Question:

Dear Rev. Coleman,

Even though I’m not using your services, I was just wondering if you knew of anybody that wanted to get married on Friday, June 15th, 2012 because I have to change my date due to family circumstances and was seeing if you knew anyone that would want to fill it. It is at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park, MN, in the room upstairs with the big balcony. Thanks!

-Sarah
Sarah.Johnson@cuw.edu

Answer:

Good afternoon, Sarah,

Ooh, so sorry you have to switch your date! I don’t know of anyone offhand (sorry). Would you like me to post your email on my blog?

Warmly,
Rev. Tomkin

Answer:

Sure, Rev. Coleman, that would be great! I really appreciate it!

-Sarah

Outdoor wedding at Minnetonka Orchards, in Minnetonka, MN

Question:

Hi Rev. Coleman,

I’ve been looking on your website and have found it to be very thorough and helpful. Thanks for providing such a great resource! I’ve got a question for you about Minneapolis wedding venues if you’ve got time to consider it and reply. If not, no worries! But if so, here it is. My boyfriend and I are hoping to get married this summer. We’d like an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception at one location, something fun and playful but not too casual.

We’d love to have lawn games or other fun things for the guests to enjoy at the reception. Can you think of any venues that would be suitable for us? We’ll be looking at the Woods Chapel in Orono as well as Outing Lodge in Stillwater,  Minnetonka Orchards in Minnetonka, so while we are willing to drive a bit out of the Twin Cities, we’d really prefer an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception in the actual city of Minneapolis or Saint Paul, MN. Do you know if there’s anything closer? Thank you!

Outdoors Loving Bride in Minnesota

Outdoor wedding at the Saint Paul College Club

Answer:

Dear OLBIM,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Wow, a wedding reception at The Woods? That would be gorgeous! Yes, if you don’t want to go out of town, or even to the suburbs, there are definitely outdoor wedding options in Minneapolis and Saint Paul proper. I highly recommend the Saint Paul College Club, Summit Manor, and Gale Mansion. I’ve coordinated and performed outdoor wedding ceremonies at all three locations – and they worked wonderfully!

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

 

Question:

Dear Rev. Tomkin,

My name is Lauren. I came across your Minnesota wedding blog while looking for Minneapolis bloggers and writers. I am a small business owner, also local beauty blogger in Minneapolis, and my business is called Lovelo Beauty LLC. I specialize in silk and mink eyelash extensions as an on-site service and also do make-up for photo shoots, weddings, senior pictures etc. I have been in the industry for almost 8 years, but recently started my own company.

Thank you for your time! Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Lauren O’Leary Pavelka

952-847-7612
Lovelo Beauty LLC
Twitter Facebook

Answer:

Dear Lauren,

What a lovely email! Your blog is wonderful, as is your makeup for Minnesota weddings (and the eyelash extensions look gorgeous!) . I hope we get to meet in person on a future wedding!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Question:

Happy New Year Reverend Coleman,

How right you are on your article on how to become a wedding planner! I have been giving classes for persons wanting to become wedding coordinators/directors for over 20 years…and many of the applicants to the program were either family members or the brides who thought what a wonderful opportunity to pick up a new career..UNTIL they had to do other people’s weddings…and found out how much work was really involved that was behind the scenes of their own wedding!

You may have a copy of my training manual: WEDDING DIRECTING AND COORDINATING – A Training Manual with Challenging Stories and Scenarios –How to be a Professional Wedding Director with Competence,with Style, with Elan ISBN 978-0-9816172-1-3. If not, you may order it from Amazon, or my publisher Westview publishers, Brentwood, TN or from my website.

I just read your WONDERFUL WEBSITE…your site contains ALL the BEST! You are VERY WELL ORGANIZED, and recognized…congratulations on being the the BEST in Minnesota! It is one of the states we have not had the opportunity to visit…saving the rest of the USA for later retirement trips! It would be a privilege to meet you someday.

Happy New Year to you and your family.

Elaine M Parker, ABC Emerita
Member of ABC; ACF; AFWPI; TWESA; BBB;
Tel numbers: 615-298-2578 home
615-594-2578 mobile
4400 Iroquois Ave. Nashville, Tn 37205
(Reconstructing a new website 2012 to indicate my new retirement activities )
www.weddingswithelan.com

Answer:

Dear Elaine,

Thank you so much for your wonderful email! And good luck with your book!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

The Stone Arch Bridge area in Minneapolis, MN - great for wedding pictures

Question:

Good morning, Rev. Tomkin,

I need some help finding the perfect place for wedding pictures in Minneapolis, MN. I loved your article on how to find a wedding photographer in Minneapolis, by the way. It will only be the family we wanted to be nice and to make it an unforgetfull day Please, can you give me some advice??

Photogenic Bride

Answer:

Dear PB,

The most popular (and best) place for pictures is on, and around, the area of the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis. Your photographer will be very happy if you choose this spot! Here’s pictures of the area from John Weeks.

I hope this helps!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Main room of the Mcnamara Wedding Fair

Another shot of the gorgeous atrium of the McNamara Center

Free dance lessons at the wedding showcase!

On-staff wedding coordinators were at the McNamara wedding showcase to show guests around, answer questions, etc. - VERY helpful!

Question:
Dear Rev. Tomkin,M

We met you tonight at the Macnamara wedding expo, after reading your blog article about the upcoming wedding showcase. (We are the couple from [deleted]…I’m sure you met a ton!)

We both really enjoyed talking to you and love that we felt a connection with you. Our wedding date and site is still to be determined (until after we see the Crow River Vineyard site in Hutchinson, MN and possible a couple mroe sites in the cities) but we will hopefully know by next weekend. If we decide on the Chanhassen Dinner Theater for our wedding ceremony and reception, we have to know by the 20th, and the date for that wedding would be 10/27/12. Either way, we wanted to be sure to connect with you, because we enjoyed chatting!

Sincerely,

One of the Happy Brides From the McNamara Wedding Showcase

Answer:

Dear OHBFMWC,

What a wonderful email!

I loved talking with you two last night – and I loved how you work together, thinking of each other’s feelings for each choice (and obviously enjoying each other’s company). Such great indications for the future!

Wasn’t the wedding show at the McNamara Center in Minneapolis wonderful? It was great getting to know you, and to talk to all the excited bride who were planning their upcoming wedding. Yes, as soon as your date/site/time is set, just let me know and we’ll set up a time to meet, chat, and plan.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Dolce Woodwind Quintet, for weddings in MN

Dear Readers,

Once again, I got to work with the amazing Dolce Woodwind Quintet, this time at the University Club on Summit (FYI, more info on the quintet can also be found on my info page about their music, and info about the club can also be found on this page). Not only do they work incredibly well with the timing of wedding ceremonies, which makes my job easy, but I’m always so pleased to get to hear them – their sound is amazing!

How often do we get to hear live music? Especially something as gorgeous as woodwinds, and in an intimate setting. Sure, we could all be going to classical concerts all the time, and get to hear the Minnesota Orchestra or the Saint Paul Orchestra, and they’re lovely, too, but I have to admit, there’s something pretty special about being right in the same small room, getting to actually appreciate the sound right up close – and so the music not only puts everyone at ease before the wedding begins, it helps make everything (the seating of parents, the processional, the grand entrance of the bride with the ushers dramatically opening up the doors for her) a blessed and beautiful experience. Live music has such an effect on people…it makes the room and the wedding ceremony, well, simple but elegant. Such a great feat!

Such a gushing post…I just love getting to work with them. If you’ve been thinking about hiring a musician for your Minnesota wedding, you may want to look for something a little different than the string quartet you heard at your friend’s wedding, and check out the Dolce Woodwind Quintet. I love them, and I think you will, too!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Photo by Karen K. Hansen

Mandolin and guitar duo, Cafe Melange Music

Question (verbal question):

Dear Rev. Tomkin,

Here’s an unusual request – while we love the recommendations for MN wedding musicians that you post, we were looking for a wedding duo. Two instruments that can complement each other, but not a full quartet…do you know of anything wedding musician options like that in the Minneapolis, MN area?

MN Music Lover

Answer:

Dear MML,

Wow, I love getting a question that I’ve never had before! I didn’t know personally of any Minneapolis area musicians in this category, but asking wedding musician friends, we came up with this list, which are highly recommended:

Flute and cello (or violin and cello) with the Ensemble Con Brio (I haven’t worked with them personally, but I hear great things). For either a flute/cello duo, or a violin/cello duo, (and they have other combinations, too), Ensemble Con Brio can be reached at 651-274-5916, and their website is ensembleconbrio.com. A duo is $275 for first hour, $125/hour thereafter.

Mandolin and guitar – Brian Barnes (612-217-0564) with Cafe Melange Music – Base charge for a Minneapolis wedding ceremony is $325, which includes prelude, processionals, music during the ceremony, recessional and postlude, up to 90 minutes. They have a song list on our website for couple to peruse. They’ll also learn special music, but there is a charge for that under certain circumstances.

Two flutes (Dedrick Flute Duo), or
Flute and cello: $395
Their price for the ceremony includes 15 minutes of music before the processional, the processional(s), music during the ceremony, the recessional, and 10 minutes after the recessional. This is usually about an hour and the charge is $395. Any extra time for a social hour or reception is $80 an hour, and can be divided into fractions of an hour.
Also available from Polly Meyerding is the Lyric Duo (flute and harp), for $545. You can hear samples of their music at her website, and Polly’s phone number is 651-776-1780.

I hope this helps!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin
Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Invitation from WeddingPaperDivas

Question:

Dear Rev. Tomkin (via personal conversation),

We would like to have an adults-only wedding reception, but do you have any ideas for how to word the wedding invitations?

Adults-Only-Event

Answer:

Dear AOE,

Inviting adults only to your wedding ceremony and reception is completely appropriate (and often appreciated by the parents…it gives them an excuse to go out for a night without the kids!)

The first step is to only include the names of the adults on the wedding invitation, e.g. “John and Jane Doe”. Then, on the invitation itself, rather than saying “Adults-only reception”, which is a negative sentence, a positive sentence to state “Guests 18 and above are welcome at the reception”. If anyone asks, you can say that you thought it would be nice for parents to have a free date-night without the kids.

I hope you find this helpful!

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine

Question (phone call):

Dear Rev. Coleman,

Do you know who in charge of the Lake Harriet Rose Garden? Do you know how I could reserve this Minneapolis garden for my outdoor wedding ceremony, (assuming no one else has reserved it on my date yet)?

Thanks so much!

Minneapolis Outdoor Wedding Bride

Answer:

Dear MOWB (talking on the phone):

Sure! You probably saw my review of the different Minneapolis gardens for weddings that I publish, which describes several sites for outdoor wedding ceremonies in the Minneapolis, MN area. Note that the official name for the site is the Lyndale Rose Gardens (which is by Lake Harriet). The garden and park is run by the Minneapolis Parks Board, and their phone number is 612-230-6400. I love the Minneapolis Parks Board, by the way – they’re very nice, super-professional, and really helpful – a terrific resource! It makes me realize what a special thing it is to live in Minnesota, and in the Twin Cities – people really take pride in what they do, and public officials really think of themselves as public servants – they really care, and do a great job. Well done, Minneapolis!!

Now that it’s 2012, I’m hoping that this info will help a lot of other Minneapolis brides, too!

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin

Rev. Tomkin Coleman
Voted 2007′s “Best Wedding Planner” by CitySearch
Voted 2010′s and 2011′s “Best Wedding Officiant” by Minnesota Bride Magazine