Minnesota Weddings Blog by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

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Required wedding vows in Minnesota

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Question:

Hi, Reverend Tomkin,

Thank you so much for your Minnesota wedding planning website! My brand-new fiance and I will probably get married in Minneapolis next year, and in my early poking around, your site has come up repeatedly and it's a wealth of information. We'll be using your wife's MN marriage preparation classes this summer, by the way!

I have one question that I haven't been able to answer by Googling, which is what are the standard vows for the state of Minnesota? I'm trying to decide whether we'll write our own vows or use something standard, but there seems to be a lot of options! Is there a legal requirement of certain things that need to be promised or said, whether the marriage is at the courthouse? Part of the reason I ask is that a friend was married at a courthouse in Tennessee and was expecting a secular civil ceremony but their standard vows do including "swearing before God" or something along those lines. I'm just trying to figure out the standard baseline and decide whether we'll use those or write our own.

Thank you so much!

Minnesota Bride

Answer:

Dear MB,

Congratulations on your engagement!

Good question - in Minnesota, you can use any vows that you find work for you, and they do not have to include "swearing before God". Just for comparison, the traditional (non-religious) wedding vows are:

I...(MB's fiance), take you, MB,
to be my wife,
to have and to hold
from this day forward,
for better for worse,
for richer for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
until death do us part (or, "for as long as we both shall live").

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Minneapolis Wedding Coordinating and Officiating

Hear MN string quartet online

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Question:

Hi Rev. Tomkin,

How have you been?

I'm working on some Four Voices string quartet stuff, and I went to your site to see your latest website.
Really good looking, very informative, and I LOVE the venue matrix of MN wedding reception sites and your approach to providing the information. I've often thought about how much info we have harbored in our past experiences that I'd love to make available to couples to help them plan, example in particular cool Minneapolis and St Paul wedding sites. You've done it!

Did you do your site yourself? We want to revamp ours, and likely will hire someone. Any ideas?

I wonder if you might be interested in a link to part of a video Four Voices made in January?

Here's a link to the online portion.

You are a class act. It's always great to see you on a gig and hear your services.

All my best,

Susan

Answer:

Dear Susan,

Absolutely! I love seeing the Four Voices string quartet play at MN weddings (and it was great hearing you online, as well!)

By the way, Julie and I are going to La Boheme at the Ordway in St Paul, MN, and look forward to hearing you play for the Minnesota Opera again. I love the fact that each of the four musicians in your string quartet plays professionally, such as for the MN Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the like. You are amazing!

I wish you the very best for 2010, and break a leg at La Boheme!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin
Minneapolis Weddings

p.s. Yes, I do all the website work myself. It's a labor of love - I love working with couples on their weddings!

Prenuptual agreement(!) in MN

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Question:

(Taken from several personal conversations)

Dear Rev. Coleman,

This is kind of a random question, but we're getting married (this is our second marriage), and we were thinking of getting a prenuptial agreement, but was wondering how much it would cost, and where we could go to get one?

Careful in Minnesota

Answer:

Dear CIM,

Those are great questions! Talking with Cragg Law in St Paul, MN, he quoted $995 for most prenuptial agreements, and for peace of mind, of nothing else, it can be a great idea. With the minimum cost of a divorce being $4,000, if one can think of a prenuptial agreement more like insurance, then it seems like a well-reasoned and well-thought out contingency plan - especially if it's a second wedding and assets are a bit complicated. Two complications from Cragg Law's page on prenuptial agreements that a prenup can help with:

Ensuring that children from a previous relationship receive all or a substantial portion of their parent's estate
Limiting ownership in a closely-held business

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

Thank you for baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:23:00 +0000

Question:

Hi Rev. Tomkin,

Thank you for such a lovely ceremony! It was everything we wanted and more for our daughter's baptism. It was so wonderful to meet you. Your warmth and genuine care for our family made it extra special. I am so glad you were able to be a part of her day, we will never forget it.

Thanks again,

New Hope Couple (and Daughter)

Answer:

Good morning, NHC (and D!)

Thank you so much for the honor of being part of your daughter's special day! I loved meeting you three and your extended family...the love and happiness in your household is such a perfect place for raising children.

Again, thank you for the honor...your daughter is a lucky little girl!

God bless you!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

MN wedding videographer cost

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:52:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Tomkin,

Thank you so much for all your wedding vendor recommendations, especially the music ones! We're using wedding pianist Sharon Planer, and we're very excited about our choice.

We're debating whether or not to get a wedding videographer...do you know how much it costs to have someone make a DVD of the wedding ceremony, or how much it would cost to shoot a wedding and reception in Minnesota?

August Bride

Answer:

Dear AB,

I talked to Tom at PixelSkew wedding videos, and he said:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

I hope 2010 is treating you well! My base package starts with a 3 camera setup. I know that some places have options with fewer cameras, but I don't feel that does the kind of quality job I've run my business doing these past years.

Just for the wedding ceremony, I could probably do for about $1,200
Wedding ceremony and Reception starts at $2,500

Wedding videography prices go up after that with the addition of cameras and the Blu-Ray option. Everything is filmed in HD, but it takes a lot longer to work on that version, thus the price increase if a couple would want Blu-Ray.

I hope this helps! Have a great Valentine's Day!

Tom Beckel

Minnesota wedding videography at PixelSkew

I'm so glad you're set up with Sharon - she's wonderful. I highly recommend getting the ceremony (and even the wedding reception) taped by a professional (PixelSkew is great)...video captures so much more than just photos. I hope the above answer helps!

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Minneapolis Weddings

Van Dusen Manor closed

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:34:00 +0000

Question:

Hi, Rev. Coleman,

It’s been a while since we e-mailed about the wedding at the Calhoun Beach Club this last October, and I hope the new year is treating you well. I was just visiting your wonderful site, and visiting the page about Minneapolis and St Paul mansions for weddings, and thought I’d mention the Van Dusen Mansion is no longer doing events. The site has been seized by the government. Luckily it did not impact any brides and grooms negatively. The ones who were booked there we were able to move to other sites they were happy with.

Looking forward to working with you again!

Brenda Probasco

Event Planner
office	\| 612-238-4444
direct	\| 612-625-6593
fax	\| 612-624-7572

www.damicocatering.com

***Now at Chambers, the Luxury Art Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis!

Click here for a virtual tour of our venues

Answer:

Good afternoon, Brenda,

So good to hear from you! Wow, that's really too bad...the Van Dusen Mansion is a beautiful site, and I've loved performing wedding ceremonies there.

Business Week says it's for sale for $4 million, describing it this way:
This three-story, 12,000-square-foot mansion was restored in 1995 and features magnificent millwork throughout, 10 fireplaces, a gracious floor plan, and finished basement with stainless steel prep kitchen. The two-story, 4,200-square-foot carriage house was renovated in 1996-97. It can accommodate 136 people for banquet seating and includes another stainless steel prep kitchen, a mezzanine overlooking the first floor, an antique English bar, and cherry wood throughout.

We can only hope someone will snap up the Van Dusen!

Thank you for the update, Brenda. You are wonderful, to let people know like this - thank you so much.

Looking forward to working with you again, too - best wishes for 2010!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

Outdoor winter wedding in Minnesota

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

My fiance and I are big cross-country skiiers and love the Minnesota winters, and we would love to have our wedding outdoors in the winter. Have you ever performed a wedding ceremony outdoors in the winter? Is it at all possible? Any ideas?

Winter Bride

Answer:

Dear WB,

I have to admit, I've never performed an outdoor wedding ceremony in a Minnesota winter before. The closest is probably a mid-October wedding on the outdoor grounds of Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis, MN (they had outdoor heaters set up, and it was in the mid-60s)...or, last weekend, I performed a February wedding ceremony in the Pavilion's outdoor tent (but that was heated up to 72 degrees). I'd say it all depends on your guests...are these fun, outdoor-type athletes, or are there 90-year old grandparents among the guests? One tip...it feels 10 degrees warmer in the daytime that at night (that's the "feels-like" temp, in addition to the actual temperature), and then it feels 10 degrees warmer than that in the sunshine, as opposed to when it's cloudy. So a lot depends on the actual day, as well!

I was chatting with Minneapolis wedding photographer John Perry and mentioned your e-mail -and he said he's set to shoot a wedding on the North Shore of Lake Superior this weekend - a mid-February wedding ceremony! So, I guess it is possible...I would think that the bride would be the one who has to be the most flexible, as most everyone else can wear silk long underwear!

I hope this helps!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Weddings (both summer and winter) with Rev. Coleman

p.s. To readers - By the way, I just have to give a shout-out to John...his work is amazing. He has a wonderful way of capturing intimate moments...waiting patiently for the shot, anticipating as much as possible...plus, he as a calm, warm manner that puts people at their ease, so they are comfortable (and eventually, actually having fun while getting their wedding photos taken...he's a rare jewel.

It's really important to find a wedding photographer you feel comfortable with, and John Perry is amazing in that respect (plus, I love his aesthetics!)

Rehearsal dinner in Eden Prairie

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:40:00 +0000

Question:

Hello Reverend Coleman,

I came across your website while researching rehearsal dinner venues in the Twin Cities area. After reviewing your website information, manager Jim Cameron and I would love it if you would let people know about Wildfire in Eden Prairie as a desired venue for your brides and grooms.

We would love to host you and your wife for dinner, as well as show you our private dining space.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

Cara
Cara St. John
Parties & Special Events Manager
Wildfire Restaurant
8251 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone (952) 914-9100
www.wildfirerestaurant.com

Answer:

Good afternoon, Cara,

Thank you so much for the info, and for your gracious hospitality! I loved dinner at Wildfire steakhouse in Eden Prairie, MN, loved meeting you and Jim, and hope that lots of brides continue to enjoy your wonderful restaurant!

Thank you again!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

My website review of Wildfire and my enthusiastic recommendation for rental for rehearsal dinners (and wedding receptions!) is here, but the following are pictures of one of the amazing dinners offered by the restaurant:

My wife ordered Wildfire's signature "flights of wine", which she said was just delicious, with a great wine selection. When renting a rehearsal dinner room or rooms for a wedding reception, Wildfire offers bar packages that start with beer and wine for $15 per person for 1 hour, all the way up to premium brands, including Wildfire specialty martinis and classic cocktails, imported and domestic beers, cappuccino, and sterling a "Vitner's Collection" Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wildfire's scallop skewers were amazing (plus, the shrimp cocktail on the left)...I realize that a steakhouse prides itself on its steaks, but wow, both the scallops and the shrimp are wonderful!

Wild rice is on the left, roasted vegetables (with an amazing balsamic vinegar reduction!) on the right - both available with Wildfire's rehearsal dinner or wedding reception menus (starting at $30.95/person, including starters, salads, main courses, potatoes and vegetables, and desserts...I love it when a fine restaurant serves the dinners at a wedding reception - they can really serve top-quality meals to every single guest!)

Here I'm sitting in front of the star attraction - the filet mignon, which was perfect! Bravo! To the right is Wildfire's signature dish, which my wife ordered - filet mignon medallions, each "crusted" with a different topping, such as blue cheese, parmesan, and horseradish. I loved this dish...usually, I don't put anything on a fine steak (not steak sauce, or anything else), but these toppings were outstanding...they really added to the meat' flavor, and when coming again, I'll order these! Note that filet mignon with crusts is available with Wildfire's premium rehearsal dinner or wedding reception offerings at $41.95/person.

Check out my full review of Wildfire's Eden Prairie steakhouse on my MN rehearsal dinner review page - they are unique among Twin Cities, MN restaurants in that Wildfire can host a full 80 guests, which makes them work not only for western-suburb rehearsal dinners, but also for actual wedding ceremonies and receptions!

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

New website for Lake Harriet Spiritual Community

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:40:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

Thank you for listing Lake Harriet Spiritual Community (LHSC) on your web page about Minnesota churches that rent out their space for wedding ceremonies. We certainly appreciate the listing! Some updates:

Our www.lhscweb.org address has been changed to: http://www.LakeHarrietSpiritualCommunity.org
Lily has moved on to another position, Nancy Couné is the new Office Manager. You can certainly keep the description “fun, very warm, and outgoing”… she’s all that too!

We love that you love us so much! I can’t help it if I’m a little biased too. Things are really blossoming at LHSC! Thanks again for your tremendous support!

Valerie Olson
Lake Harriet Spiritual Community (LHSC) Meetup Events Coordinator
events@LakeHarrietSpiritualCommunity.org
http://www.LakeHarrietSpiritualCommunity.org

Answer:

Good evening, Valerie,

Thank you SO much for the updates! You provide a wonderful service to couples in the Twin Cities area, and I love performing wedding ceremonies at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community.

Wow - your new website looks amazing! Your review is now updated, and up and running.

I look forward to working with LHSC again and again!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin
Minneapolis Weddings

Outdoor wedding in St Cloud, MN

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:34:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman, I am in desperate need of your help! My fiance and I are planning our wedding for September of this year and STILL have been unable to find a location for the ceremony.

We want to get married in the St. Cloud, MN area (as we already have our reception hall booked there) and have been unsuccessfully searching for an outdoor venue for the ceremony. We are estimating about 200 guests so places like Munsinger Gardens are not options as they can only accomidate small groups. I'm starting to get very worried about finding something and came across your website with great Twin Cities wedding locations. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for the St. Cloud, MN area? I look forward to hearing back from you!

St Cloud Bride

Answer:

Good afternoon, SCB,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Wow, those requirements are pretty tough:

St Cloud, MN location
Outdoors
Wedding ceremony only
200 guests

Have you thought about having your wedding ceremony at the reception site? That can work surprisingly well.

But - if you have your heart set on an outdoor location, and it has to be in the St Cloud area, and has to accommodate 200 guests, that's a tough one. One possibility is to get a wedding permit for Riverside Park in St Cloud (pictured above), and then rent chairs (and perhaps chair covers, maybe even a tent) from General Rental Center of St Cloud.

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
MN Wedding Ceremonies

Reply-back:

Rev. Coleman –

Thank you for your quick response! I gathered that this was a difficult thing to find since I feel like I’ve hit a dead end with it.

I am also willing to look at ceremony sites that are indoors if there are any as options. Originally we wanted an outdoor wedding mainly because my fiancé was not brought up with a religious background and although he has found his own spiritual relationship, he feels uncomfortable in churches.

The reception site we chose is the 400 Club on Pleasant Lake. They do have patio we could use for the ceremony but I fear the space would be pretty cramped with 200 people. If you have any suggestions for indoor facilities in the area, I would be more than happy to look into those as well.

Kind regards,

St Cloud Bride

Answer:

Good afternoon, SCB,

I'm sorry I don't know of any indoor ceremony sites in St Cloud, other than ceremony/reception sites (since a church isn't an option).

Hmm...the patio at the 400 Club would be tight, wouldn't it? I'm trying to think of an option that might work there...perhaps with you, your groom, and your attendants up on the deck stairs/platform (you two on the top, with your attendants fanning down on the sides of the stairs), and the guests on the deck and on the lawn?

It might be worth talking to the coordinator at the 400 Club, or walking down there again and taking a look at it, seeing what the options might be. It can be so nice to have the ceremony and reception in the same place...

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

Thank you!

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Tomkin,

I just wanted to let you know that you have the absolute best website for Minnesota wedding venues. Too many of the other sites are far too crammed and confusing. No venues will work for us but I thought I would let you know that your site was by far the easiest and nicest we came across..... thanks for keeping it simple yet informative. Wonderful job!

October Groom

Answer:

Dear OG,

Aw, thanks so much!

Best wishes for your wedding!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

Church for a Sunday wedding in Minnesota

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:13:00 +0000

Question:

Hi Reverend Coleman, Thanks so much for your site and everything it includes! It's helped me a lot in searching for a Minnesota ceremony and reception venue. My fiance and I were thinking about getting married on the sunday of July 4th weekend 2011 (July 3rd) primarily because it would be much cheaper to rent facilities on a sunday but also because it would most likely be a good traveling time for people. The problem we're running into is that we really want to get married in a church or chapel and we are having a hard time finding one that does a wedding on a sunday and on July 4th weekend. We live in the St. Paul/Roseville, MN area and would like to get married in the Twin Cities. Its also important that the ceremony site have air conditioning for comfort and because it is a warmer time of the year. Any suggestions you have would be so great!

Thanks,

Independence Day Weekend Bride

Answer:

Good evening, IDWB,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Ooh, that's a tough one...there are very few churches or chapels in the Twin Cities area willing to rent to non-members, and the ones that do, well, they have Sunday services...

That being said, you might want to check out the "Little White Church in the Valley", a historic church built in 1882 in Golden Valley, MN. It is now run by the Golden Valley Historical Society, so it doesn't have Sunday services. It's owned by the city of Golden Valley, and used as a city museum, educational center, historical wedding chapel, and meeting hall. Note that this wedding chapel really small, though - only holds 80 guests, and like most old churches, I would guess it doesn't have air conditioning.

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minneapolis Weddings with Rev. Coleman

p.s. Check out Minnesota Premarital Counseling to get $70 off your MN marriage license!

New photos for site by Laurie Schneider Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:17:00 +0000

Question:

Hello there, Rev. Coleman.

As always, it was wonderful working with you. Can you please send your mailing address to me. I have a disk with some images of you from three weddings where we worked together in 2009.

Hope you’re well.

Best,

Laurie

Website: http://www.lschneider.com
Blog: http://lauriesblog.lschneider.com

Answer:

Good afternoon, Laurie,

Thank you so much for the pictures! I'm at "Rev. Tomkin Coleman, 197 Griggs St N, St Paul, MN 55104.

You are fantastic, Laurie. Your pictures are now up on my site on pages like Steps to Planning a Wedding in Minnesota, and there is credits, plus links to your site - you take amazing photos!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden wedding - rain?

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Question:

Hello, Pastor Tomkin. We've found your site, with all it's reviews of wedding ceremony and reception locations in Minneapolis, to be extremely helpful with the beginning wedding planning stages. So, we've booked the Minneapolis Sculpture garden (reviewed on the gardens for MN weddings page) for our August 7 wedding (with the Profile Event Center for our reception) and are now starting to get worried about having a rain site. I've called Minneapolis Parks and looked into the Loring Park Arts Center (our wedding is the same weekend as the Loring Park Art fair so that location was out) and also asked about Cowles Conservatory. Both are unavailable. We are trying to keep our rain site on the cheaper side if possible since it might go unused. Do you have any recommendations? We've also called a few churches and they were unwilling to let us use them. I'm starting to get worried!! Ive heard of weddings being held at art galleries in NE Minneapolis. What do you know about this? We have a wedding of around 175. Thanks!!

Art Loving Bride

Answer:

Dear ALB,

While it's always good to have a back-up rain location for your wedding ceremony, having the reception site as a back-up is definitely good enough - you do not need to rent a second ceremony location. The chances of having rain at your particular time, at your particular site (Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, pictured to the right), are so small in the summer that having a backup location of your reception site is definitely good enough. Even if you'd have to seat your guests at their tables, and have your ceremony up front...that's just a backup idea, and most probably wouldn't be used.

I hope this helps!

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Minnesota Weddings with Rev. Coleman

p.s. I'd like to give another shout-out to my wife's wonderful services of premarital counseling in Minneapolis and St Paul - she's terrific!

Recommended wedding favors?

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Question:

(Phone conversation)

Dear Rev. Coleman,

We went to several weddings last year, and I love the idea of wedding favors, but actually, the favors we saw at our friends' weddings were pretty, but not very practical. Any ideas?

2010 Bride

Answer:

Dear 2B (and readers!)

For this question, I defer to my own bride, my wife of almost 2 years now:

Hello, husband!

Sure, no problem! Here are the favors that I find appealing - I got them from a website, Elegant & Unique Wedding Favors, which had a huge selection:

Regal Monogram Mint Tins (Available in a Variety of Colors) Price: As low as $2.10
NOTE: Actually got these at a wedding recently, and I keep them in my purse!

For a couple who loves to travel:
Airplane Luggage Tag in Gift Box with Suitcase Tag Price: As low as $3.55
OR:
Elegant Chrome Luggage Tag with Engraved Heart Price: As low as $2.50

For an Asian or Asian-themed wedding:
Double Happiness Keepsake Candle Price: As low as $1.60

Good Wishes Pearlized Photo Coasters   Price: As low as $1.84
NOTE: I like that these have multiple uses--placeholder, coaster, and picture frame.

Forever Photo Glass Coasters   Price: As low as $1.60
NOTE: These can't be used as placeholders, but they're a nice alternative to the option above if the person would rather not have the writing all over them.

Another photo coaster option:
"Fleur-de-lis" Frosted-Glass Photo Coasters    Price: As low as $1.90

Something Blue Gift Box Candle in Pearlized Box with Satin Printed Ribbon   Price: As low as $1.50
NOTE: A fun takeoff on the iconic Tiffany's box (pictured to the right).

If the bride and/or groom works as a seamstress or carpenter:
"Love Beyond Measure" Measuring Tape Keychain in Sheer Organza Bag    Price: As low as $1.40

If the bride and/or groom is a chef or really loves to cook:
"Love Beyond Measure" Heart Measuring Spoons with Free Personalized Tag   Price: As low as $2.95

If the bride and/or groom is a writer, a big reader, or has a book-related job:
"Love Story" Silver-Finish Heart-Shaped Bookmark with Elegant Silk Tassel Price: As low as $1.50

An edible gift can be fun. Here's one example:
Love is Sweet Black and White Personalized Hershey Chocolate Bars   Price: $2.55

Some suggestions regarding wedding favors:

I would suggest not giving anything alcohol-related.
Also, it's nice if the gift is something the guest could actually use. If it has the couples' names, monogram, wedding date, etc., it'll probably just get thrown away (which is fine if you're giving chocolates--another favor that's always fun to receive!).
Something regional or personal to the couple adds a nice touch.

Let me know if you need anything else, my darling!

Your wife
Julie Coleman
MN Premarital Counseling with Before Your Wedding Day

Professional MN makeup artist will come to bride's room

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

I saw your wonderful reviews of the new salon (Posh) for weddings in Minneapolis, MN, and I thought brides might also be interested in the option of having a professional makeup artist come to their hotel or home to make them up for their Minnesota wedding. It is my pleasure to introduce myself to your business. My name is Amy Stutzriem and I am a makeup artist in the Twin Cities and surrounding communities. I am certified and experienced in Film, Commercial, HDTV, Print, Video, Bridal, and Airbrush techniques. (Photo to the right by Images By Kris and the Wedding News Blog).

Having just completed working on a Hollywood feature film, Statue of David, and having worked for Elizabeth Ries of "Twin Cities Live" (pictured to the right), I am available for new projects. Many brides find that with the advent of high-resolution video and photography, they would really like a professional makeup artist to do their makeup and hair, and they don't necessarily want to go to a salon on the day of their wedding to make sure that they look their best. I usually charge brides $150 for makeup (and hair, if they want), or, what usually happens is that once I'm working on the bride, then bridesmaids or mothers ask if they can use my services, as well, in which case it's $100 for the bride and $75 for bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and such.

Sincerely,

Amy Stutzriem

Answer:

Dear Amy,

What a wonderful idea! Readers can contact Amy at makeupready@gmail.com or at 651.278.5263.

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Minneapolis Weddings

p.s. Here's some more examples of her work:

Phone call - 2010 MN weddings booking up

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

(Taken from a phone call with Steve Rouch, Master Photographer),

We talked about the importance of good wedding photography (Steve Rouch is amazing - he's my favorite wedding photographer in the Twin Cities!), and I mentioned how so many brides on Facebook use their wedding photograph for their profile picture, even years later. Steve said, yes, that's true - if you see obituaries in the newspaper, they often use their wedding picture from 1960, because that's the best picture that's ever been taken of them.

That's amazing! But it's so immediately true, once I think about it...Steve's studied art and photography formally for years, and now has over 20 years of years shooting brides and grooms and making them look their best, and those photos turn out amazing, like the photographs you see in magazines. When in life do we hire a master craftsman like that to take photos? "The best picture they ever had"...that's right, that's what wedding photos are.

I really believe in pampering the bride, and so does Steve...I mentioned how weddings are one of the few times when things can't be mass-produced, and people have to hire local craftsman, like him, to do things like wedding photography - and he gently reminded me that this isn't exactly true. Since the advent of digital photography, there's been many local photography companies who hire a bunch of photographers with less than a year of experience to go out and shoot weddings...news that is appalling to me. There's SUCH a difference between great photography and well, not-great photography, and a wedding is the ONE time where you want to make sure everything is totally the best. Photography is like painting...painting with light, really, and there's a huge difference between photographs carefully taken with a trained and experienced eye, and photographs that are taken by the thousands, hoping that one or two turn out.

Check out this amazing page, which helps sum up the difference in pictures:

http://www.choicephoto.com/wedccourse.php

"The best picture they ever had"...what a great way to put it. I can see that couple who got married in 1960 in my mind's eye right now...quality craftmanship and an artistic eye took that photo.

Great conversation with a great artist - Steve Rouch, Master Photographer.

p.s. In our phone call, we talked about how weekends in 2010 are booking up so quickly. I've only got a few booked for next year (about half of 2010 is booked, though), 2011, but he's booked up SO much of 2011, and with his booth at the Twin Cities Bridal Association Fair this Sunday, January 17th, 11 am - 4 pm at the Minneapolis Convention Center, he'll book up many more. 2000 brides and over 200 vendors - check out his booth, and check out the fair, if you are looking for something fun to do Sunday - it's amazing!

Christian and Jewish elements in a wedding in Minneapolis, MN

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:38:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Reverend Coleman,

I was reading about how you perform Christian-Jewish wedding ceremonies for interfaith couples in Minnesota. Thank you for providing this valuable service! Here's a more specific question - do you have experience with mixing Catholic and Jewish traditions in a ceremony?

Interfaith Bride

Answer:

Dear IB,

Yes, I've performed many wedding ceremonies in Minnesota that were a mix of Christian and Jewish, and several that were specifically Catholic and Jewish. There are elements of weddings that are the same in both faiths, and that's the part we emphasize, but then we include traditions from each faith, and explain what they mean, and the mix can work really well. We can talk about these options when we meet together to go over which traditions are meaningful to you, and how we can include them!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Interfaith Weddings in Minnesota

University Club in downtown St Paul - review

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:28:00 +0000

Question:

Hello, Rev. Coleman,

We have only lived in the Twin Cities, MN area for two years and we are currently planning a wedding for November, 2010. Our top choice at this point is the University Club downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. We love the room, but we have never attended a wedding there, nor do we know anyone that has attended a reception there. Can you offer any insight into the wedding experience at the University Club downtown? I truly appreciate any help you can offer - we love your wonderful reviews of historic wedding locations in the Twin Cities.

Thank you in advance!

November Bride

Answer:

Good evening, NB,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Yes, I have performed wedding ceremonies at the University Club, both in their first-floor lobby, and in one of their upper-floor rooms. The lobby is the really beautiful site (although the room was quite nice).

The University Club's downtown St Paul location is not only gorgeous, but the people there are extremely friendly and helpful. It is one of the few top, premiere wedding ceremony and reception sites in the Twin Cities, MN, and I recommend them wholeheartedly. If it's within your budget, then my recommendation is to snap it up quick before it gets booked (assuming you're looking at a Saturday...they go so very, very fast)...in my opinion, you would be very pleased with them!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Weddings in MN

Photography giveaway in MN

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:04:00 +0000

Question:

Reverend Coleman,

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Jacob Mengelkoch, and I am a co-founder and photographer for a Minneapolis, MN based photography and videography company called Imagine Your Wedding.

Right now I'm working on promoting our business. In order to do so, we're doing a free wedding photography and video giveaway of our standard package, which is normally $3000.

I've taken a look around your website and decided to email you because you seem like the right kind of person we want our business networking with. I love your information on great places to take wedding photographs in Minneapolis/St Paul! Would you be interested in perhaps mentioning this giveaway to any Minnesota brides that don't already have a photo/video person set up? That would be great! There will be a blog post regarding this sometime between tonight and tomorrow morning. Please take a look around our website and let us know what you think! Thanks so much.

Imagine Your Wedding

Jacob Mengelkoch

Photographer and Co-Founder

Phone-763.732.9352

jacob@imagineyourwedding.com

Twitter-@IYWedding

Answer:

Dear Jacob,

Pleased to meet you! Such a great idea - good luck with your giveaway!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Minneapolis Weddings

Minneapolis wedding location question

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Question:

Hello Reverend Tomkin,

I'm planning to have an August wedding in Minnesota and we were looking for outdoor locations for weddings and stumbled across this picture of you and a couple:

I was wondering if you could perhaps remember this particular wedding and it's location because it looks absolutely beautiful! :)

Thanks so much!!

I look forward to hearing back from you! :)

August Bride

Answer:

Dear AB,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Unfortunately, that picture is from a wedding I performed at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui, Hawaii (sorry!) They flew me out there and put me up in a hotel room...if that works for you, of course, that's great, but otherwise, the closest wedding site we have to that in Minnesota would be the Sunken Garden at the Como Conservatory, pictured below. A review of this wedding location is here.

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Weddings in Minneapolis

New links to weddings at Mill City Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:06:00 +0000

Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

Thank you for your wonderful review of the the Mill City Museum. Our web site has undergone a major redesign breaking many linking. You may wish to update any links you have to the site. Thank you for support and linking to us a resource.

Joe Hoover
Web Designer
Minnesota Historical Society

Answer:

Good morning, Joe,

Thank you so much for your email! Thanks for telling me about the broken links on my site.

Your review of weddings at the Mill City Museum has now been updated with the correct links. I love performing wedding ceremonies at the Mill City Museum, and I love that I can recommend your site so wholeheartedly!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
http://www.mnweddingminister.com

Northfield, MN wedding venue

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Question:

Hello Reverend Tomkin,

I recently discovered your Minnesota Wedding Blog, and you have such great information on Minneapolis/St. Paul wedding venues. I'm wondering if you have any information on venues in Northfield, MN, or if you know of anyone who might be able to give us that information. My fiancee is from Northfield, and that is where we would, ideally, like to have our wedding ceremony/reception, but we don't really know where to start looking.

Thanks,

Fiance is from Northfield

Answer:

Good evening, FIFN,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

YES, there is a wonderful, classy site in Northfield, MN - the Grand Event Center, a former old-style movie theater, now converted into a gorgeous venue.

It's beautiful, private, and the people there are very friendly - I think you'd love it!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Wedding Ceremonies in Minnesota

Black Bear Crossings photo

noreply@blogger.com (Rev. Tomkin Coleman) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Question (from phone call):

Hello, Rev. Coleman,

This is Kathy from Black Bear Crossings in Saint Paul. Thank you for all your referrals from your website, and we're so glad to refer couples to you, as well! We love the picture you took of Black Bear Crossings, the one on where you review our wedding reception site, in the bottom right, which shows the lake. Would it be okay if we used it in our site?

Sincerely,

Kathy

Answer:

Good morning, Kathy,

It was so nice talking with you today! Yes, you may certainly use my photo of Black Bear Crossings, which is attached. I love performing wedding ceremonies at your site, and couples are always glad that they chose it! Thank you, too, for all your wonderful referrals.

I look forward to working with you again!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Weddings in Minnesota

The historic, and well-loved Black Bear Crossings at Como Lake in Saint Paul, Minnesota.