Some Fabulous Milwaukee Venues

A bride recently asked for my recommendations for some of my favorite ceremony and receptions sites in Milwaukee and I just couldn't help but share some of them with you all.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum

I love Villa Terrace for its obvious beauty and mediterranean style and their garden is so lush and beautiful. Villa Terrace is perfect for smaller ceremonies and receptions (about 80 person sit down dinner) and can also be rented for photography purposes. So, you could have a beautiful engagement session there or make it one of your stops on your wedding day.

The Eisner American Museum of Advertising & Design

The Eisner Museum is a venue that I consider a little bit of a secret treasure. Not many people are aware of the space for events, which I think makes it that much cooler. The Eisner obviously has a lot of character of it's own, so it's great for couples looking for something a little bit out of the norm. The Eisner can also accommodate a larger guest list (up to 650!).

Edit: My mistake, apparently the Eisner has closed. So sad.. it was a great venue, and regardless of not being open, is still one of my favorites. Thanks for informing me, though!

The Iron Horse Hotel

The Iron Horse Hotel has some serious style and I am completely obsessed with their event space, The Gallery. The space is perfect for smaller more intimate affairs and has a great ambiance. As a bonus, they have a library (pictured above) filled with old wooden tables and chairs, reading lamps, and a fireplace... the perfect place for cocktails. And, the smell, seriously it smells SO good in the lobby!

Anyone else want to share their favorite spots in Milwaukee?

The City's Best | J. Invites

I introduce to you J. Invites, owned by JoAnna Gibbons.

1. How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

I have been designing wedding invitations and other products for four years.

2. Describe your style and approach.

Whether contemporary, traditional, or casual elegance is your style, we can create a one-of-a-kind look for you. We pride ourselves in creating a truly unique and remarkable experience that you and your guests will never forget. I love chandeliers and damask so those are my favorites, but by the end of the creation I usually end up loving all the invites.

3. What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

What sets us apart is that we are willing to work with any budget and don't charge a custom design fee. Also what the brides seem to love that we do is create an actual paper sample of the invitation for them, if they would like before they ever even sign a contract.

4. What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

Don't feel like you have to stick to 1, 2 or 3 colors for your wedding. Many times brides come in with a swatch and want to match everything to that. I would say some of the weddings that we have done turn out best when multiple colors are used or many shades of greens or any color instead of just having everything be olive green because that is what color the dresses are.

5. Just for fun, tell us something unique about yourself.

I like to go to Barnes and Noble when I am bored and read/look at all of the bridal magazines. I just love weddings and think they are so different and beautiful every time. Hopefully soon I will be able to plan my own. :-)

Chat with J. Invites:

Ring: 414.897.2925

Web: jinvites.com

Blog: jinvites.blogspot.com

Twitter: @jinvites

JoAnna, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your talent and passion with Milwaukee brides!

The City's Best | All-Star Music

I introduce to you All-Star Music, owned by Craig Krueger.

1. How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

I've been DJing weddings since I was 18 years old...so 17 years...you can do the math on how old I am!

2. Describe your style and approach.

We are fun without being "cheesy", and aim to keep the party going without bringing much attention to ourselves...After all, it's the bride and groom's day, not ours. In that vein, we aim to customize the entire reception to their tastes and desires.

3. What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

My years of experiences, for one. DJing weddings and other events for 17 years has helped me learn a lot about what it takes to help create a memorable event and it has given me a good sense of how to read the crowd when it comes to keeping a dance floor full. I also have strong desire to provide superior customer service on top of being a great DJ. Because DJing is my full-time career, I am available 24/7 to answer phone calls and emails or meet with clients. Another attribute is I have an absolute love for music... it's my passion and I think it shows!

4. What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

Before you start planning ask yourself, "What do I want to remember from my wedding day and what do I want the guests to remember?" Your answer to that question will create your priorities and everything else will fall into place.

5. Just for fun, share something unique about yourself.

I hosted my own radio station called "Sunday Night Jams" on 91FM WSUP, the campus radio station at UW-Platteville. Being involved with the show for four years helped develop my MC skills and my ability to program four entertaining hours of music. That eventually led to DJing school dances and campus events and encouraged me to start up my first DJ company. That feels like a lifetime ago, but it was a huge step toward my current position as owner of a DJ service that seems to be held in high esteem!

Chat with All-Star Music:

Ring: 414.405.3675

Web: all-starmusic.net

Blog: all-starmusicplanner.djintelligence.com/blog

Twitter: @allstarmusicwi

Craig, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your talent and passion with Milwaukee brides!

The City's Best | Petals Floral Design

I introduce to you Petals Floral Design, owned by Carrie Kroening.

1. How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

10 years, we specialize in wedding and special fresh floral design.

2. Describe your style and approach.

Every bride has a style and feeling that she wants her wedding to have. We feel that flowers are one of the signature ways to capture that. We will work with any bride and any budget and pride ourselves on great custom design and even better customer service.

3. What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

We only do weddings and parties so we are familiar with venues, trends, and what will work for every budget. We custom order for each bride so the flowers are always really fresh and just what each girl wants. We work with a great deal of out of town brides and are happy to accommodate their unique needs. Our studio is home based so it allows us to offer unbelievable prices and very personal service.

4.What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

Have fun! This can be one of the most exciting times in your life embrace it and enjoy it. Hire vendors you have a connection with and feel you can trust and most of all that you enjoy working with. The planning process should be fun not a chore.

5. Just for fun, tell us something unique about yourself.

I started this business 10 years ago because I wanted to spend my life doing something I love and that I am naturally good at. This was a talent I was given and I look at it as a gift and I love sharing my gift with others. For fun and on my "spare" time I enjoy going to the park with my 3 girls, 2 young daughters and my overly friendly golden retriever.

Chat with Petals Floral Design:

Ring: 414-526-0298

Web: petalsck.com

Carrie, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your talent and passion with Milwaukee brides!

The City's Best | m three studio photography

I introduce to you m three studio photography, owned by Molly Michel.

And, because I just can't help sharing one of my favorites from our wedding day.

1. How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

2.5 years, full-time. My husband and I started my photography business essentially on our own wedding day. A reshuffling at my day job caused me to take what had been an on-the-side fun job and turn it into my own business full-time. My business cards arrived on our wedding day, so I've always thought of our wedding day as the beginning of m three studio as well.

2. Describe your style and approach.

I create Fine Art Wedding Photography. My clients commission me to create my art for them in a way that tells the story of their relationship and their wedding day. I have a deep love affair with light and color, and both play prominent roles in my work. I aim to create a memorable photography experience as much as beautiful images.

3. What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

My background is decidedly old-school. I have degrees in fine art printmaking, animation and film. I also have worked as a graphic designer, art director and production designer. This gives me a unique approach to a day - my training allows me to see the big picture and the still frames that make up a story. I take what is in front of me and create a total look from it that is edited to be cohesive and subservient to the larger story arc. I've always been inspired by a sense of place and history and these are the themes that I gravitate towards on a wedding day. I want to deliver images that show who a couple is, not just what is happening.

4. What's your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

Don't take on more than you can happily manage. Notice I said "happily". The biggest mistake I made in my planning was not delegating more, and failing to see the value in exchanging expenses for time. If I could do it again, I would hire a planner from the beginning. I had so many projects and wanted to accomplish so much for our wedding that I didn't get to enjoy being engaged. There were so many projects I could have easily hired someone else to handle, create and manage. I wish I had. By the time our wedding came around I was beyond stressed, overworked, and spinning on so many levels and I couldn't really enjoy and appreciate what was happening. You only get one wedding day and one engagement - invest in enjoying it.

5. Just for fun, share something unique about yourself.

One nugget of my past life that seems to shock people the most : I used to be in pageants. In college I participated in the Miss America system for a couple of years. (This was before it became a reality show.) I learned a lot about myself, my abilities and about communication. I also learned that if you can walk on stage in 4" heels and a bikini in front of hundreds of people, you can do just about anything.

Chat with m three studio photography:
Ring: 262-497-7246
Web: mthreestudio.com
Blog: mthreestudioblog.com
Twitter: @mthreestudio

Molly, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your contagious laughter, talent and passion with Milwaukee brides!

The City's Best | freshdesign

I introduce to you freshdesign, owned by Sue Shunta.

1.How long have you worked in the wedding industry?
4 happy years!

2.Describe your style and approach.
We believe seriously that the process of wedding flower planning should be as fabulous as the end result. As a once in a lifetime event, all elements, including the planning process should be relaxing, fun and creative. So at freshdesign it’s important to us that a bride or couple’s time with us is just that. Our design style is clean-lined, simple and modern. We find this approach surprisingly versatile and have worked with clients who desire a minimalist approach, garden style or lush and luxurious flowers. The common denominator is thoughtful design that ensures that each and every element used has a purpose.

3.What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?
Milwaukee brides are lucky in that there are many talented and versatile wedding artisans all across the city. This keeps us on our toes! We hope to distinguish ourselves with a warm experience, impeccable design and attentive service.

4.What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?
It is 100% true that if you make selections of things you love…. flowers, cake, linens etc your day will come together in an inspired, personal and gorgeous way. Trust yourself.

5.Just for fun, share something unique about yourself.
I have an unexplained affinity for cows. I find them soulful, peaceful creatures and have been known to stop the car next to a farm just to watch them graze.

Chat with freshdesign:
Ring: 414.467.4310
Web: freshdesignflowers.com

Sue, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your talent and passion with Milwaukee brides!

The City's Best | Cracked Designs

I introduce to you Cracked Designs, owned by Tara Scheuerman.

1.How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

I've been designing wedding stationery for almost 3 years now.

2.Describe your style and approach.

We try to create modern and fun designs that are elegant in a non-traditional sense. Every invitation is also handmade which makes each invitation completely unique. We want to make something that will stand out when your guests open the envelope. We have fine art and graphic design background, and I think that helps us create a really unique blend of design style.

3.What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

I think we offer a more unique approach to wedding invitation design by not creating your typical wedding invitation. Our designs are more fun and modern and don't follow in the footsteps of every other wedding invitation out there. Plus we offer handmade invitations that are affordable- by offering both custom designs and pre-designed invitation sets.

4. What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

I would say to take your time and research your vendors and research the trends out there now. Having vendors who know what they are doing will make your life so much easier. Also, talk to other people who have recently gotten married, a lot of times they can offer some of the best advice for what they would have done differently.

5. Just for fun, share something unique about yourself.

I love taking really weird road trips. I collect postcards from all of the odd, off the beaten path places that I've been. My most recent road trip was along Old Route 66, which goes from Chicago to Los Angeles, it was awesome.

Chat with Cracked Designs:

Ring: 414.687.8803

Web: cracked-designs.com

Blog: crackeddesigns.blogspot.com

Etsy: crackeddesigns.etsy.com

Tara, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for sharing your passion and beautiful designs with local brides!

The City's Best | Reminisce Photography & Design

I introduce to you Reminisce Photography & Design, owned by Miranda Zynda-Kneeland and Adam Kneeland.

1. How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

We photographed our first wedding a little over four years ago. We fell in love with the industry with that very first wedding, and there’s been no turning back. We couldn’t imagine doing anything else!

2. Describe your style and approach.

We’re a hubby and wife team who love life, laughter, people, art... and combining them all into what we do best. With a photojournalistic approach, we create images that are fresh, fun, contemporary, romantic and artistic. Above all, we want our work to be honest. We love getting to know our clients and creating images that truly reflect who they are.

3. What sets you apart from other vendors in your expertise?

We value the relationships we form with each of our clients, and this shows in how sincere each of our photographs are. We’re also very particular about our work, striving for every single photo to be a work of art. We submerge ourselves with our passion for what we do, regularly attending photo conferences, workshops and shootouts (check out our blog to see some of those), learning new lighting techniques, critiquing our work, and striving for the most dynamic compositions possible. There’s such a big difference between taking pictures and creating images.

4. What is your best piece of wedding planning advice for brides?

Have fun, be creative and ask for help. Planning the wedding of your dreams can be a full-time job. If you try to do it all on your own, it won’t take long before you’re overwhelmed with it all. If you seek assistance from friends who have recently gotten married (if you liked their wedding, that is ;) and a wedding planner, things will come together much more smoothly. Having help will free up time for you to have fun with the process. You can soak up all the inspiration you like from wedding blogs and magazines, and find a wedding style that speaks to you. You’ll know what you want and will be confident that you’re making the right decisions. One of these big decisions is who will be your photographer...

Guarantee yourself that you’re going to have amazing photos from your wedding day. Whose work speaks to you on an emotional level? Your photographer should be an Artist and a Professional who can not only anticipate moments before they happen, but through a trained and instinctive eye, know how to interpret and capture them creatively. You should also enjoy the personality of your photographer, as you’ll be hanging out with them the entire day. Let their style, passion and personality be determining factors- not package prices. Your photographs are how you’ll remember your wedding, and they should be just as wonderful as your Big Day.

5. Just for fun, share something unique about yourself.

We’re super addicted to wedding shows... Cake Boss, Platinum Weddings, Say Yes to the Dress (Adam will probably deny watching this with me, but he does!).

Miranda loves Wikipedia, constantly looking stuff up when a question about anything comes to mind. She can also wiggle her ears, and has a shoe and hat fetish. Sushi, veggies, a rockin’ steak, tacos and cheese are her favorite foods.

Adam’s loves cooking and kicks butt at pool. He also has mastered the guitar... in Guitar Hero and Rock Band of course. He enjoys watching a good football game and discovering a new quirk about Miranda on a daily basis.


Chat with Reminisce Photography & Design:

Ring: 414.405.6693

Web: capturingyourday.com

Blog:reminiscephoto.blogspot.com

Twitter: @reminisce_photo

Miranda and Adam, congrats on being one of The City's Best and thank you for providing local brides with a great experience and service!

The City's Best | Introduction

Yep, it's my first video blog. I introduce to you a new blog series that is sure to be a big hit with local brides. Check it out!

What do you think, should I video blog more? Any topics you would like covered?

P.S. Just so we are all on the same page, I am not saying that the vendors featured in this series are the only great local vendors. These featured vendors are simply people that I have worked and interacted with and that I know will provide stellar service.

City Bride Style: Modern Calligraphy

Your wedding invitation (and envelope) is the first look your guests get into the fabulous wedding you are planning, so it needs to make a statement. One of the best ways to do so is to hire a calligrapher. Not only do your envelopes look gorgeous but they do so without writer’s cramp and hours spent next to a computer and printer.

I introduce you to Swoonoverit, a modern calligraphy studio.

Aren’t they beautiful?

I discovered Swoonoverit while planning our wedding and will forever be hooked. These styles are beautiful and like nothing I have ever seen before. They are perfect for the bride planning a modern wedding and are the gorgeous touch every envelope needs. Truthfully, I think they were designed just for City Brides!

Amanda is so talented and an absolute delight to work with. Her love for the wedding industry and her clients is evident in her work. The process is very simple and her level of customer service is stellar.

And, since I love bonus points, Swoonoverit also designs customized maps, signs, and tshirts. They are your one stop shop for all things hand written.