Tara and Josh had their summer wedding at Izatys Resort in Onamia, MN. This wonderful, outdoorsy couple met online and had their first date back in 2014. Josh said on his first date, he remembers thinking to himself, “I need to remember the moment she walks in the door and I see her for the first time…she might be my future wife!” Sure enough, that’s exactly who Tara was! In November of 2016, Josh started asking Tara about her schedule and offered to make dinner one night during the upcoming week. Since cooking is not his thing, Tara was a bit suspicious. When she arrived home on the night of their dinner, Josh eagerly met her at the door. He said he was preparing something special and insisted on blindfolding Tara. “What’s your favorite food?” he asked her. She’s never declared a favorite food, but replied with, “Lobster mac’n’cheese.” She’s only had the dish a few times and wasn’t sure if that’s the response Josh wanted. “Take a bite,” Josh instructed here. Sure enough, it was lobster mac’n’cheese! Josh took off the blindfold and they ate their dinner. Then he put the blindfold back on Tara for another taste test. He opened two bottles of wine and had Tara choose her favorite. She chose one of the wines and when she took off the blindfold, Josh was down on one knee. She said yes!
When choosing a wedding venue, they knew they wanted to be close to the outdoors and water. Tara grew up having a lake cabin and finds the open water to be so peaceful and beautiful. Near the water is where she loves to be so it wasn’t hard to see why Izatys Resort was the perfect place to say “I do”! The views of the lake from the reception room windows were absolutely incredible! Tara and Josh even had a pontoon exit from the ceremony along with a champagne toast. Since Josh is a pilot, they also wanted to add a bit of an adventure theme to their reception. They had airplane charms on some of the vases and decor. Also, their guestbook was a map where guests could mark their favorite vacation spots and places. One of the most unique parts of this wedding was the outdoor dance party at the end of the night! It was an absolute blast! Thanks, Tara and Josh for including me in your day!
Izatys Resort | Saint Paul Wedding Photographer
