Alivia + John
May 15, 2021 / West Bend, Wisconsin
How did your love story begin?: John and I met while working at the Wisconsin State Capitol. We knew of each other for about a year before we met again outside of work at a friends birthday party. We hit it off right away and talked the whole night as if no one else was in the bar. He asked me out for drinks later that week and we have been inseparable ever since.
Labor Day Weekend 2019, we went up to Boulder Junction in northern Wisconsin with friends. John coerced me into going on a kayak trip out to the island in the middle of the lake. We sat on the shoreline of the island with a beer and talked about the future. He asked me if I loved him, and I said yes. He then said, "Promise?" to which I replied, "Pinky Promise." He then reached into his life jacket, pulled out a little blue box and said "I can do better than that." I was so surprised and so happy. I don't think I have ever smiled more in my entire life.
What was your vision for your wedding?: We originally were supposed to be married at the Ivy House in Milwaukee and styled our entire wedding around the venues modern yet classic esthetic. When COVID didn't slow down, we made the hard decision to move our wedding to a venue that could accommodate our guests outside. Our wedding planner, Morgan Liddell from Blue Fancy Events helped us shape our vision and choose vendors who fit our vision and exceeded all our expectations. Our highest priority for the wedding was that it was fun. We wanted it to be beautiful, yes. But we mostly just wanted all our friends and family in one place having the time of their life. Morgan really led us to exceptional vendors that made our dream a reality. Almost all of our vendors were able to transfer over to the West Bend Country Club were we did a tented reception. We wanted to make the tent feel a little more inviting so we brought in color through peach and coral florals, bold greenery, lots of candles, and colorful patterned linens. Jaclyn at Feisty Flowers really led the vision and brought everything together to create the vibe we were going for.
Tell us all about your wedding dress!: I was extremely nervous about dress shopping. There is so much pressure to find 'the one' and I wasn't really sure what that would look like for me. I had two appointments at different stores on the same day. The first appointment helped get me more comfortable in having a wedding dress on. I thought I had found the one but I still had my second appointment to go and felt that I should at least go and see what Strike had to offer. I went into Strike thinking I already found my dress - I was wrong. The stylist had a few dresses picked out for me based on our phone conversation and asked me to walk around and pick out 3 more. I told her the style I was looking for and she directed me to a few options. At the last minute, a dress caught my eye and I asked her if I could add it to my rack. She said that it was the opposite of the style I had told her I liked but we could try it on for fun and see how it goes. When I put the dress on for the first time, before the stylist opened the curtain to reveal it to my friends and family I said "Oh no Mom, this might be it." The dress from the other store was gone from my mind and I knew I was leaving with this one - Belmont by Sarah Seven. It made me feel sophisticated and elegant, and it was so flattering. It just goes to show that you never know what you are going to like until you try it on.
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: Our wedding day was the most fun day of my entire life. From start to finish, everything was perfect in every way. And if it wasn't, I could not have cared less. I stressed over every little detail for months but when the day came, nothing could have ruined it. We decided to do a first look so we could get our photos done before the ceremony. It was such a special moment when John turned around and just started crying. Seeing him calmed my nerves and set the day off on a great path. When guests started arriving for our outdoor ceremony, the sky started to darken. My brother was our officiant and brought a personal touch to the day that I will cherish forever. When the ceremony finished, we moved everyone inside for the cocktail hour and I swear the instant the last person went inside, the sky opened up and it poured. It felt like someone was truly looking out for us because when it came time to transition to the tent for dinner, the rain had stopped and the party continued outside.
We had a lot fun details that really made our day feel more personal. My favorite was the neon sign that we had made to honor my late sister. She passed away when she was 5 years old from heart disease and has been our family's guardian angel ever since. I knew I wanted to incorporate her memory into our day and when I started seeing the neon sign trend on social media, I knew I had to have one. Her favorite song was "I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat and our family has always used that saying as an homage to her. When the sign came, I cried because it was truly perfect. My favorite photo from the day is the black and white image of John and I kissing under the sign. I could feel her with me all day and it was so special to have a part of her glowing over our reception.
One of our top must haves for the day was a band. The Blue Water Kings band were amazing and our dance floor was packed the entire night. We chose "Country Roads" as the last song of the night and it was easily my favorite part of the entire day. All of our wedding guests made a huge circle around the dance floor and John and I danced in the middle. We ran around the circle hugging and high fiving everyone we love. Being surrounded but that much love is a feeling I will never be able to describe. I could live in that moment forever.
What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: It all works out in the end. You will stress about every detail - the schedule, the vendors, family drama etc. But I can promise you when the day comes...nothing else matters but you and your partner making a commitment to each other forever. Soak in every minute and don't be bothered by the small stuff. Just have fun and be present. You will not regret it.
Vendors
Dress: Belmont by Sarah Seven via Strike Bridal Bar
Wedding Planner: Morgan Liddell at Blue Fancy Events
Photographer/Videographer: The McNiels
Hair: Hair by Shawna
Make up: Megan Holstine MUA
Florist: Feisty Flowers
Venue & Food: West Bend Country Club
Linens: BBJ Linen
Band: Blue Water Kings Band
Dessert: Happy Dough Lucky Donuts
Cake: Whisk Chick
Seating Chart: Adeline Margaret
Neon Sign: YellowPop
Stationary and Signage: Designed by the Bride
Rings: Koehn & Koehn Jewelers
Transportation: Milwaukee Food Tours
Tent: JK Rentals
