A shared Love of Nature

One of our favorite parts of our wedding day was the five minutes our photographer left us alone in the middle of the woods to enjoy a moment with each other in nature. This is because exploring nature together has been the heartbeat of our relationship from the beginning. Robb and I met less than a month before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We spent the first year of our relationship checking out state parks in Minnesota and bonding over our shared love of nature — mostly because we love that kind of thing, but partially because there was nothing else we could do!

Our first date was a winter hike at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, so it only felt right that Robb proposed on a crisp fall day at another state park — Savanna Portage. This is what inspired our table assignment paintings. Each painting/table was based on a state park we had explored together during our relationship. It was important to us that our closest family and friends could enjoy those personal touches on our wedding day. We wanted to provide our guests with a unique wedding favor, so Robb compiled a list of our all-time favorite hikes, along with short descriptions. I can’t wait to hear what our family and friends think of these beautiful places we have recommended!

Our dog, Diggity, has happily joined us on all of our outdoor adventures, so it only felt right that she would be our flower girl. She was on her best behavior during our ceremony and even joined us during our grand entrance into our reception! She was also featured on top of the charming coconut wedding cake my mom lovingly baked from scratch. Robb’s favorite toys as a child were Playmobils, so my mom and I surprised him with doppelganger cake toppers! I painted some distinctive details on the figurines so that they mirrored us on our big day.

My engagement and wedding ring is a gold band cast from a dainty twig. To me, it symbolizes the simplicity and inherent beauty of