Personal Touches

They’ll Always Have Paris

Melissa and Bayard Gennert, Eden Prairie
Melissa is the first to admit it sounds clichéd, but when she saw Bayard Gennert for the first time at Charles de Gaulle airport, she knew she was meant to fall in love in Paris. The couple traveled separately to the City of Light to participate in the Paris marathon in 2005. “From the moment our eyes met [in the airport], we were together,” says Melissa. “We held hands for the first time walking to the Arc de Triomphe, our first kiss was in the Musée d’Orsay, and we explored the city experiencing the music, love, and lights.” Back in Minnesota, when it came time to plan their wedding, the couple knew Paris had to play a part.

The City of Light inspired the ambiance of the reception, which included dim lights, an abundance of votive candles lit throughout the ballroom, and twinkling lights on the ceiling covered in white tulle. The Paris theme even carried over to the centerpieces. “Each table represented a location that Bayard and I had visited while in Paris, including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Sacré-Coeur, Musée du Louvre, and of course the Eiffel Tower,” says Melissa.

“If I could have another wedding tomorrow, I would create the ambiance of Paris again in a heartbeat!”

North Shore Nuptials

Karla and Mark Bogucki, Two Harbors
New Ulm, Minnesota, native Karla Schwermann spent the ten years after high school bouncing between Los Angeles and New York until she finally decided to move home to be close to friends and family. It was there that she met Mark Bogucki, a transplant from the Northeast.

The two were friends for a year before their first date—a trip back to L.A. to visit Karla’s friends. And it was the West Coast that inspired a North Shore wedding for the bi-coastal couple.

“The North Shore is the one place that reminds me of California,” says Karla. “Mark took me up there for a few weekend getaways when I was feeling really homesick for the ocean. In November he took me out on Palisades Head and nervously walked me out to the end of the cliff. We sat on the rock. He said he wanted to grow old together. I said ‘yes.’”

The couple wanted a destination wedding but felt it was 
important to keep the event nearby and affordable for friends and family. “The North Shore gave us that destination feel, but it’s only a car ride away,” says Karla. “And Lake Superior was not only our backdrop, but a free orchestra as well.”

The lake and the rocky coastline were perfect for the romantic, intimate wedding Mark and Karla wanted. “We were able to leave our stress in the city, relax, and enjoy the true meaning of 
a wedding.”

What's In a Name?

Lisa and Andrew Lange , St. Paul
When Andrew and Lisa Lange chose St. Paul’s Landmark Center for their March 2008 wedding reception, they knew one thing: the décor had to match the historic setting. “We didn’t really have a theme to our wedding,” says Lisa. “Due to the venue, we knew it was going to be an elegant event, and I thought the cursive monogram [on the wedding cake] added that elegant look we were going for.”

But more than just beautiful adornment, Lisa and Andrew wanted to showcase the name that symbolized the start of their life together. “My husband is very proud of his family and his last name,” says Lisa. “And I am very proud to take that last name. Not only is Lange my husband’s last name and my new last name, but it is the beginning of a new life for us. Our monogram symbolizes our new life as one.”

Music of Many Cultures

Kim and Tom Jackson, Minneapolis
Kim, born in South Korea and adopted at the age of four, and Tom, a western European hybrid of Danish and Scottish, have always shared a love of music. Tom also has worked in the music industry for more than ten years, so the two knew music would be central to their big day. As it turned out, the music also perfectly reflected their multicultural union.

“As a music lover of all genres, my husband was the music planner of the event,” says Kim. “He loves the sound of bagpipes and thought this would be a great way to not only march to our marriage destination in 
Loring Park but would also help any last-minute guests find their way to our ceremony.” In addition to bagpipes, mariachi band Flor y Canto performed at the reception, which Kim says brought a festive and fun atmosphere to the day.

The final act was the Korean drumming group, Shinparam, which performed several traditional Korean songs, including a surprise piece for the happy couple. Local jazz singer and member of Shinparam, Karen Lyu, sang the Korean Wedding Song. “For me, it was important to have Korean drumming as part of our wedding,” says Kim. “Watching and listening to the drums and drummers reminded me of who I am [and] where I came from. I loved that our wedding incorporated so many different cultural elements.”