Real Wedding: Angie and Tom

Angie and Tom are Wisconsin natives who met during their freshman year at the University of Iowa. The two became fast friends but didn’t start dating for another six years. They had their first date at Water Buffalo in Milwaukee’s Third Ward — and that’s where Tom eventually proposed.

He was nervous about picking out the right ring, so instead he proposed with a giant fake cocktail ring. When Tom got down on one knee and presented the fake ring, Angie said, “This isn’t funny.” But she realized he wasn’t kidding, and immediately said yes. “It was a little overwhelming,” Angie says. “The whole restaurant cheered us on, people were buying us drinks, and Water Buffalo even treated us to a bottle of champagne.”

The couple wanted a fun, relaxing, and stress-free wedding. “We chose New Year’s Eve as a date, and that definitely set the tone for the party; the planning and theme came together pretty easily.” The ceremony was held at the United Methodist Church in Whitefish Bay, and Tom and Angie agree that they weren’t particularly nervous — just emotional. “I had to work very hard not to cry,” Angie says. “When I felt the tears welling up, I wiggled my nose. Tom’s reaction made me smile, not cry.”

After the reception, the bridal party had a mini pre-reception gathering at Water Buffalo. “We reserved the bar, drank champagne, and relaxed before the big party. It was really nice to take a break from the festivities and share some quality time with our siblings.” Tom and Angie both have only one sibling and that was the extent of their bridal party. Angie’s twin brother even walked her down the aisle: “It was very special for me. We’re close and always have been.”

The reception started at 7:30 at Hotel Metro — a site that Tom and Angie absolutely loved. “We can’t rave enough about Hotel Metro and Jon Prill and his staff. Jon was patient with all of our worries and questions, helped pick out a great menu, and took care of so many little details. He knew what we were aiming for and stuck to our vision. We could tell he really cared about us and our wedding, and we loved working with him! Also, the night of the wedding, the staff at Hotel Metro was magnificent — so friendly and attentive to us and all of our guests.”

At the reception, Angie and Tom opted to skip the formal dinner in favor of passed appetizers for the first hour, a carving station and mashed potato bar for the middle of the party, a dessert bar, and some late night snacks. They also chose some traditional New Year’s Eve foods like steak tartare and herring. “We heard rave reviews about the food all evening,” Angie says. “But a favorite of the night was our late-night snack: breakfast at midnight! We served mini quiches and chicken and waffles.”

Tom and Angie really did stick to their “less is more” motto. Angie says she didn’t do a single DIY project. “I stayed off Pinterest and didn’t craft a thing. For wedding favors, we had traditional New Year’s Eve party favors, like noise makers and hats — Hotel Metro even supplied them! We kept our centerpieces really simple and repurposed the bridal party bouquets, too. Hotel Metro provided candles and other décor.” Given the simplicity of their wedding day, Angie’s final advice for brides-to-be comes as little surprise: “Keep it simple and don’t get lost in the details.”

Bachelor Party~MN at Drive a Tank www.driveatank.com
Bachelorette Party~Milwaukee, bar hopping on Brady Street
Registry~Crate & Barrel, Kohl’s, Amazon.com
Invitations~vistaprint.com
Rehearsal Dinner~We watched the Packers vs Bears Game 2 days before the wedding at a local bar, Alioto’s. We had to have the rehearsal a little early because of availability of everyone participating in the service. It was fun to get together to watch a game and have the day before open to run last minute errands.
Ceremony Location~United Methodist Church, Whitefish Bay
Reception, Catering, Cake~Hotel Metro
Flowers~Floralific Creations
Music/Entertainment~Friend of the Bride & Groom
Transportation~Since our wedding party was so small, our photographer offered to tote us around in his SUV. He was great!
Photo and Video~The Clique Studio
Dress~Brandi’s Bridal, New Glarus, WI
Formal Wear~Men’s Wearhouse
Rings~Thiet Jewelers
Honeymoon~Playa Del Carmen, Mexico