Ali & Nate’s Fun-Loving Wedding at Veterans Terrace

Once Upon a Time in Burlington, Wisconsin

Ali and Nate are both from Burlington, Wisconsin, and even went to the same high school. They were two grades apart and didn’t actually meet until they were both working at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva. “Nate was a bartender and I was a server,” Ali recalls. “There was an immediate spark, but it took over a year for us to officially date.”

Nate disguised the proposal as a belated birthday celebration for Ali. “I always thought I would know when he was going to pop the question, but lo and behold, he managed to completely surprise me!” The two were staying at the Saint Kate Arts Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. While at the hotel’s champagne bar, Nate hired a violinist to play beside their table.

Wedding Planning, Pandemic Style
Nate and Ali originally planned a July 2020 wedding, but ended up postponing until September. “Right when quarantine started, we had the conversation about potentially moving back our date. But we were trying to remain hopeful that things would be better by July.”

It was sometime in May when Ali and Nate decided to push back their wedding date. “By that time, our invitations had already been sent out and all of our vendors had been booked. It was quite a bit of work to let every guest know the new wedding date. They say planning a wedding is stressful, but boy was it even more stressful to plan during a pandemic!”

COVID concerns aside, Nate and Ali planned a rustic yet elegant wedding with colors of navy, mauve, and cream. Ali found her gorgeous gown at Bon Bon Belle in Burlington. In an ode to both the place where they met and their mutual hometown, the rehearsal dinner was held at The Bottle Shop in Lake Geneva, while both the wedding ceremony and reception took place at Veterans Terrace in Burlington.

Veterans Terrace Wedding
In planning their wedding, Ali and Nate say they cannot thank Beth Reetz of Veterans Terrance enough. “She truly is one of a kind! Beth was there for us every step of the way, helping us change our wedding date, making adjustments because of COVID, having extra meetings with us and reassuring us that everything will work out the way it should. And it did! She and her staff are friendly, sweet, and they work so hard. They did all of our set-up and breakdown, and we truly were able to enjoy the whole day with our family, friends, and each other.”

From First Look to First Shots
Ali and Nate agree that one of their favorite moments of the day was their first look before the ceremony. “I was so nervous,” Ali says. “When he turned around, he had tears in his eyes, and that made me so emotional. It made me fall even more in love with him, and I couldn’t wait to marry him!”

Later, as the new Mr. and Mrs. were announced and entered their reception, the two went straight to the bar to take their first shots as husband and wife. “Right after, we surprised our wedding party and called them over to take a group shot too.”

Dinner & Dessert
Nate and Ali opted out of the formal plated dinner. “We wanted the dinner to represent us—casual and fun. We ended up doing a taco bar, because who doesn’t like tacos?! We had the whole set up: chicken, beef, and the best toppings.” For dessert, there were carrot cake cupcakes (Nate’s favorite) and Oreo cupcakes (Ali’s favorite).

“When we finally got to sit down for dinner, we took a moment to look around and see all of our family and friends in one place, celebrating our love. The ten months leading up to our wedding were chaotic and uncertain, so we felt very blessed that everything came together and that everyone was able to gather together to celebrate our love and marriage.”

Honeymoon in Door County
Before the pandemic, Ali and Nate had planned to honeymoon in Jamaica—”but that quickly changed!” Instead, the two went to Door County because neither of them had been before. “It was so relaxing and gorgeous up there! We spent four days enjoying the quiet, the breathtaking atmosphere, the local charm, and of course the good food and wine.”