Our 2019 wedding season was incredible! We got to work with some really amazing couples, experience some venues for the first time, and travel out of state for two destination weddings. We enjoyed working alongside of many creative vendors to produce some breathtaking weddings. Each year seems to just fly by and I really enjoyed looking back over all of our weddings as I put this recap together. Enjoy!
Niki + Mason
were married on January 18th at Black Swan (Riverwalk). Mother nature surprised them with a picture perfect snowfall at the start of their ceremony. Festive decorations of string lights and evergreen garland adorned the venue. The centerpieces included frosted pinecones atop “snow” with candles. They served various flavors of frosted brownies topped with different candies. Later in the evening guests could roast marshmallows and make s’mores. It was the perfect winter wonderland wedding to kick off our 2019 season!
Amy + Jason
were married on February 6th at Joshua Tree National Park in California amongst their closest family and friends. When discussing their wedding they wanted it to be intimate, relaxing, and exciting all at once. Their biggest desire was not to get lost in all of the planning, but rather experience a few precious moments to celebrate their marriage, laugh at the past, and look with excitement to the future. Their ceremony was held in the desert with a backdrop of large rock formations and unique Joshua trees. Following the nuptials, the group enjoyed a celebratory dinner on a mountaintop.
Melissa + Jake
were married on April 6th at Onesto surrounded by their close family members. They love Onesto’s Italian food and atmosphere with cream city brick, wood floors, natural light and high ceilings. Melissa had a blue heart sewn under the sleeve of her dress in honor of her mom, who passed away almost three years ago. Her grandparents, “Nonno and Nonna”, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year and they chose to have them sign their marriage license. They served a delicious Italian meal including a stunning charcuterie table. Their dessert table included their favorite carrot cake, Paklava (an Armenian dessert) and Pizzelles (an Italian cookie), made by the father of the bride.
Tara + Mike
had a private ceremony and chose to celebrate their wedding with an intimate group of family and friends at Chef’s Table in Milwaukee on May 22nd. The venue had an open concept kitchen for guests to watch the chefs at work. The bride and groom were able to completely customize the dinner menu and treat their guests to a four course dining experience. They customized their cake with details from their favorite games to play together and also tied the gaming theme into their specialty cocktails.
Leah + LJ
were married on May 25th at Humphrey Memorial Chapel on the Carroll College campus and held their reception at a Crossfit gym in Waukesha. They transformed the gym into a beautiful reception space by hanging string lights across the room and setting up white flowy pipe and drape along the back wall. The bride and groom sat in plush red chairs fit for royalty with a long wooden head table adorned with candles and greenery. The most fun part aside from the unique reception venue? Two food trucks were set up outside for guests to choose from as the dinner service. Dessert included the traditional tiered cake along with fun mini bundt cakes, champagne cupcakes and bowls of various candy. They even had a Starbucks coffee station to keep guests caffeinated!
Tori + Joe
were married on May 31st at the Iron Horse Hotel. Their ceremony was held outside in The Yard and it was the nicest day we had all spring! The sun was shining and immediately following the ceremony, guests were able to soak up the sunshine and enjoy cocktails and appetizers before heading inside to The Gallery for dinner. After dinner, Tori and Glenn provided guests with some unique favors - a variety of cigars, matches, and handmade soaps. I’m not surprised that there weren’t any left at the end of the night!
Kristina + Dylan
were married on June 8th at The Farm at Dover. Even with all of the crazy weather we had been having, they lucked out with a gorgeous afternoon for their outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour. They wrote their own vows and their ceremony music was played by a guitarist. Guests enjoyed the picturesque acreage and lawn games during an extended cocktail hour before heading inside the barn for dinner and dancing. Let me tell you, this crowd danced the night away!
Kristen + Matt
were married on June 21st at Rustic Manor 1848 and the weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour. After dinner, guests got to choose from six different flavors of cake such as s’more and rumchata. Kristen and Matt did the shoe game where the DJ asked them questions and they had to answer without looking at one another, and this got a lot of laughs from the crowd. To kick off the dancing portion, they performed a choreographed first dance, which was a compilation of multiple songs.
Stephanie + Patrick
were married on a very humid day, June 28th, at The Ivy House. They held both the ceremony and reception indoors, but guests were able to enjoy to beautiful patio during cocktail hour. They embraced the bride’s love for Toppers Sticks by having them as a late night snack. The groom even promised to always get her Toppers Sticks in his vows. I always love a little humor in the wedding vows!
Maria + Scott
were married on June 29th. First they exchanged private vows in the presence of just a few relatives. After some photos, the party continued at a brand new venue, Venue 42, which had just opened earlier in the year. Many of their family and friends had traveled to be there, so it was really special that everyone was able to be together. Upon entering the venue, guests were greeted by a string quartet, which was followed by a jazz trio, and ended with a playlist for dancing. They served Pizza Man for dinner (yum!) and after dinner, each guest was able to get their caricature drawn.
Lindy + Charles
were married on July 6th in a church which was just two blocks from their reception venue, Berkshire, in Sheboygan. Berkshire has a very industrial look with brick walls, industrial beams, and string lights, and they added touches of white, greenery, and a pretty pale blue, which really brightened up the space in an elegant way. The dinner and dessert buffets were quite extensive and guests danced the night away while listening to the live band. Lindy’s dad prepared quite a speech, which explained many of their inside jokes and nicknames and even included a surprise gift for each guest - a personalized beer glass!
Teresa + Kevin
were married at St. Hedwig’s church on July 12th. They held their reception at a brand new venue, Plant No. 4, which had just opened the month prior. They chose one of the most unique ideas for their place cards: each table was a different type of beer and the bottles were placed on shelves with guests’ names and table numbers on them. Such a fun idea that served double duty by escorting everyone to their seats with a dinner drink. We also loved that Kevin had his sister stand up on his side as his Best Ma’am. Teresa and Kevin met at Marquette, so a group photo with all of their college friends and the Marquette flag was mandatory.
Kaitlin + Michael
were married on July 20th at Turner Hall Ballroom. Being an adventurous couple who is always traveling to countries all over the world, they integrated many cultures into their special day. During the ceremony, the bridal party danced a Polish waltz down the aisle and then free-styled to a Turkish rock song for the recessional. Dinner consisted of a Mexican buffet and afterwards, Irish callers were teaching traditional Irish Ceilidh dances to guests out on the dance floor. Instead of a wedding cake, the bride’s father baked a homemade pie with intricate crust detail for the bride and groom to cut into as their “cake cutting” photo. Beer growlers were filled with hydrangea flowers and greenery for table centerpieces.
Mallory + Neil
were married at the Grain Exchange on August 3rd. Their vision included white flowers and greenery with a lot of orchids, which is not a flower we see too often at weddings. It was simply stunning and paired beautifully with the elegant venue decor. My favorite element was the backdrop designed by Jane Kelly Floral, which they used for the ceremony as well as the head table. A string quartet greeted guests as they arrived for the ceremony. David Charles Productions projected stars onto the ceiling which created the perfect atmosphere for dancing.
Megan + Brandon
were married on August 17th at the Best Place at Pabst Brewery. Their ceremony and reception were held in the Great Hall and guests enjoyed drinks in the speakeasy during cocktail hour. Their King’s Table was beautifully lit with many candles, which really set the mood as the sun went down. Guests enjoyed a polaroid station as well as multiple flavors of cupcakes and brownies for dessert.
Sarah + Alex
were married on August 17th at The Atrium. Their ceremony took place in the main room with a stunning chandelier hanging overtop and a floral arch for them to stand in front of. They incorporated many unique aspects such as hand binding, ring warming, and a wine box ceremony. During the reception, guests found their seats by way of a beautifully handcrafted seating chart the bride made which included a 3D tree and working lights as stars across a night sky backdrop. In lieu of cake, the couple did a pie cutting and had a table of various flavored hand pies for guests to choose from for dessert. Once dark, the couple and bridal party headed onto the rooftop for fun sparkler pictures.
Sara + George
were married on August 24th at the Barn at Pioneer Acres. Guests enjoyed the beautiful scenery while sipping on cocktails and taking photos for the polaroid guest book. They served a delicious family style meal and finished with many flavors of cake squares. Each place card was accompanied by an animal figurine with a sign that read “Find your party animal”.
Lilian + Trent
were married on August 25th at the Ivy House. They had an absolutely beautiful day for their outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour. Some of their guests traveled 18 hours from China to be there with them! Trent surprised Lilian before dinner by singing her a song in Chinese, accompanied by her father playing the piano. It was very moving and brought many people, including Lilian, to tears. After dinner guests enjoyed many different sweets including Purple Door ice cream and then danced the night away on the patio.
Ashley + Colin
were married on August 30th at Lake Lawn Resort. They had fun riding around on a golf cart taking pictures before their ceremony, which overlooked Lake Delavan. They transformed the reception hall with draping and different lighting elements - uplights, string lights, and their initials in Marquee letters. For dessert guests enjoyed candy, cookies, and a donut wall with many assorted flavors.
Kara + Chris
were married on September 7th at one of Milwaukee’s newest venues, Plant No. 4. Their ceremony was extra special as it was performed by Kara’s 6th grade teacher, who also ended up being the person to introduce Kara and Chris to one another years later. Not only did they share beautifully written vows, but their dog Miko accompanied them down the aisle! The mini bundt cakes they served for dessert were a huge hit!
Allison + Javar
were married on September 7th at Kimissis Tis Theotokou church in Racine and held their reception at Villa Terrace in Milwaukee. The couple took part in a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony and afterwards they exited the church to a petal toss by guests lining the walkway. Cocktail hour took place out in the Villa Terrace courtyard and guests were seated for dinner on the balcony overlooking Lake Michigan. String lights hung over the tables and dinner was served family style. Lounge furniture was set up in the corner to give guests a more relaxed spot to mingle.
Maddie + Ryan
were married on September 14th at Mulberry Lane Farm in Hilbert, WI and could not have asked for more beautiful weather. Guests boarded a hayride, which took them to the ceremony and Maddie and her dad made their grand entrance via horse and buggy. For their unity ceremony, Maddie and Ryan did a cord tying ceremony, where they braided the Cord of Three Strands together, symbolizing the union of God, husband, and wife. During cocktail hour guests could walk around the farm and enjoy the many animals onsite - cows, pigs, ponies, chickens, sheep, and goats. I think the biggest hit was their milk and cookie bar after dinner. Family members made four different types of cookies and they sure didn’t last long!
Alyssa + Justin
were married on September 20th at Elm Grove Woman’s Club. As a wedding gift to the couple, a customized swing set with their names engraved at the top served as an entry arch for guests to walk through to the outdoor ceremony space. Dinner consisted of stations that guests could choose from including a pasta station, potato station, and carving station. They even had Krispy Kreme donut towers on the dessert table along with brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and their wedding cake. The guest tables were beautifully decorated with ornate jeweled lanterns with pillar candles inside surrounded by greenery, red flowers and berries. As a fun way to encourage guests to get out on the dance floor, a sign was placed on the stage that read “Trust me you can dance. -Alcohol”.
Kathi + Billy
were married on September 21st at Villa Terrace. It has been said that rain on your wedding day is good luck and these two did not let the rainy weather affect their mood in the least. It was an intimate affair which allowed them plenty of time to visit with all of their guests. Everyone was still able to enjoy the stunning views this venue has to offer as the rain only sprinkled down lightly. Kathi and Billy shared a magical first dance outside in the rain underneath string lights.
Jenny + Adam
were married on September 28th at the Milwaukee County Zoo. The venue was special to them because Adam and both of his parents used to work at the zoo. His parents both worked there as zookeepers for many years and that’s where they met! Their ceremony was held outside in a forest of trees with arches of fabric and flowers lining the aisle for a dramatic entrance. The Peck Center was completely transformed for the reception with a canopy of fabric, incredible floral arrangements, and lots of candlelight, which created an extremely romantic feel. During the reception the bride joined the band on stage and sang a song to her new husband and she had an incredible voice!
Carly + Cody
were married on September 28th at Westmoor Country Club in Brookfield. The ceremony took place out on the golf course with gold lanterns, candles, and flowers lining the aisle and a custom hexagon shaped arch the groom built for the two of them to stand in front of. The couple even hit some golf balls around on the putting green which made for cute wedding pictures. Inside, the reception space was transformed beautifully with suspending clear globes filled with votive candles and greenery with white floral hanging from the ceiling. As a surprise to the bridal party, Carly and Cody had a bottle of Smirnoff Ice placed on each of their seats at the head table which they had to promptly chug after entering the room for dinner.
Julianne + Jamar
had a spectacular wedding in Chicago on September 28th. Their ceremony took place at their gorgeous church and the reception was held at the historic Union League. They were surrounded by so many of their loving family and friends - the wedding party had over 20 members! They hired a magician and a photo booth, so there was plenty of entertainment for their guests throughout the evening. Julianne and Jamar have a huge love for dessert so they had a dessert bar filled with over 10 different items to choose from (doughnuts, cake, cookies, tortes, pie, etc). As you can imagine, it was a huge hit!
Molly + Jacob
were married on October 5th at Gesu church, which was meaningful to them because they met 10 years ago while both attending school at Marquette University. They held their reception at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Molly LOVES cheese and there certainly was no shortage of it at the reception. Not only did they have a cake made of cheese wheels, which was served as an appetizer, but they also provided cheese curds as a part of their late night snack. They also made sure to take extra good care of their guests by providing hangover kits at the end of the night. This included water, gatorade, snacks, Ibuprofen, and Emergen-C.
Haley + Zach
were married on October 5th at South Shore Terrace. They personalized their day with characteristics special to them and focused on having a relaxed and lighthearted celebration. The reception room was composed of long table arrangements, fresh flowers, and wine bottles on top of navy blue table runners and blush cheese cloth (that they had dyed themselves) for decor. For dessert they served sweet potato pumpkin pie (purple monster), key lime pie, and cherry old fashioned pie from their favorite pie bakery.
Mackenzie + Chris
were married on October 19th at Pritzlaff. Their ceremony was both moody and romantic with an amazing array of flowers and candles. Their use of jewel tones and velvet fabrics fit perfectly with the crisp fall weather. The story of their first date was shared quite often throughout the night - they initially met for coffee and ended up spending six hours together instead! Keeping in tune with the fall theme of their wedding, they served pie for dessert. Mackenzie and Chris chose dueling pianos for the evening’s entertainment and their guests enjoyed singing along and dancing the night away!
Maggie + Ryan
were married at Triple B Ranch in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. They wanted an intimate gathering with their friends and family in a scenic setting. They drove with their dog, Barry, from the Milwaukee area and spent the week in North Carolina where they were able to do some hiking and sightseeing. Their wedding day featured an outdoor ceremony, a barbecue dinner, lots of mini desserts, dancing, and a bonfire with s’mores. Just like Maggie and Ryan, their day was fun, relaxed, and full of love.
Kelsey + Berent
were married on October 26th at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and then headed to the University Club of Milwaukee for their reception. Located on a bluff along Lake Michigan, cocktail hour provided guests with beautiful, panoramic views of the city and lake. Dinner and dancing were held in the club’s Grand Ballroom which was beautifully transformed, featuring amazing floral displays on the fireplace mantels. Guests also helped create a special gift for the couple by tying a knot on a prayer quilt that was gifted to them by a family member.
Bridget + Keith
were married on November 9th at Gesu church and held their reception at Pfister Hotel. They met while both attending school at Marquette University, so they made sure to get some photos on campus. Their wedding was quite elegant and incorporated touches of burgundy and navy with gold accents and lots of candlelight, which fit perfectly with the aesthetics of the Imperial Ballroom. The light-up dance floor the rented really jumpstarted the party and the dance floor was packed all night.
Maggie + David
were married at the Marcus Performing Arts Center on New Year’s Eve. Guests began the evening in the Bradley Pavilion with gorgeous floor to ceiling windows providing spectacular views of the holiday lights. After the ceremony, guests transitioned to the hallway for cocktail hour where they could enjoy the couple’s signature drink, The Woodtick. Guests moved back into the Bradley Pavilion for dinner and dancing. The entire night was accompanied by a fantastic band and the guests really enjoyed the Slo Moe photo booth. What a great way to ring in the new year!