The Hidden Meadow and Barn

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Social Hour

Reception

Summer

Our Wedding

Photography courtesy of Alisha Austin

Engagement Photos

Matron of Honor

Mrs. Deborah Brister

Best Men

Mr. Paul Rogers

Mr. Jason Rogers

Groomsmen

Mr. Ryan Aguilar

Mr. Jesper Hammerlund Nielsen Nordskjold

Mr. Jeffery Bueno

Mr. Zachary Grant

Mr. Adam Balsimo-Schneide

Bridesmaids

Mrs. Maurlei Chinn

Alias: Princess Melody (The Little Mermaid II)

Ms. Jessica Goessler

Ms. Jenna Florence

Ms. Lucy Boettcher

Ms. Ellen Boettcher

Ms. Ashlyn Bueno

Ms. Jillian Bueno

Flower Girls

Ms. Esme Chinn

Ms. Lumi Chinn

Ring Bearer

Mr. Stanley Wayne Brister

Father of the Bride

Alias: Stoick the Vast (How to Train Your Dragon)

Mr. Robert Brister

Wedding Party

About the Day

Where are the ceremony and reception?

Both are taking place at the Hidden Meadow and Barn at W9602 Balsam Ln, Pepin, WI 54759

RSVP Deadline?

August 1st, 2024

Dress code?

Summer Cocktail to Semi-Formal. Please prioritize movement and comfort. There are no thematic restrictions. All events will take place on or around a grassy field, so please keep this in mind when choosing your footwear.

Open Bar?

There will be no open bar. However, there will be a cash bar option until 11:30PM for our guests of age.

Parking?

Parking is available on-site. Follow the gravel road entirely down the hill to our open lot. Or feel free to park along the road. Please be courteous to the neighboring farms and residents sharing the road .

Are kids welcome?

Yes! There will be many families in attendance. There is lots of open space to play or get away, a selection of N/A beverages will be offered at the bar, and lawn games will be available all night.

About Us

How did you meet?

We met on an archaeology dig in Belize in 2015, on field school beginning our academic careers in Anthropology.&nbsp; Chris went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Viking Age Archaeology with Århus University and Sophia graduated with her Bachelor's in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of Minnesota.

Where are you from?

Chris : I'm from Yorba Linda, California. I lived a couple years in Denmark and I have a lot of amazing family and friends there. Sophia : I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota but I spent most of my young adulthood in Southern California and I call it a second home.

Shared hobbies?

We love food and we spend tons of time in nature, hiking, camping, or off-roading. We're both inspired by history, language, music, and art. You're likely to find us in the kitchen, on the trail, buried in a novel, or exploring cultural institutions, zoos, and other unique destinations around the world! We also share a passion for two orange kitties named Goose and Loon.&nbsp;

Rapid Fire

Beach or mountains? Chris : beachSoph : mountains Dawn or dusk?Chris : dawnSoph : dawn Outer space or the bottom of the sea?Chris : outer spaceSoph : bottom of the sea Save 100 strangers or 1 loved one?Chris : loved oneSoph : loved one Time machine or magic wand?Chris : time machineSoph : time machine Growth or security?Chris : growthSoph : security First celebrity crush?Chris : Cameron DiazSoph : Peter Pan in the 2003 live action film Do you believe in fate?Chris : yesSoph : yes If Voldemort offered you a hug, would you accept it?Chris : I'd hug Voldemort (everyone needs a hug)Soph : no way! Are dogs people?Chris : noSoph : absolutely

FAQs

10 minutes to venue.Enjoy a step back in time when you visit Harbor Hill Inn in Pepin, Wisconsin. You'll find comfortable lodging&nbsp;in a charming Mississippi River village on Lake Pepin. Close to Stockholm and everything you may need.&nbsp;You will find us at the corner of Main and Second streets in the Village of Pepin. We are just one block from the world renown Harbor View Cafe, the Pepin Marina, the Breakwater Cafe, 404 Coffee,&nbsp;the popular Garden Pub and the waterfront Pickle Factory Bar &amp; Grill.

Harbor Hill Inn

15 minutes to venue.Book your stay at Coffee Mill Inn and Suites for a relaxing getaway tucked in the bluffs of Wabasha! Coffee Mill Inn and Suites is located minutes away from Mississippi River. Wabasha has many exciting activities for our guest to enjoy! Skiing, snow boarding, ice fishing, water skiing, boating, sightseeing, the list goes on. Come check us out! Each suite is fit with a king bed.

Coffee Mill Inn & Suites

15 minutes to venue.The Maiden Rock School was built in 1906, and was the third school to be constructed on this piece of property. Its spacious interior covers 16,000 square feet of skillfully and artistically renovated spaces for your enjoyment. The four-room bed and breakfast has been our project since 1995. If you're looking for a nice relaxing getaway at a full service B&amp;B, you will be delighted with our incredible lodgings in Maiden Rock and with the loving and sustainable care you will receive here.

Maiden Rock Inn

20 minutes to venue.Welcoming hotel on Highway 61 near the Mississippi River and Lake City Marina. Enjoy a stunning view of the Mississippi River Valley, a free homestyle breakfast including freshly baked waffles, eggs, sausage, and more. While you're here, stay connected with free WiFi throughout the hotel and take a dip in our indoor pool and hot tub. Our fireside lobby lounge is the perfect place to unwind with a complimentary newspaper. Each of our spacious guest rooms features a flat-screen HDTV, coffee and tea maker, mini-refrigerator, and microwave.

AmericInn by Wyndham Wabasha

5-10 minutes to venue.Browse lodgings in Pepin, Wisconsin by location, stay duration, price, and style.👇

Pepin, WI Vrbo Listings

10 minutes to venue.Browse lodgings in Stockholm, Wisconsin by location, stay duration, price, and style.👇

Stockholm, WI AirB&B Listings

20 minutes to venue.Browse lodgings in Alma, Wisconsin by location, stay duration, price, and style.👇

Alma, WI AirB&B Listings

30 minutes to venue.Browse lodgings in Lake City, Minnesota by location, stay duration, price, and style.👇

Lake City, MN AirB&B Listings

Lodging

What to do near Pepin, Wisconsin

Escape to Villa Bellezza for a piece of Italy. Follow the Wisconsin Great River Road, one of the most beautiful drives in America, to Pepin, Wisconsin. Experience great wines and food surrounded by buildings that allow you to believe you are in Italy.

Villa Bellezza Winery

Head to Pepin, WI for the ultimate lakeshore experience! Dock your boat or cruise down the Wisconsin Great River Road for fresh food, ice-cold drinks and live weekend entertainment. Try our juicy burgers, hand-prepared entrees, and, of course, our famous fried pickles! When the weather’s just right, enjoy your meal on the balcony overlooking Lake Pepin!

The Pickle Factory

"A good vibe wine and beer bar featuring small bites and live music" in Downtown Pepin. Share a glass of wine, music, and appetizers inside their dining room and bar or in their open air patio. Check out their upcoming live concerts <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RiverTimePepin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!

RiverTime. Wine ~ Beer ~ Amusements

Dine while enjoying the great harbor view overlooking Lake Pepin and the mighty Mississippi River. Since 1980, our critically acclaimed restaurant has provided elegant, eclectic food in a congenial and casual atmosphere. High quality, fresh ingredients go into everything we make: from homemade soups, sauces, salad dressings and breads, to seafood, meat and vegetarian entrees, to our show-stopping desserts.

Harbor View Cafe

This upbeat family-friendly bar &amp; grille will be starting our 17th season of operation. Menu provides American fare with specialty burgers, chicken sandwiches with daily specials. We are also known for our variety of pizza options and our famous chicken wings. Spend time on our terrace and tiki bar and explore our ice cream and gift shop which makes the Garden Pub a must-stop on your visit to Pepin.

Garden Pub & Grille

About a 20 minute drive from Pepin, Tiffany Bottoms State Wildlife Area in western Wisconsin is a 13,000 acre jewel and the largest and most important floodplain forest in Wisconsin. It’s a birders’ paradise and you can find nearly every species of bird that lives in Wisconsin. One of the best ways to view this remote location is by train. The Chippewa Valley Motorcar Association offers a limited number of trips. Book a trip <a href="https://www.cvmca.info/events?fbclid=IwAR2iuOwyKoQpn_sTsw-QdXbKYbkAJFkafi9bI4SY58220v16ah0k2VHgjJA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!

Tiffany Bottoms State Natural Area

Only a 30 minute drive from Pepin to Buena Vista Park. Alma city park with a stunning overlook of the Mississippi River, hiking, picnic area. Largest natural balcony overlooking the Mississippi River. Visitors can watch barges traveling up the river and locking through Lock &amp; Dam #4, along with views of the sand islands and backwater areas.

Buena Vista Park, Outlook

Amusements

2015

Chris was responsible for consolidating tons of college kids on their way to field school as they landed at the Belize City Airport in the summer of 2015. This was that day and probably moments after he and I met. Peep us in the standing row, 4th and 5th from the left.

Belize

2016

We spent the majority of 2016 apart. Chris took the opportunity to work with a team of incredible Harvard archaeologists in Denmark. I scooped up the opportunity to roll around in the dirt for the summer with some incredible Classical archaeologists in rural Portugal.

Denmark and Portugal

2017

Chis was accepted to grad school in Århus, Denmark. Before he left for those two years, he helped move mom and I cross-country from California to Minnesota.

Grad School and Moving Home

2020

In the year hallmarked by a global pandemic and civil disrupt, we got used to each other together for the first time in the same city. Chris moved into our current apartment building in Uptown and lots of friends and family worked on indoctrinating him into the culture over the next few years.

Minneapolis

2021

2022

This was the year we adopted our two cats, Goose and Loon.

Life Together

2023

In the spring of 2023 on a trip to see family and spend time in the Southern Midwest, he proposed above a waterfall.

Chris + Sophia

Chris + Sophia

Engagement Photos

Photography courtesy of Alisha Austin