A wedding under the oaks
Young couple enjoyed a beautiful setting to say their marriage vows

When Lucas Noss and Hadley Mensing became engaged, they decided to have their wedding at the farm owned by Hadley’s parents, Neil and Brenda Mensing.
When Hadley Mensing and Lucas Noss became engaged in February of 2023, they made the decision to get married on the farm where Hadley grew up.
“It was really Hadley’s idea,” Lucas says. “She liked the idea of an outdoor wedding.”
Hadley’s parents, Neil and Brenda, live and farm north and west of Blue Earth.
“I liked the idea of a botanical wedding, something natural,” Hadley comments. “So we decided to have it under the oak trees at my parent’s place.”
Hadley and Lucas were married on Aug. 24 of this year. The tall, majestic oak trees not only provided a beautiful setting, they also provided shade for the wedding party and their guests.
“It actually turned out to be a very nice day,” Hadley recalls, “There were enough clouds to help block out the sun for much of the day which helped everyone stay more comfortable.”
Hadley and Lucas met each other in May of 2017 when they both attended the Tree Town Music Festival in Forest City, Iowa.
“I was from Dougherty, Iowa, which is near Mason City,” Lucas shares.
Hadley, who graduated from Blue Earth Area High School in 2018, and Lucas hit it off immediately.
“It was a long-distance relationship at first,” Hadley explains. “Lucas had just purchased a restaurant and I decided to go and visit him. They needed help waitressing so I pitched in and helped. And I kept on helping.”
Lucas operated his restaurant, West Fork Wharf, in Sheffield Iowa, from 2017-2020.
After graduating from BEA, Hadley attended college at NIACC (North Iowa Area Community College) in Mason City, to study agriculture business.
Hadley finished her college education in 2020 and she and Lucas moved to Blue Earth. Hadley got a job as an outreach technician for the Faribault County Soil and Water Conservation District while Lucas began working for Nutrien Ag Solutions of Fairmont.
“I do a great deal of my work with the cost-share programs the SWCD is involved with,” Hadley says. “I also get tasked with being the radio spokesperson for the SWCD from time to time.”
In addition to their off-the-farm jobs, Hadley and Lucas also help Neil and Brenda farm.
“I helped on the farm growing up and now Lucas and I are taking on more responsibility,” Hadley comments. “I can operate the combine, run the dump cart, drive semis and pretty much do whatever is needed. The only bad part about driving semi is when you get stuck in line waiting to dump your grain.”
She shares she has one season she enjoys a little more than the others.
“I really like the harvest season where you get to harvest the finished project,” Hadley says. “I truly do enjoy the whole process though, from putting the seed into the ground to watching the crops grow and mature.”
She also appreciates the fact she gets to work with her family.
“Mom’s main job is running the dump cart,” Hadley comments. “Dad can do anything so I just go where I am needed.”
With Hadley and Lucas now more involved in the operation of the farm, it was perhaps only fitting that the couple decided to get married on the Mensing acreage.
“It really is a beautiful area with the tall oak trees and the Blue Earth River running through our land,” Hadley mentions.
Hadley credits her mother for coming up with some of the ideas for preparing the farm to host her wedding.
“It was mom’s idea to take the rocks that we have picked up out of the fields over the last 20-plus years and use them to line a winding path that the wedding party and I walked on to process to where we said our vows,” Hadley says. “By the time it was finished, over 600 rocks had been used to outline the path.”
For seating at the wedding, Hadley and her mother utilized garage sales, thrift stores, Facebook and other outlets to purchase about 80 old wooden chairs.
“We were also able to find 14 old church pews that we were able to buy,” Hadley shares. “We listed the chairs and pews for sale after the wedding and someone drove four hours to buy all of the chairs while the pews went to a couple of different buyers.”
Other tasks the family undertook in preparation for the wedding included planting wildflowers in certain areas on the farm and picking up sticks, acorns and walnuts.
“Lots and lots of sticks,” Hadley adds with a laugh.
Lucas Determan, a family friend, performed the ceremony.
“His family actually lives down the river from us,” Hadley comments. “We used to float down the river to his place when we were younger so that we could hang out with them.”
Immediately after the wedding ceremony the guests were able to enjoy refreshments under the shade of the trees before heading to Blue Earth for the reception at the 10 Talents Art Center.
“We considered trying to have the reception out at the farm but decided it would be better to have it elsewhere,” Hadley notes. “It worked out good to have it at 10 Talents.”
Though the wedding wasn’t until the middle of the afternoon, the day had started much earlier for Hadley, Lucas and the other members of the wedding party.
Pictures began in the morning with the wedding party getting dressed for the celebration and continued until about an hour before the wedding was set to begin.
The couple did not immediately go on a honeymoon but have plans to head to Australia next year.
“I’m really excited and can’t wait to see the kangaroos,” Hadley says. “We are really looking forward to it, although it is a long plane ride to get there.”
In the future, Hadley and Lucas will continue to be more active in the family’s farming operation.
“We are already raising our own goats for meat,” Lucas adds. “They go to market when they are 70-80 pounds.”
Perhaps it is also fitting that the newly married couple will also be moving to the farm where Hadley was raised and where they held their wedding ceremony.
“My parents are going to move to a house that is right north of the farmhouse through the woods,” Hadley comments. They want to get some remodeling done on it before they move.”
Once the move is complete, Hadley and Lucas will have the opportunity whenever they desire to look out across the yard and remember their special day when they got married under the majestic oak trees.