A Vibrant Milwaukee Celebration Blending Two Cultures

This midsummer wedding combined the bride and groom’s values and backgrounds in the most beautiful ways.

The Beginning

Tina and Krishna are healthcare workers who met through a mutual friend. Tina, a Kenosha native, has lived in the greater Milwaukee area since 2012, and Krishna, originally from Buffalo, New York, moved to Wisconsin in 2020. Their first date went so well that they knew they were destined to spend the rest of their lives together. Krishna, “the definition of a romantic,” planned a scavenger hunt with stops at their favorite places throughout Milwaukee, including Third Coast Provisions, Lakefront Brewery, AXE MKE, and Giggly at the St. Kate Art’s Hotel. At each stop, Tina was presented with a present and a clue to find the following location. The final stop was a bench at the lakefront outside Discovery World. Krishna met her with a bottle of champagne and a box of Double Stuf Oreos customized with an important question: “Will you marry me?” A sparkling ring was inside the handcrafted wooden box Krishna made himself. Tina immediately screamed, “YES!”

The Look

On the best day of her life, Tina wore two dresses: a white gown for the Catholic matrimony and an Indian dress for the afternoon ceremony. She found her white wedding dress at Bliss Bridal in Brookfield. She had her gorgeous wedding hair and makeup done at The Knick Salon.

The Planning

Tina and Krishna hired Madeline Cope as their wedding consultant. “Madeline was an invaluable asset throughout the entire process,” Tina praised. “She is refined, organized, patient, and so accessible.”

The Celebration

Tina, an Italian Catholic, and Krishna, an Indian Hindu, united in marriage and blended their families, cultures, faiths, and lives. Despite speaking different languages, eating different foods, wearing different clothes, and praising God with different methods, they shared a common thread of love and laughter. The couple’s decision to host two ceremonies—a traditional Catholic church wedding at Old St. Mary’s in the morning and a Hindu ceremony at Discovery World in the afternoon—was a testament to their commitment to honoring both family traditions. With their constant smiles and tears of happiness, both families participated equally in the ceremonies, creating a unity and harmony that filled the day with warmth and laughter.

The celebration continued in the Pilot House ballroom at Discovery World for the reception. “We wanted a venue that combined our love of the lakefront and thirst for knowledge and embraced our unique cultural blend.” A highlight of the evening was the Baraat, an Indian wedding tradition in which the groom enters the venue with dancing and music. All of the guests lined up on the south dock of Discovery World, and Krishna and his groomsmen made a majestic arrival from Lake Michigan on a 50-foot yacht! Tina and the bridesmaids met him on the pier and danced together into the venue. “The final moments of cheering by the crowd when we finished the dance and Krishna’s beaming smile were some of the most heartwarming moments of the day,” Tina shared. The dance floor was packed all night, thanks to Sound by Design.

The Décor

The color palette of Tina and Krishna’s wedding was inspired by summer sunsets. It included pops of fuschia, crimson, violet, and gold. The mandap—a Hindu ceremony stage—was breathtaking, and the flowers from Belle Fiori made the scenery even more beautiful. “Belle Fiori customized everything to our needs and put together absolutely stunning arrangements.”

Photos

The Heather Cook Elliott Photography team captured the fantastic moments of Tina and Krishna’s wedding day. In addition to their picturesque venues, the newlyweds took photos on the lakefront east of Discovery World. “[Our photographer] Sara was a blast to work with. She was professional and kept the day running ahead of schedule. These photos are a treasure that we will cherish forever.”

The Food and Drinks

“We are huge foodies, so our cuisine options were very important to us,” the couple shared. The night before the wedding, the couple and their bridal party enjoyed a delicious rehearsal dinner at Saffron, a gourmet Indian restaurant in the Historic Third Ward. The dinner from Bartolotta’s featured four courses, including a strawberry balsamic spinach salad, a lemon sorbet palate cleanser, an entrée, and an assortment of desserts.

The couple’s wedding cake was an Oreo Blizzard ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Krishna had been teasingly suggesting cutting the cake with his 3-foot-long samurai sword. To his surprise, his bride surprised him with a new mini samurai sword to slice the cake.

Words of Wisdom from the Bride

My biggest piece of advice to brides and grooms when they start the planning process is to each write down their top three most important items for the day and make them a priority. The rest of the pieces will all fall into place. The engagement is a beautiful, romantic time, don’t let it go by too fast!

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