Verdant Plant-Filled Wedding Day at PAIKKA in St. Paul

With their beloved dog, Birdie, in attendance, Lee Nagorski proposed to Aliki Vrohidis on a bitterly cold day on Artist’s Point in Grand Marais, eight years after meeting at the University of Minnesota. “Of course, I was crying when he asked, and it was so cold out our tears turned to little icicles on our eyelashes,” Aliki recalls. On their summer wedding day, potted plants—many of which were given as favors—took the place of cut flowers. Aliki held a bouquet of astilbe to match the fern centerpieces as she and Lee exchanged vows during their first look to make the moment even more special. (They said them again at the ceremony.) The bride walked down the aisle to “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac, a tribute to the couple’s first concert together. Dove motifs appeared throughout the day, a sign of good luck in both Greek and Polish cultures; a paper dove installation at the reception guided guests to their seats, and more than 1,000 paper birds were suspended from the ceiling. Espresso mini-martinis served as the perfect nightcap to their dreamy day.