Months to Plan: 22 Months  | Wedding Guest Count: 215  |
Music Down the Aisle: I Get to Love You (Violin)  | First Dance Song: Life with You by Kelsey Hart

The Beginning

How It Started

Lauren and Charlie met on Bumble during COVID. At the time, the two didn’t live close enough to match on the app but thanks to the pandemic, each was spending more time than usual with relatives, putting them in the same area to match!

The Proposal:

On New Year’s Eve, Charlie asked Lauren to go for a walk. It was a cold winter day – she wasn’t exactly excited for a walk outdoors. But as the couple walked over the bridge on the Trestle Trail in Fox Crossing, Charlie proposed. Charlie had even arranged for one of Lauren’s friends to be there to take photos of the proposal and yell “congratulations!”

Riley Grace Photography

The Planning Process

Wedding Date:
October 5, 2024

Guest Count:
215

Wedding Shows:
The couple spent 22 months planning their wedding and attended wedding shows at the Fox Club in Appleton, The Wisconsin Wedding Showcase in Oshkosh, and the Venue 404 Flea Market & Wedding Expo.

Wedding Colors:
Dusty Rose and Navy with accents of Cabernet

Style and Theme of the Wedding:
Modern elegance with lots of greenery

Wedding Consultant / Day of Coordinator:
Lynn at the Fox Club – included as day of coordinator through rental

Riley Grace Photography

Wedding Looks

Dress Designer:
Enzoani

Bridal Boutique:
Erika’s Bridal Couture

How many dresses did you try on?
Lauren initially went to another bridal store and tried on about 10 dresses. She thought she would be returning the following day after her first appointment but at Erika’s, it only took Lauren 4 dresses to find “the one.” “As soon as I put the dress on I thought in my head, this is what ‘bride’ feels like and I imagined myself walking down the aisle and all of our guests turning to look at me. I teared up.” Lauren also says that the previous day when she had tried on dresses, she kept thinking to herself, “how do you pick? They all look so good” but when she tried on her “one”, she got that feeling that everyone talks about.

Menswear:
DuBois Formalwear– The groomsmen wore navy and the groom wore navy with black accents to stand out from the crowd.

Rings:
The bride’s ring was purchased at Avenue Jewelers in Appleton; Groom’s band purchased from Manly Bands

Riley Grace Photography

Ceremony Details

Ceremony Location:
Green Bay Botanical Gardens

Details and Favorite Moments:
The couple exchanged vows at the Kress Oval Garden, with the elegant Grecian Gazebo as their altar and a close friend officiating. Prior to the ceremony guests were asked to describe the couple, the officiant then read some of the comments during the ceremony. Lauren and Charlie say that having someone who truly knew them officiate their ceremony made it so special. The couple also wrote their own vows. Following the ceremony, their friend had the vows framed for the couple.

Riley Grace Photography

Capturing the Day

Photographer:
Riley Grace Photography

Why did you choose this photographer?
Lauren and Charlie say that they loved the fact that Kelly from Riley Grace was familiar with both of their venues and thought that it would be helpful when it came to the big day. Additionally, Kelly had experience photographing fireworks at the Timber Rattlers stadium which the couple had planned for their wedding. And Lauren says they just loved how she captured the emotions in her photographs and how beautiful they were.

Photo Locations:
The couple took photos at both of their locations. One of their fun shots: the groomsmen racing to get to the groom.

Riley Grace Photography

Reception Details

Venue:
The Fox Club at Fox Cities Stadium, Appleton

What made you choose your venue?
Lauren says that they loved how many windows the venue had and felt that it made the space feel so open and beautiful with all of the natural light. “We had seen pictures of couples who had lit candles in that space. It was so beautiful.” They also say that they loved the menu and the fact that the venue offered everything on site and they didn’t have to worry about outside caterers or bartenders. The fact that the Fox Club offered fireworks as part of their package was also a huge draw for the couple. Plus, Lauren and Charlie both love baseball so being at the stadium for their wedding reception seemed to just make sense.

Dinner:
Guests were served a dinner consisting of their choice of a filet or bacon ranch chicken with a twice baked potato and vegetables or a vegan option of a pasta primavera. They also brought in wine from Tenba Winery, a winery owned by friends of Lauren’s parents. The couple says that they received a lot of compliments on both the food and wine.

Cake/Dessert:
Tamara’s the Cake Guru, Oshkosh – Guests were served mini cupcakes and the couple had a small cookie dough torte

Decor Details:
Lauren and Chalie chose to rent their wedding décor from Wedding Perfect. Lauren says that having the company there to set up and take down everything was huge for taking the stress off of her which made it well worth the money.

Riley Grace Photography

A Grand Finale

Dancing:

Following dinner, guests spent time on the dance floor, Waves Entertainment LLC provided the music and gave guests the opportunity to request songs which kept them on the dance floor most of the night.

Late Night Eats & Fireworks Finale
For a late-night snack guests had hot dogs – what could be better at a baseball stadium?! To cap off the night, guests were even treated to a visit for Fang, the Timber Rattles’ mascot and enjoyed amazing fireworks in the ballpark.

Words of Advice from the Bride

Take it day by day and try not to get too overwhelmed, if the details are important to you- do it! They mattered to me and were so special when our guests noticed, it is hard work planning, but the moment that everything comes together on your wedding day is absolutely amazing! You did it and the most perfect day is finally here.

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