Alexis & Ryan’s Tundra Lodge Wedding

Ryan and Alexis met while working their summer jobs in 2013. “We soon learned we both went to UW-Oshkosh and started carpooling, then studying together. Our friendship turned into love.” These two Oshkosh alums got engaged in July of 2016 in Hartford Beach, South Dakota, where Alexis’ extended family is from.

“My grandma passed away the previous December, and my family had a bench placed by the lake in her memory,” Alexis says. “We went to see the bench, and once Ryan and I sat down, he told me how incredible it was that my grandparents had come to that very spot throughout their 60 years of marriage. He said he wanted it to be a special spot for us too.” Ryan then pulled out the ring and asked Alexis to marry him.

Alexis and Ryan planned a wedding with a chapel ceremony and a reception at the Tundra Lodge. Leading up to the big day, Alexis attended a couple of bridal shows: “I attended the Wedding Show| Summer Edition in Green Bay right after we were engaged to get ideas on pricing and vendors. Then I went to the Wedding Show | Winter Edition to get more ideas on smaller details, since we had the hall, chapel, photographer, and florist booked by then.” Alexis found her Allure Bridal gown at Elaine’s Bridal. Jewel-toned bridesmaid dresses by Mori Lee came from Elaine’s Bridal, too, while the men found suiting at DuBois in Green Bay.

The ceremony was held at Sepia Chapel. “Because of the size of the chapel, only our family members and close friends came to the ceremony. It felt more intimate to only be surrounded by those closest to us.” Another unique thing about the ceremony was that instead of just Ryan and Alexis lighting the unity candle, they also involved their mothers. “Our moms joined us to represent the joining of our families. It was a really beautiful moment.”

Following the ceremony, the wedding party stopped at Lambeau Field to take pictures. “We then went to Hagermeister Park downtown and took more group pictures on City Deck by the water. Our photographer then took us to different locations for pictures, just the two of us. We really wanted industrial-style photos with brick buildings, rather than landscapes.”

After photos, it was time to party at the Tundra Lodge! “They made our reception so incredibly beautiful! We loved the space from the first time we toured it and knew it was going to be amazing with lighting and flowers added to it. Laura at the Tundra Lodge is so sweet and accommodating. Since the hall was unavailable to decorate the night before, Laura put out all of the decorations for me the morning of the wedding. She made it look beautiful!”

For dinner, the Tundra Lodge served family-style chicken, baby red mashed potatoes, a seasonal veggie blend, and assorted dessert bars. There was also pizza for a late-night snack. “Tundra Lodge served really delicious food, and we were impressed during the planning that they said they would make food not normally on their menu to help us personalize our wedding even further.”

Alexis says her favorite part of the reception was being announced before dinner. “Our friends danced into the hall and it really showed their personalities. One couple that walked in together swapped clothes, so that the bridesmaid was wearing the groomsman’s suit and he was wearing her dress. It was really unexpected and perfectly fits who they are as the goofiest people. The guests loved it and still talk about it!”

Vendors

Bridal Shows Attended~The Wedding Show- Winter & Summer Editions.
I attended the Summer Wedding Show in Green Bay right after we were engaged to get ideas on pricing and vendors and then went to the Winter Wedding Show to get more ideas on the smaller details since we had the hall, chapel, photographer, and  booked florist at that time.
Reception~Tundra Lodge
Photography~Emily Megan Photography
Bridal Gown~Allure Bridal -from Elaine’s Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses~Mori Lee from Elaine’s Bridal
Men’s Formalwear~DuBois ,Green Bay
Engagement ring~Schoenborn’s in Kiel
Wedding bands~Holland’s
Bride’s shoes~Badgley Mischka
DJ~Extreme Entertainment
They did an amazing job with the uplighting and music. It was such a fun party and they were great to work with!
Linens~Ruby Design
Alterations~Uniquely Yours by Gina 
Gina Nachreiner, she also made my earrings and modernized my grandma’s headpiece using all original materials (I will only ever use Gina for alterations for the rest of my life. She’s the sweetest ever and so talented!
Mother of the Bride’s dresses ~Furs of Distinction and Lady Savannah
Make-up & Hair~Beehive Salon in De Pere
Cupcakes~Tamara’s the Cake Guru
Flowers~Nature’s Best Floral
Josh and his team are simply amazing! I showed him pictures of what I liked and what the budget was and he knew exactly how to make the arrangements look gorgeous, while staying in the budget. I really wanted peonies which aren’t in season in October, so he knew exactly what to use instead that looked similar. He went above and beyond my expectations!
Rehearsal dinner~Scambatti’s in De Pere
Ceremony~Sepia Chapel (Green Bay location)
Transportation~ Ravine limo bus –
The driver picked up the out of town guests staying at Tundra Lodge and brought them to Sepia and then back to Tundra after the ceremony and then picked up the wedding party to take around town for pictures.