Dana + Jake: Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery Summer Wildflower Wedding

If you haven’t heard…I really love wine. So naturally a wedding held at my favorite winery is going to be high on my list of faves and this one last June did not disappoint. Dana and Jake picked the amazing Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery as the setting for their wedding ceremony and reception. Chankaska Creek offers an incredible landscape for a wedding as it is set on a stunning piece of land with rolling hills, mature trees, pristine landscaping, winding paths, and a babbling creek flowing through it. It really is right out of a dream. 

Dana was the definition of a free spirited bride, high energy, easy going, and with so much love for life. It was wonderful to see her friends and family from all over the globe spending time with their beloved bride the morning of the wedding. The Barrel Room at Chankaska provided the perfect spot for our bride to get into her beautiful Watters gown and have the fresh flowers added to her beautiful hairstyle done by Pamela Hernandez Beauty. The staff at Chankaska do a wonderful job of making this spot a really amazing space to spend your wedding morning preparing with your maids! 

The tent at Chankaska provided the perfect spot for the reception. Wildflowers arranged by A to Zinnia, which to me seem so representative of Dana’s personality and her newfound home in Minnesota, adorned the tables along with elegant table numbers, birch votive holders (handmade by the groom), place settings, and wildflower seed packet favors at each seat. Ok so we have tabled about my love for this venue and for wine…but here is the best bonus of all…this beautiful tent…in this stunning location…is CLIMATE CONTROLLED. That’s right folks…on this steamy June day (seriously…it was 103 degrees with the heat index) it was a balmy 73 degrees inside that tent. This wedding planner was REJOICING! I have a feeling the guests were too. But seriously…look at this place…

Dana and Jake held their ceremony in the Chankaska Creekside location on the property under a beautiful birch arbor that the groom made. The sound of the brook running through the ceremony location made it an absolutely serene setting. The thing about Minnesota summers…is that thunderstorms can whip up in a second. This day was no exception. We pushed to get everyone down the aisle 15 minutes ahead of schedule in hopes of beating the storm, we did not succeed, but the awesome Chankaska staff and I had ponchos and umbrellas out to all the smiling guests within seconds. It seemed the rain was a welcome cool down from the heat of the day, and of course my amazing bride and groom just grinned and giggled the whole time. It was perfect. It really was. And you know what they say…rain on your wedding day brings luck! 

After the ceremony the bridal party braved the heat for some more photos, and SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless due to witness protection from the wrath of the wedding planner) handed the bride a sauce covered appetizer…..and there was NO WAY I was letting that thing fall and hit that gown…so what else could I do but stand in as the plate? Everyone had a good laugh over my sheer panic…even as hard as I tried to hide it. Dana said that it was delicious and totally worth it…way to go Absolute Catering, another one knocked out of the park- dinner was amazing as well with guests feasting on seared yellow fin tuna and chicken with vegetable risotto. The bar also provided by Absolute featured the bride and groom’s signature drinks- The Birdy Girl (a traditional moscow mule with a pineapple juice twist) and The Turkhound (Johnnie Walker and Drambuie) and of course plenty of Chankaska’s delicious wine! 

The thing about Minnesota thunderstorms is that they roll through pretty fast…and sure enough this one did just that…which left us with a seriously STUNNING sunset which made for some amazing photos with the Groom’s beloved truck and some stunners in the upper vineyard at Chankaska that are seriously dreamy…

Chris Moe provided the entertainment for the evening, the dance floor was PACKED all night. And all these amazing images you see…came from the sweetest photographer Sabrina of Seriously Sabrina Photography…all the way from Lexington, Kentucky! (and seriously friends…this girl loves to travel so if you love what you see…check her out). This wedding was a joy and an honor to be a part of. I’m forever blessed to spend my days coordinating weddings and making sure that people are able to be fully present and immersed in the moments they have planned for. Thank you Dana and Jake for letting Meaningful Moments be a part of your special day! 

And of course I have to throw in some more photos for good measure…..

Bridal Gown: Watters

Hair and Makeup: Pamela Hernandez Beauty

Photography: Seriously Sabrina Photography

Venue: Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery 

Florals: A to Zinnia 

Coordination and Styling: Meaningful Moments Event Planning & Coordination

Catering/Bar Service/Cake and Cupcakes: Absolute Catering 

DJ: Chris Moe Entertainment

Have I recently mentioned how much I love my job? Because seriously….I AM BLESSED. 

CHEERS! 

XOXO, Amber