June 18, 2021 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin
How did your love story begin?: We actually met on Tinder, as 21st-century as that sounds!! I was cruising the app, not really looking for anything serious but that quickly changed when I met Steve. Our first date was three years ago, on my birthday actually, which we spent the whole night sitting in the trunk of my car and talking, and we've been inseparable ever since. We were only together for a year before Steve proposed in Disney World. It was my first time there and right when we walked through the gates of the park, he got down on one knee, in front a large crowd of people, and asked me. Of course I said yes--how could I not? That's pretty magical!
We both agreed that we wanted to get married as soon as possible and start our lives and while we were still in Florida, I began the planning process! I love to plan and organize things so I absolutely took the wheel during the planning process with Steve always there for input.
Unfortunately, with the way that COVID evolved and changed so rapidly, we ended up eloping on our original date, February 12th, 2021, and postponing our celebration with friends and family to June 18th 2021. It was a really hard decision but it felt like the right one; we wouldn't jeopardize everyone's safety. After we decided to postpone, our approach to planning was more of a coast until it arrived.
What was your vision for your wedding?: Neither of us are very flashy, extravagant people so we knew we wanted a more chill, low key style for our wedding. We also really wanted a huge level of affordability for the people that we asked to stand up with us. Weddings are a large expense and we didn't want that burden to become too much for our friends. So we gave them a basic guideline for the attire and they chose it all themselves. The mismatched look turned out perfect! Most of my group got their dresses and ties from Amazon or Shein, with some of them even scoring big at Goodwill! I thrifted and repurposed items as often as I could and opted for Buy-Sell Facebook groups and garage sales instead of brand new things.We also wanted to give back so we traded favors for a donation to our favorite charity. I made all the center pieces from straws and spray paint and artificial flowers, I made all the bouquets and boutonnieres, I even made our hexagon arch with the help of my dad and uncle.
We also knew immediately that we wanted pizza for our reception because we are HUGE pizza people, so who better than Ian's Pizza to cater for us? I am not a massive fan of cake so we opted for donuts instead! We got them from a small pastry shop, Elkhorn Pastry Shop, in Elkhorn, WI--my hometown. Pizza and donuts aren't the fanciest foods but they were two of our favorites so why not?
As far as the venue, we are both city mice, and Milwaukee is one of the things that was such a focal point for us at the beginning of our relationship. We would explore the city, see shows, try new restaurants and bars; we knew that we had to get married in the heart of the city that was the place that we fell in love. We probably saw 11 venues before finding the Box MKE. On Wisconsin Avenue across from the Pfister Hotel. It was small enough for us to feel close to our guests and large enough that we were able to spread out. The venue was a blank slate and had so much potential for us to make it our own.
Tell us all about your wedding dress!: The one thing that I didn't want to limit myself with was my dress. Shopping in the heart of COVID really put a huge damper on the experience for me. I had to cancel and reschedule my appointment, TWICE, at two different places but looking back on it, it was actually meant to be. When I began to try and reschedule my shopping appointment for a third time, i found Strike Bridal Bar after a quick Google search and I immediately fell in love. The amount of open light, the style of the building, the way their Instagram portrayed people of all colors, shapes, and sizes, it felt right to me.
Before my appointment, I heavily struggled with body dysmorphic thoughts and hating everything I was put in. I lost a lot of weight years ago and thus my body is not as tight in places it used to be. I was nervous that shopping for my wedding dress would be negative experience. It was not that at all Strike. I walked in and felt...at peace. I was greeted warmly, and my consultant NEVER took her eyes off me. She was accommodating, she was kind, she was insightful. She actually listened to me when I told her how nervous I was to try on dresses.And, just like that, after dress #1, I felt all the fear go away. I felt confident and I felt in control!
I think I tried on 8 dresses, and the one I chose was #3: Phillips by Tara LaTour. I knew going in that I wanted something simple and elegant, I wanted ivory and I wanted a satin looking material. The way I felt in that dress...I'll never be able to describe. I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw myself, marrying my best friend, and the tears came. It was the one.
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: OKAY. SO. The day itself went NOT AT ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN! I was almost late, I absolutely didn't give us enough time to get ready so we unfortunately ended up rushing! You definitely wouldn't be able to tell from the pictures and the makeup because they both looked flawless. A couple of my friends actually did our hair and makeup, which was awesome because it felt so much more intimate. Everyone kept telling me that day, "Who cares if you're late? We literally can't start without you!" And they were right! Things may have been a little rushed in the beginning but things came together without any other hiccups. Our ceremony was really short because we were already married and we just did it as a formality.
The wedding itself was absolutely non-traditional in so many ways. I had both my parents give me away, I had a mother-daughter dance, we did an open mic for our speeches, and we didn't have DJ, just sound equipment! Our officiant was my best friend from high school who got ordained to marry us. But all that stuff was how we wanted it and it all worked perfectly.
I think my favorite part of the whole day was seeing how amazing our friends looked all dolled up. Our wedding party were made up of our closest, best friends and they all aren't really makeup and suit people, so seeing them all look so handsome and beautiful was really something special. And seeing and feeling how much everyone loved us was even more special.
What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: My best advice for anyone who is getting married is to make damn sure that you have an amazing support system. Weddings are extremely stressful and planning during COVID added an extra level of stress. There were days when I would call my matron of honor and just cry. Our entire wedding was not just our own, but also that of the people who supported us and loved us through the whole process. They cried and stressed with us, they held our hands and were our shoulders to cry on, and our ears to listen. I absolutely would not have been able to plan this wedding without the support of our amazing friends.
When it comes to the dress, if you see yourself wearing it the day of, then you know its the one. I over prepared for my appointment and when I was there, it just took that feeling. You know when you know.
Dress: Phillips by Tara LaTour at Strike Bridal Bar
Photography: Puneet S Ghai Photography
Venue: The Box MKE
Catering: Ian's Pizza
Donuts: Elkhorn Pastry Shop
