All in the Details

by Laura Vietmeyer

The time leading up to Nick and Kelly’s official meeting reads like something out of a romantic movie. Nick was the liquor sales rep for Casa Tequila in Pewaukee, where Kelly went every Thursday for happy hour with a friend. On one of those Thursdays, the door opened and a cold breeze blew in and Kelly saw Nick. “My only thought was that I was going to marry a guy like him,” Kelly recalls.

Since the day he breezed into Kelly’s life, Nick turned out to be the best man in Kelly's cousin’s wedding, Batman at a Halloween party who would not reveal his face, and the guy who a friend of Kelly's wanted to set her up with. A date was set up for them to formally meet at a Christmas party in December 2008. From that date on, they’ve been together ever since.
 

The day Nick bought Kelly’s engagement ring, he went to her mom's house to ask for permission. Kelly’s mom was thrilled, and the proposal planning commenced. Nick’s original idea was to propose at Lapham Peak, the highest point in Waukesha County, but due to poor weather that day he had to improvise. Although lightly raining, Nick for her hand in marriage on a pier at beautiful Okauchee Lake. He followed the proposal with a dinner, flowers, wine and a card so they could celebrate.
 

Throughout their 16-month engagement, the couple used various resources to plan the wedding, including Veil Magazine for help and insight on local vendors. “We had literally gone to over 50 weddings as a couple to vet out what we liked and didn't like from venues to food to desserts and DJs,” Kelly adds. “Given that we had gone to so many weddings and have been a part of so many, we were actually able to quickly organize what we needed.”

The couple’s wedding colors were navy blue with lime green and silver and bling. Their design also included Mercury glass. “With the wedding being in late fall and not a lot of color, we wanted something bold, yet simple and classy,” Kelly explains. “We repainted a globe with chalk paint to have our guests sign it as our guest book, and we had birch wood hand-cut pedestals for our centerpieces and cupcake table.”

In their planning, Kelly and Nick made sure the wedding would include plenty of personal details. Kelly's uncle had designed a brooch bouquet for her cousin, which she fell in love with, so he created one for her, too. Kelly also included “something old” with her father’s classic car. He passed away prior to the wedding day, but her family friends who had purchased her dad’s car, took it out of storage so they could capture some great photos and share fond memories. Kelly had a heart-shaped blue piece of her dad’s shirt sewn into her lace back dress with rhinestone details from Bliss Bridal. She also made a small ribbon anklet with a photo of her dad to symbolize him walking her down the aisle.

On the big day, the couple was wed in a Greek Orthodox ceremony before 250 guests and a wedding party of 19 people, which included a Koumbaro—Greek for “sponsor” or “best man.” Their Greek Orthodox ceremony included exchanging of rings, crossing of crowns, sharing wine from the same cup and walking around the altar three times together, all with the assistance of the Koumbaro. The reception also incorporated customs like traditional Greek dancing (and lots of it), which includes being showered with money from their Greek family.

The couple notes that while every bit of their wedding was worth every penny, the photography by Heather Cook Elliot Photography, their DJ, and the open bar were all worth every penny. “We planned to splurge on these and had lots of fun,” Kelly says. “The great photographers were there to capture every little moment.” Another memorable moment from the day was when Nick surprised Kelly with their fur baby, Brauny, who made an appearance with a bow tie for some photos at the beach. “Brauny really didn't care that it was the wedding day. He just wanted to get in the lake,” Kelly reminisces.

Looking back on the entire experience, Kelly offers brides the following advice: “Set up goals and timelines, and also set expectations up front with your vendors and family. A fun and beautiful wedding doesn't have to mean an expensive one! Do not stress over the details and soak in every bit of love that is shared on your day.”