Alyson & Eric’s Vintage Door County Wedding at Stone Harbor Resort

Alyson and Eric met through friends at downtown Milwaukee’s Jazz in the Park. Eric surprised Alyson with a proposal at one of her favorite restaurants one Wednesday night. She thought she was going to meet her sister on the patio for drinks: “When I got through the doors, I realized she wasn’t there. Instead, Eric was down on one knee with a proposal ready, beautiful red roses, and champagne to toast!” Shortly after, the couple’s friends and family trickled in to celebrate.

Eric and Alyson planned a vintage-themed wedding in Sturgeon Bay, Door County. “My parents have always been big antique collectors,” Alyson says. “I guess it rubbed off on me!” Light grey, purple-grey, and light sea blue were the wedding colors, with lace and rose gold accents. “We used items like old broaches, antique hurricane lamps, teacups, and antique mirrors to compliment the theme throughout.”

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The ceremony took place at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in downtown Sturgeon Bay. It’s an old, beautiful church, built in 1853. Alyson says, “It was a special element of the wedding to us because it was the same church my parents had gotten married in years before. We were even driven to the church in the same vintage 1937 Plymouth my dad had redone when he was quite young — the same car my parents used in their wedding 30+ years before!”

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Another special moment of the ceremony was when Eric’s seven-year-old daughter, Ava, carried the rings. “It was a touching moment that symbolized bringing our unique family together.” The rings came from Samara Jewelers in Sturgeon Bay. “They created a gorgeous custom ring, designed by Eric,” Alyson says. “It couldn’t be more perfect!”

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The reception was held at Stone Harbor Resort, but before that came the trolley: “We rented a Door County Trolley to take us up the peninsula for a handful of pictures and a quick stop at Door County Brewery. Getting all of our closest friends on the trolley to kick off the celebration was an absolute blast and arguably one of our favorite parts of the day! Not only were the trolleys a perfect addition to our vintage-theme, but the staff was friendly and incredibly accommodating. We’re trying to think of excuses to rent one again in the future!”

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When the trolley made its last stop at Stone Harbor Resort, it was time for dinner and dancing. Dinner was catered by Stone Harbor and served family style, with Door County Cherry Chicken or Portobello Mushroom Ravioli as the two main entrées. For dessert, Alyson’s aunt made a scrumptious layer cake. “We also offered a variety of Door County chocolates. Despite the variety and quantity of treats available, nothing seemed to last long!” Then came the dancing. “I’m not sure if we can attribute the fun that was had on the dance floor to the amazing band or our open bar,” Alyson jokes. “But either way, the dance floor was full right through the last song!”

Alyson and Eric can’t say enough great things about their Stone Harbor reception. “They were absolutely amazing to work with! Not only does Stone Harbor offer on-site lodging (with very nice, updated rooms) and a beautiful wedding venue (overlooking Sturgeon Bay’s historic bridge), but everything from the food to the professionalism of the staff and service was truly unbeatable. Meredith, the on-site wedding coordinator, was so easy to work with and incredibly responsive. We don’t think the day would have been half of what it was without her help!”

Overall, Alyson says that her favorite moment of the day might be a cliché: “Eric and I both agree that the one thing that sticks out for us is the amount of love we felt — not just from each other, but from all of the great friends and family members who were there to support us. We’ve always known we were blessed to have so many fun-loving friends, but it was more obvious than ever on our wedding day!”
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Your Vendors:

Did you hire a Wedding Consultant? “Not hired; but my aunt Cindy Frea helped me out immensely, she worked with me for months to ensure the décor aligned with my vintage/antique theme flawlessly.”

Save the Dates & Thank You’s:  Nostalgic Imprints

Invitations:  Carlson Craft 

Rehearsal Dinner:  Sonny’s (Sturgeon Bay)

Ceremony Location: Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church (Sturgeon Bay)
“Beautiful, historic church in downtown Sturgeon Bay and just blocks away from Stone Harbor. My parent’s also got married there years before, so the site held some sentimental value for us as well!”

Reception Venue & Caterer: Stone Harbor Resort (Sturgeon Bay)
“I may be biased, but all that you get with Stone Harbor (onsite lodging, a gorgeous venue on the water, great service, delicious food and a large venue in a central spot in Door County [which our guests loved for killing time before/after the wedding]), I truly do not believe there is a better venue for the value in the area!”

Cake Designer/Dessert: Cake – Wendy Hansen
Macarons – Le Reve (Milwaukee)

Flowers: Buds ‘N Bloom (Depere, WI)
“If anyone is thinking of doing a wedding in NE Wisconsin and doesn’t contact Buds N’ Bloom, I truly believe they are missing out. From our first meeting, Jerad was an absolute pleasure to work with and a design genius. After a quick 20 minute meeting, I felt like he had nailed down our style and had a ton of fun ideas to contribute to making the day even more beautiful. He wasn’t pushy at all and was very willing to work within our budget, and to top it off, his team handled the majority of the setup and tear-down activities for a very reasonable fee, which allowed us to truly have a stress-free wedding day!”

Music/Entertainment:
(Reception) Blue Water Kings Band (Chicago, IL) “Our band may have been the highlight of the wedding… They were unbelievable and kept people crowded to the dance floor the entire night. They covered just about any song we could have asked for (or even dreamt up) and we are STILL receiving compliments on them from our guests. I couldn’t recommend them more!”

(Ceremony) Allegra String Quartet – “We both had always wanted to have strings at our wedding and we couldn’t have been happier with the vendor. Kimbra Allison was an absolute pleasure to work with – she not only sourced in the instruments we wanted to create the sound we were going after while staying within our budget, but she walked us through the selections and gave us fabulous recommendations, which helped to make the the ceremony truly enchanting. They also played during the cocktail hour, where they were able to incorporate much more contemporary music which everyone loved!”

Transportation: Door County Trolley (Egg Harbor) – “We loved the trolley! Not only were the trolleys a perfect addition to our vintage-themed wedding, but the service we received from the vendor was unlike any other! The staff was friendly and incredibly accommodating…my husband and I are trying to think of excuses to rent one again in the future! “

Photographer: Glitz Photography w/ Jordan Destree (Menasha)

Photography: Second shooter Photography by Brittany (Decorah, IA)

Videographer: N/A

Wedding Dress Designer: David Tutera

Where did you buy your dress? House of Brides (Chicago, IL)

Bridesmaids: BHLDN 

Where did you get your formalwear? Men’s Warehouse 

Rings: Samara Jewelers (Sturgeon Bay)

Make-up – L. Hiatt – We had Laura drive up from Menominee Falls to do Make-up for the wedding party and we were all SO PLEASED with her services! Her prices were very reasonable and she did such a nice job on every single one of the girls! Personally (as someone who doesn’t wear a lot of make-up), I feel like she mastered the art of making me look like my best ME for my wedding day and I couldn’t recommend her more.

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