Sponsored by The Westin Edina Galleria
Like so many couples, Andrew and Natalie's story began at work, but not in your typical chance-encounter-at-the-water-cooler kind of way. Natalie shared the same office as Andrew's mother and brother, who stealthy worked behind the scenes to help the two meet. Needless to say, they hit it off immediately (Mom always knows best!) and after a few years of dating, began planning their big day.
One of their first priorites was choosing a venue close to home, to ensure all of their family and friends could attend. They wanted an elegant, classy space of ample size with a stunning ballroom. Enter: The Westin Edina Galleria. From there, the rest of the details fell into place, with the couple choosing a vibrant red color palette and minimialistic floral details. The grand ballroom was enhanced with glittering candles and glowing crimson lighting. With the Westin Edina handling everything from day-of coordination to food, the couple was able to fully enjoy every aspect of their wedding day. (Find all the details on their experience working with The Westin Edina below).
From the bride:
What were the priorities when planning your wedding? What was the inspiration behind the details of the big day? Any unique elements?
We wanted our wedding date to be June 11th because 11 is my favorite number and June is a beautiful month! We had to have the color red included in our theme, as we both like the color. It was important to have the wedding in Minnesota, so that family and friends could all attend. We decided to get married at the church Andrew's parents got married at, as it was meaningful to us, beautiful and near the location we wanted. And we wanted a beautiful venue in which to host a fabulous and fun reception, which is where The Westin Edina Galleria came into play!
Why did you choose The Westin Edina Galleria as your venue?
We chose The Westin Edina Galleria for a variety of reasons: I used to work at a Westin property and loved the brand, and Andrew's dad has done work at that hotel, so it meant something/was special to both of us. The venue itself is very elegant and classy; the location is fantastic; there was ample space for our guests in the ballroom, at the hotel, and in terms of parking; and our meeting with Tyler Paape, the Director of Catering and Special Events, was outstanding! We were so impressed during our meeting, we went over multiple details, we were confident that the service would be impeccable, and we knew that we wouldn't have to worry about a thing the day of our wedding - which was absolutely correct!
Describe your experience working with The Westin Edina Galleria wedding team. How did they guide you in the planning process? What was the best part about working with their team?
Working with Tyler at the Westin was absolutely fantastic! He took the best care of us and was the ultimate professional every step of the way. We had a good idea of our vision, but Tyler helped us with our floorplan, the hotel room block, the menu, and asked all the right questions to cover all bases. Tyler coordinated with the vendors we used to make sure everything came together as we had hoped, the hotel provided and coordinated with their staff to set up all of the tables, chairs, place settings, place cards, dance floor, gift table, and they served all of the food and beverage items throughout the evening. We didn't have to hire separate vendors for each step of the process, which made everything so much easier, and they were right on schedule throughout the evening.
Describe the food/drink. What was your favorite element? Describe your tasting experience.
The food was catered by the Executive Chef from McCormick & Schmick's and was fabulous. Our favorite element was the pecan-crusted chicken. The salad and hors d'oeuvres were delightful as well. Everything we tried at our tasting was absolutely delicious, and it was so much fun for us to share that intimate tasting experience with our parents.
What was the highlight of the wedding day?
The highlight of our wedding day was getting married! Although, the entire day was special. We were surrounded by our family and friends, and we had so much fun with every step of the process - getting ready, being photographed and smiling all day long.
Any tips for couples planning a wedding at the Westin Edina Galleria, or anywhere else? What would you do again? What would you do differently?
Having our wedding at The Westin Edina Galleria was such a fabulous decision. Tyler took care of a huge portion of the details on our wedding day, and made it such a seamless experience for us. What would we do again? The whole day! It was so much fun. What would we do differently? We wouldn't have changed a thing. It was truly the best day.
Your wedding day. The day when you begin your life together. A moment, uniquely yours, which will reflect your style and vision. Tyler Paape will inspire your creativity to ensure your Edina wedding will be what you always envisioned it would be, a perfect moment of transformation, sharing and joy.
