Mother of: Rachel
Venue: Church of the Assumption, St Paul; Machine Shop, Minneapolis
Vibe: Summer formal
Dress: Tom and Linda Platt from Dugo in Minneapolis
Julie played by all the rules when her daughter Rachel got engaged to Tony. She waited for Rachel to find her wedding dress and then select slate blue as a bridesmaid color. Then Julie did what most women do these days: she ordered 10 dresses online.
That’s when the panic set in. “I returned most of them immediately.”
Julie says she’s not much of an online shopper. “I just love to shop in person.” In the Twin Cities, there’s just one go-to dress shop specializing in mother of the bride and groom: Dugo.
“I probably stopped in six times—they were so patient with me!” Julie says. “I kept going back to a royal blue dress but I knew I didn’t want to wear blue. We have three sons and hopefully I can wear blue to one of their weddings!”
One of the column style dresses Julie gravitated towards, despite its blue hue, was from a collection you can’t buy online: Tom and Linda Platt, husband and wife designers known for classic glam meets modern chic. Tagline: “Life is complicated. Clothes should be simple.”
Dugo was about to host a trunk show for the brand, which was Julie’s chance to see and try more styles, and colors. The style Julie favored was a hammered silk high neck halter gown with a cape-like strip of material that cascades down the back. “It felt like butter,” she says. The dress also came in absinthe, a dynamic yellow-green.
“I fell in love with that unexpected color,” Julie says. Her best friend came along and agreed: the color really popped with Julie’s blonde hair. She leaned into the bold color by pairing the dress with hot pink strappy heels.
The wedding took place in June, 2024. On their wedding website, Rachel and Tony described their story as “sweet serendipity.” Tony attended St. Thomas Academy, an all-boys private prep school near St. Paul; Rachel went to Visitation, the sister school across the street. They dated throughout high school, attending homecoming together, followed by several military balls and prom. “We knew there was something special between us,” the two said. But they went their separate ways after high school: Tony attended University of Notre Dame; Rachel went to Mizzou.
They bumped into each other in Chicago, where Rachel was living, and started talking again. Tony was in grad school in Michigan at the time, but they met up back home in Minnesota. One date led to another and soon they were dating long distance. Eventually Tony took a job in Chicago, and they’ve been together ever since.
Having met in Catholic school, the Church of the Assumption—an historic landmark in downtown St. Paul—was the perfect spot to tie the knot. The reception took place across the river in Minneapolis at Machine Shop, a former Pillsbury mill turned event venue with high ceilings, windows all around and many of its 1916 architectural details intact.
The bride’s vision was floral forward, with lush white and peach bouquets on the candlelit banquet tables. Ornate white chandeliers dangled from above, laced with matching flowers.
They worked with De Vascos Daughters to execute on Rachel’s vision. “I have to say it was pretty stress free,” Julie says. “I just enjoyed every minute of the day— from getting ready, the ceremony, reception, all of it! I found myself just watching Rachel and Tony—pure joy. Sharing the day with our close friends and family was pretty special too, we felt very blessed.”
| Photography by Marit Williams