Maggie & Craig’s Summer Wedding at the Golden Mast

How They Met

Craig and Maggie’s story began on Okauchee Lake — the same lake where they would be married three years later. It was the summer of 2015 and Maggie went boating with friends. Craig was part of the party. “We picked him up on his pier, and he and I hit it off right away,” Maggie says. “Our friends launched their boat at the Golden Mast, which is where we ended up having our wedding!”

The Proposal

Maggie and Craig were on vacation in the Bahamas when Craig popped the question. There were photographers at the resort and Craig suggested having a photo taken. Maggie wanted to ask a fellow vacationer to snap their picture to save money, but Craig insisted on a professional. “Then he got down on one knee and asked! It’s all on camera.”

Dress Shopping at White Dress Bridal Boutique

Maggie found her Enzoani wedding gown at White Dress — a boutique that, she says, really made the experience one to remember. “The boutique is fabulously decorated and the dress selection far exceeds any other bridal store in Milwaukee,” Maggie says. “The customer service was stellar. I felt like such a princess while I was trying on dresses. I knew exactly what I wanted: something simple with tasteful bling.” Maggie’s gown was just that — a simple silhouette with bling on the back.

A Sunny Ceremony

Craig and Maggie said “I do” under the Golden Mast gazebo. The most memorable part of the ceremony was, unfortunately, the heat. Maggie had always dreamed of an outdoor wedding, so in searching for venues, an outdoor space was critical. “The Golden Mast has a beautiful gazebo right on the lake. For months I prayed for no rain on my wedding day. My prayers came true — it was 98 degrees, the hottest day of summer! We shortened the ceremony so people wouldn’t be in the heat as long.”

Okauchee Island Photos

Following the sweltering ceremony, the newlyweds and the wedding party took two pontoon boats to an island on Okauchee lake. “We took all of our group photos there, which included beautiful greenery,” Maggie says. “Craig and I took some amazing photos on the island’s pier with the lake in the background. There was a breeze on the island, which made the 100-degree heat a little more bearable and made for some amazing veil shots!”

Craig and Maggie loved working with their photographer, Marie from Wild Elegance LLC. Maggie wanted airy, light photos and found exactly what she was looking for in the Wild Elegance portfolio. “We met with Marie in the summer of 2017 and signed with her right away. So many photographers have unoriginal photos with very little editing. Marie’s portfolio included different editing styles and unique locations and poses. We had our engagement shoot with her in August of 2017 and loved working with her. We met with her a couple weeks before the wedding to tie up loose ends, and she was so organized. Marie captured every detail of our wedding, remembered every idea I showed her from Pinterest, and photographed everything exactly as I wanted. The best part was getting some sneak peek pictures sent to us that night! She delivered all the photos in a timely manner and we never get tired of looking at them.

Golden Mast Reception

From the gazebo, the celebration moved into the Golden Mast’s Lakeside Terrace room. “The reception was great because it was in the air conditioning and all of our guests were finally comfortable. We started with cocktail hour and passed hors d’oeuvres.” During cocktails, the DJ played music alongside a slide show of pictures of Craig and Maggie growing up. Then came the grand march. Before dinner, the officiant, Maggie’s uncle, said some words that he saved from the shortened ceremony.

To decorate the reception space, the couple chose a color scheme of blush pink and silver. Maggie rented white floor-length tablecloths from Arena Americas, “because the Golden Mast had shorter ivory ones and I wanted white for a crisp look.” She also rented blush napkins and silver chargers — ”chargers totally transform a table.” Rented Chiavari chairs completed the room’s gorgeous look.

Sit-Down Dinner & Wedding Cake by Mom

Both dinner and drinks were provided by the Golden Mast. “It was delicious! The sit-down dinner included a fresh bakery basket, garden salad, and choice of princess chicken, filet mignon, and mushroom ravioli. All of it was amazing.” The wedding cake was made by Maggie’s mom who loves to bake, making dessert extra-special. “It was a beautiful five-tier cake with chocolate and vanilla layers and buttercream frosting. Everyone loved it!”