To Have & To Hold

[Live Wedding Expo at The Pines]

Story by Tracy Nicholson
Photos provided by M.Schleif Photography, Fernweh & Liebe Photography
Carly Loves Amos Photography, Nicole Midwest Photography & Media

photos by Fernweh & Liebe Photography

When The White House Co., Love Always Floral, and Fuze Entertainment debuted their first wedding show last spring in Downtown Fargo, their dream event could have made any runaway bride happily turn on her Swarovski-encrusted heels. Creating the area's first live wedding event, meant one lucky couple would say "I do" surrounded by contributions from some of the area's best wedding vendors. This year, like love, their dreams grew with a more spacious venue at The Pines, more interactive vendors, and a live vow renewal for Midwest Nest's own lifestyle contributor and blogger, Katie Sullivan, and her husband Daren. Get our VIP glimpse inside the To Have & To Hold wedding event, where love and whimsy meet vintage design and brilliant, rainbow-inspired bliss. ​

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Behind the Bliss

What do you get when you have a fantastic new venue, a gorgeous couple renewing their vows, four talented photographers, an array of local vendors and an event design crew who lives for love? A perfect night, with every beautiful moment, captured and ready to inspire.  

"We had heard of a similar idea in Minneapolis, but took the thought and made it more local to Fargo with an actual mock wedding in the middle of the event! We also wanted to stray away from the typical booth wedding show set-up, and have our vendors showcase their actual talents, rather than sitting behind a table. The action stations were wonderful to keep attendees entertained and give them a chance to get to know the local vendors a little better," said The White House Co. ​

photo by Fernweh & Liebe Photography

Be Our Guests

Moving from last year's smaller space downtown, to the much larger venue at The Pines could have been intimidating, but The White House Co., Fuze Entertainment and Love Always Floral rocked the design by breaking up the space and creating different focal points of interest to help the evening flow. "The Pines was a wonderful fit and a great blank page to work with," said The White House Co.

"For the venue's design, we wanted the bright colors to really draw our guests in and be different from some of the softer trends we're more accustomed to seeing," said The White House Co. "Often, brides go the safe route and are scared to be themselves and do something different and outside the norm; we wanted to showcase that it's ok to be different and show how beautiful it can be to embrace color. We wanted future brides to get to know Fargo's incredible vendors and realize that their wedding can be whatever they want to make it. Confetti cannons, cheese wheel cakes, bright colors, champagne walls, food carts...the sky is really the limit!"

"This wedding show is like no other; the energy, vibe, and interactive experience is truly unique and incredibly fun! Contrary to traditional shows, guests aren’t being approached, coerced, or sold anything. Brides and grooms get to watch the vendors in action and experience the products first hand; guests get to see, touch, taste and hear the services." 

• Emily Finley, The Pines Wedding & Event Venue

The first 50 guests snagged a fun swag bag filled with special offers, discounts and goodies from area wedding vendors.

photo by M.Schleif Photograph

Love in Bloom

"This is our favorite event of the year," said Christy Tehven of Love Always Floral. "This year's inspiration was based off bright spring colors, pairing with the White House Co.’s backdrop and design vision. We used more large garden blooms, roses, Lisianthus, garden roses and stock. To find inspiration, we really love to follow designers from the Utah area as well as the West Coast."

Meet the Bride

"Putting on a wedding dress and renewing our vows as part of a live wedding show was not something Daren and I ever imagined doing," said the event's bride, Katie Sullivan. "Even if it was a dream we hadn’t imagined, it ended up being a dream come true. To Have & To Hold truly highlights the best vendors in the business, from the large and beautiful selections of dresses I chose from Your Day by Nicole, to the whimsical and stunning flowers arranged by Love Always Floral, and everything in between. While the event focused on the talents of our local vendors, The White House Co. also made sure our journey as a couple and family was highlighted, making the experience even more special."

"To Have & To Hold was a beautiful and unique way to connect with creatives and vendors in our community! We really appreciated getting to show our unique talent and personality in real time and getting to party alongside the couple while doing so. Not to mention so many surprises - confetti during kisses, curated spaces left and right, and a wonderful celebration of love. This is not your typical wedding show, it is so much more than that!"

• Morgan Schleif, M.Schleif Photography

Wedded Whimsy

"Sharing this memory with our daughter and son, as the flower girl and ring bearer, was the icing on the cake. While Daren and I will cherish this family memory and the beautiful pictures, I’m fairly certain my kids will never forget the epic confetti. This is an event I wish had existed when I was planning my own Fargo wedding six years ago. If you find yourself planning a wedding next year this an event not to miss, and trust me...get the confetti."

• Bride, Katie Sullivan

Creative Collaborations

"When approached by Katie and Christy to host To Have & To Hold, we were instantly honored, excited and on board," said Emily Finley of The Pines. "Because of the buzz surrounding their 2018 event, we were familiar with the concept, but after actually experiencing To Have & To Hold, we now know first-hand how valuable this event is for future brides and grooms. The White House Co., Love Always Floral, Fuze Entertainment, and the collaborative efforts of the featured local vendors totally exceeded our most optimistic expectations. From start to finish, this event was beautifully thought out!"

"We loved working with all the color that was featured - it was refreshing, bold and super fun. The gorgeous white wood at The Pines venue is perfect for any color and really made everything pop!" 

• Carissa & Gabriel, Fernweh + Liebe Photography

​[ To Have & To Hold's Wedding Checklist ]

Event rentals & decor: 

• The White House Co. Shop + Vintage Rentals

Venue: 

• The Pines Weddings & Events

Floral design: 

• Love Always Floral + Events

DJ:

• Drew Boraas - Fuze Mobile Entertainment

Photographers: 

• M.Schleif Photography
• Fernweh & Liebe Photography
• Carly Loves Amos Photography
• Nicole Midwest Photography & Media

Bridal attire:

• Your Day by Nicole

Groom accessories: 

• Tie by AENDEE.

Maid of Honor outfit: 

• Proper

Flower Girl dress: 

• Pout Boutique

Hair: 

• ADAE Salon
  

Makeup: 

• Faces By Laura

Sweets & Treats: 

• Nichole’s Fine Pastry 
• Duchessa Gelato 
• Scoop & Dough 
• Yeobo Sweet Shop
• At Home Bakery

Videographer: 

• Highland Films

Catering: 

• Milk Made Catering 
• Chef's Table

Programs + design: 

• Kailey Louise Designs

Bridal consultants/planner: 

• Breathe & Relax 
• Flourish 
• Beaucoup Events

Media management:  

• Impact Social

Calligraphy: 

• Lettering By Samantha 
• Taylily Lettering

Live Music: 

• Sophie Slette

Bridal party accessories: 

• Rilos + MiMi 
• Dak & Co.

Officiant: 

• RevD

Contributor: 

• North Dakota Prairie Bride Magazine

The Future is even Brighter...

The White House Co. crew is already dreaming up their third annual To Have & To Hold event for 2020. "No hints just yet on what might be different, but there are definitely some fun ideas spinning in our heads and more interactive stations," said The White House Co. To stay in the loop, make sure to "Like" their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram.

Meet The White House Co. + Love Always Floral + Fuze Entertainment
​

The White House Co. is a vintage rental company and home décor retail store in Downtown Fargo that provides rentals for weddings, parties and corporate events. The owners, Amanda Rydell, Katie Schiltz, and Samantha Klinkhammer design, craft, and create for events and venues of all sizes, throughout the region. Ask them to design a custom backdrop, set the scene with gorgeous vintage furnishings from their warehouse, or hire them to transform an entire venue. 
​
Love Always Floral, owned by Christy Tehven, is a full-service wedding floral company located just beyond The White House Co.'s storefront in Downtown Fargo. Tehven specializes in custom and special-ordered wedding floral through bouquets, boutonnieres, unique installations and centerpieces. Beyond weddings, Love Always Floral will create everything from stunning photo backdrops, to designs for corporate events, baby showers and virtually any type of celebration. 

"When planning and preparing for your own wedding, much like the To Have & To Hold bridal show, having an MC and DJ you are comfortable with is key. At Fuze, we critically think outside the box to ensure every event runs smooth and your guests have a great experience. Thinking outside the box, specifically in regards to wedding receptions, is what we are all about at Fuze Entertainment. Let's plan an event, a wedding, or host a bridal show together like no other. Cheers!" 

• Drew Boraas, Fuze Entertainment

For more information on the event, contact:

The White House Co. Shop + Vintage Rentals

• 14 Roberts Street, Downtown Fargo 
• 701.552.9881
• hellowhitehouseco@gmail.com

The White House Co. Warehouse:

• 910 Main Ave | Open by Appointment
• Find them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Love Always Floral + Events

• 14 Roberts Street, Downtown Fargo
• 701.205.8710 
• hello@lovealwaysfloral.com
• lovealwaysfloral.com
• Find them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Fuze Entertainment 

• Drew Boraas
• 218 Broadway North, Fargo 
• fuzemobileent@gmail.com 
• fuzemobileent.com 

photo by Carly Loves Amos Photography

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photo by by M.Schleif Photography