Expect the Unexpected

by Michelle Drewek

 

Life is full of the unexpected. Plan as we might, what’s meant to be has a way of happening regardless. Learning to embrace the unknown is something that carried Emily and Ryan through planning their wedding. After a year and a half engagement, cross-country venue switch and the support of their loved ones all the way to the altar, the pair said “I do” to a future full of endless possibilities.

 

Q. What resource did you find most helpful? 

My mom really did her research and was the most crucial. The amount of time and energy she and my sister, Carolyn, dedicated to pulling together this wedding was incredible! I wholeheartedly couldn’t, and wouldn’t have wanted to, plan this without them.

Q. What were the colors, patterns and textures of the wedding? 

I knew I wanted a warm color palette. Going through my closet I realized all my “accent colors” were bright coral, and thus our main wedding color was born. We built the palette around that: turquoise, yellow and fuchsia. To “glam” it up a bit we added sparkly gold into the mix. The invites were centered on two-tone gold foil stamped text, and the day-of decorations were meant to be the most vibrant mix of our palette.  

Q. Did an item inspire the style of the wedding? 

Two things were key for me: including lots of vibrant color and incorporating our love for games.

Q. What was the first detail that you knew you absolutely had to have?

Emily: I wanted the wedding to be outside and was set on having the ceremony and reception at the same location. Originally I was convinced I needed to have it at an outdoor campsite, but the logistics were ultimately too complicated. After exploring many venues, we decided on the Irish Barn at Whistling Straits.
Ryan: The most important thing to us was to have all of the people that we loved present to celebrate. This helped us in choosing the best location.  

Q. What item was so important you knew you had to splurge on it?

Hands down, the photographer. We wanted someone whose style revolved around taking candid photos and capturing moments, as well as provide a photo booth (or "crazy booth" in this case) to give guests a chance to loosen up and get silly.

 

Q. What was your biggest surprise during planning?

We originally started planning the wedding in California, which is where Ryan’s family lives, where we went to school and where we were residing. We researched almost every venue in Northern California and after putting down a few deposits, picking a wedding planner and securing a date, I decided I wanted to get married in my home state of Wisconsin. Biggest takeaway: listen to yourself and stay true to who you are, no matter how far along you are in the planning process.

Q. Tell us about your bridal ensemble.

I bought my dress at a beautiful salon in San Francisco, Marina Morrison. It was the third dress I tried on and seven boutiques later I came back to buy it. I knew from the get-go I did not want a strapless dress so this one spoke to me. It felt classic, modern and really unique. The dress had a lot of intricate details so we kept jewelry simple: drop crystal earrings and bracelets.

Q. Were there any funny moments at your wedding?

Ryan: Father Rob announced that we could share our holy kiss. We kissed and were ecstatic since we were now officially married. Emily turned around just as Father Rob was raising his hand for a blessing. She thought he was initiating a high five and went for it. Laughter erupted throughout the entire ceremony. Father Rob had a hard time containing himself and told everyone present to high five each other to celebrate.   

Q. What part of the wedding was worth every penny?

I still can’t stop thinking about the flowers on our wedding day. Our florist was a true artist in every sense of the word, and her arrangements were the most talked-about aspect of our decorations. We gave her an idea of our color palette and she worked closely with Janelle, our wedding planner from événement. I did not know what they planned, but I still remember jumping up and down with joy seeing the flower arrangements hung from the trellis covering our aisle.