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Bob and Bethany met at UW Oshkosh through mutual friends and started dating after six years of friendship. Bob proposed during a trip to Colorado, and he says it was “nothing too fancy. I was looking for a nice way to ask her, but ultimately decided it was between the two of us. I thought if the moment presented itself, I might get down on one knee somewhere — so I clumsily carried the ring around, which I was so nervous about the entire trip!” Bob popped the question during a quiet moment at the Air BnB. “It was perfect to see Bethany’s reaction and how happy she was. I think the delivery was all right after all!”
The two planned a ceremony at St. Peter and Paul Church on Milwaukee’s east side and a reception at the Milwaukee Marriott West. One of Bob’s favorite parts of the ceremony was seeing his future bride in her lovely Bliss Bridal gown. One of Bethany’s favorite parts was actually the church itself: “We chose St. Peter and Paul because my grandparents had gotten married there and were married for 65 years,” Bethany says. Sadly, those grandparents passed away shortly after the engagement. “It was a really emotional time for our family, and getting married in the same church was very special. It helped us feel connected to them on such an important day.”
To top it off, Bob surprised Bethany by tracking down the same getaway car that her grandparents had driven on their wedding day — a ’51 Ford Coupe. “We were able to recreate a photo that they took on their wedding day right after the ceremony. Then taking off in our private ride for a few minutes of alone time before the rest of the activities was really special.” The newlyweds drove their getaway car to meet the bridal party at The Garage for a celebratory drink and photos. “This is where Bob and I had our first date,” Bethany says. The group then took a trolley, booked through Adonis Limousine, to the Marriott. “This was a really fun time of the day!”
The professionals at the Marriott kept the fun going, and Bethany and Bob have only great things to say about their reception experience there. “The Marriott treated us like royalty, especially Ashley. Throughout the entire process, she was flexible and ensured we had everything we wanted. We had zero doubts that everything was going to be as we planned, because she was so thorough. Ashley let us use a room the day before to get our centerpieces ready and store anything that we needed. She even placed the flowers on our cake because there wasn’t someone from the bakery to do it. She helped the day run stress-free!”
The Marriott also didn’t disappoint when it came to the food. There were passed appetizers of stuffed mushrooms and coconut shrimp. “We had a special plate of appetizers waiting for us at the head table, since we weren’t able to enjoy them during the cocktail hour.” For drinks, there was wine and beer and “a lot of Crown Royal.”
To decorate, Bethany made all of the table centerpieces with help from her mom, mother-in-law, sister, and bridesmaids. “We had three different bottles on each table. Some of them I decorated myself with paint or twine. The day before the wedding, my sister and I picked up flowers and she arranged them in all of the bottles. We also printed our own invitations and made our own photo booth, with the help of Bob’s mom and a good family friend. Bob’s mom provided us with all of the props, we put together the backdrop, and a family friend was kind enough to take pictures of people, print them out, give them a copy, and save a copy for our guest book.”
Some of Bob’s favorite moments of the day were the bits of advice he was given throughout the evening. “I will always remember and appreciate that,” he says. “I also loved seeing my bride out on the dance floor with her grandpa and uncles.” Bob and Bethany each had one grandparent at their wedding, and Bethany says, “Dancing with them was definitely a favorite moment for me!” Bethany also loved the first dance, the speeches, and her father-daughter dance. “My dad is a musician and he recorded a surprise song for us to dance to. Later that night, he got up with our band and sang ‘My Girl.’”
Another highlight was when Bethany and Bob’s “mascot” arrived: A college friend in a T-Rex suit. “Our friends took turns wearing the suit and dancing on the dance floor. It was a total surprise and definitely a crowd pleaser!” Overall, the happy couple says, “Everything came together perfectly, just the way we drew it up — that was the best part.”
Invitations~Michaels
Rehearsal Dinner~Three Cellars, a wine/beer store in Franklin. Pizza from Derango’s, Racine.
Ceremony~St. Peter and Paul Church, Milwaukee, WI
Reception & Catering~Milwaukee Marriott West
Cake~O&H Bakery Danish Layer Cake, Racine, WI
Flowers~Sendik’s, Brookfield, WI
Music/Entertainment~Live band, Velocity (ACA Entertainment)
Transportation~Trolley from Adonis Limousine
Photographer~Resler Photography
Gown~Madison James from Bliss Bridal
Formalwear~Men’s Wearhouse
Rings~The Diamond Center, Janesville, WI
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Categorized in: Real Weddings, West