Chelsey & Brandon’s Elegant Pritzlaff Wedding

A timeless wedding in a historic Milwaukee venue

Just Like a Rom Com

Chelsey and Brandon met at a bar that neither of them really wanted to be at. The location wasn’t one of Chelsey’s favorites, but in an effort to just have fun with her friends, she went with it. Little did she know Brandon was in the same boat. While there, Chelsey’s friend Karalen spotted Brandon, did a brief screening of his age and interests, then slyly pulled Chelsey into the conversation.

“Chelsey, come meet Brandon,” Karalen said. And that was that. The two spent the whole night talking and dancing. At one point, Brandon’s friends left him and he didn’t mind one bit. Chelsey and Brandon exchanged phone numbers and went on their first official date the very next night. They’ve been together ever since.

A Door County Proposal

Chelsey is from Milwaukee and Brandon is from Door County. Every Labor Day weekend since they started dating, Brandon and Chelsey have done a long weekend in Door County together. They had planned a typical day of brunch, wine tasting, and dinner. On the way to the winery, Brandon made a detour to Fish Creek to take a stroll and look at the water. “This is something we do all the time,” Chelsey says. “So although it was kinda weird, it wasn’t weird enough for me to question it.”

While walking by the water, Brandon popped the question. After the proposal, they went for wine and pizza at Stone’s Throw. Later, the two went for what Chelsey thought was cocktails and dinner at the Yacht Club, celebrating their engagement with Brandon’s family. As they pulled into the restaurant, what Chelsey saw was all their favorite people—her family, friends, and Brandon’s family—all there for a surprise engagement party!

An Elegant October Wedding

Chelsey and Brandon planned a simple, elegant wedding at the Pritzlaff in downtown Milwaukee. “I wanted every aspect of the wedding to feel romantic and timeless,” Chelsey says. The color scheme was neutrals with a variety of white flowers and greenery and lots of candles to add to the romance. The bridesmaids wore taupe-colored dresses and the groomsmen were in charcoal suits.

Chelsey found her gown at Miss Ruby’s. She tried on about five gowns before finding “the one.” She says: “I knew it was the one because I cried in it! The attendants helping me could just tell, so they put on my veil and gave me a fake bouquet. I did a grand entrance to show my loved ones who were there with me. As soon as they opened the curtains I started bawling. I could just feel it.”

The wedding was postponed by a year due to Covid. Chelsey says it was difficult mostly because she wanted different things in 2021 than she did in 2020, but so much was already decided. “For example, I loved the bridesmaid dresses that the girls wore. However, if I was only planning in 2021, I think I would have had them wear black. Otherwise, even with the pandemic our planning process was smooth. I made it my mission to finish planning aspects as early as time would allow, so as to not be stressed closer to the wedding. 10/10 recommend that!”

Photos & First Look

Brandon and Chelsey did a first look and stopped at several locations for photos. The first look was at the Pfister Hotel, where they were staying. They then took a trolley to Lakeshore State Park for photos with the wedding party. “We also took photos outside the University Club and Bacchus for some building-backdrop photos,” Chelsey says. “Then after the ceremony, just Brandon and I went back out to do couples photos. We did these in the Third Ward, outside of the Pritzlaff, and on the roof of the Pritzlaff.”

A Wedding at the Pritzlaff

The Pritzlaff was the first venue Brandon and Chelsey toured. It was also the first venue Chelsey researched online, and she loved it before ever seeing it in person. When she did, she knew it was their spot. “The Pritzlaff is such an effortlessly beautiful space. Not much needs to be done to make it complete. I appreciated that not a lot of fuss would have to go in to making our wedding beautiful. It matched the vibe we were going for as well—simple elegance. We are both huge suckers for some cream city exposed brick!”

Pritzlaff Galleria Ceremony

Walking down the aisle during the ceremony was, to Chelsey, a “breath-taking moment.” She says, “I was so overcome with emotion! I was trying so hard not to make an ‘ugly’ crying face. It’s very surreal to live out a moment you’ve dreamt of for such a long time.”

The ceremony was officiated by Judge Derek Mosely—“He’s the best of the best!” There were a few things that made Brandon and Chelsey’s ceremony unique. First was a ring-warming ceremony: “Judge Mosely passed our rings around to each guest and asked them to hold them, warm them with their love, and make a silent wish. The thought being then that our rings now contain the love, hope, and support of our marriage from our most-treasured people.”

“The second aspect of our ceremony that was unique was the explanation for why we wear our rings on the ‘ring finger.’ Judge Mosely has ancestry with the Choctaw, and there is an age-old tail as to why this is. He led the entire group through the explanation by having everyone hold up both of their hands, and through a series of reasonings, the answer became clear.”

“We also did a different version of tying the knot where Judge Mosely tied five knots over our joined hands and had us recite ‘I do’ regarding different promises.” Lastly, Brandon’s sister also spoke at the ceremony. “It was so beautiful and moving. She had the crowd crying and laughing! It was perfect.”

Pritzlaff Reception

Chelsey was particularly pleased with the flow of the reception. “The reception was so much fun! Everything seemed to happen at the right time and there really wasn’t any dull moments.”

Dinner was catered by Saz’s. “The food was amazing! Saz’s absolutely killed it, and people are still complimenting the beef short ribs. We also had an open bar, which was a must for us, as well as a specialty drink. Brandon is known for ordering a ‘gin and seltzer with a lemon’ when he goes out. So that’s what we did! We called it the ‘B&C’ which is also our nickname within our friend group.”

Dessert was cake made by family friend Jan. “It was dark and chocolate and delicious! We also had Ian’s pizza delivered for late night food—so good!”

Dancing the Night Away

One of Chelsey’s favorite moments of the reception was when the dance floor officially opened. “I had a unique idea for this, and our DJ Tori from Sound by Design was able to help me execute it,” Chelsey says. “I wanted to do a dance to our song—‘I Love You Always Forever’ by Donna Lewis. Brandon and I started dancing just the two of us, but just for a very short amount of time. Then the DJ asked our wedding party and their dates to join us as the beat dropped. Next he asked all the married people to join in, and lastly everyone else to join. By the end, everyone at the wedding was dancing, and it was so fun and special!”