Krista & Dave's Milwaukee wedding

It’s only natural that outdoor enthusiasts Krista and Dave opted to marry in a garden. After all, it’s something of a tradition: The bride’s parents were married at Boerner Botanical Gardens, and Dave proposed at a botanical garden in Chicago, where the couple now lives. “Taking these important aspects of our life together all revolving around a common theme, the Boerner Botanical Gardens was a perfect choice for us,” says Krista.

When it came time to plan the wedding, Dave says he got some advice: “Your job is to simply show up,” he recalls his father saying. “This is the lady’s celebration and you should do everything you can to make it the dream she’s always wanted.” So Krista and her mother got to work, pulling together all the details for her ideal day, but both she and her groom had a wonderful time at their garden ceremony and at their elegant, carefree reception, which they held at the Grain Exchange.

“We were so thrilled with every part of our wedding day!” says Krista, who met Dave when the two were freshmen at the University of Michigan. “We could not have imagined a better way to celebrate the union of our two families.”

The pair’s wedding-day highlight? “At the Grain Exchange, there is a large balcony where you can look out over the entire room; it is beautiful and offers a bird’s-eye view of the festivities,” says the bride. “During the night, we took our pieces of cake up to the balcony, ate dessert and watched as our loved ones celebrated with each other. It was a really special moment, and not one that we’ll forget for the rest of our lives.”

Locations: Hales Corners and Milwaukee
Date: September 10, 2011
Photographs: A & A Photography

Ceremony site: Boerner Botanical Gardens; Officiant: Rev. Dr. Susan Patterson-Sumwalt, United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay; Ceremony music: Groom’s cousin and uncle; Reception site: The Grain Exchange; Caterer: The Bartolotta Catering Company & Events; Band: Eddie Butts Band; Gown and bridesmaid dresses: Amelishan Bridal; Bride’s hair & makeup: Bella Lei Salon Spa; Groom’s suit, bride’s jewelry, bridesmaid shoes: Nordstrom; Bridesmaid earrings: Substance Designs; Groomsman suits: Jos. A. Bank; Rings: Edmund D. Schmelzle & Sons, Chicago, (312) 782-7230; Florist: Stephanie Freimark at Sendik’s Mequon; Baker: The Cake Lady; Stationery design: Bride’s brother; Stationery supplies: Broadway Paper; Printing: Clark Graphics; Transportation: Badger Coaches

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.