Anne and Tom June 6, 2009

Travelers by nature, Tom and Anne have logged thousands of frequent flier miles together on trips to inspiring destinations like New Zealand, Greece, and British Columbia. The couple points out that it’s ironic then, that they met on a business trip to a city not usually know for its romance. “Tom and I joke that we found live in lively Newark, New Jersey,” Anne says.

After that first meeting, Anne Mielke, a project manager, and Tom Conti, a software developer, continues to cross paths at Madison-based Epic and became friends. Eventually, they started dating and discovering a mutual love of food, wine, and travel. Though the couple discussed marriage, when Tom proposed four years later, it was a complete surprise. At the time, Anne was preoccupied because they were about to take a business trip to Orlando followed by a vacation to New Zealand. “Getting engaged was the last thing on my mind,” she says.

The night before they left for Orlando, Tom said he wanted to play some new music for Anne on his iPod. As the notes of the first song began to play – Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” – he asked her to dance. Anne remembered the familiar song from dance lessons they had taken and thought nothing of it. But the next song was a surprise. By the time Anne realized it was “Here Comes the Bride,” Tom was on one knee, asking her to marry him.

Oconomowoc was Anne’s hometown so the couple chose to get married in Milwaukee. With more than half of their 300 guests traveling long distances, including all of Tom’s family, out-of-town guests were among the first things on their minds. “We wanted to make it a weekend experience for people who were from out-of-town,” Anne says.

The wedding weekend began with an intimate rehearsal dinner on Thursday with only the wedding party and immediate family. The following night, the couple hosted a festive welcome party for guests at Miller Park. They had the stadium to themselves, and it was the perfect opportunity to spend time with their guests and introduce them of Milwaukee. People arrived at the party via trolley and were greeted by Klement’s Racing Sausages. Overlooking the field, guests loaded up on food from hot dog, brat, and nacho bars, following by ice cream sundaes and cupcakes. That night, guests left with souvenir foam fingers emblazoned with the couple’s names.

It may have rained on Saturday, June 6, but the wedding itself was fresh and bright. Since the couple’s reception was at the Milwaukee Art Museum, they wanted their ceremony to contrast with its contemporary feel. They chose a more traditional ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Church, done up in soft whites and muted greens. Tom’s favorite scene from that day was Anne walking down the church’s aisle. Holding a white gardenia bouquet, she wore a strapless ivory Christos gown, a long veil trailing behind her.

Afterwards at the art museum, a bold color scheme of greens and pinks, and eye-catching elements like flower vases sculpted from ice, set the tone for the party ahead. “We had flowers everywhere,” Anne says, crediting her mother for ensuring an abundance of peonies and lilies. Anne also changed looks for the reception, exchanging her formal veil for a crystal-encrusted belt worn around her waist.

A photo booth the couple rented for the reception was a hit among guests. The booth printed two sets of photos – one for the guests to take home as a memento and one for the newlyweds. Each guest wrote a note to accompany the photo which was assembled into a scrapbook. After a dinner of steer tenderloin, shrimp, and scallops, the couple and their guests mingled, danced, and ate late into the night. Tom and Anne even had the foresight to make sure the caterers provided late-night hors d’oeuvres – sliders and sweet potato fries.

The next day, true to form, the couple was off on another adventure – a two-week tour of Costa Rica where they made stops at the beach, a volcano, and whitewater rafted to Pacuare Lodge in the jungle. After that, it was time to head back to Madison and settle into their new house and new life.