Ross Tillman and Stephanie Thompson
Wedding date: Aug. 8, 2014.
Venues: The Basilica of St. Mary and Historic Hope Glen Farm in Cottage Grove.
Describe your wedding style: "Rustic elegance. We had a lot of juxtaposition between the formal beauty of the Basilica and the natural beauty of the farm."
How did you (pun intended) marry the stark differences? "[That] was a fun challenge. The Basilica is our parish church that we attend every Sunday, so we absolutely wanted to get married there. And, as a fashion designer and crafter, I loved the DIY elements that could easily fit with the farm vibe. We found ways to bridge the gap through our invitations, colors and decor."
Tell me about Ross' attire: "He wore a light gray suit from Jos. A. Bank, Cole Haan shoes, white shirt from J.Crew and a paisley ivory tie from the Tie Bar that matched the satin sash on my dress."
What did you wear? "The Magnolia dress by San Francisco-based designer Amy Kuschel, from the ever-charming Che Bella boutique in Minneapolis. I wore small kitten heels during the ceremony, but for the reception, I changed into a pair of ivory Converse that I bedazzled."
Was it important to incorporate your personal style? "I wanted our wedding to reflect our love story. We did that through elements like: naming our tables with the names of significant places we'd been together (the back of each place card told the story of each place), choosing a first dance song that is truly our song ("Ho Hey" by the Lumineers), having the garter thrown on a football because Ross is a huge football fan, and ending the night with "Varsity," the alma mater song for UW-Madison (where we met)."
"Aisle Style" is an occasional series featuring Minnesota nuptials with style. For consideration, e-mail aimee.blanchette@startribune.com and include a photo.
