Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

Celebration

Two receptions?!

We can't wait to celebrate our marriage with our friends, family, and community! Getting married in Vegas was fun but very small and there's a lot of people we love and cherish. We're going to hold two receptions this summer so that we can have smaller events to maximize our time with our guests. We've often wished to have more time with people at wedding receptions, but big crowds aren't always conducive to connecting.We're sending people invitations to a specific one, but if for whatever reason that date won't work for you, please ask us about the other!

July 25, 2015 at 16527 Fieldcrest Ave, Farmington, Minnesota

A second reception will be held the following weekend, hosted by Nyssa's parents, Mark and Brenda Towsley. The reception will be at their home in Farmington. Both receptions will be held as open houses, with plenty of food and beverages for the day. Dress is casual, so be as fancy or relaxed as you want. A rough schedule of events is as follows:2:00 PM -- reception begins, h'ors doeuvres served during this time 4:00 PM -- dinner buffet will be set up 6:00 PM -- cake and toastingFeel free to stop by whenever you can and stay as long as you like! There will be plenty of street parking available in the neighborhood. This reception is very kid-friendly! There will be two childcare providers helping wrangle kids and leading some games, as well as a bouncey house.Check out the "Accommodations" page under the "Details" section of this website for information on hotels in the area if you're coming from out of town. Go to the "Things to Do" page under the "Details" section if you're interested in checking out other things in the area during your visit.

July 18, 2015 in Saint Paul, Minnesota

The first reception will be held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosted by close friends of the couple, Angela and Levi. Both receptions will be held as open houses, with plenty of food and beverages for the day. Dress is casual, so be as fancy or relaxed as you want. A rough schedule of events is as follows:4:00 PM -- reception begins, h'ors doeuvres served during this time 6:00 PM -- dinner buffet will be set up 8:00 PM -- cake and toastingFeel free to stop by whenever you can and stay as long as you like! There's some street parking around Angela and Levi's house, so you can drive and park there but it may be limited. There will be a driver available starting at 10 pm to help get you home (if you're in Minneapolis/St.Paul), to your hotel, or to the lightrail. We want people to be able to celebrate and be safe!Check out the "Accommodations" page under the "Details" section of this website for information on hotels in the are if you're coming from out of town. There are not a lot of hotels in the immediate area of Angela and Levi's house, so we are suggesting hotels around the airport, which are easily accessible and only about 10-15 minutes away from the reception.Go to the "Things to Do" page under the "Details" section if you're interested in checking out other things in the area during your visit.

Accommodations

Because our receptions will not be held at a hotel venue, we are not planning to reserve a block of rooms at this time-. We suspect people will be able to find better deals that suit their tastes using online search sites like Orbitz. We've added suggestions for hotels in the areas around the receptions on the "Accommodations" page under the "Details" section of this site, but guests are welcome to stay anywhere that suits their taste and budget.We know many of our guests are traveling to be here and if the difference between attending or not is the cost of a room, let us know and we'll try to find a local friend or family member with some spare room for weary travellers!

Michael and Nyssa hit it off at wine tasting party Michael and his roommates threw in February 2013. Although we had met at a few parties before this, this was the first time we really got to talking. We had our first date a week later on February 16th, grabbing a few cocktails at a bar in Michael's neighborhood. We've grabbed quite a few more drinks since then.

How We Met

We have had a lot of fun since that first date. In particular, we've enjoyed a number of fun trips: to San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, Glacier, Yellowstone, and most recently the Grand Canyon. One of the reasons we're sure this relationship is pretty great is we've never snapped at each other while traveling, even after the second flight cancellation in one day.Michael's favorite thing about Nyssa is how excited she is by new things. Whether it's as massive as the Grand Canyon or a bird she's never seen, her enthusiasm for discovery is infectious. Nyssa's favorite thing about Michael is how often he does small, kind things for her, like bringing a coffee by her work or finding recipes with her favorite ingredients.Since last May, we've been sharing a brightly painted house in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis. Nyssa's been a great stepmother to Michael's cranky old dog, Guenther, and in September, we added a cranky old cat, Azrael, to the family. We also live with another couple: two of our close friends, Tim and Libby, which means there's always four for cards.

Our Relationship

Nyssa grew up in De Pere, Wisconsin and Farmington, Minnesota. She attended college at the University of Minnesota, where she graduated with a degree in Gender/LGBTQ Studies and Political Science. Nyssa has worked as an organizer for NARAL Pro Choice Minnesota and the AFL-CIO. Right now, she works for the Anthropology Department at the University of Minnesota. She's also taking classes at the U with the goal of completing a master's degree in Statistics.Nyssa enjoys coming up with complicated theories about her favorite shows (particularly Game of Thrones and Orphan Black), biking around Minneapolis, hosting parties, and overbidding Michael in cards. Michael grew up in Winona, Minnesota. He went to DePaul University in Chicago, where he earned a degree in Political Science. After college, he earned a master's degree in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California and master's in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He also works at the University of Minnesota where is an Instructional Technology Fellow in the School of Kinesiology. Michael enjoys trying new recipes, riding his motorcycle around the country, and annoying the cat. He and Nyssa have a shared love of bourbon and gin, which they've curated into a pretty good collection.

About Us

Married in Vegas?!

You got married in Las Vegas?!

Yes! And it was a lot of fun. We were lucky to be joined by Nyssa's parents and few close friends. If we'd had done it at home, we'd have just gone to a courthouse for the actual ceremony, so this seemed like a much better story. We're holding receptions this summer and can't wait to celebrate our commitment with our family and friends!The wedding happened at Vegas Weddings, where we drove a convertible through the "Tunnel of Love" and had our commitment ordained by the Reverend Arnie. We exchanged short vows, sharing with the other that we loved them, believe our lives are better with each other in them, and a promise to try to always be the best part partner we can.Photos of the ceremony and of our small celebrations throughout the day can be found in the photo section. Our post-wedding celebration in Vegas was held in a hotel penthouse, and the views were spectacular. For pictures from our wedding day, including our pre-ceremony dinner and celebration afterwards, click <a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/michael-reis-and-nyssa-towsley-mar-2015/photos/69287" target="_blank">here.</a> For pictures of the ceremony itself, click <a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/michael-reis-and-nyssa-towsley-mar-2015/photos/69282" target="_blank">here.</a>

Our Story

Details

Wedding Party

Photos

Q + A

Registry

This hotel is a short drive (5-10 minutes) from Mark and Brenda Towsley's home, where the reception on July 25th is being held. Since our receptions are being held at private residences, we have not made any special arrangements with hotels, but we are happy to provide recommendations for accommodations in the area.

GrandStay Hotel & Conference – Apple Valley

This hotel is slightly further from Mark and Brenda Towsley's home, where the reception on July 25th is being held, but is still only a 10-15 minute drive away. Since our receptions are being held at private residences, we have not made any special arrangements with hotels, but we are happy to provide recommendations for accommodations in the area.

AmericInn Hotel & Suites Apple Valley

This airport hotel is located approx. 15 minutes from the reception held in St. Paul on the 18th of July. There are plenty of other hotels in this same area, but this one was both reasonably well-rated and inexpensive.Since our receptions are being held at private residences, we have not made any special arrangements with hotels, but we are happy to provide recommendations for accommodations in the area.

Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Bloomington/Minneapolis

Travel

The famous Mall of America is close to both of our receptions. If you want to do some shopping or take the kids for a fun time in Nickelodeon Universe while you're in town, the MoA is easily accessible.

Mall of America

The Minnesota Zoo is a short drive away from Mark and Brenda Towsley's home in Farmington, and is also easily accessible from Minneapolis/St. Paul and the other surrounding suburbs. The zoo hosts many animals and exhibits, as well as a large Imax movie theater.

Minnesota Zoo

Not only is this one of our favorite neighborhood bars, it's also where we had our first date! They have an excellent list of craft cocktails and an absolutely amazing burger, served with fries and malt vinegar aoli. If you want a taste of life in our neighborhood, check this place out.

Nightingale

This is another one of our favorite neighborhood bars. Interesting fact: we tried to have our first date here, but decided to go to Nightingale instead when we found out there was a live band playing that night, and we wanted a quieter place to get to know each other. Icehouse offers a great deal on a 10-course tasting menu, so if you're hungry while you're here, we highly recommend it! Otherwise, it has an excellent patio for when the weather is nice, and a selection of $5 miniature craft cocktails.

Icehouse

The Walker Art Center is close to Michael and Nyssa's home in Minneapolis. In addition to its indoor collections, it also contains the outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Last summer they had an artist-designed mini golf course. There's no word yet on whether they'll be doing that again this year, but check out the website to find events and exhibits during the time you're visiting the city!

Walker Art Center

Minneapolis has a thriving microbrewing scene, and one of Michael and Nyssa's favorites is Sociable Cider Werks. They have a generous outdoor and indoor space, in addition to delicious cider! They have a schedule for local food trucks to stop by to provide snacks with your cider. Check out the website for taproom hours, cider list, and to find out which food trucks will be there.

Michael & Nyssa

Michael & Nyssa

M&N

Wedding Day