The Engagement
The pair first met in Grand Forks while Madeline was visiting friends. Cole is from Grand Forks and went to college there, and Madeline’s friends were friends with Cole’s friends. Their relationship blossomed and eventually led to a golf course proposal at the Westin Kierland golf course in Arizona. “We walked around the golf course, and Cole finally found a spot and got down on one knee. It was just the two of us and then my family came and surprised us after, and we all went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants,” Madeline explains.
The Plan
Wedding planning started about a year and a half before their wedding date, and while they had a reception venue picked out, it just didn’t feel like Madeline and Cole. “All along I felt like it wasn’t really us and it wasn’t how I pictured my day, so 8 months before the wedding I cancelled the venue and our wedding planner, Rachel, helped me go in a whole different direction with my parent’s backyard,” Madeline explains.
Making the change wasn’t exactly stressful for Madeline. The vendors she chose transferred over to the new venue and her parents were no strangers to hosting events like grad parties, birthday parties and even Madeline’s bridal shower and bridesmaid’s brunch as well as the couple’s engagement party. While the wedding reception was certainly a new level, the stage had been set to create an unforgettable reception in the backyard locale. “The most important thing for me to express is that my parents worked their butts off for 8 months preparing the house and backyard,” explains Madeline. “They remodeled the entire upstairs of the house, their kitchen, the front porch, the garage doors, and worked in the yard from when the snow melted to the morning of the wedding when my dad set up the chipping game. It was really amazing the amount of time and effort they put into it all. I don’t think they could have given us a better gift than to have the experience of having our wedding at their house.”
The Big Day
It was important for Madeline and Cole to get married in the church and the wedding ceremony was held at St. Mary’s Catholic church. “The church was awesome,” says Cole. “That’s where we went to grade school so we both have our background there.” The formal wedding ceremony was the perfect setup for the more laidback atmosphere of the Kirchoffner’s backyard soiree.
An informal dinner allowed more time with guests and many custom details made the day totally Madeline and Cole’s. Their custom bar menu with several signature drinks named after the couple and their dogs as well as golf themed drinks like the Sand Trap Spritz, a play on an Aperol Spritz, and the Shank and Soda, a play on a vodka soda added a fun and playful vibe to the reception. Instead of a traditional “Dollar Dance,” Madeline’s dad set up a chipping game so guests paid money and chipped off a hill into the grass. A 50/50 raffle was held with the proceeds and shared their earnings with one of their guests.
Words of Wisdom
From Madeline: “It’s really easy to get overwhelmed with the planning process, especially when you’re creating something out of nothing. Trusting the process and trusting the vendors that you’ve hired and just relying on your family and friends to help you and accepting that help is important. Try to enjoy it, because it’ll be over before you know it.”
From Cole: “Always put your significant other first. We both have lots of friends, but now we’re in a marriage, so she comes first before anybody else, that’s my biggest role.”
Vendors
Photographer: Revel Woods Photo @revelwoodsphoto
Hair: Hair by Tiffany (Tiffany Eckman) @hairbytiffany
Makeup: Facewell Artistry, Laura Evavold @facewellartistry
Dress: Lovely Bride Phoenix @lovelybridephoenix
Tuxes: Halberstadt’s @halberstadtsbismarck
Photo Booth: Bubbles & Brews @bubblesandbrewsnd