A Multicultural Summer Wedding at the beautiful Garten Marketplatz in Rochester, MN

Today,
Let me introduce you to Amanda and Ahmed’s wedding day, which took place at the Garten Marketplatz, which is simply one of the best venues in Rochester.

If you are planning to get married in the summer in Rochester, MN, and are looking for your perfect wedding venue, then this article is for you.
I have already written a presentation of the Garten Marketplatz, so here, I will focus on Amanda and Ahmed’s special day with you; this should help you figure out what you can do.

Presentation of the Bride and the Groom

Amanda is from Minnesota. Like her mother before her, she used to be a primary school teacher. But she switched to being a nurse at the Mayo Clinic.
Ahmed is a doctor from Sudan. He was studying to become a pharmacologist at Mayo Clinic as well.

They contacted me a month before their wedding to explain their plans!
It was a last-minute, organized wedding. But they were enthusiastic, with tons of ideas and a lot of love. They wanted to include both cultures, with a ceremony half processed by a friend and an Imam. And given they didn’t have a wedding planner, I gave them a lot of tips. I won’t say they listen to all, so the day was kind of chaotic, but what’s matter is that they got married.

Like many wedding plans, their project started small and gradually grew! Ultimately, it was beautiful.

Preparation of the Bride at the Venue in the Bridal Suite

Amanda got ready with her mom in the Bridal Suite. It was a sunny afternoon, and the room was full of natural light. There were only two in the room. It was a perfect setting for pictures.
Amanda actually used her mom’s dress (with some alterations), and red shoes for a touch of extravagance. At this wedding, there was a lot of DIY, such as hair and makeup; I think I was, with the caterer, one of the only wedding vendors booked!

They were delayed and the bride started to become nervous. I am glad I was there to capture this moment with her mother.

Preparation of the Groom’s room

Ahmed was preparing with his friends. They were gathered in the groom’s room. The atmosphere was relaxed as his friends arrived one by one. I discovered an interesting custom from Sudan – they express their joy and excitement by snapping their fingers in the air. There were many jokes. I didn’t understand everything (like often), but the laughter and smiles, which are beyond a simple language barrier, were all captured in the photographs.

The groom looked very handsome in his suit with his James Bond-style bow tie.
Behind his big radiant smile, we could gradually feel the stress building up. I took him outside the groom’s room to give him some moments of privacy when he opened the gift from his beloved. His mother-in-law also gave him a gift, which is rare enough to be noted and very thoughtful of her, thus showing a parental figure, since, unfortunately for the groom, his parents could not be present on the big day.

First Look under the Maple Tree

The couple didn’t want to discover each other during the ceremony, so we planned for a first look.

For that, the garden marketplace offers tons of options! But, they pick the place where they hesitate to host their ceremony: 100-year-old large Maple tree.
We were in a rush; there were some tears.

Just the time to run to the ceremony, where all the guests were already seated.

Ceremony Next to the Brick House on the Large front Garden

The ceremony took place on the lawn near the brick house.

Amanda’s Mother walk down the groom. And after the bride walked down the aisle with her father, one of the sleeves of her (DIY) dress got caught on one of the buttons. This created a rather comical situation with the bride’s mother, trying for long seconds to free the sleeve, which, let’s remember, was made partly from the bride’s mother’s dress.

The ceremony was officiated by a friend and a local Imam, mixing both cultures and religions.
They both exchanged their vows. It was cute, with a lot of emotions and a lot of laughter.

Groups photos

For the group’s photos, we use the Carriage House as a backdrop with its red brick and its stairs.
For the big group photos that included everyone, I had to use a ladder to photograph everyone, thanks to the Garten Marketplatz team’s responsiveness.

Then we continued with more informal fun photos.

Outdoor Cocktail Hour on the East Side Patio

After some group pictures in the Carriage House, the cocktail hour took place on the east side of the building, on the front patio, where guests could enjoy the refreshing shade.

The east side patio was perfect for a small group cocktail hour. On a hot and sunny day, everyone enjoys the shaded area of the house.

More Bride and Groom Photos

The preparation had been quite chaotic, which caused us to lose a lot of time. As a result, we had to shorten (not to say skip) the bride and groom’s photo session. Therefore, during the cocktail hour, we sneaked away for more photos of the bride and groom.
If on that day, we manage to get the essentials, I always recommend building a solid timeline and sticking to it!

Reception at the Garten Market Place’s Carriage House

The reception took place in the Carriage House. There were some toasts. Then the typical Minnesota traditional tradition :

• The couple kissed while guests tilt their glasses.
• They cut the cake
• They played the shoe game,
• They opened the dance floor.

During the evening, I tried to capture more “creative” shots using the clouds in the sky or the chandeliers in the reception room.

Sudanese dancing

Once the dancefloor was open, the Sundanese dances started.
Sudanese wedding celebrations are renowned for their vibrant and joyful dance traditions, and that was the case.
On fast rhythmic music, the boys jump and clap, with guests forming circles around the bride and groom. It also involves a lot of finger-snapping during the dance. These dances create an atmosphere of unity and celebration that connects all the guests.

It was a beautiful example of a multicultural wedding, taking the best of each traditions, bringing communities together

To capture those good dancing moments, I have added flash.

Creatives Photos at the Garten Marketplatz

One of the special types of photos I like to take are the more creative ones. So, once the dance floor was open and I had enough photos, I started to wonder how I could take more creative images with the bride and groom.

• Using flash and colored gels, I used the string lights of the room, the gigantic chandelier and a mirror and shot a photo right at the moment the bride and groom kissed when guests raised their glasses.
• I also used some of the Garten Marketplatz amenities: their birch-type electric fairy light tree. Those work very well in background and foreground. That’s why I asked the newly married couple to stand in the hallway, and snapped a photo of them with this magical light effect.
• I was hoping for sunset, but when I went outside, I noticed the stormy clouds.

Candid funny shots

Long receptions are also a time for the good, authentic, candid shots. That’s a part of the wedding coverage that I prefer. They work very well when there are a lot of kids!
I invite you to check on my portfolio if you want to see more of those candid shots.

Grand Exit with Sparklers

Finally, it was time for the grand exit. They planned for sparklers. It worked great.

Sparkler’s grand exit is a must. I work all the time and it’s really easy to do yourself. So if your venue allows it, I recommend doing the same!

Conclusion

In my humble opinion, this venue, thanks to its amazing outdoor spaces and charming decorations, is one of the best venues in town. The most famous venue, and likely for good reason, is probably the nearby fancy (and expensive) Mayowood Stone Barn.
Garten Marketplatz provides an excellent alternative. Since it is less well-known, it is more affordable.

If you’re considering a wedding venue for 100 to 150 guests, like Amanda and Ahmed, Garten Marketplatz may be the perfect choice for you.

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