Real Wedding: Mary & Don

Wedding plans aren’t just for the young – they’re also for the young at heart. With an increase in couples waiting to get married, more unique family blends, and second chances at love happening all the time, the wedding industry is seeing a rise in weddings for brides in their forties, fifties, and beyond. You are NEVER too old to find love, and Mary and Don sure do prove it! Their wedding was planned around many family activities, a deployment of a son-in-law to Afghanistan, a daughter’s wedding, and children who are restaurant owners.  They chose to get married in February (which in Wisconsin we all know that means COLD) and brought a lot of warmth to one of the coldest winters I can remember…just you wait and ‘see’.

Mary and Don chose to get married at Holy Hill in Hartford, Wisconsin. It’s a special place in both their lives and an incredible backdrop for a wedding.  Mary’s daughter, Rita, was on hand to help with planning and worked very hard to make it a reflection of what was important to the couple – simplicity and the incorporation of family and friends.  Having their adult children and best friends close and helping in so many ways made it a perfect wedding for them!  Mary and Don walked down the aisle with Mary’s granddaughter, who was also their only attendant.  Their ceremony was simple and tasteful performed by their priest (a friend of Mary and Don) with the backdrop of a cello and viola played by their dear friends who are professional musicians (Don’s brother and Mary’s daughters’ senior students).

Mary told me they sought out rings that would reflect an organic, natural quality.  Mainly Gold, located in Slinger, Wisconsin, worked tirelessly to design and cast the perfect rings.  Don’s ring was sculpted white gold with small gold threads simulating branches, while Mary’s was a sculpted yellow gold band.  The work is exquisite.  (I didn’t even know Slinger had a jeweler in that town…I have to go check that out!)

Milwaukee Flower Company added the right touch with their natural, beautiful flowers.   For the ceremony, they had two vases designed using snapdragons and freesia.  Mary, Mary’s granddaughter, and Don’s flowers were simple and beautiful picking up on the color of Mary’s dress (a dusty rose suit during the ceremony and an eggplant beaded gown for the reception).  The flowers were very natural with white and green, a tiny hint of lavender, using freesia as the main flower.  The color selection and arrangement was everything Mary and Don had hoped for.

The couple chose to have their dinner and reception at Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex, Wisconsin because they wanted to reflect the love of nature and hobbies of hiking, camping, snowshoeing, etc. AND the importance of their families in their ceremony AND reception.  The venue was absolutely STUNNING!  It had an incredible view of the snow-covered course and a huge fieldstone fireplace located in the center of the room that opened to both sides.  I LOVE fireplaces during the cold Wisconsin months – it just adds a certain amount of warmth and romance to any occasion.  The team at Ironwood Golf Course was so easy to work with – flexible and helpful in every way to make this a wonderful, never forget kind of wedding day.

The reception tables decorated with downed birch logs made into centerpieces which held votive candles.  Using the birch bark, they crafted table numbers and hung them from wine bottles at each table. They also had friends provide them with 12 good size trees which were painted white and were decorated with small white lights…those REALLY provided a wonderful accent to the room as the sun set.

They chose Bunzel’s Meats & Catering to cater their event.  The reception facility suggested Bunzel’s for the job as they cater many events held there.  What Mary and Don didn’t expect, was the incredible selection, top notch quality and reasonable cost they provided.  Again, emphasizing family, Mary turned to her kids – Anthony, Teresa and Peter – who own the highly acclaimed Sala Modern Sicilian in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to provide them with their specialty Tiramisu for dessert.  Atop the tiramisu as a birch decorated cake topper from Baked Custom Desserts which fit perfectly into the wedding décor.  This extraordinary culinary treat topped off a great meal.   (I LOVE Tiramisu…and what a great idea instead of a traditional wedding cake!)

The couple added a nice touch by having music before, during and after dinner for entertainment and dancing after dinner by DJ Costa.  I like the idea of having music always playing, because then there are no ‘quiet awkward moments’ for guests.  Mary and Don provided Gus with some ideas of what they would like for music and he developed the play list for the pre-dinner gathering, the dinner and dance music for the evening.  They were VERY pleased with the variety and selection Gus played that evening.

Lastly-THE PHOTOGRAPHER! Mary and Don have a history with Artists’ Eyes Photography as Carol and Charlie Stevens shot both their children’s weddings.  They photographed Kyle and Rita’s a few years back and four years ago they photographed the destination wedding of Kyle and Holly’s wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico.  Mary and Don were so impressed with the unique and creative way they captured the entire wedding experience.  Carol photographed the time in the morning with Mary and her three daughters while Charlie was with Don and his family.  Carol and Charlie embody their company by name! I can’t say a lot of photographers do that!  They visited the venue on two occasions to scope out natural sites to shoot which paid off with some great shots on this crisp snowy February day.  Without question I know Mary and Don would highly recommend Artists’ Eyes Photography, they are true professionals! Just look at their pictures!!

It is so refreshing to see a couple fall in love later on in life.  It gives hope to all those wondering if there is still someone out there for them.  With Mary and Don all you have to do is look at their smiles to know…there is love!

Ceremony~Holy Hill
Reception~Ironwood Golf Course
Catering~Bunzel’s Meats & Catering
Flowers~Milwaukee Flower Company
Wedding Rings~Mainly Gold
Music~DJ Costa
Cake Topper~Baked Custom Desserts
Cake~ Sala Modern Sicilian
Photography~Artists’ Eyes Photography
Invitations~KKom, Inc. Marketing