michael and Abby met for a first date in April of 2022 after talking on a dating app. They met at a coffee shop (Spyhouse Coffee) early in the evening, then went downtown to Target Center for a Timberwolves play-in game. It was a crazy game that included: a Red Panda halftime performance, the unicycle-riding acrobat that catches metal bowls on her head --- a surly protestor that decided to super glue her hand to the basketball court during a timeout break --- and a miraculous Timberwolves win against the LA Clippers! A first date turned into a second, then a third, and so on. They bonded over their love for family, friends, dogs, Minneapolis restaurants, golf, tennis, and plans for travelling. Dates involved taking Michael's dog, Rue, for walks around the Chain of Lakes, trying various breweries, restaurants &amp; coffee shops in the Twin Cities, Twins games, movie nights, NFL Sunday football watch parties, trying new recipes at home, and golf! Things started getting more serious between the couple as spring turned into summer. Michael asked Abby if she wanted to come spend some time back in his hometown, Oxford MI, over the 4th of July. He was staying in Oxford for a couple weeks to hang out with his family and friends. Abby happily agreed and Michael popped the “Will you be my girlfriend?” question the night he picked Abby up from DTW airport!

How'd We Meet?

It was a fairly typical week in late June for Abby &amp; Michael. Their weekend was wide open, so Abby started planning out a fun day together for the upcoming Saturday. She asked Michael early in the week if he wanted to take Rue to a new dog park near Lake Minnetonka that upcoming Saturday. "We could even pack a picnic, too - the weather looks pretty great", Abby said.. Michael was all for it! He started scheming a plan as he knew he was picking up Abby's engagement ring from the jeweler on Friday. Saturday morning rolled around and the couple started off their day by going record shopping at Electric Fetus. Michael was growing more nervous by the minute. His plan was basically set in stone for him with Abby setting up the agenda for the day - but where exactly would he ask her and when? The weather was starting to look a little rainy, and they might have to pivot to other plans. The couple went home and packed a picnic lunch that they placed in Michael's backpack. The backpack was also where Michael slipped the engagement ring box in the top pocket. In hindsight, Abby remembers Michael being extremely protective over the backpack while they were getting ready to leave. He was carrying it around like a kid on his first day of school! They went to 2 different dog parks and at the 2nd one, Abby insisted on carrying the back pack much to Michael's dismay. They let Rue off-leash, walked for about a mile, and then decided to head down a trail that looked like it lead towards the lake. Michael asked Abby if he could get into the backpack to put Rue's leash inside. He fumbled around for the ring box while Abby had her back towards him. When he zipped the bag back up, she turned around and there he was on one knee! She said YES!

The Proposal

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Hotel Information

We have reserved a block of rooms for our guest's convenience at each of the hotels listed below. The drive from the hotels to our venue is approximately 10-15 minutes. Uber &amp; Lyft also service the area. To secure the rates below, you must reserve your hotel room no later than August 19th.

Call the hotel to reserve your room(s) and mention 'Mikel-Neff Wedding', or book online using the website link below.

Courtyard by Marriott Minneapolis St. Paul/Roseville

Call the hotel to reserve your room(s) and mention 'Mikel-Neff Wedding', or book online using the website link below. Enter Group Code: CHH90Z in the 'Special Rates' box.

Hampton Inn Minneapolis-Roseville

Other Lodging Options

You are welcome to book outside of the hotels listed above. Downtown Minneapolis has plenty of great hotel options that are within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and attractions. Plus, it's a quick 10 -minute Uber/Lyft ride to our venue from downtown! If you need hotel recommendations, feel free to ask Abby or Michael. There are plenty of Airbnbs in the Twin Cities area as well.

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

When Do We RSVP?

We will be mailing formal invitations late spring/early summer of 2026. You can RSVP on our website at that time!

Will the ceremony & reception take place indoors or outdoors?

The ceremony and reception will both take place in our venue &amp; both will be held indoors

Is There Parking At The Venue?

Yes! There is a large event parking lot, located at 610 SE 9th St (NorthCo Building Parking Lot) which is adjacent to our venue

What is the dress code?