Real Wedding Review 💍 Emily + Brock
SEPTEMBER 2024
Our wedding day was absolutely magical. It rained in the morning, but stopped just in time for our first look in Riverside Park and wedding party photos in The Friendship Gardens. The overcast clouds made for the most incredible photos with a touch of fall colors. Following our outdoor ceremony, we made our way inside to enjoy cocktails, an incredible meal, and dancing to cap off our perfect day! We're so grateful to everyone who flew from around the US to celebrate, as well as all of our local vendors who put their heart into making our day so special!
Meringue Bakery · Jen and Tracy were amazing! They did our wedding cake and The Waterfront Catering team did our guest desserts. Our wedding cake was special to us. We wanted our favorite - cherry chocolate balsamic - but they worked with us to have a white frosting. They delivered the cake on the day to finish decorating with fresh flowers for the perfect final touches!
The Waterfront · It was so nice to have catering in house with our venue! We didn't have to worry about a thing. Sarah, our day of coordinator, ran our tasting and led us through the selection of everything from cocktails to desserts. The team did an incredible job running dinner service, bartending, and keeping tables clean throughout the night. The food was incredible, and our guests all loved it!
DJ Brettly · He was great. Admittedly, we wanted to book someone who we knew of but music wasn't high on our list of priorities because neither of us are big dancers. Much to our dismay, we spent most of the night on the dance floor! He did a great job of gauging the room and playing music for everyone, while still hitting everything on our 'must play' list.
Monet Floral · We cannot say enough about this team. From our first sit down through our day, they were incredible. Of course, Pinterest and pictures can give an idea, but the gentlemen at Monet truly bring it to life in such a magical way. My bouquet was more beautiful than I could've imagined and the florals matched seamlessly, while still having some stems unique to us as a couple. They came and set up the entire venue - candles, florals, and even delivered our wedding party flowers to the Charmant where we were getting ready so we had them for photos without someone else having to bring them down!
Big Al’s Pizza · We had our rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks at Big Al's downtown. It was perfect! The atmosphere was the relaxed, casual vibe we wanted, especially when introducing some of our family from out of town to Wisconsin! The bartenders were incredible at making sure everyone was taken care of and tables were cleaned up throughout the night. The central location and privacy of the side room was an ideal location and set up!
Emily Jean Photography · We can't say enough good things about Emily and Ben, and the pictures truly speak for themselves. We knew we wanted classic, true to color images that didn't look too posed. Emily delivered, above and beyond, for both our wedding and engagement session. Not only are the photos everything we could've asked for, but Emily and Ben's organization and attention to detail on the day of to keep us on time, organize and run large group photo sessions, and generally fun and relaxed personality was so welcome on a day that can be quite stressful.
Cargill Room · From the day we toured, we knew this was the place. In fact, we almost walked back over after a cocktail at The Waterfront Patio to officially sign the papers that night! Everyone we worked with was communicative, timely, and organized throughout the entire process. It was so nice to have catering in house and a day of coordinator who ran the day for us and oversaw the set up of the event. Special shout out to Sarah, our day of coordinator. She was vital to the execution of our day. She ran the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception flawlessly!
The Wedding Tree · Wow. We can't really say enough good things about everyone. This was the first and only place I looked for dresses, probably because my dress ended up being the first one I tried on! The stylist was incredible at listening to what I was looking for, while still keeping my options open to try other silhouettes. I got to share the experience with my Mom, Sister, and Grandma which made it all the more special. We also got our menswear from here. Amy is downright phenomenal. She's organized, punctual, and attentive. We met with her to choose menswear and she was great with keeping our guys on time, finalizing their fittings, and keeping us updated along the way. We all cleaned up well on the big day thanks to the team here!
Natural Elements Salon and Day Spa · I don't wear make up often and when I do, it's a quick swipe of mascara. Naturally, I was hesitant for a full face on my wedding day. It meant a lot to me that I felt like me. I first started with Christina for her esthetician services in order for her to learn my skin and prep for our wedding about a year ahead of time. Throughout the year, she made recommendations, listened to my questions, and my make up on the day of was flawless! She crushed it for both myself and all of my girls. They all loved their make up and it didn't move over the course of the entire night!
JLS Studios · Jenn is amazing. I was in need of a hairstylist and chose her to get to know my hair. My trial was great and she used my variety of inspiration pictures to elevate a classic look - bonus, she was able to cut my hair exactly to fit what I wanted to do! Day of the wedding, she was amazing at listening to my girls and delivering exactly the looks they wanted as well.
