Inspiration for the Chic Bride

Jeni and Andrew hired me almost 18 months before the big day, and yet time seemed to fly!  Working with them – their warmth, their quick genuine smiles and honestly happy outlook on life – was so wonderful.  I must be the luckiest planner in the world to become such good friends with so many of my couples, and Jeni and Andrew are no exception.  They have become fast friends to both myself and my husband, and it was an intense pleasure to help them create their wedding day dreams – from a Milwaukee inspired ceremony to a cozy, fallish loft for their reception – everything came together to make this a reality.

Though Jeni and Andrew, both doctors, worked and lived in Chicago, much of the groom’s family lives in Milwaukee, so they chose the Milwaukee Art Museum to hold their ceremony, as it’s the epitome of Milwaukee-ness.  Plus, the gleaming architecture was the modern sophisticated vibe they were drawn toward in their design aesthetic.

While the wedding day brought challenges to this location – it’s no small feat to wiggle through the huge Al’s Run to get to the ceremony early – the guests were easily valeted by Downtown Auto Parking, the bride arrived on the Lamer’s trolley, and the stage was set!  Almost exactly 200 guests watched Jeni, in her stunning, gorgeous dress, come up the elevator into the soaring Calatrava to say her vows to Andrew, and enjoy the view of Lake Michigan while listening to their very gifted officiant marry them.

The decor at the MAM was kept to a minimum; the couple wanted the museum itself to be the main attraction.  Narrow copper fabric runners were on either side of the wide aisle, with glass vases of varying heights held flowers, greenery and branches of leaves.  Ten foot tall trees graced either side of the stage, which was draped in copper linens.

After many photographs, the wedding party greeted their guests for cocktails at the Cuvee Champagne Lounge in the 3rd Ward.  Cozy, lit with deep amber lighting provided by Sound by Design (who was also the DJ and lit the ballroom as well), the cocktail area was stuffed with family and friends who had flown or driven in from all over the country.

Once cocktails had finished, guests were ushered into the main ballroom area of Cuvee for dinner.  The space was the exact cozy fall interior Jeni and Andrew had wanted – so many of their guests often go to banquets and galas, so they wanted this to feel like a warm, intimate dining experience for their guests.  The warm lighting, exposed beam ceiling, buffed wooden floors and cream city brick walls of Cuvee was the perfect match for this vision.  Long banquet tables from Canopies created a more intimate feeling than the usual rounds, and guests had comfortable seats with deep mahogany wood chairs.  Tables were covered in copper linen (all linen was from BBJ), and lined with lush fall floral, miniature trees and loads of candles, thanks to La Tulipe.  Paper products matched the invitations, all from Paper Envy.  It was truly cozy.

Delicious courses were served by Shully’s, and guests gobbled up the gorgeous cake from The Cake Lady.  Later on, guests also enjoyed a huge candy buffet and pizza, which was provided by the local Rustico.  I cannot wait to see the professional photos from Front Room Photography!

All night, Jeni and Andrew’s friends and family socialized, chatted, and tore up the dance floor.  It was the experience they had wanted for everyone – a modern, fall affair.  They succeeded in creating this warm happy vibe – and I know their marriage will too!  Best of luck and everything to them!

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Marci and Jeff for several years – well before there was even a ring or a wedding date.  Marci’s older sister Melissa was one of my lovely 2008 brides, so when Jeff popped the question, his next question was whether they could hire Golden Chic.  And I’m so happy they did!  Both of them were absolute dreams to work with – never worried or stressed, always organized and very concise about their vision.

We started planning mid-2010, so the process was even paced and super low key, which is the best way for brides and grooms to experience their wedding planning.  Once we put together their design book, it was easy to realize their rustic, casual country vibe near Lake Geneva, WI.  There was the initial challenge of choosing a look – the location of their reception and cocktails, Hawks View Golf Course, was also the location of Marci’s sister’s reception.  How to make a place look unlike the previous family wedding?  We settled on hanging banners of satin from the ceiling, bringing in a ton of color – navy blue and brilliant orange – with linens and chair ties and napkins from BBJ Linen.

Jeff was into letting the outdoors in for this big day, and Marci was completely on board.  We worked with Centennial Press + Design to create invitations hand printed on wood, backed with vintage fabric.  RSVP’s were also printed on wood with highly textured paper backing. The couple chose a monogram with their initials that had deer antlers, which fit perfectly with the log cabin vibe of their reception site, and set the mood accordingly.  Calligraphy was provided by Carmela in New Jersey, and compliments started pouring in on the uniqueness of the event immediately.

We decided to deck the men out in grey suits, which looked divine with the navy vests and bridesmaid dresses, and Marci came in style with navy blue shoes.  To compliment all the blue and grey and deep ivory, we turned to Vicki of La Tulipe to provide the luscious centerpieces and bouquets, which were full Fall and foliage.  Add in the complications of Jeff’s severe allergies and the couple’s desire to use pheasant feathers from one of Jeff’s hunting excursions, and Vicki had a lot of pieces to pull together.  And it turned out smashing – low centerpieces of a spilling of greenery and sunflowers and snapdragons, filled in a vase covered in birch bark.  Tall pilsner vases were ensconced in twigs so they resembled tall trees on other tables, topped with lush leaves and twigs.  Once again, wood was used for table numbers as well.

Marci and Jeff chose to be wed in the Catholic Church that both Marci’s parents and grandparents had gotten married in, so there was special nostalgia attached to the location.  Tucked in the rolling hills of the Lake Geneva and Burlington area, their wedding ceremony kicked off a fabulous wedding day.  Afterwards, the wedding party enjoyed themselves cruising the area in a Churchill Limo party bus.

After photographs around the golf course, the wedding party enjoyed drinks and celebrations with tons of family and friends.  Music was provided all evening by Sound by Design, and the serving staff at Hawks View was super efficient.  Throughout the day, Ideal Impressions captured the close knit vibe and genuine joy of the bride, groom and wedding party.  Some of their fabulous images are shown below.

By the end of the night, guests were sated on great music and delicious sweets (the couple provided a divine sweets table in lieu of cake) from Gooseberries, and feeling that rustic cozy environment Marci and Jeff desired, thanks also to lighting provided by ACME.  It was exactly  as we’d hoped for the two – a wonderful, fall day full of family, friends and good times.  I cannot wait to hear how their honeymoon went, and how they love married life!  So thrilling to be part of their big day!

Jenny and Ted met me shortly after I had had Wills, so our first meeting over delicious mexican food had a little baby in tow, who loved to have Jenny bounce him on her knees while we went over particulars.  We also discovered that we are all originally from the same area in central Wisconsin, which meant, of course, that we all knew the same people, Ted knew my dad, and Jenny and I are actually 4th cousins.  Now it was super personal that everything be perfectly beautiful for these two fabulous, gorgeous people.

We immediately set on a course to plan the details and design of this more modern wedding, which was to take place in Kohler for the ceremony and the Osthoff Resort for the cocktails and reception.  Bright colors – peacock blue, magenta, lime and touches of orange – were chosen to keep the feeling of the wedding fresh and yet very summer-like.  Jenny had an all encompassing vision of her wedding being elegant and classy, but most definitely not traditional or stuffy, so we set about choosing brilliantly color and embroidered linens, tying the chair cover ties in sleek foldovers instead of bows or flowers, and including a lot of tropical flowers and orchids in all the table decor, bouquets and men’s bouts.   It was a fast seven months, but we managed to do it all and still have a little fun and a few beers in between.

The wedding day arrived, hot and warm, just like a good old fashioned July weekend should feel!  A large, luxurious coach bus from Riteway Limo took the wedding party in two trips to the Catholic Church in Kohler where the wedding took place.  The church itself was simple and newly refurbished, so we only had large vases full of bright, lush floral flanking the altar.  Jenny was breathtakingly gorgeous, her dress simple and yet so timeless.  The traditional Mass was over without any hiccups, and then everyone headed back to the Osthoff for cocktails and appetizers.

Jenny and Ted had quite a large group – it was one of the larger weddings we did – and they also decided to really help people find their seats.  This meant they went back to the original wedding etiquette of having both escort cards – to get people to their table – and place cards, which designated the exact seat for each guest, as well as their pre-selected meal choice.  It was a very smooth transition for a lot of the out-of-town guests, and kept everyone sitting with someone they knew.  The lovely paper suite was printed by Centennial Press Designs.

The room was filled with gleaming china, and loads of candlelight.  La Tulipe brought in green manzanita trees, hanging with fuchsia orchid bunches and votive candles.  Other tables were graced with tall cylinders topped with squares of fuchsia carnations, and a third design was a trio cluster of vases filled with magenta hydrangeas, orange orchids, and green bamboo.  Linens were provided by The Elegant Touch, and Delicately Delicious provided a very modern wedding cake!

Exhibit A, reped by ACA, provided live music and entertainment throughout the night, as guests and wedding couple alike danced well into the evening.  It was a night full of jovial speeches, family banter, and gorgeous design!  Everyone enjoyed the photobooth from Shutterbooth, and the couple was left with a wonderful memory of the night in photos.  It was such a pleasure working with a couple who knew who they were and what they wanted for their day.  I can’t wait to see the professional photos!