Jennifer & Brian’s Relaxed Wedding at Home in Hartland, Wisconsin

A Little History

Jennifer from Oconomowoc and Brian from Wauwatosa met in the Wisconsin Dells. When they got engaged, it was at Christmas dinner — ”just the two of us in our PJs.” They decided on an elegant, fun, and laid back wedding in their own backyard. “There was no theme, per se,” but to color the day, the couple chose a palette of pink, silver, and grey.

Planning a Wedding at Home

Brian and Jennifer celebrated their love with an elegant but relaxed at-home wedding in Hartland, Wisconsin. To make the entire day possible, they turned to Brookfield Party Rental for a tent, dining tables, chairs, high tables, serving ware, place settings, glassware and more. “The rental experience was perfect!”

Special Touches Galore

From the bride walking down the aisle to an orchestral version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” to a wine decanter unity ceremony, Jennifer and Brian’s “I do’s” were full of unique elements. “A gift was presented from Brian to my daughter Evelyn, so she was also a part of the unity in that way,” Jennifer says. The bride opted not to have a bridal party, just a couple of girlfriends who walked in ahead of her.

Brian made the wooden arbor that he and Jennifer were married under. “We are going to put it in our yard as part of our pool entrance, so everyone can walk through it.” Lastly, Jennifer’s cousin officiated the ceremony and surprised the bride and groom with a personalized video from Brett Michaels, the singer from Poison. “The ceremony was filled with laughter,” Jennifer says.

A Laid-Back Reception

Jennifer and Brian had dinner and drinks catered for their backyard reception. “We didn’t have a head table. The whole thing was relaxed, so people could sit anywhere.” Lending some musical ambiance was classical jazz music that Brian and Jennifer both love. Of the many plans made for their wedding, the bride says it’s impossible to pick just one favorite thing. At the end of the day, Jennifer suggests that other wedding-planning brides “be creative, but don’t get buried in the details. Have fun and enjoy the day — it flies by too fast.”