Nicole & Eric’s Simple & Modern Wedding at the Hyatt

Nicole from Oakdale, Minnesota, and Eric from Chicago, Illinois, met in college through mutual friends. They’d been together for eight wonderful years before Eric proposed in an Indianapolis hotel room, while Nicole was there for work. Eric was driving back from seeing his family in Chicago, so he stopped in Indianapolis to see Nicole and pop the question. “He had gone ring shopping with his mom!” Nicole says. The couple planned a modern, simple wedding at the Hyatt in Milwaukee, with a black and white color scheme and rose gold accents.

The ceremony was officiated by one of Eric’s family friends. “It was short and sweet,” Nicole says. “Eric and I did our own vows, and as nervous as I was to read them, having that memory is one of my favorite things. My other favorite part was seeing Eric and all of our family and friends cry happy tears when I walked down the aisle. Everyone had been rooting for our love story — it was an overwhelming feeling!”

At the reception, Eric and Nicole kicked off the evening with their first dance and cake cutting. Then it was time for dinner, catered by the Hyatt. “The food was amazing! We had so many compliments on the beef brisket.” For dessert, the couple went for cheesecake: “It’s our favorite! We also had an open bar, which everyone was pleased with — ourselves included!”

To decorate the space, Nicole spray painted wine bottles in black and rose gold, then filled each with roses. “We didn’t spend a ton of money on decorations. It was all handmade and very simple.”

After dinner, Vital Image — who handled the music as well as photography and videography — got the party started on the dance floor. Nicole admits, “My favorite part of the reception was dancing the night away. That’s all I cared about after all the nerve-racking stuff was over! But the best part of the day overall, for me, was exchanging vows with my husband.”