Ally + Nate
May 29, 2021 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin
How did your love story begin?: We met in 2013 through our mutual friend, Maxine, who was my maid of honor. Nate and Maxine played on the same volleyball team. One day, I picked her up and she introduced me to her team. I didn't remember meeting Nate, but he definitely remembered meeting me! He started playing volleyball with Maxine more often for a chance to bump into me again.
Since then, we’ve been together almost eight years! Over two of those years, we were long distance while I was in medical school in Chicago and Nate was finishing his PhD in Madison.
Nate proposed to me on his birthday, which was so special!
Honestly, wedding planning during a pandemic was stressful. Being an Emergency Medicine Physician and with Nate’s background in medical research, we knew how important it is to adhere to CDC guidelines. We had multiple back-up plans and were really hopeful about the vaccines. We looked at venues and once we decided on The Cooperage, we found out there was only one date left and booked it immediately! The rest of the planning fell into place once I realized I needed help and found an AMAZING wedding planner to help me and make sure I was on top of all of the details.
What was your vision for your wedding?: I didn’t have a specific vibe, but I knew I wanted an outdoor space with character - nothing too white or sterile. I knew the feelings I wanted from my big day: casual but fancy, classic but modern, and a lot of lush greenery with tropical rainforest hints. As you can imagine, those may not all make sense together, so it was hard for me to pick exactly what I wanted, especially for someone without a "style" background. It helped a lot to pick out a color palette. Once we had our colors, my wedding planner, florist, and I were able to make some magic!
The things that were important to us were the photography and for people to know that it was OUR wedding. I wanted the style elements and the "little things" to scream Ally and Nate. Also, free drinks and good food were very important to us. :)
I found Hannah Toldt, our photographer, on social media. She shot my friend’s wedding and I LOVED her photos! I was so happy and relieved that she was free on our wedding date. I initially procrastinated contacting her because I was so nervous she was not going to be available (haha). Photography was really really important to me and I can't say enough amazing things about Hannah. She captured our wedding day perfectly and she's so wonderful and nice, and was a huge hype-woman to me on my wedding day. I'll forever be grateful for her.
I found our florist, Atmospheric Floral, through Midwestern Bride. After our consultation, I could tell Mary Jo was so excited to do our wedding and brought so many ideas to the table that were spot-on to my vision. They were an easy yes!
Nate had gone to Bjorn's Clothing in Kenosha, WI for suits for pretty much every wedding he has been to. It's an amazing deal: $200 for the entire suit which includes owning the pants, dress shirt, jacket, tie, socks, belt, and also includes shoe rental. We wanted green suits, and when he went in, they had JUST received a shipment. It was meant to be.
The Cooperage was our wedding and reception venue. We LOVED the vibes. It’s on the water and I love the cream city brick. The bar is beautiful and filled with lush plants. We fell in love with it.
Craig's Cake Shop in Verona, WI was where we got our cake and cupcakes. I had been getting all my special event cakes from here (graduations, birthdays) for years so I couldn't imagine contracting someone else.
Tell us all about your wedding dress!: I chose Strike Bridal Bar for my dress right away. Strike was the only appointment I made!! I had been following Sarah Seven on Instagram for a while (even before I was engaged). Once I found out Strike Bridal Bar carried her dresses, I knew I had to go there to try them on. I absolutely love how Strike is female-owned, everyone seems so happy and genuine, and they pride themselves on inclusivity.
The day of my appointment, I was SO SO NERVOUS. I was worried I wasn't going to like how I looked in the dresses, that I wouldn't like any of the dresses, and that I wouldn't be able to make a decision. You know, all the silly thoughts that one experiences. I had Emily as my stylist and she was just phenomenal! Emily had a plan, she had an order of which dresses we were going to try on, then let me have a mini “free for all”, then circled back. I'm not sure if other brides ask their stylist which dress they like the best, but I did! I was indecisive and Emily led me to the dress that she knew I liked the best and knew that I really wanted. I chose Giovanna, which was the dress I came to try on, but I also loved so many other dresses. Any of them would've been amazing but this one was "the one."
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: IT WAS AMAZING!!! Everything went according to "plan" which sounds so silly but at the same time, a good itinerary and timeline helped things happen correctly which was something that my type-A personality really vibed with.
My favorite part of the day was taking pictures beforehand and then oddly our ceremony. I usually do not like wedding ceremonies, some can seem so impersonal, but I really loved ours. Our good friend was our officiant and he spoke so personally about us. I absolutely LOVED our vows, they were my favorite part. I loved how similar yet different they were and it's a moment I will cherish for a long time.
I also loved the moment right after we were married. We didn't have to go anywhere since we were married on site. We went right into family pictures and cocktail hour and I got to mingle with the wedding guests and see all the decor. I remember sitting down at our table looking at the light coming in through the large windows, all the greenery and candles at our table, plants everywhere, the koozie with our cat on it, our friends and family in one room enjoying themselves, seeing friends I hadn't seen for years, knowing that I just married my best friend, and realizing it was the happiest I had ever felt. Sounds super cheesy but it's true!
Lastly, what is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: Get a wedding planner, even if it is a day of planner, if it's within your budget. I am a perfectionist and will stress myself out until the end of time. Having my planner there the entire day of my wedding made it so easy to have fun and spend time with my husband not having to worry about what was next or who had what.
#1 thing I wish someone would have told me? Everyone told me "don't stress" and "in the long run all that matters is that you get married" and "it'll all work out" so I really did hear it all. While those are all true, they didn't help with the stress.
In regards to dress shopping, it did help that I had an idea about what I was looking for, but at the same time, keep an open mind. I would say definitely don't be nervous about dress shopping because no one is ever not going to look amazing in a wedding dress.
Vendors
Dress: Giovanna by Sarah Seven via Strike Bridal Bar
Photographer: Hannah Toldt Photography
Style & Planning: Midwestern Bride
Venue, Food, & Beverage: The Cooperage, Taco Moto (late night tacos)
Florals: Atmospheric Floral
Cake & Cupcake: Craig's Cake Shop
Suits: Bjorn's Clothing
DJ: Kidron Music
Hair: Molly at Impressions Salon
Make-up and Bridesmaids Hair: Glam Gals
Jewelry: Cival Collective (bracelets), Olive & Piper (earrings, hair pieces)
Signage & Stationary: Alyssa Damaschke, sister in law and bridesmaid
Kida Koozie: Custom Ink
