Cocoa & Fig is a passionate dessert company, and they will be joining us on Feb 11 for  in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair, offering ideas & advice from pros with passion. Tickets are now available.

Cocoa & Fig, along with the Independent Wedding Association, are pleased to announce this miniature dessert table contest.

Photo credit: Sewell Photography

One lucky winner will receive a custom designed dessert table (will serve 100 guests) featuring your choice of various miniature desserts from the diverse menu of Cocoa & Fig including cake lollipops, French macarons, mini cupcakes, layered desserts shooters, and more. A custom table spread will be designed to fit the theme, look and vibe of your wedding and includes Cocoa & Fig’s distinct styling, cake stand and platter rental, custom signage, day-of delivery and set-up, and next day retrieval. The winner will also receive a free tasting consultation and planning meeting with the owner of Cocoa & Fig.

*Events outside the Twin Cities metro will incur additional delivery fees.
*Must be used in 2012 – some date restrictions apply.
*No cash value.

To enter to win, simply post a comment on this post by the end of February 5 – we would especially love to hear your favorite wedding food recommendations! One winner will be chosen at random on Feb 6. Only one entry per person – duplicates will be deleted at our discretion. Email address must be valid to win.

Get your tickets now for  in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair
ideas & advice from pros with passion
Saturday, Feb 11 from 11am – 3pm

The Couture Dress Experience

Call for two model participants to be draped during
in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair’s Workshops

To enter, you must:

• Be available on Saturday, Feb 11 from 12-3pm
•Be draped and fitted by couture designer Joy Teiken of joynoelle during the workshop (model participants should expect to and be comfortable wearing a slip to enable proper draping and fit)
•Allow photos from the workshop to be used for promoting joynoelle and ind(dy)spire

If you are interested  in being draped and fitted as part of the joynoelle in(dy)spire workshop
please email Joy at joy@joynoelle.com by Feb. 1st.

Please include a photo of yourself and a
photo of a wedding dress you love and would hope to have your dress inspired by.

Two model participants will be chosen by Joy based on the ability to drape and fit during the workshop, as well as fabric availability. Model participants are encouraged to follow up with having their joynoelle dress created but participation as a model does not include the creation of a custom dress.

Information on how to schedule your own appointment for a custom joynoelle dress can be found at joynoelle.com

Joynoelle is the signature line of Minneapolis-based designer, Joy Teiken. The Joynoelle Ready-to-Wear and Bridal Collections are handmade and hand-finished in her South Minneapolis atelier. Every garment is individually cut, sewn and accented to ensure the highest of quality and attention to detail that Joy expects. This award-winning designer has been featured in many national and international publications including WWD, Real Simple Magazine, and Daily Candy NYC and has been shown on the runway in New York City, Chicago, and LA .

My clients choose Joynoelle not only for the outcome but for the process. Having a dress made is a fun. Watching it go from a piece of fabric to the draping and sketching to the fittings and the final gown is a special experience. I have many brides come back to me after their wedding and tell me having their dress made was the second best part of getting married (the first being marrying the love of their life). I love working with brides. Each one is special and wants their personality to show through in their dress. Having a dress designed and made for them is the perfect way to accomplish this. My brides are part of the design process and since I make the dress on their body through draping techniques and fittings, the dress fits their body and personality perfectly. I often suggest bringing in personal objects (their mother’s wedding dress, their grandmother’s beaded necklace, or their auntie’s lace) to incorporate into their dress to make it even more special. I have one seamstress and we work very closely together with the client. As the designer, I am in charge of the dress and client from start to finish. I do all the draping, cutting of the fabric, and the fittings. I may bring in extra craftspeople for things like beading and fabric dying but everything is done in my atelier. My seamstress and I work on sewing the dress together and she is part of certain fittings and finishing work.

We are set apart from our competition by our menu flexibility, our unique approach to customized events, the bocce/bowling aspect and individualized planning assistance.

Our clients choose us because we genuinely care about their event and their expectations. We look to exceed expecations, by listening first.

We only have one large event per evening, allowing us to be focused and available. We are a restaurant ‘first’ – professional service and food quality and execution is number one. We hire, train and develop our staff in event execution. They are in the trenches, and we respect and value their opinion. We spend a lot of time detailing the event with the staff, so they are clear of our expectations and the clients nuances.

Overwhelmed by wedding planning or huge bridal events? Then check out our fairs – we have a community of passionate wedding professionals all in one spot. More than that – we love to chat with you, answer your questions, and show you what we have to offer.

That is why are the only event that offers wedding workshops to help you plan your wedding smarter, better, and more beautifully by sharing hands-on tools, tips, and secrets.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

The Couture Wedding Dress Experience • Wedding Venue 101 • Wedding Flowers Your Way
Ask your Photographer Panel • Wedding Nuts & Bolts

Join Us

Saturday, Feb 11, 2012
Hotel Ivy – Downtown Minneapolis
11am – 3pm

Buy your tickets

See more from our Paul Bunyan inspired wedding shoot in Hearten, our online magazine.

Armato Design & Press | Stationery
Becca Dilley Photography
Brett Dorian Artistry Studios | Hair & Makeup
Counter Couture | Blue dress
Fleet Farm | Boots, Suspenders, Jacket
JWP Jewelry
Posh Bridal Couture | Jewelry
Sarah McGee Photography
Sassafras Floral + Garden Design
Location | Lake Maria State Park Near Monticello, MN
Models|  Mandy & Chandler Olson

Looking back on 2011 weddings

Real Weddings:
Wedding ceremony in the Guthrie theater by Becca Dilley Photography. Little Aloft wedding by Studio Laguna. Vintage and succulents in wedding flowers from Ashley Fox (the bride found her on the Independent Wedding Association!)

Real Weddings:

Engagements:
Engagement session on a boat in Excelsior by Roee Dori.

Inspiration: 
Profile on Munster Rose floral shows off all there is to love about her business (Via Middle of the Map Weddings). Summer splendor vintage wedding rentals shoot with Lime Canary.

Avant Decor is the only company in the Twin Cities that focuses exclusively on ceiling decor. With over ten years experience in the event industry, Avant Decor offers professional service and creativity. Offering a variety of colored fabrics, lanterns of all sizes & colors, and chandeliers, they have worked in the majority of venues in the area and have wonderful references. Avant Decor can plan your perfect environment with you, or they can work directly with other vendors to achieve the look you want.

Local photographer Kate Sommers shows off her vendor love in this Minnesota Wine house winery wedding featuring flowers by Munster Rose and this Summer sun wedding with Elizabeth Anne Weddings.