Among photographer Mycah Bain and Annelise Lee’s favorite photos from the day are those of Annelise bathed in warm sunlight. “She was sun drenched in such a gorgeous way,” Bain says. Photos: Mycah Bain Photography
Do you remember the 21st night of September? It’s a night Annelise (née Orthey) and Jack Lee will never forget. The Edina-turned-Chicago couple tied the knot in Minneapolis on that date in 2024, forever embedding that classic Earth, Wind & Fire tune into their love story. “It really was the best day,” Annelise says. “It felt like the whole weekend was a party.”
Jack and Annelise met at a friend’s house during their senior year of high school in 2015. Jack, a student at St. Paul’s St. Thomas Academy, liked Annelise immediately. “She’s the life of the party,” Jack says. “She lights up a room.”
“Annelise and Jack are so lively,” Lexi Skoog, wedding planner, says. “They love to have fun and they are the life of the party.”
Annelise, a student at Edina High School, saw Jack in his St. Thomas Academy Uniform while watching the state hockey tournament. “He was always serious about me,” she says. “He showed me my value.”
By the end of senior year, Jack and Annelise were going strong and preparing to take their relationship long distance as Jack went off to play football at Yale University and Annelise headed to Miami University in Ohio. For four years, the couple navigated the challenges of long-distance dating before graduating and moving to Chicago. “I don’t recommend long distance, but I would do it over and over again for him,” Annelise says.
Jack and Annelise got engaged on Memorial Day weekend in 2022. Jack had planned a lunch with friends in Chicago, and as they walked along the boardwalk after their meal, Jack asked Annelise to take a selfie. “He has never asked me to take a selfie,” Annelise says, noting that she had been on high alert for signs that Jack was going to propose. “You refused to allow yourself to be surprised,” Jack says to Annelise. “You had your nails done for six months straight.” To which Annelise says, “Six months? Try two years!”
With a photographer waiting to capture the moment, Jack proposed to Annelise. She accepted, and they headed to an Irish pub to celebrate with family and friends before ending the night at The Lodge Tavern on Division Street.
Wedding planner Lexi Skoog liked how Annelise Lee brought baby’s breath to the forefront of the design, mounding it at the center of the tables and the ceremony pillars and lining the stage.
When it came to the wedding, Jack and Annelise had one main goal: to throw a great party. “We wanted it to be about celebrating with friends and family. We wanted to make it the best party,” Annelise says.
She enlisted the help of two friends she had known since high school to make her wedding day dreams come true: wedding planner Lexi Skoog of Nousocial and photographer Mycah Bain of Mycah Bain Photography. “We all grew up together in Edina,” Skoog says.
The couple opted for The Whim in Northeast Minneapolis, a historic 1920s industrial warehouse space to play host to their 243 guests. “It was a blank slate with a lot to work with,” Annelise says. “It’s a modern feel—black and white with concrete floors,” Skoog says, noting that it paired nicely with the couple’s black, green, neutral and white color scheme with the downstairs speakeasy playing into the vibe they were going for.
The only issue was the wait. “They were still dealing with a backlog from [COVID-19],” Annelise says. But as she looked through their availability for 2024, her eyes lit up as she hit September. “As soon as we saw September 21, we knew we had our wedding date,” she says. “It was a long engagement, but it was worth it.”
On the big day, Annelise donned a simple but classic A-line wedding dress in white with a slight scoop neck, spaghetti straps and a high slit that allowed her to dance. “I felt like a princess,” she says.
Her long white veil, previously worn by two aunts on her father’s side, served as her something borrowed, and her grandma’s delicate pearl necklace was her something old.
Bain captured all the beautiful details that day. “There were so many playful moments,” she says. “Annelise has excellent style. I knew every single detail would be special.”
Guests remained at the forefront of Jack and Annelise’s minds. They dined on food from D’Amico Hospitality, including beef tenderloin, risotto and roasted chicken, while enjoying signature cocktails.
After dinner, The Silver Alchemist packed the dance floor. “The band was incredible,” Jack says. “A live band changes the vibe completely,” Skoog says.
And Annelise got to end the night just the way she envisioned. “I wanted to be scream dancing at the end of the night to Hillary Duff’s What Dreams Are Made Of,” she says. “And I did.”
Vendors
- Catering: D’Amico Hospitality, damicohospitality.com
- Event Planning and Management: Nousocial, nousocialevents.com
- Florals: Saide’s Couture Floral, saidesfloral.com
- Hair: Lauren Styles (Lauren Gerring), Instagram: @laurenstyles
- Jewelry: R.F. Moeller, rfmoeller.com
- Makeup: Jesus Arte, jesusarte.com
- Music: The Silver Alchemist, thesilveralchemist.com
- Photography: Mycah Bain Photography, mycahbain.com
- Wedding Wear: Alice In Ivory, aliceinivory.com; Fame and Partners, fameandpartners.shop; Heimie’s Haberdashery, heimies.com; Jessica Simpson, jessicasimpson.com; Tony Bianco, tonybianco.com
- Venue: The Whim, thewhimevents.com
