Wedding Date: October 9th 2021

Today was a big day not just for Alyssa and Gavin, but for my whole family. The way fate and my schedule have aligned, I haven’t been able to take part in a family wedding in nearly 10 years. So when Alyssa and Gavin’s love story started to unfold, they gave me the call to line up their day with my schedule so I could be there for one of the most important days of their lives and I couldn't be more grateful.

Alyssa is Janelle’s cousin and the whole family came out to celebrate these two sweethearts. They have a romantic old fashioned relationship that seemed to come straight from the pages of a novel from the 40’s. Gavin was stationed in Hawaii and whenever he had breaks, no matter how short, he would fly back to spend time with his one and only, Alyssa. Since the time difference is a bit hard between Hawaii and Minnesota, much of their relationship was built through handwritten letters and late night/early morning phone calls. They started their wedding day in much the same way, by exchanging letters before their first look. I love time spent with a groom right before he sees his bride, they’re always some of my favorite conversations. This time felt extra special because Gavin is family and I love being part of both his and Alyssa’s support network. Then, Alyssa’s footsteps could be heard on the pavement as she walked toward Gavin and I think all of our hearts stopped for a beat. They both lit up instantly and carried that brightness and light through the rest of their beautiful day.

The outdoor ceremony was touching as birds sang off in the distance and tall grasses swayed in the breeze. Then came the big moment when the entire family followed them down the aisle to their getaway car. Alyssa’s dad runs J&L Auto and had been secretly restoring her dream car, a vintage lime green Beetle. When she turned the corner of the barn she saw this beauty staring back at her and when she turned to her dad, shocked, he simply said, “It’s yours.” and handed her the keys. Their reaction is absolutely priceless and I’m so happy I got to witness this memorable reveal.

The excitement rolled right into their cocktail hour filled with mingling, lawn games, and kids playing throughout the grounds. My friends, Tim Comfort, joined us to capture video and Tim Long flew in from California to capture photo and video. Any day filled with friends and family is an amazing day in my book. Once the sun set, we all gathered in the barn for a wonderful dinner and lively toasts. I pulled both of the Tim’s and Alyssa and Gavin outside with a few flare’s I had in my car while Janelle arranged a sparkler send off back at the barn. This is one of those nights I’ll never forget and feelings of joy I’ll keep coming back to as the years go on.

Amazing Vendors: Almquist Farm (venue), Janelle Vick (wedding planner), Freese Floral Fields (florist), Cannon River Catering Co. (catering), Emily's Bakery (dessert), Our Shop Bridal (dress boutique), Men's Warehouse (suit), Lindsay Peterson (makeup), Kristina Schultz (hair), Nick Productions (dj)