Lisa and Curtis’ Outdoor Autumn Wedding at Olympia Resort

It took Lisa and Curtis about a decade to get together. They first met in 2001 through mutual friends, then again in 2008, and finally started dating in 2010. The two got engaged in September of 2014 on a seemingly nondescript Friday night. It was drizzling and Curtis and Lisa were driving to dinner. Curtis suddenly turned into Whitnall Park and parked the car where there’s a lovely scenic outlook.

Despite the drizzle, Curtis prompted Lisa to get out of the car. Lisa remembers: “He walked around to my side and said ‘I know how this is one of your favorite places to come, and I wanted to put some sunshine in this cold, icky day!’ Then he pulled out the ring and got down on one knee… It was the absolute best proposal I could have asked for! I love surprises and he truly surprised me.”

Lisa and Curtis planned an elegant wedding with autumn flair in the fall of 2015. In preparation for the big day, Lisa attended the Wonderful World of Weddings at State Fair Park. She also found her dress and the bridesmaid dresses at Amelishan Bridal in Hubertus. “I loved, loved, loved going wedding dressing shopping and getting pampered with my sister, friend, and future mother-in-law!”

Lisa had a lot of help from the women in her family, not only for the dress shopping but also for the many DIY projects they tackled: “My future mother-in-law helped with cutting, gluing, and decorating the table names. Instead of table numbers, we thought of cities Curtis and I had been to together. We also printed out the name cards and decorated those with a tiny red, brown, or orange fall leaves to distinguish who got what meal.”

“My sister painted and decorated a wood card box with fake flowers and old metal keys. It turned out absolutely perfect — she did such a great job!” All of this DIY creativity mingled beautifully with the Belle Fiori flowers Curtis and Lisa chose. “I really liked picking out the flowers,” Lisa says. “I had an idea, but Emily from Belle Fiori knew exactly how to make my ideas a reality.”

Both the ceremony and reception were held at Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. “We just love the outdoors, so Olympia was ideal. We had absolutely perfect weather — sunny and mid-60s in October!” Lisa says that the wedding coordinator at Olympia, Gretchen Schlueter, was amazing. “She was organized and thorough, and that’s exactly what we wanted — to not have to plan anything!”

The gazebo ceremony started at 4pm and lasted about 40 minutes. Curtis says his favorite part of the ceremony was watching his future wife walk down the aisle. Lisa loved that moment too: “That’s what I always wanted — to walk down the aisle with my dear dad.” This closeness with her dad is especially meaningful, since Lisa lost her beloved mother two years earlier. “I know she’s an angel looking after us all.”

Following the ceremony, the reception moved to a big white tent. “We liked that everything was convenient and that our family and friends didn’t have to travel far from the ceremony to the reception.” Dinner was catered by Olympia and offered three options: Grilled flat iron steak served with burgundy mushroom sauce over yukon gold potatoes; chicken Boursin stuffed with mushrooms, ham, and Boursin cheese, finished with sauce au natural and garlic herb risotto; pasta primavera with pan-seared veggies tossed with spaghetti and the guests’ s choice of marinara or Alfredo sauce.

For dessert, there was a three-tier marble cake with buttercream frosting, fresh flowers, and the same cake topper that Lisa’s mom and dad had on their wedding cake 47 years earlier. There was also a candy bar and a late-night snack of pizza — always a crowd favorite! Wedding guests also had a blast dancing. One of Lisa’s favorite moments on the dance floor was when the DJ asked all married couples to dance, then eliminated couples based on how long they’d been married. The last two standing on the dance floor had been married the longest: 65 years. Looks like Curtis and Lisa have a record to beat!

Bridal Shows Attended ~Wonderful World of Weddings at State Fair
Invitations~Jenni Klafka
Rehearsal Dinner~The Lakeside Supper Club and Lounge
Ceremony & Reception Location~ Olympia Resort
Cake Designer/Dessert~Mike Kinjerski
Flowers~ Belle Fiori
Music/Entertainment~Kart-Tunes- Paul Smith
Photographer~ Lasting Memories
Wedding Dress Designer~Mori Lee
Bridesmaid Designer~Mori Lee
Bridal Salon~Amelishan Bridal
Formalwear~Men’s Wearhouse
Rings~Kessler’s
Honeymoon~ Sandals Ochi, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica