I don’t know whether this should have been included under bachelor/bachelorette party, but John’s mother gave us a special gift of a romantic spa treatment for the two of us the week before our wedding day. The treatment is called “Harmony for Two” and what they do is let both of us receive facial treatments and manicures at the same time. I think we both loved the relaxing time at the spa. It lasted a little over two hours. The staff was really nice, and the place is really clean and with a good vibe. I think this is an excellent gift to give newly weds.

We decided that I would be arriving to the church in a horse-drawn carriage. Part of the reason why we thought this would work and look lovely was that it was winter, and I was a winter bride. We made alternative reservations with a limousine company just in case there was horrible weather, but we lucked out. It was cold, but I was warm in my dress and under the blanket. The horses were very well behaved, my driver was nice, and I think it was really fun! I loved the pictures of me climbing out of the carriage, and I loved the looked on John’s face when we turned the corner. We did take a limousine to the restaurant afterwards.

This is a favorite restaurant of my family, mainly because they have some of the best Italian food in the city. The pizza is amazing, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant is really special. We made reservations for a table of 16, which is not a problem at all. I think they are very much used to hosting large parties. The menu includes sections like “Pizza Party” or “Family Style Dinner” which lets you order these huge portions to be shared amongst the people at the table. No one orders a plate just for themselves. I really liked the idea of passing plates and sharing from the same dish, because it really emphasized that we were becoming one big family.

I guess I should now state that we had been engaged for two years before we got married, and that I booked the reception venue a week after John asked me to marry him. I wanted a Christmas wedding, and I wanted to have the reception at the Wisconsin Club. That was about as far as I got in the planning. The event staff at the club were amazing, and they really helped us set out all the details of the wedding day reception, from the color of the table clothes to the menu to the set up of the room. I was so happy to be working with such a competent, kind, and outgoing staff. It was evident that they gave 110%, and our wedding day celebrations were flawless. I loved the evening, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

The ring was not a surprise, mainly because I had expressed such an interest in helping to design the ring. We had visited a few jewelers in the area and we chose to work with David because we really liked his work. He’s also a really great person, and we were able to tell right away that he cared about us and the ring he was going to create for us. We worked from a stencil, then a model, and I loved it because I was able to choose non-traditional precious stones and patterns. I love my engagement ring, and we both love our wedding bands. I think this was a wonderful idea, and really recommend to all the brides-to-be out there to consider designing their own unique wedding band.

Broadway Papers has an excellent selection of stationery to choose from. I really like being able to give my guests creative and original invitation and save-the-date cards, and I think the staff is amazing at helping anyone (especially someone like me that lacks a natural creative side) come up with a theme that is just perfect. We were able to come up with a very classy Christmas wedding invitation cards, seating charts, gifts, etc. Working with them, we were able to come up with a whole wedding package, and I loved working with Tracie and her amazing staff. I think we saved so much time and energy by going straight to Tracie and Broadway Paper.

We booked out a block of rooms at the Super 8 for our college friends, mainly because we knew that those coming from Madison or Chicago would be on somewhat of a budget. The hotels in the downtown area can be very pricey and if you’re only using the room for sleep, Super 8 is perfect. There are three Super 8 hotels around Milwaukee, but we choose the one on Mayfair road just because it was closer to my parent’s house. Also, when we visited our guests there, we discovered that Super 8 hotels have gotten much nicer over the years. This one had a really sweet breakfast bar, and they front hall was much nicer than expected.

The Cathedral is stunning, it’s very beautiful, and I think it was important for me to be married in the church that I was a member of. If you’re not a participating member, you can still get married in the church as long as you are a practicing Catholic. We didn’t bring in our own decorations, and relied on the natural beauty of the Cathedral to provide the setting. They provided us with a list of hymns and readings to choose between, and we were also given a selection of appropriate processional music. It was a very standard and very traditional Catholic wedding.

My sister, who was still a college student at the time, insisted on hosting my bridal shower, which was very sweet and wonderful of her. She is a vegan, and loves to eat healthy and organic food when possible. Beans and Barley is one of her favorite places to go for breakfast, and we both love their deli menu. She took the initiative and requested two weeks before the date of the shower if they would cater the party for 12 people. At the time they only caterer on special occasions, but they now have a full catering menu. We have lovely sandwiches, and a great assortment of salads and dips. Because of the season, there was also a great selection of soups, breads, and a wonderful dessert platter. It was delicious, everyone loved the food, and the presentation was nice. From what I now hear, their catering service and menu selection is even better.

I have been to this show since going in 2006 as a bride, and I have to say that it is always fun and interesting, and that the last show I saw in 2008 was great. I am so happy that friends and family members keep getting married so I can keep going. There were lots of vendors present, they had a fashion show, and they had lots of wedding planners that we were able to meet and set up appointments with to talk about the details of the wedding. I think one of my favorite moments of the day was winning one of their many auctions, which was a fancy grilling set. There is lots of positive energy here, and I think this is where people do get most of their ideas. We didn’t hire a planner just because we had so many of the details already taken care of, and also because the wedding party was rather small. We also were having the reception at a place where every last detail was being taken care of by a well trained staff. But I would have to say that this is the place to go to meet different vendors in the area. Many of these vendors, especially the photographers, are very busy and I don’t think it would be possible to meet them otherwise.