MOG: Michelle Menke
Mother of: Ben
Venue: Woodland Glasshaus at Bavaria Downs, Chaska, Minn.
Vibe: Garden formal
Dress: Sachin & Babi
Walking her son Ben down the aisle was more than ceremonial for Michelle. It was the ultimate symbol of independence, perseverance and love as a divorced mother of three boys.
“Not every mom has a husband standing beside her and that’s perfectly okay,” Michelle says. “Families come in all shapes and sizes, and every story is different. I’m just me. A mom who loves her three sons more than anything.”
After eight years of dating — different cities, two graduate programs, and a two-year engagement — Ben and Jenny got married in August at Woodland Glasshaus, a suburban Twin Cities venue which lives up to its name: greenhouse style space that brings the outdoors in.
Michelle had known this day was coming since July 2024, but she got serious about shopping for a mother of the groom dress in January.
“I actually found my inspiration on Mother Of,” Michelle says. It was another mother of the groom, Susan, in a tiered floral print dress. “The beautiful floral print and floral tiers — that was the look I kept coming back to.”
She chose Sachin & Babi’s sleeveless A-line “Rori” silhouette. It comes in several floral prints, sizes 0 to 22. The “Midnight Magic Blooms” print that Michelle wore is no longer available from the designer, but we’ve seen it pop up recently on secondhand sites like Poshmark.
“It was elegant without being too traditional or overly formal, which was exactly what i wanted.”
With the statement-making print, Michelle kept her accessories simple: a pearl and crystal bracelet trio she bought on sale at Kohl’s for $12. On Amazon, she found budget-friendly pearl drop floral earrings and a straw clutch with pearl handle. She completed the look with Mother Of favorite Aerosoles gold block heels. “They were incredibly comfortable — I danced all night in them!”
Accustomed to hanging with the boys, Michelle joined her sons at the Airbnb where they were getting ready for the wedding. They had lunch, ironed a few white shirts, and Michelle got some time alone with the groom. “I gave Ben a personal note with photographs and we had a chance to talk before the ceremony. Those moments mean so much.”
Her advice to other moms, especially mothers of the groom: “Enjoy every moment. Be yourself. Wear something that makes you happy, and remember what the day is about: celebrating your son and the person he loves! You’re watching the life you helped him build grow into something wonderful.”
| Photography by Seelhammer Media