Christina + Matthew
May 5th, 2022 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin
First thing's first! Tell us a little more about the two of you!: Matt and I went to the same high school and met through a mutual friend. We had the same taste in music and frequently ran into each other at the same concerts at The Rave. We went to separate colleges across the state and maintained our long-distance relationship and then moved in together a few years after we graduated college. We were together for 10 years before we got engaged in 2019. Matt and I travel frequently together and that year he insisted we go to New York just before Christmas so we can see all the Christmas lights. I was confused because he isn’t usually big fan of Christmas even though I am. We went to New York with his sister and her long-term boyfriend at the time and went to see Phantom of the Opera. After the show, Matt kept checking his watch and said we had to go and see the Rockafeller Christmas Tree. His sister and I got distracted by the lights on Saks Fifth Avenue and Matt kept trying to get us away to see the tree. Once we go the tree, we posed to take a picture but Matt kept trying to make it where there was less people in the photo and the perfect backdrop. We posed for the picture and then Matt got down on one knee and proposed. I was in shock and started at him for about 10 seconds while I heard people around me shouting “oh wow!” and pointing at us. Then, of course I said “yes”. I honestly had no idea he was going to propose. Out of all of the amazing places we had traveled together, he never proposed to me then so I wouldn’t have guessed he would have proposed then. But there was no doubt I already knew he was my person.
We started planning our wedding at the beginning of 2020. We had fun looking at venues in Milwaukee and saw everyone single one we were interested in or ever thought about. We had already spent a lot of time talking about what our wedding would look like in our 10 years together so we were in agreement with pretty much everything. However, then the COVID 19 pandemic started and while we continued our wedding planning, things accelerated as other couples had postponed and were rebooking new dates so we had to make quick decisions for some of our vendors. When 2021 started, our venue was still closed due to the pandemic and wasn’t set to open until March/April 2021. We ended up having to postpone due to not being able to do our tasting until our venue opening and our venue not guaranteeing when for sure they would open. The small details were the hardest so having extra time was helpful. My husband is the artistic one so he took over the centerpieces and I helped assemble everything.
What was your vision for the wedding?: Our wedding was travel-themed but we also wanted ties into our favorite city and home, Milwaukee, which is why we choose our venue and our colors were royal blue and golden yellow. We wanted an elegant but fun wedding with lots of touches of who we are. Bridal shows were helpful in finding vendors, especially WedMKE, which was what I thought the best bridal show I went to. We also utilized the Facebook Milwaukee brides 2021 group and Milwaukee wedding Vendors Facebook group. We wanted stuck to local vendors as much as possible, including my dress and my husband’s suit.
Matt and I had a vision of walking into the reception with a big map with seating arrangements. Each table was different country that Matt and I had been to with travel books from each country and my husband drew famous landmarks which I adhered to vases of each country. Some tables had special items affiliated with that country (ex. Germany had Stein's).
Tell us all about your dress!: My dress shopping experience was different due to all of my dress shopping appointments being canceled and reschduled due to being closed for the pandemic. However, the first store I ended up being able to go to was Strike. It was important to me to invest in a local bridal shop and put money into the community. I felt super excited for my appointment I knew what look I was going for. As a plus sized bride, I wanted to also go when they had dresses from a designer for plus sized brides. Lots of plus sized dresses at larger dress shops, are all the same and I really didn’t find them flattering at all. I was excited when Strike had Studio Levana because they are elegant, amazing quality, and sexy dresses. All of their dresses showed off all my favorites parts of my body and made me feel beautiful but my dress made me feel at my absolute best. I knew I wanted lace sleeves (like my mother’s dress), with slight sparkle, and a-line waist and I got exactly that. My dress was Lilach by Studio Levana.
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: We had a micro wedding on our original date and I wore my dress then and again on our postponed big wedding date. I got to wear my favorite dress 2x! That was one good thing that came from COVID-19 and postponing our wedding date. My microwedding was done mostly between my husband myself and we had an awesome day, but the beginning was stressful from how much we decided to do on our own but my husband played music from our playlist that night and we had the best time dancing with our closest friends that night. The big wedding was amazing and a lot less stressful because we had so many people helping us. Our wedding party and family were so helpful in setting up and making the day happen smoothly. There were some minor things that happened that we didn’t plan for like not being able to take pictures with each table and our Dj playing Christmas music during dinner (which turns out my family thought we planned because I love Christmas) but none of that ruined our day. It was amazing and we were so relieved the day finally came.
What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: Plan for what you and your fiancé want, not what others want. In the end, the day is about you. Take time to slow down and enjoy the day and just watch everything and take it in. And if you are having a big wedding, book with a venue that includes and handles an important aspect of your wedding such as food, music, or decor.
Vendors:
Bride’s Dress: Lilach by Studio Levana via Strike Bridal Bar
Bride’s Dress Alterations: Cinch Tailoring/ Sarah Turbo, Tailor
Bride’s Custom Painted Leather Jacket: Sammy Lea’s Retro Emporium
Groom’s Suit: NL suits
Bridemaids Dresses: Azazie
Groomsmen Suits: Harleys Co
Photographer: Happy Takes Photography
Videographer: Salem Media Productions
Venue: Harley- Davidson Museum/1903 events
Flowers: Flowers for Dreams
Arch: Archangel Services
Baker: Greige Pâtisserie
Rental Decor: Relics Rentals
DJ & Lighting: Double Platinum DJ
