Love was in the Cards

by Carolyn Hartmett

 

Jessie and Austin met at law school in Chicago. On Tuesday nights, they partnered up to play Euchre on a league together. Soon, that partnership turned into love, which led to a proposal and the promise of a lifelong partnership. Wisconsinites at heart, the couple selected Lake Geneva as the destination for their romantic summer event. The two couldn’t have been dealt a more perfect day to take each other’s hands in marriage.

 

Especially Us

One thing we love about each other is our love of the great state of Wisconsin. Austin grew up in Madison, and, though I am from Illinois, I spent my summers as a kid in Manitowish Waters in the North Woods. To us, being in Wisconsin means fantastic times with friends and family. I love going to Madison with him and he loves going with me up to the cabin. When we are in Wisconsin we are always happy. So, we just knew we had to get married there.

The Proposal

Austin proposed right before Christmas in downtown Chicago. We went ice skating at the outdoor rink at the Peninsula, and he proposed afterwards. It was so beautiful!

Key Planning Resources

I absolutely loved my wedding planner, Daniela Saporito at Lola Events. She completely rocked. I also had a few planning books and I made some very serious spreadsheets. Between my spreadsheets and lists, and Daniela’s amazing skill at her craft, I think we were actually over prepared.

Color Palette

Yellow, gray and blue. The lake was supposed to be blue, but it was a pretty gray day. Fortunately, the gray skies made the pictures wonderful!    

Inspiration

One of the absolute best things about Wisconsin — after its people — is its lakes, especially Lake Geneva. Therefore, I tried to incorporate water into as many elements as possible.

Splurge Worthy 

We wanted our guests to have a great time all weekend, so we splurged on activities the day before the wedding. We had a boat cruise for out-of-town guests around the lake on Friday afternoon, followed by a rehearsal dinner for about 150 people. It was definitely worth it to be able to spend so much time with our guests.

Worth Every Penny

Our DJ, Caitlin from Toast and Jam, was the best. Our dance party was so much fun! It was almost 4 hours of non-stop dancing.

Biggest Surprise

I was surprised by how wonderful so many of our vendors were. On the whole they were extremely professional and on top of everything.

Must-Have Detail

Jessie: After deciding that we had to get married in Wisconsin, the next detail was definitely flowers. My parents are avid gardeners, so they instilled a love of flowers in me. Renee at Frontier Flowers was the absolute best. Meeting with her was one of my favorite parts about wedding planning!

Funny Moment

The violin/cello playing only pop music at the ceremony was pretty hilarious. I didn’t really get to hear it because the bride comes in at the end, but it was perfect. The older generation had no idea what it was, but our friends were cracking up. Austin worked hard for that. The musicians had to learn “With You” by Chris Brown specifically for us. But Aus made it happen. He’s just the best.

Personal Touch

We included a deck of cards with one of our engagement photos in the welcome bags at the hotel. Euchre did so much to bring us together, so we thought we’d pass it on.

Advice To Future Brides

Wedding planning is really fun, so make sure to enjoy the ride. Don’t stress too much. It is only the beginning of something that gets even better every day.

Because you know what the best part is? Being married. It really is wonderful to wake up everyday and know you have a partner in your corner for tough times, good times, and wonderful times.