Real Wedding: Anne and Rich

When Rich walked into Anne’s work for the first time back in 2006, the connection was immediate. Over the years, Rich would stop in to say hi to Anne, but these visits stopped when Rich moved away. In 2012, Rich came back to see if Anne was still working at the same place; she was, and he finally asked her out. Both owners of Harley Davidson motorcycles, Anne and Rich have been riding together ever since.

When Rich eventually proposed, it was over duct tape. He had come over to Anne’s apartment one summer day when she was busily unpacking and settling in after a week-long camping trip at Country USA. All Rich wanted was to take a walk around one of Oconomowoc’s many beautiful lakes, but Anne insisted she had too much to do – including running to the store to pick up duct tape. Rich gave in to the duct tape errand – but before they reached the door to leave, he got down on one knee, confessed his love, and proposed. “I said yes and the rest is history,” says Anne. “It wasn’t quite his plan, but now we joke that we got engaged with duct tape.”

In preparation for the wedding, Anne found her stunning Sophia Tolli gown at Amelishan Bridal in Hubertus. “Everyone at the store was amazing,” she says. The couple chose bridesmaid dresses and tuxedos from Betrothed in Oconomowoc, ordered invitations through Walmart and UPrinting.com, and registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Sears. As for their bachelor and bachelorette parties, Anne and Rich threw one big party on a friend’s party bus, stopping at different bars in Watertown, Ixonia, Oconomowoc, and Pewaukee. For the rehearsal dinner: A super fun taco bar at Fiesta Cancun in Ocnomowoc.

The wedding ceremony took place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Evangelical Church in Oconomowoc. A good friend of Anne’s sang and her best friend’s parents played the guitar and piano. “I wasn’t nervous,” says Anne. “I was excited and couldn’t wait to see Rich. When I came up the back staircase, I saw my father and we both smiled and started crying… As the door opened, everything disappeared besides Rich. Our eyes focused on each other, and the rest was a blur.” Anne recalls one of the best moments of the ceremony: When Rich’s 10-year-old son Riyder handed the Pastor the wedding rings, then turned to the audience and gave a huge smile and thumbs up.

The reception was held at the Watertown Country Club, where Anne says everything went as planned – thanks majorly to the wonderful Angela Catteruccia, the club’s Wedding Consultant (“She was awesome to work with,” says Anne). Photographer Ryan Ebert of Ebert Studios staged photos on the country club’s golf course, complete with gorgeous scenery and golf carts. The reception included a phenomenal dinner, a DJ from Midwest Sound DJ Entertainment, the traditional speeches, a Grand March, and a garter and bouquet toss. The food especially received high praise from guests who had a choice of pork prime steak or lemon chicken piccata, and the DJ kept the dance floor filled all night.

As for special touches, Anne and Rich had a slideshow of photos of themselves as children and as a couple. Anne’s parents were celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary just a few short days after the wedding, so the newlyweds dedicated a song and dance to them. But one of the most memorable parts of the reception: A nacho cheese fountain as the late-night snack! “It was a hit! Especially for the people from out-of-state,” Anne says. “They said ‘A cheese fountain – only in Wisconsin!’”

Anne and Rich also included a number of DIY projects to make the event even more meaningful and memorable. Thanks in large part to some of Anne’s wonderfully creative friends, there were homemade chalk board signs, decorated rock baskets and vases, and handmade seating charts. But Anne’s favorite thing to plan was the cake pops: “Instead of serving cake to everyone and having a centerpiece at each table, my friends and I had the idea to combine them into one. My friend Krystal Leitzke makes incredible cake pops – so she made about 700 of them and arranged them to look like flowers for the centerpieces. The guests couldn’t get enough of them! We heard after that people were actually sticking cake pops in their jackets and purses to take home because they were so good.”

In the end, we asked Anne to look back and consider which memories and moments stick with her the most from her wedding day. “It’s everything that my friends and family did for me,” she says. “It’s my friends singing and playing at the ceremony, making cake pops and chalkboard signs, and my nephews and nieces shooting videos at the reception.” One of the best memories from the day itself: When Rich’s son ran up to him at the reception, hugged him, and started crying. “Rich asked him why he was crying, and Riyder said ‘Dad, this is just the best day of my life and I’m so happy.’ It was a very special moment that we still talk about and will for a long time.”

So what is Anne’s advice for brides planning their own wedding? “Relax and enjoy the ride because it’s over too quickly. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help, and don’t panic about the small things; it will all work out.”

Bridal Registry~Bed, Bath & Beyond and
Did you use a Wedding Consultant~Angela Catteruccia, Watertown Country Club
Invitations~ Walmart.com and UPrinting.com
Rehearsal Dinner~Fiesta Cancun, Oconomowoc
Ceremony Location~St.Pauls Lutheran Evangelical Church, Oconomowoc
Reception Location~Watertown Country Club
Cake and Cake Pops~Krystal Leitzke
Flowers~Modern Bloom, Oconomowoc
Music/Entertainment~Midwest Sound DJ Entertainment, Waukesha
Transportation~Big City Limo, Sussex
Photographer~Ryan Ebert, Ebert Studios, Fort Atkinson
Dress Designer~Sophia Tolli from Amelishan Bridal, Hubertus
Formal Wear~Betrothed, Oconomowoc
Rings~Kesslers