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March 5, 2022 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How did your love story begin?: We met in our very first class at Carthage College in 2007! We spent the better part of the next 12 years as friends, trying to "talk" to each other, living in different cities, and staying in each other's lives. FINALLY, in 2019 we officially started dating! We then spent a whirlwind 2019 traveling all over together, 2020 we took the pandemic plunge & moved in together. 2021 we got engaged in Chicago, somehow in a busy city, we found the most perfect garden & it ended up being just the two of us, which is all I could have ever wanted! We don't have your "typical" love story but it's ours, our timing was everything & it always works out as it should in the end!

What was your vision for your wedding?: We approached our wedding with the goal to make it as *us* as possible. We are a couple who is sentimental & wanted to make sure we brought all the feels to our day. We had the BEST team possible on our side! We were ALL about a vibe! We told our amazing planner that the goal was romantic, classic, cozy & vibey, ha! For the most part, I'd say we knew what we wanted (or at least had a vision), we were in our 30's getting married & had been to SO many weddings. My now husband & I are always somehow in a shade of earth tone colors, so selecting black, shades of white & shades of greens made for an easy color palette. I've always dreamed of a winter wedding & we made it happen! We were extremely fortunate when it came to vendors. I have family/friends who work in the industry so as I mentioned, BEST team possible. Choosing vendors was a breeze for the most part & our planner, Danielle of Rosewood Weddings, helped with our most challenging portion of the planning, finding a caterer.

Tell us all about your wedding dress!: BUH. THE DRESS! I'll start this off with I am a texture person, I love it. I, again, was fortunate in this area. My first appointment was at Strike, wink wink. I went to my first appointment alone & I went in full I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT, I've legit never tried on a dress like this before. I had an open mind but for the most part, am aware of my style. I chose Strike because they had a designer that was I in love with, HELLO MS. ALENA LEENA! This first shopping experience couldn't have gone better, there was patience, kindness & understanding. While looking through the racks I saw a dress that I had seen in the window when walking by one week turns out it was my girl, Alena Leena, as well. I vividly remember this dress because of the, you guessed it, texture. I tried it on, I didn't have a full this is it moment because I'm me, I left that day without the dress, I'm someone who needs to know my options & ensure I'm making a firm decision. How INSANELY stressful to choose a piece of clothing for such a monumental occasion 8 months in advance when I can't even like an outfit I pick out for a weekend. I digress, a few weeks later, I couldn't STOP thinking about the texture & brought my Mom back to Strike to see this dress, so perfectly named "Mimosa" (one of my favorite beverages!) It was a done deal. I didn't want to take it off, I was in love & felt insanely comfortable in it. I shout out to Strike, it was so serendipitous, this shop was directly between our apartments prior to us living together, I've walked past this shop countless times & it was an absolute honor to work with the team here. They, obviously, helped me find my dream dress, helped guide me when I randomly decided I needed a veil & worked with my designer to get me some extra fabric so I could make a pocket square from my dress fabric for my groom. They are, simply the best!

You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: The day of, the fact that I get teary-eyed thinking about it... IT WAS EVERYTHING! We accomplished exactly what we wanted to, we let everyone into our story & our love was palpable. Our ceremony was emotional & beautiful, my brother officiated & we said our own vows. It's hard to pinpoint the best part of the day but if I had to choose one, I think the ceremony & speeches that our bridal party & parents gave were all so beautiful. We put a LOT of thought into our day, a LOT of details... I walked down the aisle to my parent's first dance song, the candles that were on the table were our favorite candle scent, we surprised our guests at cocktail hour with an acoustic band, and each table had personalized notes on our menus to welcome guests, we did pull-tabs as our favors & we finished off our day with a final dance - just the two of us, one last moment to soak it all in.

What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: Ooft, best advice, things are going to change & it's okay, those pivots & challenges can sometimes give you something you didn't know you were looking for. All in all, it's a big day but it's about YOU & the person YOU LOVE. It's as simple as that, let your love for each other be the center of attention. It's a beautiful thing to let your love encapsulate a room & take a moment to be present in that.

Vendors
Dress: Mimosa by Alena Leena via Strike Bridal Bar
Planner: Danielle, Rosewood Weddings
Stationary: Kristina, Scarlet Gilia Creative
Photographer: Danielle, Danielle Simone & Co
Venue: Vista
Hair Stylist: Kim, Bliss Studio
Videographer: Tony & Jake, Films by Design
DJ/Lighting: Tyler, Connor & Dylan, Sound by Design
Band: Dan & Caleb, Wait for Morning
Caterer: Oliver, Hidden Kitchen MKE
Bakery: Greige & Hatched
Florist: Drew, Flowers for Dreams