Bridget and Keith were married at Gesu church and held their reception at The 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 they rented really jumpstarted the party and the dance floor was packed all night.
From The Bride:
Tell us about your love story.
Keith and I met at Memorial Library at Marquette his Junior and my Sophomore year in the Spring Semester. We met through a mutual friend who I was studying with (Kiela, who was one of my bridesmaids). Although we were initially interested in each other we didn’t end up seeing each other again until the next fall. He asked me out and we started spending a lot of time together until May, when Keith graduated and moved back to Tampa. We decided to try a long distance relationship. I graduated the following year and moved back to Cleveland. Two years later, Keith moved back to Wisconsin for his job and I ended up moving in with him. Keith proposed in the Spring of 2018 in Cleveland the day before one of my favorite holidays (St. Patrick’s Day) surrounded by all of my family and friends. Despite facing the hardship of a long distance relationship, we have never given up on each other and have loved each other since the beginning.
How would you describe the style of your wedding?
I would describe our wedding as traditional and classic. We are both very religious and it was important for us to have a Catholic wedding. We got married in the Church of the Gesu on Marquette’s campus, which is beautiful, with it’s grand pillars and stained glass windows. Our reception was held in the Imperial Ballroom at the Pfister hotel, which was the perfect space for our celebration. The ballroom has so much history and is so beautiful, it added to our traditional and classic theme.
What was the most fun detail of your wedding to plan?
We had the most fun planning the cake. We both love food, and it was so much fun going on a date on a Saturday afternoon to taste all of the different flavors and combinations and design the style. Cece (The Cake Lady) was so fun to work with and we loved collaborating with her. We were so happy with how the cake turned out, it was both beautiful and delicious!
What was the most difficult detail of your wedding to agree upon?
I wouldn’t say it was difficult for us to agree upon it, but Keith really wanted the light-up dance floor and I was a little bit hesitant. In hindsight, I am so glad we invested in it, our guests loved it and it really made the reception fun and had everyone dancing all night!
What did you find most surprising about planning your wedding?
The most surprising thing about planning our wedding was how quickly time passes!
What did you find the most challenging about planning your wedding?
The most challenging part about planning our wedding was trying to please everyone (parents etc.). At the end of the day, we had to remind ourselves that this is our day and that as long as we’re happy, everyone else should be happy for us!
What’s your number one piece of advice you have for couples just starting to plan their wedding?
Hire a wedding planner. We were so happy we did. Although planning a wedding is stressful, working with Krista made it much more manageable and allowed us to focus on ourselves as a couple leading up to the big day. Her experience and opinions were so valuable and saved us a lot of time and stress. Although wedding planners are a financial investment, in the end Krista helped us stay within our budget, which would not have happened if we were to plan the wedding on our own.
Tell us about the moment you saw your spouse for the first time on your wedding day.
Keith and I decided not to do a first look, but to see each other for the first time that day when I was walking down the aisle. The moment I saw Keith, I couldn’t help but cry. He was so handsome. All the memories we had made started coming to mind and I thought about all of the future memories we would make as husband and wife. I was thinking I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such an incredible man by my side.
Which moment of your wedding was the most memorable for you?
The most memorable moment of our wedding was dancing at the reception, surrounded by all of our friends and family. Family and friends are so important to the both of us, and with many of our friends and family traveling from out of town, it meant so much to us to be able to share in those moments with them.
In hindsight, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Keith and I had planned on doing a speech, but the reception was such a whirlwind that we didn’t end up doing one. We did, however, try to make it to every table to at least say hi and talk to most of the guests, which did put the reception timeline behind a little bit, but I think our guests appreciated it and we had fun doing it.
Describe newlywed life in 3 words.
Devoted, comfortable, and exciting.
Would you recommend a wedding planner to other couples and if so, why?
I would definitely recommend a wedding planner to other couples. There are so many reasons—they are experienced in planning weddings and have connections with the best vendors etc. and can refer you to people who they think would work well with you. A wedding planner is helpful when coming up with a realistic budget and making choices that help you stay within your budget. They handle things the day of so that you and none of your family members or bridal party have to worry about a thing. They keep you organized and on a timeline, both leading up to the wedding and the day of, to prevent unnecessary stress. We couldn’t have been happier with Weddings With A Twist. Krista was so easy-going but also professional and her calm demeanor made our wedding planning experience enjoyable. We really valued her opinion and it was nice to have a third opinion in which we trusted when making decisions.
Florist: Jane Kelly Floral
Cake: The Cake Lady
Dress: White Dress Bridal Boutique
Hair & Makeup: Team Bride MKE
Wedding Planner: Weddings With A Twist
Photographer: The Keel Collective
Ceremony Venue: Church of the Gesu
Reception Venue: The Pfister Hotel