Sheila & Matt’s Wedding at the Rotunda in Waukesha

A Fall Wedding in Downtown Waukesha

How It Started

Sheila and Matt met during their senior year of high school when they both worked at Popeye’s. While there was mutual attraction, the two didn’t start dating until about three years later. At that time, Sheila had a daughter who was about 14 months old, and she was worried about starting a relationship. “But I should have known better,” she says. “Matt didn’t blink an eye and has been there for Brooke and me ever since.”

In 2015, Matt and Sheila welcomed their own daughter Lizzy, and in 2016 the happy couple got engaged on Matt’s 31st birthday. The two had family over for Matt’s birthday dinner. After the gift opening, Matt got down on one knee and asked Sheila to marry him. “It took us a while to get there, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Wedding Planning

Matt and Sheila had a long engagement with their wedding taking place in October of 2021. With all that time to plan, Sheila went to a number of wedding shows over the years: the Lake Geneva Bridal Showcase, Tuscan Hall Bridal Showcase, and the Bridal Expo in Brookfield.

In shopping for her dress, Sheila tried on five gowns, but picked the very first one. “I love that my gown wasn’t just white,” she says. “There was a layer of blush tulle too. It wasn’t too over the top with the detailing, and I felt comfortable in it. Also, there were pockets! Who doesn’t love pockets in a dress?”

A Fall Wedding at Waukesha’s Rotunda

Sheila and Matt love Waukesha, so celebrating their wedding there was an easy choice. “We had passed the Rotunda many times during family outings at Waukesha’s Friday Night Live. We wanted to find something local so that guests weren’t traveling too far out of the way.”

“The Rotunda speaks for itself. It’s a beautiful space inside and out. You can’t help but love the place as it is, with the beautiful dome and columns surrounding the dance floor. You don’t have to do much to add to the beauty of it. They had the availability we were looking for, and the price was reasonable. Everything was included in the price and the Rotunda staff handled all the set-up.”

On the day of the wedding, Matt and Sheila leaned into the Waukesha location, taking pictures around downtown. “It was a beautiful day. We took pictures on the love bridge over the Fox River, along the Fox River, the Gazebo by Waukesha State Bank, and the mural on the wall of Antiques & Uniques On Main.”

The Ceremony

In the bridal party, Sheila had all of her sisters and her oldest daughter—one sister flew in from South Carolina, another from California. Matt had his brother and closest friends as groomsmen. The two’s youngest daughter was their flower girl. Sheila’s dad walked her down the aisle, and she could barely hold tears back the moment she saw Matt. “We were so grateful to have all our loved ones play such important parts in our day.”

Dinner by Chef Jack’s

Before memorable dances and bouquet toss, the Rotunda reception started with dinner catered by Chef Jack’s. “They were amazing to work with. Lisa was our go-to and answered any questions we had. She had things running so smoothly on our wedding day that we had no concerns at all. Everyone was so professional and polite. As for the food, we can’t say enough good things. The food was amazing.”

The reception started with six appetizers: mini grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters, rumaki with water chestnuts and hickory smoked bacon, tenderloin crostini with caramelized onions and cheese sauce, Brie and fresh raspberry phyllos, shredded pork quesadillas, and caprese garden skewers. Even though the bride and groom missed the appetizers in the moment, Lisa at Chef Jack’s saved them some to enjoy after they got back from taking pictures.

For dinner, Matt and Sheila chose a buffet. There were assorted rolls, fresh fruit, Italian pasta salad, Caesar salad, French green beans, sour cream and chive double baked potatoes, penne pasta with Italian seasoning, chicken en croute, and tenderloin tips. After dinner there were dark chocolate liqueur cups and apple cider doughnuts.

First Dance

Sheila particularly loved her first dance with Matt because it was a moment when just the two of them could talk. “It was just us dancing to our song, ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ by Chris Stapleton. It was just us, jokingly asking if there were any regrets, saying how much we love each other, singing our favorite lyrics. Even though we were dancing in front of all our friends and family, it still seemed like it was just us in that moment.”

A Special Bouquet & Toss

One of the biggest DIY projects Sheila took on was her bouquet. She knew she didn’t want real flowers: ”My allergies would have had me sneezing all night!” Sheila had her heart set on a brooch bouquet for quite some time. “My sister and oldest daughter had started gifting me brooches, so over the years, my collection grew. My mother-in-law also gifted me a box of old brooches and clip-on earrings that I could someday use.”

“Once we decided on a wedding date, I really started to attack this project.” Sheila used an artificial hydrangea to keep the round shape and there was wire, floral tape, duct tape, and ribbon holding everything together. The bouquet was finished with a white and blue handkerchief that had belonged to Sheila’s grandmother.

For the bouquet toss, Sheila had a plan to make it fun for the many kids present. “I didn’t want anyone to feel left out, so I got a bouquet of faux roses. I undid the wrap, and when it was time to toss the bouquet, it came undone, and the flowers went everywhere. Most of the kids, and some adults, were able to get a rose or two.”

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