Amanda & Jordan’s Intimate Downtown Wedding at VUE

Amanda had moved to Milwaukee after college for a job and Jordan had moved for his master’s degree when the two met through a mutual friend one night at a dive bar called Fink’s. “We ended up sitting at the same table and chatting all night about our love for dogs, hockey, beer, and BelAir salsa.” Soon after, Jordan asked Amanda on a date, and the rest is history! Jordan proposed during the nighttime water show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. “I had no idea he was going to pop the question,” Amanda says. “My first words were, ‘Is this for real?’”

It was real as could be, and soon the couple had set a date for June of 2018. While planning, Amanda attended the Wonderful World of Weddings show and the Alfa Flowers Bridal Open House. She and Jordan ended up going with Alfa Flower & Wedding Shop to create their ceremony arch, bouquets, and all of the floral décor. “The flowers were so fresh that the arrangements were still intact after coming back from our honeymoon!” Amanda says. “I was even able to replant the succulent from my bridal bouquet.”

The wedding color scheme was actually inspired by succulents, playing off the natural blue, green, and soft pink tones. “We had steel blue bridesmaid dresses, light gray suits, natural greenery, and hints of soft pink with both gold and silver accents. The stationary, bridal bouquet, and party favors all incorporated succulents. Plus, the plant is a nod to Las Vegas, where we got engaged, and San Diego, where we honeymooned.”

Both the ceremony and reception were held at VUE at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee.“We wanted an intimate wedding with around 60–100 guests,” Amanda says. “But it was proving to be very hard to find a venue in the city that was small yet still celebrated the fact that this was our wedding day. When we met Brit from the Hyatt, it was the best wedding gift we could ever have received! She was energetic, genuinely happy for us, incredibly helpful, and knew her stuff. She was organized and had our best interest at heart. It felt like we were planning our wedding with a friend.”

“Having our wedding at VUE gave us Milwaukee, the city where we met, as our backdrop. The Hyatt recently remodeled the space, so it was clean, modern, and truly stunning. It was the perfect alternative to a ballroom, if you want more unique views and don’t need to accommodate hundreds of guests.”

The location allowed Jordan and Amanda to take all of their photos right in downtown Milwaukee, too. “There was beautiful and iconic Milwaukee scenery all around us, so we didn’t have to rent transportation to take photos. Everything was within walking distance. The time saved meant we got to enjoy our entire cocktail hour! It was really important to us that we got to participate in our full wedding day, along with all of our guests.”

Dinner, drinks, and dessert were all catered by the Hyatt. Immediately following the ceremony, guests were invited to drink at Bar 333 in the hotel lobby, while Amanda and Jordan snapped some pictures with their families. Then, during cocktail hour, there was marinated beef satay, mini Monte Cristo sandwiches, potato-wrapped shrimp, and an open bar.

Dinner started with a simple romaine salad and three entrées: asiago chicken, lemon and chive pinko-crusted salmon, and vegetarian napoleon with cheese and roasted tomato sauce. On the side, there were smashed potatoes and asparagus, plus mini hot pretzels with cheese for a late-night snack.

Dessert was a devil’s food cake with chocolate chip cookie dough frosting and filling. The cake topper was a special hit. “It was a 3D print of us wearing our rival hockey team jerseys!” Amanda laughs. “I’m a Blackhawks fan and Jordan is a Penguins fan. Guests ended up taking the topper out on the dance floor, passing it around and even taking pictures with it! It was unintentionally the best party favor!”

Another incredibly special and unforgettable moment was Amanda’s dance with her dad: “He had a massive stroke in 2012, and we thought we lost him. It took some recovery and he is getting progressively better, however, he is still paralyzed on one side. But he was determined to dance with me! So, he went to extra therapy just to work on standing with more stability. And he did it! We had our father-daughter dance together and he stood for it! I know how hard that was to accomplish, and I am so grateful to have a family full of love. Everyone went out of their way to make our wedding day so special for us.”