My friend Keri Leemkuil and Tim Kramer were married at the Memorial Lutheran Church in Afton, Minnesota on Sunday, December 21st at 7 p.m. Keri and I went to Creighton together and she now runs a successful dance studio, The Hudson Dance Academy in Hudson, WI just across the border from Minneapolis/St. Paul (and a new Cottage Grove, MN location). See photos from before, during and after the ceremony below. Sections - Rehearsal | Pre-Ceremony | Ceremony | Post-Ceremony Photos | Reception First, from the super site Animoto, a photo slideshow...modern style... IMG_4754 Wait - we're doing this backwards...ok, so I was late to the rehearsal, but for a very good reason. It being late December in Wisconsin of course there was snow and treacherous driving conditions abounded, only due to Daniel's bravery and fortitude did we make it to Afton, MN (just across the river, south of I-94) at all! So, here's the happy couple practicing their kissing... IMG_4756 Keri is really good at holding a pretend bouquet IMG_4757 Keri's sisters and other assorted bridesmaids IMG_4759 The pastor was very detail oriented, I did miss the part about my reading but I figured as long as I remembered how to read I'd be ok... IMG_4760 Happy couple and Keri's mom IMG_4765 Stephanie March played the cello beautifully for the service accompanied by her parents James & Katheryn IMG_4767 The altar IMG_4769 More cello IMG_4771 Cello...altar...cello...a pattern emerges... IMG_4774 A nice Christmas tree and poinsettias adorned the altar, nice built-in decorations for a Christmas wedding IMG_4777 IMG_4780 Next it was off to River Falls, Wisconsin (crossing the river back to good ole' Wisconsin) to Kilkarney Hills Golf Course where the rehearsal dinner and decorating party was held IMG_4781 A free tie and stuff, gotta love gifts... IMG_4782 Keri got a gift too - her sister Alicia had some photos from the cruise (from when Alicia married Tim's brother Charlie and Keri, who first met Tim on that cruise, later thought it was such a good idea she'd marry Charlie's brother Tim) IMG_4786 IMG_4790 Keri works on some music for tomorrow's reception... IMG_4794 Daniel and Aaron (a friend of Keri's from high school on) playing some form of name that tune? IMG_4798 Keri and Aaron IMG_4800 IMG_4800bw IMG_4807 One might say these are storebought cakes secretly transported into the reception venue, but we called them "ships" to avoid controversy... IMG_4810 A festive chandelier being assembled/put up by Keri's friend Ann Marie (who also works at the dance studio) IMG_4812 IMG_4818 I helped by testing the head table lights IMG_4837 Each table had one mirror, ~9 snowflakes (covered in silver glitter), 5 votive candles, one big candle, and a red runner. This chair was unfortunately at the table where we unpacked all the snowflakes which produced a lot of extra sparkles to escape... IMG_4843 More decorative accoutrements IMG_4844 A lonely card in the card sled waits for the others to join it... IMG_4847 Snowflakes previously mentioned and the copious sparkles that go with them... IMG_4848 There were also candle holders and ribbon used at each table but I thought the description above was already long enough... IMG_4849 Keri is taken from her condo to the safety of the hotel for the pre-wedding night IMG_4851 Keri's departure... IMG_4852 And what is there for Tim to do when his woman leaves? Play Wii with other wedding party members! IMG_4854 Ok, so Keri played a game of Wii Bowling or two before she left... IMG_4858 Lots of brightly colored drinks followed IMG_4859 Daniel, Skylar (dance instructor at the studio), and Matt (Skylar's boyfriend) Sections - Rehearsal | Pre-Ceremony | Ceremony | Post-Ceremony Photos | Reception Return to Features