Real Wedding: Paige and Ryan

Paige and Ryan met through a mutual friend during Paige’s senior year of high school. The couple got engaged around Halloween, and Paige recalls Ryan’s festive way of popping the question: “Ryan took pumpkins and carved out ‘Will you marry me?’ I came over to his house, opened the garage, and he was waiting there with the pumpkins on bales of hay. He also invited our parents, siblings, and a few close friends to be there.” What made Ryan’s proposal even cooler? Paige’s dad had proposed to her mom with carved pumpkins, too.

On their wedding day, Paige says she wasn’t really nervous — just anxious to be married to her best friend. Her favorite moment from the church-held ceremony was captured in a photo. “There’s a picture of Ryan and I looking at each other right after Communion was served,” she says. “It was a moment where we looked over at each other and both had a truly genuine smile. This photo perfectly captures our emotions of the day.”

Scott and Cathy Erickson of Ambiance Studios were the photographers at Paige and Ryan’s wedding, and the couple can’t say enough good things about them. “Scott and Cathy were so unbelievably helpful, not only on our wedding day but during the whole planning process. We can’t stop bragging about how great the photos turned out!”

After the ceremony, the party then moved to the Chandelier Ballroom in Hartford, Wisconsin. Paige sums up the theme of her wedding as “elegant, glamorous, and full of sparkle.” The couple made their own place cards and table numbers, but the bulk of the decorating was done by their florist, Jane Kelly Floral: “Yet another vendor I can’t rave about enough,” Paige says.

Dinner was catered by Zilli Hospitality Group, and Paige and Ryan agree that these caterers went above and beyond. “The food was wonderful. We heard an endless number of compliments in the weeks following the wedding.” Dinner consisted of sundried tomato chicken, beef tenderloin, and butternut squash. The night ended with a surprise late-night treat of fried ice cream.

The reception went off without a hitch, and couple’s only complaint: “It went so fast! We wish we could relive it.” One cool thing that happened at the reception was a dance performed by Paige’s dance team — she’d been a competitive dancer from 2nd grade through high school graduation, then went on to coach the team. “It was awesome to see something so near and dear to my heart take place on my wedding day!”

Paige’s final reflections for brides-to-be: “If I were to redo anything about my wedding, it would be to stop looking at Pinterest and start following my heart. Pinterest and other wedding sites are helpful to an extent, but at the same time they can confuse you. It’s hard to make a decision and stick with it when blogs share so many gorgeous options. So just remember it’s your special day and it only happens once — make it everything you’ve ever dreamed of!”

Bachelor Party~Paintballing, dinner & local bars
Bachelorette Party~Pure Romance Party, dinner & local bars
Bridal Registry~Target, Kohls, and Bed, Bath & Beyond
Bridal Shows Attended~Washington County Bridal Fair
Invitations~Wedding Paper Divas
Rehearsal Dinner~Aiden O’Riley’s – Allenton, WI
Ceremony Location~St. John’s – Rubicon, WI
Reception Location~Chandelier Ballroom – Hartford, WI
Caterer~Zilli’s Hospitality Group
Cake Designer~Blessed Bee Cupcakes
Flowers~Jane Kelly Floral
Music/Entertainment~Spin City DJs
Transportation~Coach USA
Photographer~Ambiance Studios – Scott & Cathy Erickson
Dress Designer~San Patrick from Brandi’s Bridal – New Glarus, WI
Formal Wear~Edith’s Bridal – Fond du Lac, WI
Rings~Kessler’s Diamonds – Germantown, WI