Wedding Day!

Brother Justus Whiskey Company

Ceremony

The View at Minneapolis Event Centers

Reception

Winter

Our Wedding

Tom and Regina met in April 2017, when Regina started a new job as the Marketing Manager at Children's Theatre Company. Working all of about 12 feet away from each other - though in different departments - the instant&nbsp;attraction was mutual. Tom told a few close friends and colleagues about his crush, and Regina started referring to him as "TFD" - Tom From Development - when gushing about him to her friends (and to keep it a secret at work!). After a company outing at which they talked for hours, Tom got up the courage to ask Regina on a date...via work email. Tom was headed to Japan for three weeks to visit his sister and was worried that, if didn't ask Regina out before he left, the woman of his dreams would find someone else while he was gone. Without having her phone number, the only way for him to contact her was through their work email. Through a quick few messages, they set a date to see "Fly By Night" at the Jungle Theater when he got back.&nbsp; They met at Muddy Waters (RIP) for a drink before the show, and Tom had walked there in the middle of July. If you know Tom at all, you know he's a Schvitzy Boy, so he showed up very sweaty and had also forgotten the tickets at his house! Even still, it was a fabulous first date and just the first of many dinner/theatre dates to come. From favorite breweries and distilleries, to trips up to Duluth and Battle Lake, to trying new restaurants and recipes, and so much more, the last five years have been an incredible journey. They got their first apartment together in June 2018 - a little second-story unit of a duplex in South Uptown with a fantastic deck and beautiful garden. After a year in the apartment, they decided it was time to start saving for a house and moved in with Tom's parents in fall 2019. What was initially supposed to be just a few months quickly turned into over two years once the pandemic hit and both Tom and Regina lost their jobs. However, they had the incredible opportunity to start a pop-up mutual aid site and spent much of their time volunteering together. Time caring for their community and neighbors brought them closer, and further solidified for Regina that Tom was "her person." The kindness and compassion he showed in this work made her fall in love with him all over again. In 2021, both were recalled to their jobs, and finally saw their dream of buying a house come true! A mid-century charmer across from a small lake in South Minneapolis won their hearts on on a cold November night and come January 4, 2022, they were officially homeowners! The night of the closing, when they had planned a quiet night with pizza and champagne on their bare living room floor, several of their close friends showed up. Thinking they were there to celebrate the new house, Regina welcomed them all in...and turned to see Tom at the top of the stairs, down on one knee, with a midnight blue velvet box in hand. It was just perfect - on a night when she was least expecting it, Tom's proposal was the absolute best surprise! Regina is honored to wear Tom's grandmother Beti's diamond engagement ring as they begin their life together. We can't wait to celebrate with all our loved ones in 2023!

Our Story

Photos

Sister of the Bride. Aimee and Regina got very close when Aimee chose to follow in her sister's footsteps and go to the College of St. Benedict. Practically twins by this point, the girls have had so many adventures together!

Aimee

The best sister a boy could ask for. There is no one Tom would rather have by his side on March 18 than Leah and Kari.

Leah

Best Friend of the Bride. Megan and Regina met in the soprano section of Chamber Choir at CSB/SJU, and became fast friends. Frequent roommates and confidants, Megan and Regina have been each other's "ride or die" over the years.

Megan

Kari

Best Friend and best "Drunk Shopping Buddy" of the Bride. Evelyn and Regina met working at The O'Shaughnessy at St. Kate's, and have bonded over a love over all things spooky. With Annie, the trio is often referred to as the Sanderson Sisters.

Evelyn

Friend of the Groom. Carly and Tom met at Hopkins North Junior High. They ruled the school and became close friends in no time. There is no one Tom has spent more hours in the car with than Carly. From road trips to Chicago to visit their friend Val, to Madison, Iowa City, Lawrence, and Herzl Camp, they have been all over the upper midwest together. Oh and Israel, too.

Carly

Best Friend of the Bride. Annie and Regina met working at The O'Shaughnessy at St. Kate's, both "Minnesota transplants" with choir and vocal performance backgrounds, and along with Evelyn, round out the Sanderson Sisters.

Annie

Friend of the Groom. Mike and Tom met playing for the Hopkins Elks (2005 Hopkins Area Little League Champions). In their teen years, they spent hours in Mike's parents' basement listening and playing music and up to no good. They would later live together all four years at the U of M and then never speak to each other again.

Mike

Brother of the Bride. Like any good little brother, John annoyed Regina to no end when they were younger, but as adults, the witty, sarcastic comments provide endless hilarity. 

John

Friend of the Groom. Jack and Tom bonded while playing tricks on their Hebrew school teachers at Bet Shalom. They carried this same tone 15 years later when they lived together in Whittier, Minneapolis and played tricks on their friend and roommate, Adam.

Jack

Regina first met Maryanne and John when she joined Kantorei choir in May 2012 - promptly introducing herself as the child of someone they went to college with. Since then, they've become her "Minnesota parents" and #KellyFam, welcoming Tom in along the way. Dear friends with a love of craft beer festivals, fine dining, and adventures in Duluth, we can't imagine our wedding without them.

Maryanne & John

Wedding Party

Q + A

You can book within the block for both nights or just one. The Marriott Renaissance is located on the north side of downtown, just two blocks from the river. It is less than 1.5 miles from Minneapolis Event Centers.

Mpls Marriott Renaissance, The Depot

While The Depot is the only hotel with which we have a room block, there are many other nearby hotels to choose from. The closest lodging to the reception is the Nicollet Island Inn, just a short walk from Minneapolis Event Centers. Rooms fill up quickly in this quaint, historic hotel and restaurant, so book early if you are interested. https://www.nicolletislandinn.com/

Other great options all within three miles of the reception: The Hewing Hotelwww.hewinghotel.com/ The Hyatt Centric Downtownwww.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/minnesota/hyatt-centric-downtown-minneapolis Radisson RED Downtownwww.radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-red-minneapolis-downtown The Hiltonwww.hilton.com/en/hotels/mspmhhh-hilton-minneapolis

Shuttle

There will be a shuttle from Brother Justus (ceremony) to Minneapolis Event Center (reception). The first will depart at 4:30pm and the second at 5/5:15pm. Each shuttle has a capacity of 29 people (58 between the two trips), which we know will not accommodate all of our guests. At the end of the evening, there will be a 14-person shuttle making regular trips back and forth from Minneapolis Event Center to The Depot Renaissance Hotel. The first ride will be available at 9:30pm and then ongoing until the end of the evening. The last ride of the night will be at 11:45pm and is reserved for the wedding party.

Travel

One of Tom and Regina's favorite breweries, Modist pushes the brewing boundaries and embraces experimentation! The space itself is just as a cool as the beer, too, so take a while to hang out and enjoy their delicious brews. Tom recommends Teal Label (a West Coast IPA) and Regina loves First Call (the cold-press coffee lager).

Modist Brewing Co.

A Minneapolis staple for the last six decades, Kramarczuk's is home to Tom's favorite deli and cafeteria-style lunch! Be sure to try the Ukrainian meatball!

Kramarczuk Sausage Company

Not only is Surdyk's one of the premiere liquor stores and cheese shops in the Twin Cities, but their new restaurant, Surdyk's Sidebar, has some of the best cocktails! Stop in for a beverage, or make a reservation to enjoy a meal.

Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop

A James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis! Tom and Regina recommend the Korean BBQ pizza, Thai Sausage Ssam, and La Parisienne pizza. If you can't get into the front restaurant, try your hand at the speakeasy-style Back Bar.

Young Joni

If you can't get enough whiskey on the day of our wedding, Brother Justus is open Thursday through Sunday!Brother Justus Whiskey Company was inspired by a monk living in Stearns County during Prohibition, who taught local farmers that no earthly power could take away their right to make a living off their land - AKA, moonshining might have been illegal, but it wasn't immoral. The natural regions of Minnesota are ideal for whiskey making, and with barley, water, and a little faith, Brother Justus' whiskey is not to be missed. Be sure to try their Cold-Peated Whiskey, the first of its kind in the world!

Tom & Regina

Tom & Regina

Registry

Hello, friends and family! We hope you have as much fun perusing our registry as we did making it. We also hope you consider donating to Community Aid Network MN, a mutual aid group we support in Minneapolis. For more information about CANMN and how to donate, please visit canmn.org. Thank you!