Mitra & Dean's Shorewood wedding

An outdoor ceremony site was a top priority when Mitra and Dean began planning their wedding. They didn’t need to look far: Hubbard Park, which is complete with a cozy, rustic lodge, is practically in their backyard. “It’s beautiful and private,” Mitra says, and on their wedding day, “Dean walked there from our house!”

“The ceremony was really beautiful,” says Mitra, who ultimately wanted the day to feel warm and comfortable, but still special. “I don’t really remember everything that was said, but the way the sun was shining and the peacefulness of the park and being surrounded by all of our friends and family felt amazing.” Their dog, Macy, was also in the crowd—the creative bride fashioned a cockapoo-sized bowtie to coordinate with Dean’s. “It was simple, adorable and not too ridiculous,” says Mitra. She made all the wedding stationery, too.

Loved ones came from near and far to celebrate. The person that may have traveled the farthest was the bride’s aunt, who lives in Iran. “She had never been to America before, and here she was at my wedding,” Mitra muses. The family’s heritage also shone during the father-daughter dance, which was set to a Persian song. “We never really practiced, but it turned out great, and everyone joined in toward the end,” she says. “The dance floor remained full for the rest of the night!”

“The day really was perfect: The setting, the weather, the amount of guests, the food, dancing and photographers were great,” Mitra says. “We had to kick everyone out at the end of the night, which is always a good sign!”

Location: Shorewood
Date: May 26, 2012
Photographs: Valo Photography

Venue and caterer: Hubbard Park and Lodge; Officiant: The Hon. Richard Sankovitz; Ceremony musicians: String quartet of Shorewood High School students; DJ: Sound by Design; Gown: Eden Bridals from Kay Bridal Shop; Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka from Bluefly.com; Bride’s hair and makeup: Beauty; Tuxedo: Men’s Wearhouse; Flower girls’ dresses: Zappos.com and T.J.Maxx; Rings: Blue Nile; Bride’s earrings: Antiques on Second; Bride’s turquoise and diamond ring: Her grandmother’s; Florist: freshdesign; Baker: Michele Geiger; Stationer: The bride; Crazy booth: Valo Photography

Ellie Martin Cliffe (104 Posts)

By the end of high school, Ellie Martin Cliffe was completely enamored of journalism, so she chose the most logical college major possible: anthropology. Disappointed by the minimal emphasis on writing and editing, she changed tracks and earned a comm degree from Carroll College. Ellie has since tackled many facets of the field including books, magazines and the Web at places like The Knot and Reader's Digest. She now works full time in book publishing, and is thrilled to get her wedding fix with WedInMilwaukee.com. When she isn’t wielding her (red) pen, Ellie can be found in the garden, at any concert that showcases a fiddle, playing pub trivia or in the kitchen. She and her husband live in Riverwest with their hedgehog, Guinness, and grapefruit tree, Sprout.