Sota Brides
- Jun 24, 2020
- 3 min read

Caitlin & John 12.31.2016

Updated: Jun 17, 2021

Elegant New Years Eve Wedding in Bloomington, Minnesota.

John and Caitlin met in high school. Their story starts like many others... Caitlin friend zoned John until a few years later a romance eventually began. They stayed together through college, despite being in a long distance relationship (John went to college four hours away in North Dakota). After 4+ years together, John finally proposed. He planned an elaborate treasure hunt through the city, with the final stop being at his family cabin... Where he proposed at sunset, on the end of the dock, looking over the lake. Swoon.

They didn't waste a lot of time when it came to planning. Though they went back and forth between a summer wedding and a winter wedding, they ultimately decided on a year and a half engagement so they could have the magical New Years Eve wedding of their dreams.

The couple knew they wanted to have a giant party to ring in both their marriage and the new year. Because of this they decided on a hotel venue, so guests didn't have to travel far at the end of the night. They toured countless hotels, but as soon as they arrived at the Radisson Blu in Bloomington, Minnesota, they knew it was the one.

A giant party they wanted, and a giant party they had... Blanc De Bleu, blue sparkling wine, filled the cups of guests. The shiny, black dance floor was always packed. The couple was able to celebrate the day surrounded by all of their friends and family.... Literally! They maxed out the room capacity. If anyone else would have come, they would have exceeded fire code!

It was apparent that the couple enjoyed planning the little details the most... Some of the highlights of their wedding include their one-of-a-kind first dance song recorded by their family friend Angie Keilhauer, their live wedding painter, and a moving motion GOBO that counted down to midnight.

Despite Caitlin's type-A tendencies, they ended up having to rework their entire timeline the night before the wedding. The couple planned on taking their pictures at the Stillwater Ice Castles, but a few weeks before the wedding they found out it wouldn't be open in time and wouldn't be able to. John reached out to anyone and everyone that worked at the Ice Castles to see if they would reconsider. He finally got a call back at 9:00 PM the night before the wedding saying that even though it wasn't open to the public, they could still take their pictures there. A quick reworking of the schedule, calls to he photographer and the wedding party, and they were good to go! All of their hard work and planning made for a beautiful New Years Eve Wedding.

When asked about one of her favorite moments of the day, Caitlin said:

"One of my favorite moments of the day was after our ceremony. John and I got to see our reception space all set up, before all the guests entered the room. It was so neat to see our plans and vision come to life, but the cherry on top was the time alone, being able to take a few minutes just the two of us to soak in our newlywed bliss."