Grace & Trevor’s Intimate Backyard Wisconsin Wedding

Love Brews at Lakefront

Grace and Trevor met “thanks to a little thing called the internet.” They had their first date in 2014 at Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery. “Beer and fried fish—he already knew the way to my heart,” Grace laughs. The two have since moved to Phoenix, Arizona.

One year, they planned a trip back home to Wisconsin, and Grace suggested they revisit the brewery that started it all. “I had a feeling Trevor could propose, but he was acting so normal and casual. I decided: no way.” After enjoying their beer, the couple went to snap a picture together in front of Lakefront’s famous stein. When Trevor asked a kind stranger to take their photo, he slyly asked for a video instead—to capture the proposal.

A Backyard Back-Up Plan

Trevor and Grace set the date in Phoenix for May of 2020, but had to postpone due to Covid. Grace’s parents, particularly her stepmom, graciously stepped in to help plan a new version of the wedding at home in Wisconsin. “We didn’t really have a theme,” Grace says. “Trevor and I are pretty laid back. My stepmom pulled out all the stops, so it was all very beautiful.”

To help bring the backyard wedding day together, Grace’s stepmom turned to Oscar Sanchez from Ambrosia Events. “Oscar helped with everything from the start of the planning to the day-after clean up. He was great.” Ambrosia Events also provided linens, chairs, and decor such as greenery and floating flowers in the pool.

Other vendors included beverage service by Bartenders on the Go and dessert by Simma’s Bakery. Grace found her Stella York gown at Bon Bon Bell in Burlington, Wisconsin. But for all the change-of-plans, the bride and groom were lucky enough to keep their original photographer, Annalise Marie Photography, who traveled from Phoenix to capture the big day.

An Intimate Wedding

Grace and Trevor planned from the beginning to not have a bridal party. “We didn’t want the added stress or financial burden on our friends. We were so glad we went that route because it made the logistics of re-planning the wedding that much easier. The focus continued to be on the bride and groom, just as we hoped.”

The guest list was also rather modest to comply with recommendations for gatherings during that time of the pandemic. “We also didn’t have a typical dance party. Just three classic dances: the bride and groom, bride and dad, and groom and mom. It wasn’t a big thing to plan, but we were glad to still be able to have that at our backyard wedding.” Without all the dancing, the bride and groom had a lot of time to catch up with family and friends—”that had to be our favorite part.”

Keeping Family Close

Because Grace’s mom passed away a number of years ago, they made sure to keep her memory close throughout the wedding day. There was a large photo of her just to the side of the ceremony, so she was present for that. Grace kept a photo of her mom nearby while getting ready, and she also added lace from her mom’s wedding garter to her bouquet. Lastly, her mom’s engagement ring was made into a bracelet for Grace’s “something old.”

The Sunflower Interlude

While most of the photos were taken at Grace’s family home, the newlyweds did visit a nearby sunflower field for some unforgettable portraits. “When we got there, there was a group of high schoolers taking photos too. They saw us and started playing Bruno Mars’ ‘Marry You.’ Our photographer invited them over to dance with us for a moment, so we got some fun photos from that experience!” Grace particularly loved getting away to the sunflower field: “We felt like ourselves, not at a wedding. No pressure, just us in each other’s presence, having fun.”

Wedding Wisdom in Covid Times

Grace shares these wise words, which are good to keep in mind, pandemic or not: “Remember what is most important to you. For us, we wanted our parents to be there, so we did what we could to be with our families. We also wanted professional photos, so we could have physical memories of the day forever. While there were some extras we wish we could have had, in the end, those aren’t important. What matters is that we love each other and are now married.”