What is your favorite wedding day memory?

Looking back, our favorite wedding day memory was the amount of time, love, and support our friends and family showed us to make our day perfect. From my many aunts, uncles and cousins that set up the decorations at our venue to my brother who also acted as our officiant to my sister who designed all our signs and programs to my dad who spent hours creating all our centerpieces by hand, this day could not have happened without them. The best surprise came at the end of the night when Bucky Badger {the University of Wisconsin Mascot} crashed our party! The only person who knew about Bucky coming was my Mom – who orchestrated the entire surprise. She put our wedding date into the University’s lottery system a year in advance, coordinated the UW music with our DJ, and had our photographer stay longer, all without us knowing! We will never forget everyone’s {young and old!} face light up when he entered the room. It was the perfect way to get the party started and something that we will talk about for the rest of our lives.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

We tried to do as much DIY as possible! Thankfully, I have an extremely creative and talented family that also doesn’t mind working for free. My father designed, engineered, and created all of our centerpieces. I showed him a few ideas off of Pinterest and the next thing I know he had several prototypes welded together ready for me to review. We opted for fake succulents to go in the centerpieces {our wedding day was -10 degrees so we are happy we went with fake}. We found the succulents at Hobby Lobby – which always has 40% off coupons online. My mom probably made at least 20 trips to Hobby Lobby to use the discount – which was worth it in the end! My sister hand-illustrated our programs and signs which were put in spray painted frames we found at garage sales. We got creative in all aspects of the decorations and details – such as purchasing our utensils and bamboo plates from a restaurant warehouse {lots of savings!} to using a century-old barn door that my dad was able to transform into a seating chart. One of my favorite DIY decisions was to purchase my wedding flowers through Bloominous. They are a wedding flower company that ships DIY kits to bride to put together their own flowers for their wedding. My mom, sister, and I had such a fun time putting together our arrangements the day before the wedding {we are not florist or have ever put together a floral arrangement}. It was a great memory that we will always share together.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Wedding planning can be stressful. If you are like me, you want everything to be perfect and have the day go off without a hitch {who doesn’t?}. But if you find that the details are stressing you out, reevaluate your priorities and how you are staying organized. Wedding planning should be fun, after all!

1. Use an organization system that works for you. 2. Work as a team. 3. Stay true to who you are as a couple. 4. Set a budget and keep everything in perspective. 5. Make decisions and move on. Remember the most important tip: stay present during the process and have fun! -Keri, the Bride

Event Credits

Photography: Kassie Ana Photography // Venue: The Fields Reserve // Florist: Bloominous // Invitations: Invitations by Dawn // Rentals: EZPZ Marquee // Catering: JL Richards Catering // Cake: Greenbush Bakery // DJ: Saturn's 8 // Transportation: Wayne Ace Bus and Limo Service // Bride's Attire: David's Bridal // Bride's Jewelry: Francesca's // Bridesmaid's Attire: Azaie // Hair + Make-up: Bridehead's Salon // Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse // Groom's Shoes: DSW // Groom's Socks: Pup Socks