This next little gem from m three studio is wildly romantic. Our inner girly girls are just squealing with glee over all that rosy goodness. Feminine touches may abound throughout this glorious, French-inspired fete but these party-goers were not opposed to rolling up their sleeves for a good ol’ friendly lawn bowling competition! There is even more sweet inspiration in the full gallery!
Click here to see more inspiration in the full gallery!
After Andy proposed in the night snow outside of Joan of Arc Chapel at Marquette University (where we were both students at the time), we really waffled on what our collective vision was for our wedding. And since I was starting medical school in the fall, we wanted to get the planning underway and as close to finished as possible before then. We have a strong attachment to Milwaukee, both being from the area and attending Marquette so we knew we wanted to get married in the city. We also wanted to be able to have the ceremony and reception in the same place. We settled on Lake Park Bistro, one of Milwaukee’s finest restaurants since we are both total foodies and the staircase was the most dramatic and beautiful location we could find for an outdoor ceremony. The idea for a day wedding certainly was not mine (I’m more of a night-owl); however, Andy convinced me that having a day wedding with a lunch reception would leave time for us to spend time later in the evening with our friends who were coming into town for the event.
The most important thing for me after the location and the food was photography. We wanted someone who would capture the day in story form without being unnatural and posed. The flowers were also really important to me, as my mom has always been into gardening. Carrie at Petals put up with all of my crazy visions and times I changed my mind and put together the most beautiful rosy creations! Andy was more concerned with the cake and Karen from The Cake Lady did not disappoint with a lavender-flavored cake filled with vanilla buttercream, raspberry preserves, and lemon curd. It was to die for! And the lawn bowling – Andy saw the lawn bowling pitch and simply asked Lindsay, the catering director for Lake Park Bistro, on a whim if we could have lawn bowling instead of dancing. When she said yes, he really ran with the idea and contacted the Milwaukee Lawn Bowls Club – they even offered to come out and teach our guests how to play!! Let me tell you – it was pretty fantastic to see the people we love the most dressed up, in the midst of a rousing match of lawn bowling, all in celebration of the love that Andy and I share.
Our wedding day was everything we could have dreamed of and more. We never could have predicted receiving a watermelon as part of the toast that the maid of honor, Megan, gave in reference to our first “date” – walking around downtown Milwaukee freshman year of college with a watermelon from the Milwaukee Public Market. We never could have predicted the dog that greeted Laura during the wedding party photos with some adorable muddy pawprint accents for her dress. We never could have predicted the minister announcing the wrong last name at the end of the ceremony and the hilarity that would ensue when Andy’s mom corrected him loudly from the front row. And I think I will forever tease my dad for being the one to nearly fall down the stairs as he walked me down the aisle after he had made such a big deal about me being the clumsy one in the weeks leading up to the big day. My point is, even with all of the planning and details we worked so hard on, the real things I will never forget are the unique moments that our friends and family brought to the day and the love that they shared with us.
Wedding Photographer: m three studio / Additional Photographer: Jeff Cleveland / Ceremony Venue: Lake Park Grand Staircase / Reception Venue: Lake Park Bistro / Florist: Petals Floral Design / Wedding Cake: The Cake Lady / Ceremony Musicians: Milwaukee String Quartet / Makeup: Blush / Hair: J’Adore Salon / Bride’s Gown: Gigi of Mequon, Private Collection / Bridesmaid Dresses: Miss Ruby / Groom’s and Groomsmen’s suits: Calvin Klein / Invitations and other Paper Items: J. Invites