If music is the food of love, as Shakespeare wrote, then Mike and Maura’s courtship was a veritable feast. Music was one of the first things that bonded the pair, who met while working at the Minnesota Daily in 2004 and started dating in 2007. They’d talk about their musical interests, and Mike would give Maura CDs from his band, White Light Riot. So it was hardly surprising that, when they started planning their wedding in 2011, music would be a major factor.
The stage was set early on with save-the-dates that mimicked the Beatles’ Shea Stadium tickets. “We knew we wanted a big party,” says Maura, “but at the same time, I never really wanted a big ceremony.” So the couple decided to have a split celebration that married their love of food and music, with an intimate ceremony and gourmet dinner at Create Dining Studio on Friday, followed by a rock-concert reception at the Varsity Theater Saturday.
Of course, all of it was a little bit rock and roll. On Friday, the string quartet played songs from the Beatles, Radiohead, and Led Zeppelin, and guests were treated to beer homebrewed by Mike’s older brother. On Saturday, Mike kicked off the music with a special song he’d written for Maura, and then his bandmates and musician friends took the stage to get the party going. “It was literally musical chairs. It was so cool to see how eager each of his friends were to get up on stage and play,” says Maura.
The laid-back couple included playful detail in the reception, such as wedding Mad Libs on each table, a Polaroid camera with props for posing, and glow sticks and confetti cannons to close the dance party in style. “The one thing we always told each other was, whatever happens, we can’t get hung up on it—just have a good time,” says Mike. In the end, they had double the fun. “Friday night, we had such a blast,” says Maura. “And then we woke up on Saturday and we were like, do we seriously get to do this again tonight?!”
Ceremony: Create Dining Studio • Reception: Varsity Theater • Dress: Pronovias from The Wedding Shoppe • Bridesmaids’ dresses: J.Crew • Groom’s attire: Banana Republic • Groomsmen’s attire: Personal suits • Rings: Shane Co. • Catering: Create Dining Studio (Friday), Loring Pasta Bar (Saturday) • Cake: Cafe Latté • Cupcakes: The Bulldog N.E. • Flowers: Martha’s Gardens • Invitations: minted.com • Ceremony music: Lake String Quartet • Reception music: Iron Bridesmaiden • Hair: Tricia Runyon of Euphoria Salon • Makeup: Kari Amundson • Honeymoon: Zihuatanejo, Mexico