Amanda & Aaron’s Summer Wedding at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens

Amanda and Aaron met during their first year of teaching. “I was teaching English Language Arts and Aaron was teaching Biology,” Amanda says. “We were randomly paired up to administer state testing, so we started talking during the little breaks in between. We started dating shortly thereafter.” Following a nice dinner, Aaron took Amanda by total surprise when he asked her to marry him on the balcony of their apartment, the scene glowing with string lights.

The happy couple planned an outdoor wedding with a casual feel, incorporating Aaron’s passion for science and Amanda’s love of literature. “For example, our centerpieces featured classic novels, bundles of pencils, loose-leaf paper number signs, Erlenmeyer flasks to hold our flowers, and beakers for candle holders.”

Click on any image to enlarge.

Amanda found her dress at Elaine’s Bridal in Green Bay: “Every time I went in, they made me feel special, as though I was the only bride there — which I definitely was not! They offered suggestions and truly listened to the style of dress I was looking for. They solved issues with alterations quickly and easily.” Everything came together for a summer wedding with a ceremony at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens and a reception at The Ravine.

“We knew from the start that we wanted our ceremony at the botanical gardens, so we planned our date around their availability. The gardens were in full bloom and provided such a great atmosphere and feeling for our ceremony.” Amanda and Aaron have nothing but great things to say about their experience at the Botanical Gardens. “Everyone was extremely helpful,” Amanda says. “I had a ton of questions and sent various emails. They always responded promptly and answered every question. We were impressed by their ability to hold multiple weddings in one day, while still feeling like we were given their attention. They were also very helpful during the rehearsal, explaining where things were located and giving suggestions regarding the logistics of the ceremony.”

Click on any image to enlarge.

Aaron and Amanda had a friend officiate the ceremony, making it extra special. “We worked with her to create a flow for the ceremony, and she also included her own address that she kept secret. It was very sweet and we felt incredibly blessed to have her make our marriage official.”

The two planned to write their own vows, but found themselves feeling a bit overwhelmed as the big day approached. “Someone then suggested to us that we write our vows, but write them together. We tried it and loved it. We were able to talk about exactly how we wanted to promise to love one another for the rest of our lives — but with our own special twists.”

Aside from the beauty of the day, another thing Amanda and Aaron loved about the Green Bay Botanical Gardens were the memorial stones. “We didn’t know this before, but the garden offers memorial stones, which Amanda’s parents purchased with our names and wedding date on it. It’s a great way for a piece of our special day to remain in the garden. When the stone is installed, we will receive free admission to view it. We can’t wait!”

Click on any image to enlarge.

After the ceremony, it was off to The Ravine to celebrate. For dinner, Amanda and Aaron chose a traditional family-style dinner of chicken and beef tips. Dessert cupcakes came from Cupcake Couture in De Pere. “They looked awesome and tasted great! We went with cupcakes because we didn’t want to have to spend extra time to have the cake served. We were able to have four different flavors of cupcakes, and our guests could choose what they wanted, when they wanted it. We had two somewhat-traditional flavors, almond and chocolate with vanilla frosting, and two fun flavors, strawberry shortcake and salted caramel.”

“We made our own display and Cupcake Couture came to set everything up. We stained crates, created burlap bunting that said ‘Love is Sweet,’ made cupcake stands from mason jars, and painted oven burner covers we found at The Dollar Tree. Cupcake Couture did a great job arranging the cupcakes to fit the design we created.” Aaron and Amanda also made all of their centerpieces as well a seating chart board: “The title was ‘Check Out Your Seats’ with old-school library check-out cards listing our guests’ names and assigned table. We also labeled the individual guest seats with a microscope slide. It all played into our science/literary theme.”

Click on any image to enlarge.

To capture the day in pictures, Amanda and Aaron hired Picture This Photography. “They were definitely a highlight and stand out as one of the vendors who impressed and helped us the most. Ryan and Jenny were the absolute best. They were not only skilled photographers that captured all of our important moments, but they were also fun and willing to put up with our most colorful groomsmen. We love the way our photos turned out. We have such beautiful memories captured thanks to them. I also appreciated their general willingness to help throughout the day. Ryan tied my dad’s tie, and Jenny was always making her best effort to hide a big splotch of mud that got on the train of my dress during the receiving line.”

It was during photos that Amanda shared a moment with Aaron that she says will stick with her the most from their wedding day: “We were walking together between some photographs after the ceremony and just looked at each other in a ‘Hey, we’re married!’ kind of way.”
[table]

NE Wisconsin Wedding Vendors:

Rehearsal Dinner~We had a picnic-style/grill out rehearsal dinner at the groom’s family’s home.

Ceremony Location~Green Bay Botanical Gardens-This was absolutely beautiful.

Reception Location:~The Ravine-The Ravine was very convenient in terms of offering a lot of additional options aside from just the reception space.  When we booked with The Ravine, we booked our dinner and drinks package, which included the linens and all tables and chairs/set up.  The owner also runs a DJ/Photobooth business, which when we booked that at the same time as the reception hall, got a good deal on our DJ/Photobooth package (including uplighting). We had already booked a party bus prior to this becoming available, but we were told that they also offer a party bus/limousine service.  This location offers a lot of ways to check multiple things off your list at once!

Cake Designer/Dessert~Cupcake Couture in De Pere, WI.  They looked awesome! And tasted great!  We made our own display, and they came to set everything up.  They did a great job arranging the cupcakes to fit the design we had created.

Flowers~ Schroeder’s Floral, Green Bay WI- We felt that Schroeder’s did a great job.  We visited a few flower vendors prior to this one, and the representative we worked with here was the first of all of them to show us actual flowers!  We were both pretty clueless when it came to what types of flowers would best fit our theme/desired feel.  Stephanie at Schroeder’s was awesome at listening to what we were looking for, making suggestions, and ultimately creating beautiful bouquets and centerpieces.  Everything they did turned out exactly as we had imagined.

 Music/Entertainment~Johnny One-Ton DJ (booked through The Ravine)

Transportation~ Fox Valley Tours.  Our party bus was super fun!  There was some kind of issue with the original bus we booked; the vendor called us the day of and said they had already taken care of everything and we were given a free upgrade.

Photographer~Ryan Murphy and Jenny Pomeroy with Picture This Photography– These two were the absolute best.  They were not only skilled photographers that captured all of our important moments, but they were also fun and willing to put up with our most “colorful” groomsmen!  We couldn’t have asked for two more professional and more fun photographers to spend our day with.  We love the way our photos turned out; we have such beautiful memories captured in our photos thanks to them. I also appreciated their general willingness to help throughout the day.  Ryan tied my dad’s tie for him, and Jenny was always making her best effort to hide a big splotch of mud that got on the train of my dress during the receiving line. Overall, two great individuals to work with.  Definitely recommend them for any event!

Bridal Salon~Elaine’s Bridal in Green Bay, WI

Formalwear/Suit~Men’s Wearhouse

 Rings~ Amanda’s wedding set was designed by King & Company Jewelers in Menasha, WI.  Aaron’s ring was from Rogers and Hollands

[/table]