How do you not love a couple who incorporates their passions into their wedding day so creatively? From the wedding venue perfect for Carl the historian, to all the vintage printed materials created by Amy and her family, every aspect of this Wisconsin wedding was a celebration of their life together!

The Couple: Amy and Carl

The Wedding: 5.26.12 – Milwaukee County Historical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Was there a decor theme that ran through your wedding? What was the inspiration for that particular idea and how did it reflect you as a couple? We wanted our wedding to be an affair that would be worthy of remembering not just by us, but by all of those a part of it and attending it, after all Carl is a historian we know what is worth remembering.

Where did you choose to hold your wedding, and how did the location influence your decor decisions? We love unique spaces. We wanted a space that people would remember and that people hadn’t really ever been before. We fell in love with the Milwaukee County Historical Center immediately. I remember Carl taking my hand and twirling me right by the staircase on our first tour of the building and saying, I have a feeling this wont be the last time I do this here and it wasn’t! It is perfect place to capture the soul and importance of the city that we grew up in and our interest in history. It has only been open for event rental for a year now, so that helped us not be redundant and fresh.

What was one of your favorite and most meaningful details from the wedding day? I think our favorite detail of the wedding was that each guest held a stone in their hands throughout the entire ceremony. Throughout the ceremony, they were asked to hold a kind thought, wish, or prayer. The rock, would then become a vessel of those kind thoughts. Later in the ceremony, they were asked to greet someone near them, and trade stones, so hopefully each stone has double the love! We now have all 200 stones in a special place in our home. Our plan is to take a stone with us when we know we are going to a special or important place and leave it there. Basically, its our way of spreading the love and paying it forward.

Looking back, do you have a favorite project or successful decor idea from your wedding? Tell us what you loved about it! Being in a family of printers and graphic designers, all of the printing and design work was done in the family.” This included all the invitations that included postcards with historical Wisconsin photos, the place cards which were smaller postcards, also had historical Wisconsin images, the menus, the programs, the save the dates, etc.

Carl and I made homemade caramels for every guest as a favor. Each guest got a chocolate and regular flavored caramel to nibble on between courses. My bridesmaid, Rachel made earrings for all the girls as well. I made large prints for the girls with a passage from one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins. Carl made homemade sake! He brewed it at home it took a couple tries, but he finally got it! The guys really enjoyed tasting this at brunch on the day of the wedding. He also made each of the guys a pocket square with a cyanotype print on them. The Chuppah, the structure we were married under, was made by my father. I’m sure there are more!

What advice would you give to other couples planning their weddings? Go big or go home! That was our motto. You only do this once and it is really a rad experience to be able to create this one event that represents you as a couple. Don’t cut corners on things that truly matter (music! And photos!). Also, if you start saying Its only one day in our lives together, its not worth the time and effort to rationalize your way out of doing something people will enjoy and appreciate (the caramels!) it might be time to re-evaluate. You are right, it is only one day, but it is the only day, people will take pause to celebrate you, so do it right! Let everyone know how much you appreciate them and this day that comes through in the small details. Trust me!

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Woodnote Photography
Event Planner: Jessica Arendas of Lourdes and Lorraine
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Milwaukee County Historical Center
Officiant: Jan Stanley
Invitation Designer: Owens Office Products and Printing, images courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society
Catering: Lee John’s Catering
Florist: Belle Fiori
Cake: The Cake Lady
Wedding dress: Jenny Packham via Ultimate Bride
Bridal Accessories: Shoes – Kate Spade, Necklace – Brides Grandmothers
Bridesmaids Apparel & Accessories: Dresses – J. Crew, Earrings – Rachel Dolnick
Grooms Apparel & Accessories: Suits – Z Zegna via Saks 5th Avenue, Shoes – Cole Haan
Hair & Make-up: Roots Salon
Ceremony Music: Susan Mathies and Troy Ostrowski
Cocktail Hour Music: Sweetgrass Bluegrass Band
Reception Music: Noah Casser of Style Matters
Favors: Homemade Caramel
Rings: SingleB

Thank you Amy and Carl! What a perfect wedding day!