Claire & Jason at Mia & The Whim

Claire and Jason wanted both an intimate black-tie night for the people closest to them and a vibrant celebration with their wider circle. With Style-Architects Weddings & Events, they built a full weekend: Friday at Mia for ceremony and a formal family dinner, Saturday at The Whim for a cocktail-style party that played to an entirely different side of their story.

They first met at a wedding in 2019, crossed paths again years later, and after a New Year’s Eve first date in 2021 Claire told her mom she was going to marry Jason. That sense of certainty — quiet, then unmistakable — is the through-line of a weekend that refused to choose between elegance and joy.

On May 3, 2024, Claire and Jason were married in a gallery at Mia among a small gathering of close friends and family. Classical paintings framed the aisle; blush, cream, and burgundy florals by Botany Creative Works stood on pedestals beside the couple. After the ceremony, guests moved downstairs among open galleries while the Lake Minnetonka String Quartet played and Paris Dining Club canapés set the tone for the night ahead.

Dinner gathered everyone at one long family table on the museum’s main level — lush florals, candlelight, and a five-course menu with wine pairings. Parents and siblings spoke with the kind of care that gives a wedding film its heartbeat. Live piano carried the evening; Emily Grace Cakes closed the meal with a traditional Mexican vanilla wedding cake.

Saturday at The Whim in Northeast Minneapolis flipped the palette. Claire traded Friday’s ballgown for a white strapless jumpsuit; about two hundred guests arrived to cascading florals, oversized paper flower structures, floral projections on the walls, and lounge seating in vivid color. Photos from the night before appeared in virtual frames and on a large projection wall so the intimate Friday celebration stayed part of the party.

Instead of a seated dinner, Create Catering ran food stations from around the world while desserts from Honey + Milk, Cocoa & Fig, and Sara’s Tipsy Pies kept the night playful. An eleven-piece Northstar band filled the dance floor; a photo booth and Paint My Wedding Day live painting station gave guests more ways to leave their mark. For a Minneapolis wedding videographer, the contrast between Mia’s hush and The Whim’s color is the story — two rooms, one couple, both true.

A wedding teaser at Mia and The Whim is not a brochure for beautiful rooms. Years from now, Claire and Jason will not only see the gallery paintings and the purple lounge — they will hear the voices that carried Friday night, feel the color of Saturday, and remember a weekend that held every side of who they are.