Fall Sister Bay Wedding

Christina and Judge’s breathtaking fall wedding in Door County

How They Met

Judge, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and Christina, who hails from Maribel, Wisconsin, met on an online dating app. The two of them had been on dating apps for a while, and when they met in-person, it was truly love at first sight. Judge was in awe of the fact that Christina was even more beautiful than her photos.

The Engagement

Unbeknownst to Christina, Judge carried the engagement ring in his pocket for about a month, just in case the right moment came up naturally. One weekend, the two had a number of different activities on their plate, including a trip to the zoo and grabbing dinner at their favorite spot. That morning, they decided to take the dog for a walk around Downtown Fort Worth. It was the first time in a month, Judge had decided not to bring the ring with him, even though he realized the walk would have been the perfect moment. After they were finished eating dinner at the restaurant, Judge popped the question when most of the diners had filtered out. That, right there, was the perfect moment.

The Dress

Christina found her dream wedding dress at Tie the Knot Bridal Boutique in Green Bay. She tried on about 14 dresses before deciding it was the one she wanted to wear as she said, “I do.” It was definitely the gown she felt the most relaxed in.

The Rehearsal Dinner

The night before their wedding day, Christina and Judge hosted their rehearsal dinner with their bridal party and immediate families at Chop in Sister Bay. The menu included farmhouse pork chop, New York strip steak, salmon, walleye, vegetable stir fry, and a selection of wine and craft beer. The rest of the guests were invited to a cocktail hour after dinner as a way for the couple to have some extra time with everyone.

The Ceremony and Reception

Christina and Judge had both their wedding ceremony and reception at Northern Haus in Sister Bay, Door County. Sara Anderson, co-owner of the Northern Haus, made sure Christina and Judge’s wedding was absolutely perfect and stress-free. She happily took care of all the vendor coordination so they did not have anything to worry about the day of. They had looked at a number of venues in both Texas and Wisconsin, all of which had beautiful grounds. Christina always had it in her mind that she wanted to get married outside. Once they met with Sara, they fell in love with everything else.

The venue was decorated beautifully with flowers and décor from Flora Flower Shop in Sister Bay. Helene offered lots of insight and tips on how to make the space work in all aspects of decorations. Christina gave Helene a very basic idea on the flower colors, types, and bouquet shapes she wanted. In the end, everything turned out beautiful and exceeded expectations.

Since most of their guests were visiting from out of state, many decided to stay for the long weekend. This allowed the couple plenty of time to see their loved ones throughout the weekend instead of being forced to have short discussions with everyone at the reception. Even so, during the reception dinner, they visited every single table to say hello to their friends and family. Towards the end of the reception, all of the guests gathered on the dance floor while the newlyweds danced in the middle of a circle while everyone was clapping along to the music.

The Food and Drinks

McEvoy’s Culinaria and Paella Catering in Sister Bay prepared and served all of the food and beverages for Christina and Judge’s big day. Guests noshed on the couple’s favorite date night meals – steak (Judge’s favorite) and fettuccine alfredo (Christina’s go-to), plus pesto chicken as a third option. The entrées were accompanied by a harvest salad with a strawberry vinaigrette and roasted vegetables. Owners Scott and Janet were extremely helpful throughout the entire process; they knew the venue well and provided suggestions. Since Christina and Judge were planning from afar, Scott and Janet kindly whipped up a picnic dinner for when they were in town so they could sample their dinner options.

For drinks, guests enjoyed an open bar with a short list of recommended cocktails, including two versions of the Old Fashioned (the “Wisconsin way” as well as a more traditional recipe with bourbon, sugar, bitters, orange, and cherry) and a Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonade. Instead of having a champagne toast, Christina and Judge decided to have a New Glarus Belgian Red toast – a beer they always have a few bottles of at home for special occasions.

Dessert included a two-tiered cake from Pink Bakery in Egg Harbor. One layer was a combination of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, and the second tier was vanilla cake with a raspberry coulis. Mini apple crisps were also served during the sweet course.

The Photos

Daisy Fields Photography out of Eden, Wisconsin captured the stunning, candid moments of Christina and Judge’s day. Laura was easy to work with and made sure the special moments were documented on camera to cherish forever.

Advice to Future Couples

Plan as much as you can as early as you can in the process. This will give you time to adjust if needed and as the big day approaches, you don’t have to scramble and can have some time to breath and relax.

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