Jaime & Loren’s Discovery World Wedding in Downtown Milwaukee

Jaime and Loren met at Miller Park in 2009. When Loren proposed, it was just before the two were headed out the door to a concert; Loren was waiting on bended knee at the foot of the stairs, and of course she said yes. Jaime found her dress at Amelishan Bridal while out shopping with her mom. “What made it even better,” she says, “is that there was a little boy in the dress shop, and when he walked past and saw me, he turned to his mom and said ‘Mommy, it’s a princess’ — that did it!”

Loren and Jaime planned an unforgettable wedding at The Pilot House at Milwaukee’s Discovery World. “We chose our venue due to the amenities that guests could enjoy, as well as the beautiful views of the lake and city. Discovery World also had a wedding coordinator who worked with us for no additional fee. Julie was amazing. She was with us from the moment we saw the location to the end of the reception. Everything went off without any problems!”

For their first look, Loren and Jaime met on the pier. “Everything hit me on my walk out to see him,” Jaime says. “I remember feeling so excited and so nervous all at the same time. One of my favorite pictures captures our first look and the emotions in my eyes”

The ceremony was held at sunset in a room overlooking Lake Michigan. One of Jaime and Loren’s favorite parts was when a boat sailed by and blew its horn, stopping the ceremony for a moment. “Our reverend was amazing and turned the moment into a fun reminder. She said that there are always interruptions in life, but every time we hear a boat horn, we will think of our special day.”

After the ceremony, guests moved to the Discovery World aquariums for cocktails and appetizers. “It was fun to have a change of scenery, and the guests really enjoyed seeing the fish!” Then it was back to the lake-view room, which had been decked out with coral, purple, and orange flowers, candelabras on the dinner tables, and a chandelier over the dance floor.

“Our appetizers, dinner, and dessert were some of our favorite parts of the wedding!” Jaime says. Dinner was catered by Bartolotta Catering Company & Events and included choices of braised beef, coq au vin, and wild mushroom risotto. “The food was amazing and one of the things we continue to receive compliments on. We were also greatly impressed by the service and professionalism of the staff. At each table, meals were always served at the same time — if eight people were at a table, eight servers came out and set down plates. It was coordinated so well, almost like a dance. The food was piping hot, and the portions were a great size.”

For dessert, there were two flavors of cake from The Cake Lady: red velvet with cream cheese and white chocolate frosting, or vanilla cake with lemon curd and raspberry preserves. For drinks, Jaime and Loren hosted an open bar for the duration of the the reception. “We decided early on that we would rather spend money on the bar than on linens or chairs. It helped keep the party going all night long! Plus, a free shuttle was provided to ensure guests got home safely.”

While Discovery World and Bartolotta did a lot of the heavy lifting, Jaime made sure to include plenty of personal touches to make the day unique. She made the wedding programs, which had four tabs with fun information on the bride, groom, family, and wedding events. She also designed the menu cards for each guest’s place setting. Her most challenging project: paper straws with flags. After trying a not-so-sticky online template, double-sided tape, and sparkly washi tape, Jaime finally had to super glue all 300 straws to keep the flags on. “It was a lot of work for a small detail, but I loved them!”

To capture all the magic, Loren and Jaime hired Dennis Felber Photography. “He was a fun guy and up to try anything — even jumping on abandoned railroad tracks for the engagement photos! He listened to what we really wanted to capture, as well as added ideas for what he felt would be beautiful. He was excited and energetic and kept everyone engaged throughout the day. After the wedding, we were able to preview our photos within two weeks! Dennis also created three beautiful albums for our family. I truly love the work he did and am beyond grateful to have our album as a keepsake!”

[table]
Invitations~Paper Envy
Rehearsal Dinner~Cooper’s Hawk Winery in Brookfield
Ceremony & Reception~The Pilot House, Discovery World, Milwaukee, WI
Caterer~Bartolotta Catering Company & Events
Cake~The Cake Lady
Flowers~Esther Flemming
Music/Entertainment~Sound By Design
Photographer~Dennis Felber
Wedding Dress~Amelishan Bridal – Mori Lee
Formalwear~Men’s Wearhouse
Rings~Hers: Verragio, TQ Diamonds (Madison, WI)`His: Jared
[/table]