Love Is the Best Souvenir

by Michelle Drewek

 

Christa and Al always knew they were meant to be together. Even though they both went to Valparaiso University, it wasn’t until after Al moved to Chicago that the two crossed paths. In 2010, he returned to visit a friend and met his future bride-to-be at a party. They hit it off immediately, and although living states apart, their connection continued to grow and kept them close together at heart. Love prevailed, and led to their 2016 Wisconsin wedding.

 

Especially Us 

We are both quirky in our own ways. Al is an “old soul” and is very calm and collected. He enjoys older movies and music, and keeping up-to-date with recent news and politics. Meanwhile I can get more anxious about things, and I enjoy the pop music on the radio, movies made after 1990, and what’s happening on The Bachelorette. I don’t think there was a specific moment where we knew. We have been together for 6 years, have always complimented each other well, and always enjoy being with one another.

The Proposal

Al: I proposed during Christa’s family ski trip to Big Powderhorn Mountain in the Upper Peninsula.  The perfect moment came when we stopped in the middle of a ski run to help Christa’s nephew, who had fallen. After he was on his way I stayed on one knee, pulled out the ring, and popped the question!

Best Wedding Planning Resources

My mom. She helped with the vision and organization of everything. Also, my sister got married 2 years ago, and we went with many of the same vendors because everyone was so helpful.

Wedding Style 

As we were planning everything just kind of fit together. First, we did the dress and bridesmaids’ dresses. I got a sparkly belt to go with my wedding dress and since the bridesmaids’ dresses were a neutral “latte” color, we knew the flowers should be bright; pink, orange, coral and a little yellow. From there, we stuck with sparkles/bling and bright colors. Our wedding invitations were neutral with a silver sparkle background. Table runners were gold sequin.

Splurge Worthy

We were very fortunate to have my parents pay for the wedding… While we had the traditional wedding musts – formal invites, cake, DJ, flowers, photos, etc, we carefully chose highly rated/recommended vendors who we knew would help make the planning and wedding day perfect.  

Worth Every Penny

All the vendors we worked with. We worked with some really great people who went above and beyond for us. We really felt like it was their priority to make our day perfect, which it was!

Biggest Planning Surprise 

The biggest surprise, by far, was when we found out a few months in advance that our wedding venue (the Milwaukee County Domes) was unexpectedly closing for emergency repairs! Fortunately we were quickly able to find a new location, the Miller Room, and it could not have been more perfect.

Bridal Ensemble

I wore an A-line ivory dress with a big tulle skirt. There were two layers of tulle at different heights that were lined on the bottom with “horse hair” style, and the veil was matching and had sparkle. I had a thin silver sparkly belt and wore a necklace and dangly earrings. The shoes were sparkly as well and went perfectly with the dress, plus they were very comfortable!

The Ceremony

Christa: We had the ceremony at the church where I grew up, which was important to me. I also walked down the aisle to the same hymn that my mom did at my parent’s wedding. What made our service great was the focus on God, family and our union to each other.
Al: When I first saw Christa walking down the aisle, I thought, “Finally!” Seriously though, it was a very special moment to have her dad be so happy to hand his little girl over to me.

Advice For Couples

Don’t sweat the little things while planning your wedding. No one even notices! Also, communication is so important. I often assume that Al can read my mind. We’re married now, and he still can’t read my mind.