A seemingly ordinary Sunday afternoon turned out to be anything but for Milwaukee couple Kate and Mike. They’d taken their dog, Jameson, for a lakefront walk and were passing the art museum when they began reminiscing about the good times they’d shared nearby. That’s when Mike said, “I think we need to make one more really great memory down here.” And he proposed.

Kate’s surprise didn’t end there. “The moment after I said yes, the door of Café Calatrava opened and my whole family ran out in celebration, followed by Mike’s parents who flew in from New York for the big day!” says the bride-to-be. “Bottles of Champagne were popped, and the moment couldn’t have been more perfect.”

Now the couple is hard at work planning their August 2013 wedding in the city they truly love. “From the food and wine, to the architecture of the historic buildings that surround us, there is never a dull moment,” says Kate. So, what better place to create more Milwaukee memories than at the art museum? That’s where they’ll say their vows, and then celebrate with a chic nautical reception at the Pfister Hotel, “one of the most beautiful and historic places in Wisconsin,” Kate says.

Not only have they chosen their wedding locations, Kate and Mike have also enlisted a bevy of local pros to make their wedding come to life; Sound by Design, Jaxie, Miss Ruby Boutique, Glow Salon and Spa, and Buds ‘N Blum among them. Rounding out the group is Britt Taylor, the photographer who captured the urban vibe in Kate and Mike’s Cathedral Square engagement photos.

If, like Kate and Mike, you’re dreaming of a Milwaukee wedding, “embrace everything this city has to offer,” she advises. “There are really great vendors here that can help make your day one of a kind.”

Photographs by Britt Taylor Photography