Charming Wedding at Green Bay Botanical Garden

Ryan & Carly

June 13, 2015

Carly and Ryan headed downtown Appleton on New Year’s Eve hoping to celebrate with friends, little did they know they would be meeting their future spouse. When their groups crossed paths Ryan was introduced to Carly and a friendship quickly grew. It took nearly a year before the two realized their friendship held something more.

Ryan wanted to ask for Carly’s father’s permission before he popped the question, the hard part was getting him alone. Arrangements were made for the couple and their fathers to have dinner together and while Ryan’s dad distracted Carly Ryan asked the question on his mind, “I’ve never been more nervous but his answer was yes!”

With the ring and dad’s approval the task of popping the question was next and Ryan landed on one of Wisconsin’s most scenic locales and a personal favorite of both Ryan and Carly: Door County. Armed with flowers and a t-shirt that read, “Carly, will you marry me?” the pair headed up north on a bright and chilly January morning. After lunch and sampling some of the local vintages the couple headed to Cave Point, of which Carly admits that she was less than enthusiastic due to the chilly weather. With a frozen Lake Michigan before them Ryan got down on one knee and open his jacket surprising Carly, “I was in utter shock, I obviously said yes!” The couple went back to their warm car and quickly started telling everyone the good news.

The outdoors, flowers, and nature are favorites of the couple so it wasn’t much of a surprise that both thought an outdoor wedding would be perfect. The Green Bay Botanical Garden provided a beautiful setting, with flowers fully in bloom for their June wedding. Carly carried the garden theme inside for the reception with white on white and lots of colorful flower. Several DIY projects came together with Carly using her crafting skills to make centerpieces. Other projects included table numbers, old windows upcycled into photo albums, and a USA shaped guestbook. The men even got into the action with Ryan and Carly’s dad making the unity box and card box.

Ryan and Carly decided to see each other before the wedding, a decision both agreed helped ease nerves and make the day more enjoyable. Spending time before the ceremony together also meant they could take photographs and enjoy each other’s company instead of being separated until the big moment.

The ceremony was exactly the party the couple envisioned, of which they give their vendors the credit, “I have to thank all our vendors, they got the images we had and made them work.” The couple went all-in with food in making sure their guests were well fed and happy. Carly stressed that food was a focus for them, “If there is one thing Ryan and I can suggest it is over-feeding your guests, all the food was devoured.”

Carly credits the ease of the day to their vendors, “Hiring the right people is key. Hiring sash & bow allowed me to cut back on planning and stay within our budget. It was definitely worth it as we didn’t have to set anything up or take anything down. I knew I didn’t have to worry.”

Advice for future bride and grooms? Take a breather and a few moments to take it all in. “Ryan and I just took a walk around the garden, it lets you relax and take a step back to spend a few minutes with your new spouse.” The couple also says not to forget that it’s a celebration, one that not only your guests but you as a couple should enjoy, “It goes by so fast, relax and enjoy. Have a drink or five and celebrate, dance the night away!”

Participating Vendors:

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Venue~Green Bay Botanical Garden

Wedding Planner~sash & bow

Photographer~defining 78

Floral Design~buds n’ bloom

Cake~Monzu Bakery

Caterer~Brett Favre’s Steakhouse

Entertainment~DJ S2

Wedding Dress~Bridal Event

Makeup~Sara Miller

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