Katie & Jake’s Classic Wedding at the Chandelier Ballroom

December 8, 2017

High school sweethearts Katie and Jake met at a West Bend High School boys’ basketball game. Years later, Jake proposed to Katie at Kauai’s Fern Grotto. “We were going to get our picture taken, and I looked over and Jake was on one knee,” Katie says. “I will never forget the proud smile Jake had on his face for pulling off the surprise. My whole family was there, and we were all crying — it was perfect!”

Jake and Katie planned a classic, elegant wedding with a ceremony at Holy Angels Church in West Bend and a reception at the Chandelier Ballroom. Katie found her gown at Bucci’s Bridal in Pewaukee. “We got the bridesmaid dresses there too!”

Katie also attended the Washington County Bridal Fair, where she met Audra from Audra’s House of Cakes. Cake testing was one of Katie’s favorite things she planned for her wedding. “We got to try a bunch of delicious cakes! We ended up with different flavors in each tier, which offered a lot of variety. We chose vanilla, chocolate, and carrot cake with different flavors of frosting.”

On the day of the wedding, Katie says the best part of the ceremony was being able to personalize it. “Holy Angels is where I went to grade school and middle school. We really liked that we could make the service our own through the readings and songs we selected. My favorite part was hearing my Aunt Lisa sing, as well as exchanging vows. We memorized them, which was nerve wracking! But we did great.”

The celebration then moved to the Chandelier Ballroom, which catered a scrumptious dinner of chicken, salmon, and beef tips with loaded mashed potatoes and mac ’n’ cheese on the side. “Everyone said it was so good — I wish I could have eaten even more of it!” Katie says. In addition to Audra’s three-tier wedding cake for dessert, guests also helped themselves to popcorn in little bags that said, “All you need is love and a little popcorn.”

The bride and groom also made their own wedding favors: Tins filled with organic tea. “We bought 4-ounce tins, a lot of tea, and circular labels. We designed the labels, printed “Love is Brewing” on them, and placed them on the tins. They looked so cute!”

Katie says her favorite parts of the reception were the speeches, the first dance, the father-daughter dance, and her brother’s rendition of Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness.” “It was epic,” Katie says. “The whole night was so much fun, I wouldn’t change a thing! Michele at the Chandelier Ballroom was so great to work with. She’s not only the sweetest person, always smiling, she’s also a pro. She answered my questions fast, and on the day of, she even got me some appetizers when I was starving before dinner, which was life-saving.”

As for advice for future brides, Katie says it’s all about timing. “I wish we would have allowed more time before the ceremony for everyone to get dressed. We had a noon wedding, and with hair and makeup appointments, we were rushing.” Hurried hair and makeup aside, the two things that stick with Katie from her wedding day are truly the most important — “exchanging vows and dancing the night away with all of our favorite people in one room.”

Bride and Groom cut cake from Audra's House of Cakes

Bridal Shows Attended~Washington County Bridal Fair
Invitations~The Paperie & Co., Cedarburg
Rehearsal Dinner~The Fox & Hounds, Richfield
Ceremony~Holy Angels Catholic Church, West Bend
Reception & Catering~The Chandelier Ballroom, Hartford
Cake~Audra’s House of Cakes, Kewauskum
Flowers~Nehm’s Greenhouse, Slinger
Music & Photo Booth~A Personal Touch DJ, Oak Creek
Transportation~Phase 1 Limo, West Bend
Photo & Video~George Street Photography, Milwaukee
Gown~Stella York from Bucci’s Bridal, Pewaukee
Formalwear~Sager’s
Rings~Michael E Minden, Las Vegas
Rentals~Make it Memorable, West Bend