Lindsey & Nick’s Nautical Wedding at the Milwaukee Yacht Club

Lindsey and Nick met through work and were friends a few years before they started dating. Nick proposed when the two were in Door County for a friend’s wedding. “We stayed the next day to hike and explore around Peninsula State Park with another couple,” Lindsey remembers. “It was a gorgeous day in June. Nick started saying all these lovely things, and at this point I was pretty sure I knew what was happening — he bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Our friends were in on it and took pictures, which I really appreciated. We celebrated afterward with ice cream at Wilson’s!”

Nick and Lindsey planned a nautical-themed wedding at the Milwaukee Yacht Club — “but a simple, not too over-the-top version!” The couple’s condo overlooks Lake Michigan and Nick owns a sailboat, so water and boats are a big part of their lives. “The Milwaukee Yacht Club made perfect sense to celebrate our wedding. We loved the fact that our condo building was part of the skyline behind us, as well as being able to be outside by the water. We can’t thank the Yacht Club enough for their excellent service and attentiveness, the delicious food, and of course the great views! They were laid back and calm through the planning process and assured us our day would go smoothly — and they were right!”

Lindsey found her dress at White Dress Bridal Boutique: “White Dress is a gorgeous space and everyone who helped me was amazing. I tried my dress on during my first weekend of dress shopping and absolutely fell in love. It was simple, elegant, and felt regal to me. I also found a beautiful headpiece at White Dress that I put on for the reception after removing my veil — loved it!”

When the big day arrived, the weather was chancy at best. “It was a rainy, dark-sky day — but just in time for our ceremony, it stopped raining and the sun came out! We got extremely lucky.” Nick and Lindsey wrote the ceremony themselves and had one of Nick’s childhood friends officiate. Cocktail hour was also held outside, at the Yacht Club’s tiki bar, then the reception moved indoors. “It was really important to us to have everything in one spot to make things easier for our guests.”

Dinner and the open bar were catered by the Yacht Club. “The food was wonderful! Guests are still telling us it was some of the best they’ve ever had. We offered wine-braised filet mignon, chicken Marsala, and vegan stir fry. We had an open bar all night, which we’re sure assisted in everyone’s excellent dance moves!” For dessert, Lindsey and Nick served Milwaukee’s own Purple Door ice cream, along with a candy buffet. “Both were a hit!”

For décor around the reception, Lindsey stuck with a navy, teal, and stripe theme. “We borrowed navy and white striped table cloths from a kind friend, and that really carried our theme. We chose to have a sweethearts table, which turned out to be some of the only real time we got to talk together that day!” Lindsey wishes that she and Nick had considered hiring a wedding planner. “We managed, but it might have made the whole process less stressful.”

Lindsey says she’s not exactly crafty, so DIY projects weren’t high on her list of priorities. But one of her favorite decorations was a banner, handmade by her cousin. “It was strips of fabric from my late grandpa’s plaid pants, my grandma’s beautiful wedding dress, and ribbons from my cousin’s wedding bouquet,” Lindsey says. “It adorned a table with pictures of family members who had passed. It was so special to have something so meaningful and beautiful at our wedding.”

In the end, Lindsey is most thankful for that simple act of nature: the sun coming out during her and Nick’s wedding ceremony. “We were so grateful to be able to celebrate outside for our ceremony and cocktail hour. I’ll always remember how happy I was in that moment to marry my best friend outside in the sun near the water with all of our loved ones looking on.”

Invitations~Minted.com
Rehearsal Dinner~Braise
Ceremony, Reception and Catering~Milwaukee Yacht Club
Dessert~Purple Door Ice Cream
Flowers~Welke’s
Music/Entertainment~Sound By Design
Photographer~Studio KH
Videographer~Olson Design and Photography
Gown~Lea-Ann Belter from White Dress Bridal Boutique
Formalwear~Tom James
Rings~Engagement Ring: The Jewelry Mechanic`Wedding Bands: Powers Jewelry
Rentals~Area rentals