Meredith and Michael marry at the Ivy House in Milwaukee

A Magical New Year’s Eve Wedding at the Ivy House in Milwaukee

October 24, 2024

Ringing in the New Year with a disco ball and all

How They Met

Meredith and Michael met at a friend’s wedding back in 2010, however Michael had been friend’s with Meredith’s older brother for many years.

How They Got Engaged

The couple went on a boat ride followed by a surprise engagement party. “I had an idea it was coming as the day went on. The final clue was when he asked me to set up the GoPro to capture the moment because he was ‘too busy driving’.”

The Planning Process

Wedding Date: December 31, 2023
Guest Count: 180
Style/Theme: New Years Eve Disco
Wedding Colors: Black, white and sparkle

What was your favorite design?
“Our wedding planner, Renee Breanne Designs, and Florist, Feisty Flowers, really brought our vision to life. We rented every disco ball that Relics Rentals had available so they incorporated those with lots of candles into the centerpieces and ‘altar’ circle.”

Weddings Looks

Dress: Alexandra Grecco from Alice & Ivory in Chicago
Menswear: NL Suits
Hair: Marissa from The Bridal Artistry Team
Makeup: Sabrina Shauntel
Rings: Steffans Jewelers, McHenry IL

How many dresses did you try on?
“About 25. The dress I chose was the first one I tried on. It was the most comfortable and most my style/what my inspiration images showed. Haley from Alice & Ivory knew exactly what I wanted.”

Ceremony Details

Location: The Ivy House
Photo stops: The Bridal Suite at The Ivy House

What made you choose your venue?
“The Ivy! It was a cold, overcast day (which was to be expected in MKE in December) so we wanted something that had a lot of color and warmth. The in house bartending really helped as well since we knew they would never run out of supplies & the size of the bar was big enough to never have a line.”

Ceremony Decor
“We had a private ceremony with 75 people. The ‘altar’ was in the middle of The Ivy House under the chandelier and our guests sat surrounding us in a circle. It was candle & disco ball lit, our reading was the lyrics to my favorite song and our vows included lines from songs that are special to us.”

Reception Details

Location: The Ivy House
Food and Drink: Zilli Hospitality Group, C. Adams Bakery, The Ivy House

“We did (4) buffet style stations for dinner through Zilli Hospitality Group. The food was so good and the wait staff was friendly & very accommodating. Bar service was provided by The Ivy House and the bartenders were so fun!”

Music & Entertainment: Libido Funk Circus, The Amazing Leopold
First Dance Song: ‘If Not For You’ by George Harrison

“The magician at cocktail hour was a huge hit and the band was amazing. With the disco theme, we had them play design 70’s & 80’s hits. The dance floor was packed the entire night and almost everyone stayed until we rang in the new year with confetti canons.”

Looking Back

Biggest Wedding Splurge: The Band

What vendor impressed you the most?
Our planner Renee, band leader Desiree, and Candy & Michelle from Zilli went above and beyond, all going through multiple meetings/tastings with us. Our photographer Kaleigh and videographer Sydney were so fun the day of, they really were just as much hype women as they were working behind their cameras. They danced with us all the way through midnight.”

What moment sticks with you the most?
“From talking to most of our guests, The Amazing Leopold seems to have been a crowd favorite but seeing almost everyone on the dance floor and ringing in the new year with our families and all of our friends was the best for us!”

What tips or advice would you share with future couples?
“Don’t procrastinate. We were engaged for a year & a half and we started planning right away, but a lot of vendors I reached out to were already booked.”

Wisconsin Wedding Vendors:

Wedding Vendor Service Website Instagram
Day of Coordinator Renee Breanne Design & Co @reneebreannedesign
Ceremony & Reception The Ivy House @theivyhousemke
Caterer Zilli Hospitality Group @zillihospitalitygroup
Bartending Services The Ivy House |Two Birds Event Group @theivyhousemke
Photographer Kaleigh Rae Photography @kaleighraephoto
Videographer Sydney Clarson @sydneyclarsonweddings
Cake Designer/Dessert C. Adams Bakery @c.adamsbakery
Flowers Feisty Flowers @feistyflowers
Rentals Windy City Linens | Relics Rentals | MKE Airwaves Photo Booth @windycitylinen | @relicsrentals | @milwaukeeairwaves
Invitations Minted | Greenvelope @minted | @greenvelope
Custom Signage Etsy @etsy
Music/Entertainment Libido Funk Circus @libidofunkcircus
Transportation MKE Shuttle
Makeup Artist Sabrina Shauntel @sabrina.shauntel
Hair Stylist The Bridal Artistry Team (Marissa) @bridalartistryteam
Gown Alexandra Grecco from Alice & Ivory, Chicago @aliceinivorybridal
Menswear NL Suits @nl_suits
Rings Steffans Jewelers, McHenry IL @steffans_jewelers
Rehearsal Dinner Onesto @onestomke
Late Night Pizza Ians Pizza @ianspizzamke
Magician The Amazing Leopold