First Avenue Was the Perfect Backdrop for this Customized Wedding Ceremony

Sarah and Scott pose for a wedding photo in front of First Avenue.
Real Wedding
This highly personal wedding featured slow dancing to a Beyoncé and Jay-Z jam and a unity ceremony starring Surly Darkness.
Written by
Allyson Reedy

Published:

Fall/Winter 2019

Wedding: October 13, 2018

Honeymoon: France

“It’s actually a pretty standard story,” Sarah Rock says of meeting Scott Hoostal. “We met at a party hosted by mutual friends.” Their wedding, however, was very non-standard, loaded with personal details, some special dates (they started dating on Sarah’s parents’ anniversary) and Sarah’s grandparents slow-dancing to a Beyoncé and Jay-Z jam. The couple knew they wanted a fall wedding, so they booked the Lakewood Memorial Chapel on Scott’s parents’ anniversary for its secluded, historical beauty. During the ceremony, they created a unique unity ceremony by mixing different vintages of their favorite beer (Surly Darkness, a Russian imperial stout). They decided to track down two bottles for the mixing—one from the year they started dating in 2015, the other from 2018, when they wed. The only problem? The 2018 edition wasn’t yet released. “Thankfully, at the last minute, with help from an inside source at the Surly brewery, we were able to meet the night before the wedding to obtain a special pre-release bottle of Surly Darkness from one of the brewers.” Crisis averted.

Scott and Sarah pose for a wedding photograph in front of First Avenue

A table setting at Sarah and Scott's Hewing Hotel wedding reception

Sarah and Scott hold hands outside of First Avenue

Sarah and Scott during their first dance at their Hewing Hotel reception.

Tables set for Sarah and Scott's Hewing Hotel reception.

Sarah and Scott cut the cake at their wedding reception at the Hewing Hotel

City State:

Minneapolis

Season:

autumn

Styles:

Modern

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