Real Wedding: Amanda & Ted

This wedding has left me speechless and that is very hard to accomplish (laughing). This is NOT a styled shoot.  Amanda IS a real bride, and that IS a real location.  I don’t usually open with a photograph of just the bride, but I couldn’t help myself! First of all, the backdrop looks fake, and secondly, Amanda is beyond gorgeous in that Martina Liana dress found at Stone Manor Bridal Shop in Cedarburg!!!  The wedding ring was her Grandmother’s (I LOVE to hear that), earrings & shoes are Kate Spade, and the custom chunky pearl necklace is from Etsy Shop.  Absolutely breathtaking. WOW! Okay… I guess I should probably move on and tell you a bit about Amanda and Ted’s wedding day.

The ceremony was held at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, where Ted and Amanda became members and had a very special retired family priest marry them.  Father Tom Wittliff has known Ted and Amanda their entire relationship. He made their wedding day special. His love and humor made the day fun and carefree yet captured the importance of the Sacrament of Marriage. Ted and Amanda both have goofy personalities.  The priest centered their day around love and laughter, which reflects what Amanda and Ted’s relationship represents.

The reception was held at The Pritzlaff building, a fairly new location for weddings in Milwaukee. Amanda and Ted searched downtown Milwaukee for four months for a venue that represented them as a couple.  The Pritzlaff is basically a blank canvas which makes it all about YOU and YOUR STYLE.  Amanda and Ted aimed for a chic rustic elegance for their wedding day and they nailed it!!  Their style was definitely incorporated into their wedding day. They didn’t want a banquet hall or a formal space.  They wanted something edgy, but soft enough to feel romantic.  The Pritzlaff gave them the look and feel they wanted.  Another great thing is both the church and the reception location were within 5 minutes of each other…very convenient for their guests and vendors.

I HAVE TO mention the sweetheart table and beautiful wooden bride and groom chairs from evenement lounge.  Being high school sweethearts, this made complete sense to have the table and chairs, and it just seemed to fit the room and the décor.  Ted’s Mom Carol, is extremely talented and was able to do all the stationery, allowing the couple to have very detailed extras. The menu cards, mint tins, layered pocket invites, rehearsal itinerary and invites, bathroom and late night food signs, place cards, all in combination made it their own.  Everything went very well together, which at times is hard to imagine.  I also can’t forget to mention the photo booth supplied by Sound By Design…it was fun and allowed their guests to take a break from the dance floor and let out their goofy side behind the curtain!

Amanda and Ted chose to keep their wedding video private (because of the intimacy behind it and it being so special to them) and not display it on social media.  I can tell you this – it put a HUGE smile on my face and tears in my eyes.  The videographers were Brian Dell & Amber Joseph.  Philip Hinkle with Frogman Productions composed the artistic trailer/video. I will admit I wasn’t always a fan of wedding videos, but after watching this video I am sold on them and I highly suggest all bride’s to NOT let this out of your wedding budget. Pay that extra money and get a videographer. Words and photographs cannot describe what a video captures and it will never let you forget the details of your wedding day. It will be something you can watch on every anniversary and you can share with friends and family.

As with the video, photos play an important role too. These are memories to display in your home, not to mention they will be a keepsake for friends & family and something to share with your kids some day. Aliza Rae Photography did an amazing job. She captured artistic angles and was adventurous and energetic which is very important for 12 hours of shooting a large wedding party such as Amanda and Ted’s.  They got some great shots in a brick alleyway nearby, but nothing compared to the photos on the roof of the Pritzlaff with Amanda’s cathedral veil caught in the wind and the skyline in the background.  SO breathtaking!

Aggie’s Bakery made the wedding cake, groom’s cake, and the late-night dessert bar.  The lace on the wedding cake made it romantic and vintage.  But WAIT…. then there was the groom’s cake. Ted LOVES peanut butter (me too, Ted!) so, it was only appropriate for his groom’s cake to be a large jar of peanut butter and a glass of milk, all with peanut butter frosting.  Yum! The late-night dessert bar was an assortment of bite size treats.  As if that all wasn’t enough, they also served a late-night burger bar provided by their caterer Zilli’s.  You can never have too much food or desserts, especially for those dancing the night away!  Full bellies make happy guests!!

To stay on budget, Amanda and Ted decided against an open bar during cocktail hour.  As a special addition during cocktail hour, they had mini cocktails that were their favorite drinks: mini versions of a mojito and a brandy old fashioned. I think going with the ‘minis’ is the way to go’! This allowed them to stay on budget while having a little something extra for their guests. The guests were offered 6 specialty tap beers, 4 different red and white wines, and a variety of sodas for the evening. Plenty if you ask me!

Having a great DJ and entertainment is very important! David Hackbarth with Sound by Design was the DJ and did an excellent job playing the couple’s favorite music lists while engaging the guests and playing a flow of good music. The dance floor was PACKED all night long!

I say PICK A THEME and STICK WITH IT! Patterns can be mixed and matched as with this wedding. This wedding’s color palate was summery and fresh, despite the chilly day they had.  Amanda and Ted chose grey, ivory, and pale lime green. There were a lot of what I’d call HAPPY looking flowers and they all looked so fresh and perfect.  Kudos to Impressions by Esther Flemming – I noticed they avoided adding pale pinks and peaches in order to stay away from the feel of a super girly wedding.  Amanda and Ted incorporated lace and damask with chalk board signs and candle sconces, plant terrariums and wooden vintage milk carriers. Picking colors and a theme first will help pave the way to your vision.  I’d have to say Amanda and Ted did a GREAT job on this!

These two high school sweethearts, Amanda and Ted, made a STUNNING bride and groom. They let the venue set the tone for the event and decided that they wanted to plan a chic rustic yet sophisticated wedding. They prioritized what was important to them: food and drinks, great music and a beautiful venue. The rest of the details somehow fell into place!  I LOVE this wedding! Best wishes to you Amanda & Ted!!

Venue~~The Pritzlaff
Venue Coordinator~~Cori Coffman at the Pritzlaff
Day of Wedding Planner~~Janelle-Mayer Brown with Evenement Event Planning and Lounge Furniture Rentals
Dress~~Martina Liana, Stone Manor Bridal Shop, Cedarburg
Shoes~~Kate Spade
Caterer~~Zilli Hospitality Group
Wedding Cake, Groom’s Cake, & Late Night Dessert Bar~~Aggie’s Bakery

Photographer~~Aliza Rae Photography
Flowers~~Impressions by Esther Flemming
DJ/Uplighting/Photobooth~~Sound By Design
Videographers~~Brian Dell & Amber Joseph did day of coverage and Philip Hinkle with Frogman Productions composed the artistic trailer and video
Transportation~~Trolley with Transit Express
Rehearsal Dinner~~The Iron Horse
Church~~The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Rings~~Tacori from Lyle Husars in Brookfield
Honeymoon~~New Zealand & Fiji