Jordyn & Matt’s Downtown Milwaukee Wedding at the Historic Grain Exchange

From Mustard to Matrimony

Jordyn and Matt met over Halloween of 2014. Jordyn was dressed as a bottle of mustard and a mutual friend, dressed as ketchup, set the romance in motion. “She told me there was a guy at the party who thought I was cute,” Jordyn says. “She then told Matt there was a girl who thought he was cute. The rest is history!”

The lovebirds were living on Milwaukee’s Riverwalk when Matt decided it was time to pop the question. He arranged for a two-person boat to meet them on the river outside of their apartment to take them to dinner at their favorite local spot for sushi. En route, Matt got down on one knee and asked Jordyn to marry him. They popped the champagne as passing boaters and riverwalkers toasted the happy couple.

Making History

Matt and Jordyn planned a summer 2019 wedding that centered on elegance and Milwaukee’s history. “We were married in one of the oldest Catholic churches in the diocese, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Our reception was at the history, beautiful Grain Exchange. The Grain Exchange was initially built in the 1870s, designed in the Simple Italian architectural style with soaring ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, gold accents, and large pillars. Matt is a member of the Historical Society, and the Grain Exchange instantly took our breath away when we first saw it!”

The couple chose a color scheme of Windsor and navy blue, gold, and ivory. Jordyn found her Paloma Blanca strapless lace gown at White Dress Bridal Boutique. Navy bridesmaid dresses hailed from Miss Ruby. To compliment the elegance and color scheme, Belle Fiori brought a beautiful floral vision to life. “All of our guests complimented us on the stunning displays at the church and reception. They really outdid themselves with all of the special floral touches around the guest book, welcome bartique, and gift table.”

At the end of the night, the bride and groom donated all of their flowers to Petals for Patients. “It warmed our hearts to know the beautiful flowers from our day would be shared with patients in hospice and their loved ones.”

Something Old, Something New

Jordyn made sure to check off all the must-haves from this age-old adage. She cut a piece of lace from her mother’s bridal gown and wrapped it around her bouquet for her “something old.” For her “something borrowed,” Jordyn also incorporated her father’s religious medal into the bouquet. A sapphire ring accounted for the “something blue,” and the “something new” was Jordyn’s beautiful Paloma Blanca strapless lace dress.

A Special Catholic Ceremony

Jordyn and Matt decided to uphold tradition and not see each other until the bride walked down the aisle. “We wrote letters to each other that we read before heading to the church.” The ceremony was also unique because it had 4 priests celebrating the service — family priests who performed Matt and Jordyn’s sacraments growing up. “We also had beautiful music with a violin, flute, piano, trumpet, and two vocalists. We both grew up Catholic and agree that the ceremony was the most memorable part of our day!”

Downtown Milwaukee Photo Ops

As the bridal party made their way by trolley from the ceremony to the reception, they stopped for a handful of photos. “We went to Swing Bridge on the Milwaukee River, Lakeshore State Park, and the Milwaukee Public Market. Swing Bridge is right near our apartment, overlooking the Milwaukee River and Lakefront Brewery. Lakeshore State Park is located on the shores of Lake Michigan with amazing views of the skyline. Outside of the Public Market, we stood in the center of the street while our wedding party walked across. Only took two tries to get it perfect!”

Dinner by Bartolotta

To start the evening, Matt and Jordyn chose hors d’oeuvres of bruschetta, curried chicken salad, Thai chicken satay, goat cheese mushroom caps, short rib tarts, and crispy shrimp. Each guest arrived at their place-setting to find a decadent chocolate truffle waiting for them. Dinner began with a fresh herb salad topped with a parmesan crisp, followed by a choice of hanger steak, citrus chicken, or rigatoni con melanzane. Late-night snacks included pulled pork sandwiches and a mac ‘n’ cheese bar.

“All of our guests were amazed by the beauty of the Grain Exchange and Bartolotta and the service they provided. Every meal was served hot, delicious, and plentiful. You can tell it’s a family business because of the attention to detail and the way they lovingly treat their guests.”

Dance It Out

Some of the most unforgettable moments at Jordyn and Matt’s wedding happened on the dance floor. For starters, a live-event artist painted the first dance. Following the traditional father of the bride and mother of the groom dances, there was a surprise flash mob. Jordyn and one of her bridesmaids choreographed a dance to “This Will Be An Everlasting Love” and invited all mothers, daughters, and those who had danced with Jordyn since childhood to join in. “The flash mob was a surprise for Matt, too!”

Once the dance floor opened up to the rest of the guests, everyone was given a light-up wristband. The colorful wristbands flashed in coordinated time to the beat of the DJ’s music. “The dance floor was packed all night long!”

Some Advice: Stick Together!

Jordyn says, “The best advice we received was not to let others pull us away from each other. The wedding day and night you have been planning goes by so quickly! We wanted to share our wedding experience with one another all the way through. It’s the best to be able to reminisce about all the happy moments we shared as a new Mr. and Mrs.”