Jenna & Herman’s Downtown Milwaukee Wedding at The Black Swan

Jenna and Herman, both from the suburbs of Chicago, met on a 4th of July booze cruise through mutual friends. After spending the day getting to know each other, Herman boldly exclaimed, “I think I’m going to date you,” to which Jenna responded, “So date me.” The rest, as they say, is history.

The two got engaged when Jenna thought she was planning a surprise birthday party for Herman. When she came home to find a balloon shaped like an engagement ring in the middle of the living room, she knew the birthday party was out. “Herman, with the help of their friends, gave me the birthday party idea to distract me, while the real engagement party went into motion,” she says. “After spending a few private moments, calling our families (who were waiting at the party!), and toasting champagne, we headed to the celebration we had both secretly planned.”

Herman and Jenna chose The Black Swan (now named the Riverwalk) in downtown Milwaukee for their wedding ceremony and reception. They went for a simple palette of white, black, and green. “Greenery everywhere! We wanted a simple color scheme that complimented our wedding venue’s rich details.” Just as Jenna and Herman found their venue in Milwaukee, the bride also found her gown at White Dress in Milwaukee.
At the ceremony, Jenna’s childhood nanny officiated. “The entire thing was crafted by us in conjunction with her.” In addition to writing their own vows, the officiant asked Herman, who was born in Russia, in Russian if he would take Jenna as his wife. There was also a poem read from the perspective of the couple’s dog, Brady, and the entire audience got the chance to announce Herman and Jenna as husband and wife. “The whole thing was a reflection of us and felt so special and unique.”

Moving into the reception, guests toasted to the happy couple with a signature drink: the “Brady” Old Fashioned, an ode to Jenna and Herman’s dog. Dinner was a casual barbecue buffet from Bubb’s BBQ. “Bubb’s was incredible. They did all the food and drinks for us.” For dessert, there were mini carrot cakes — a recipe from Jenna’s grandmother who had passed away a few years prior.

When they had eaten their fill of the deliciousness, Herman and Jenna walked from table to table to greet family and friends. “We spoke with each and every one of our guests, which was a highlight of the night. We loved being able to spend even a few minutes thanking everyone for coming out and supporting us on our big day.”

[table]
Day of Coordinator~Bubbs BBQ
Make-up & Hair~Team Bride Milwaukee
Invitations~Minted
Rehearsal Dinner~The Outsider|Kimpton-The Journeyman Hotel
Ceremony & Reception~Riverwalk- formerly The Black Swan MKE
Catering, Bartending, Cake~Bubbs BBQ
Flowers & Custom Signage~Mark Allen Inspired
Music/Entertainment~Shaun Anthony Signature Entertainment
Transportation~Badger Bus
Photographer~Hello Rose Photography
Videographer~Lake Geneva Media Group
Gown~ White Dress Bridal Boutique- Milwaukee
Formalwear~The Black Tux
[/table]