The Whim Wedding | Shayla + Ben
The Whim wedding venue is perfect for couples who want a sleek, blank-slate space. When lead planner Kierra’s sister, Shayla, asked us to help coordinate her wedding at this gorgeous venue, we were so excited!
Shayla met our team back when we coordinated Kierra’s wedding at Willow Brooke Farm. It’s always such an honor when our past couples’ families book us after seeing our team in action!
We planned with Shayla over Zoom and made sure every detail was covered, so she and her fiancé could simply enjoy celebrating with their 200 guests!
THE MORNING
As Rustic Elegance Owner, Kellie, left our office, she swung by Nothing Bundt Cakes in Minnetonka to pick up the dessert.
It was a hot and humid MN day, but luckily The Whim is fully air-conditioned, so there was no stress about the weather. As Kellie arrived at the venue, she popped in to check on the ladies who were already getting ready in the bridal suite. They were joined by Kayla Daninger Hair and LHN Beauty, an amazing glam crew that worked seamlessly together!
When the RE assistant, Natalie, arrived, Kellie gave her a full walkthrough of the venue. It’s important that our team knows where everything will be so that we can direct guests and vendors smoothly as they arrive!
Prior to our arrival, the father of the bride and father of the groom unloaded a trailer of decor that the couple had provided. This included a sofa seating area, a backdrop for the photo booth they rented from us, and live plants! We got to work setting everything up, including the Polaroids for the guest book and the memory photo shelves.
Prior to the wedding day, the team at Phos set up all the lighting for the ceremony and reception. They always elevate the space and create such dreamy vibes with their work!
Flowers by Michelle provided lovely arrangements for the dinner tables, and we thought they’d be a perfect addition to the ceremony. We placed them on alternating rows of the aisle, with amber vases at the front and back. It was a beautiful touch!
The guys then arrived at The Whim and made their way to the groom’s suite to finish getting ready. During this time, the RE team set up our photo booth and tested everything out to ensure it was good to go. It’s such a simple addition, our couples always love it!
As Ash McMahon Photography and Nic Stevens Films arrived, we said a quick hello and sent them on their way to work their magic. They captured the details of Shayla’s gown from Annika Bridal before setting up a first look with all of her ladies. Look at those glowing faces! Even the couple’s dog, Niko, joined the special moment.
The couple then shared their first look followed by their private vows. Between the soft giggles and teary eyes, this moment was beyond perfect!
Shayla and Ben’s wedding party joined for a few fun group photos before the couple explored the venue for portraits of just the two of them. Once photos wrapped up, we gathered everyone for a quick day-of rehearsal. Colty, the bride’s brother-in-law, was their officiant. This was our second time seeing him in action and he does an amazing job balancing heartfelt storytelling with just the right amount of humor.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony took place in the window area of the venue, which created an easy flow for guests as they arrived. Once everyone was seated, we lined up the wedding party for the processional. With eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, our team made sure to carefully coordinate the large group.
RE assistant Natalie focused on cueing the flower girls, ring bearers, and Niko. As Niko was being walked down the aisle, he slipped loose for a moment—but a guest quickly handed the leash back to the junior bridesmaid. It turned into a sweet, lighthearted moment that had everyone smiling.
Then came Shayla’s grand entrance, escorted by her father. She looked absolutely stunning!
The couple shared a short and sweet ceremony, sealed with a long-awaited kiss. They made their joyful exit as husband and wife, quickly joined by Niko who was clearly thrilled to see his mom and dad!
THE RECEPTION
As the couple exited the ceremony space to soak in their first newlywed moments, our team had their favorite drinks waiting. Meanwhile, guests enjoyed appetizers from Brasa and started capturing memories with the Rustic Elegance photo booth.
The RE team grabbed the bridesmaid bouquets and repurposed them at guest tables. The Brasa team, along with Rustic Elegance, worked quickly to flip the ceremony space into the dinner space. Luckily the couple opted for simple decor with a vase of beautiful florals and a table number. It was the perfect sleek look for The Whim wedding!
Guests were then invited to take their seats for the reception. The wedding party kicked things off with a high-energy grand entrance. The kiddos led the way, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen, before Shayla and Ben made their big entrance and wrapped it up with a heartfelt welcome speech.
Brasa then handled dismissing tables for dinner. The couple chose a buffet style meal that was super fun and delicious! During this time our team set out the bundt cakes so that they would be ready for guests as soon as they finished eating.
During dinner, there were speeches from the father of the bride, father of the groom, best man, and maid of honor (our girl, Kierra!). They were all so special and perfectly captured everything we know and love about Shayla and Ben!
The couple then took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. This was followed by the traditional parent dances.
DJ Hendrix kept the dance floor packed all night, with glow wands as a fun extra touch that guests loved. The party energy stayed high all evening. Even when the late-night Dominos snack arrived, guests were dancing in line!
The photo booth was also a huge hit! Guests instantly received their images on their phones, while Shayla and Ben got access to the full gallery the next day. This group had the most photo booth users of any of our weddings yet. We loved watching everyone make memories in the booth!
As the night came to a close, our team began packing everything up into the couple’s U-Haul per our Clean Up Package. Our couples love this add-on (and their loved ones appreciate it too ;)).
Brasa handled the catering clean up and even packed up a meal for the bride and groom (along with all of the leftovers) to take home.
Finally, everyone hopped onto the Northfield Lines shuttle for a safe ride back to the hotel. It was the perfect ending to an amazing day celebrating an even more amazing couple!
Shayla + Ben, you and your families were so great to work with! Thank you for continuing to trust our team. Cheers to you!
VENDORS
Minnesota Wedding Coordinator: Rustic Elegance - Kellie + Natalie
Venue: The Whim
Caterer: Brasa
Dessert: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Late Night Snack: Dominos
Lighting: Phos
DJ: DJ Hendrix
Florist: Flowers by Michelle
Officiant: Colty Hinz
Photographer: Ash McMahon Photography
Videographer: Nic Stevens Films
Minneapolis Photo Booth Rental: Rustic Elegance
Transportation: Northfield Lines
Hair: Kayla Daninger Hair
Makeup: LHN Beauty
Bridal Gown: Annika Bridal
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol