Amy and Dave’s Elegant Waukesha Wedding at Historic Courthouse 1893

An At-Home Proposal

Dave and Amy, both in healthcare, met while working in a hospital. After years of innocent flirting, Dave finally asked Amy out, and the rest is history. When the two moved into Dave’s bachelor pad, Amy added her womanly touch. “Dave and I are both pretty handy and became avid watchers of HGTV,” she says. “We did all of the home renovations ourselves, which amounted to months and months of weekend projects.”

Dave and Amy were in the midst of renovating the upstairs bathroom and spent a Friday night picking out and installing a new vanity. On Saturday morning, Amy woke up to Dave saying that the vanity drawer was broken and that they’d need to return it to the store. “I sprung out of bed to assess the situation, pulled open the top drawer (which opened just fine), and found a ring box propped open.” It was the most beautiful ring Amy had ever seen.

“I immediately screamed and turned around to find Dave down on one knee with a big smile on his face. It was the perfect proposal — nothing too flashy, just Dave and me in the home we put so much work into.”

Planning a June Wedding

For the theme of their wedding, Amy and Dave opted for elegant romance with a touch of whimsy. Their color palette was made up of blush, soft pinks and peaches, a lot of greenery, and gold accents. To prepare for the day, the bride and groom attended a handful of bridal shows, including the Terrace 167 Spring Bridal Fair and WEDMKE. Amy said “yes” to her Jasmine Bridal wedding gown at Amelishan Bridal.

The ceremony was planned for a Catholic church, with a reception to follow at Historic Courthouse 1893 in Waukesha. When it comes to planning, Amy’s advice is to “enjoy every moment of planning your big day with your groom, family, and friends, because the day truly comes and goes so fast!”

A “Corner Moment” & Rain for Good Luck

Dave and Amy had a traditional Catholic wedding and didn’t see each other until the ceremony. However, the two did share a “corner moment.” Amy remembers, “We were both pretty nervous and emotional all morning long, and sharing this special moment right before the ceremony — as simple as squeezing each other’s hands — really calmed both of our nerves.”

Following the “I Do’s,” officiated by close family friend Father Tony Zimmer, the wedding party boarded a trolley and went off to take pictures in Frame Park. It started to rain just as the trolley pulled up to the park, but Dave and Amy were prepared. “We had umbrellas and our very talented photographer managed to scope out a spot in the park that was sheltered by a big tree to keep us dry.” Though Amy admits she was a little bummed about the rain, she’s still thrilled with the way the photos turned out. “It also made for a good story. Plus, you know what they say about rain on your wedding day…”

Reception at Historic Courthouse 1893

Amy and Dave were one of the first couples to book the Historic Courthouse when it was still in its very early stages of renovations. “When they first let us in to take a look, there were holes in the walls and the bathroom looked like a tornado went through it!” Amy laughs. “But we instantly fell in love with the whole venue and knew that the final result was going to be something great and unique.”

“When we walked into the venue on our wedding day, our jaws dropped. It was everything we envisioned and so much more. Not to mention, our guests had so much fun exploring the place and all the neat rooms and spaces within — cocktail hour spaces, the vault rooms, the spiral staircase, and more.”

Catering by Chef Jack & Dessert Baked With Love

Cocktail hour, dinner, and drinks were all catered by Eric and Tony from Chef Jack. “They did an amazing job with our meal,” says Amy. For appetizers, there was an assortment including mini grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup shooters, mini Reuben sandwiches with Guinness shooters, stuffed mushrooms, tenderloin crostini, and more.

Dinner began with a Madrid Salad: greens with golden raisins, apples, shallots, white cheddar, and candied walnuts in an aged berry balsamic glaze. As the main entrée, there was a duet of filet mignon topped with mushroom and shrimp, or chicken en croute with asparagus and princess potatoes.

Desserts were made entirely by Amy and her mother. There was a wedding cake, four flavors of cupcakes, five kinds of cookies, triple chocolate fudge brownies, and chocolate-covered strawberries. As a favor for guests, Amy also made monogrammed cookies. A delicious end to a day that couldn’t be sweeter!