One notable shift in bridal fashion is the move towards unconventional color choices.”

changing into a shorter style dress, or even pants or shorts later in the day.

Wedding Weekends

The single day of the wedding, loaded with preparations, the ceremony sometimes leaves little time to really enjoy the rare opportunity to gather all the couple’s friends and families in one spot together. Spreading the events out into a weekend celebration has become exceedingly popular. It offers a bonus opportunity to spend more time with friends and family.

Joining together for tee times on a local golf course, time out on a lake, or scheduling a friendly competition of flag football, pickleball or another activity offers a block of time to really enjoy yourself with your group.

Rice Creek Wedding Venue (Hunting and Recreation) in Little Falls is one place that offers a complete wedding weekend experience for the wedding couple. Set on 1,500 beautiful acres, the location is a photographer’s dream and the onsite spacious event center hosts up to 300 guests.

From the bride’s arrival on Friday, when decorating can begin, the wedding party is able to make themselves at home until checkout on Sunday. Krista, the general manager of Rice Creek, says they pride themselves on offering a couple of ways to enjoy their entire weekend at a relaxed stress-free place.

Saturday mornings are set aside to offer bonus activities when the wedding party and guests can shoot sporting clays, trap or handguns while the bridal party gets ready and makes final preparations for the ceremony that can be held at the outdoor wedding theater.

Last year Rice Creek hosted 22 weddings on the preserve.

Gifts for your Guests

The wedding program has long been the memento for wedding guests. Today couples often give their guests a way to remember their day by offering a carefully chosen useful or sentimental item for each guest to take with them at the end of the night. Coasters, can koozies, mints, jars of honey, jams or jellies, garden seeds or other keepsakes are all popular items. Sometimes gifts include a personalized message, or the couple’s name and wedding date.

Surprise Desserts

This is the season of the surprise dessert. While beautiful wedding cakes with multiple tiers remain a popular celebratory dessert, there are endless other options for your dessert table. From decorative cookies, cupcakes or other baked goods, a candy bar loaded with classic favorites, flavorful cake pops, cheesecake and even doughnuts are all new options for wedding couples.

Desserts, dresses and the dynamics of a wedding may change from year to year, but the reason for the celebration still stays the same. It is the magical beginning of your new life together.