Amanda dreamt of a wedding in Lake Geneva, WI. Lucky for her, she found herself a groom who loves the vacation town as much and she does. Together they celebrated their wedding with a “fancy, yet casual and intimate” event at Big Foot Country Club. We especially love how the bride’s fashion choices were totally unfussy, but with a hint of glam. She opted for a long sleeve lace top, instead of a veil, and it could not have been a more perfect choice! We’re excited to share Lisa Diederich’s lovely images of Amanda and Andrew’s big day.
What made the wedding special and unique?
From the age of 5, they year I coincidentally was a bride for halloween, my visions and dreams of planning my own wedding began. My wedding dreams continued throughout my adolescent years and peaked when I realized my parents were married at the lake where we spent every summer as a family, Lake Geneva, WI. Lake Geneva is my favorite place in the whole world and of course, where I ‘someday’ would have to get married! Lucky me, I ended up falling in love with Andrew, who loves and spends just as much time in Lake Geneva as I do! Fast forward 3 years and we were planning our wedding at the place I dreamed of for so many years prior! I quickly realized my dreams were coming true.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I wanted our wedding to be fancy, yet feel casual and intimate. I mean, we are at the lake! The first step in decorating was picking the bridesmaid dresses and wedding colors. I picked mixed metal tones (gold, silver, champagne) as these colors feel so glamorous to me! When searching for bridesmaid dresses, I kept envisioning a mix of champagne tones, sequins, beading, and and overall Great Gatsby look. I wanted my girls to feel beautiful and most importantly comfortable which ultimately lead to the decision to have them all pick their own dresses (within my vision)! The mix of dresses ended up looking so fabulous together. It was one of the best decisions as it had such a positive impact on the look and feel of our wedding! As for my dress, I picked a classic and simple Nicole Miller gown. A strapless, sweetheart neck, fit and flare style dress. During the ceremony I opted for a long sleeve lace top from BHLDN rather than a veil to pull in a romantic and unique touch. After the ceremony, I traded in the top for a gorgeous diamond and pearl sash also from BHLDN. My loving husband begged for me to wear my hair down and to “look like myself” on our big day. I ended up listening to him and embracing that he wanted me to look natural on our wedding day, so my hair was down and no fake eyelashes for me!
What were some touches added to make it personal?
My Mom is an uber talented designer so we worked together to create our save the dates, wedding invitations and of course all of the wedding decor! We played off of the lake and used many nautical accents including ropes, knots, fish netting, life savers, drift wood, and rocks. The centerpieces my Mom put together were like nothing I have ever seen before, at least not at a wedding. She used a mix of large and small mercury (gold/silver) vases with full hydrangeas and tall sticks to add dimension. She then placed rocks, driftwood, and small candles around the mercury vases to extend and truly complete the feel of the centerpieces. Every table was absolutely stunning.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most important touch that made such an impact on our wedding day were the roles that our parents and siblings held. My oldest brother, Jon, officiated our wedding and delivered the most touching, meaningful, and personal message that Andrew and I could have ever asked for. It truly “topped the cake” on our wedding day and set the stage for such a loving, fun, and ‘dream come true’ day. My brother, J Tyler, sang “Amazing Grace” during our ceremony and delivered a touching and hilarious speech as my Man of Honor. My sister in law and cousin shared the Matron of Honor role and with my brother, delivered such meaningful and loving speeches. Andrew’s two brothers shared the Best Men role and described how lucky they were to call their brother their best friend and expressed their excitement for our lives to unfold together. And last but definitely not least, our wonderful parents. Our Moms worked so hard together to make our weekend perfect, and for that I am so very thankful. Their eye for design and attention to every single detail made our wedding unforgettable. And our Dads, who did nothing but support us through the process, spoke of their excitement and encouragement to love each other through so many phases of love. Oh! Did I mention a few days before our wedding my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary and on our actual wedding day Andrew’s parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary? All of these things truly “topped the cake” on our wedding day and created a loving, fun, and ‘dream come true’ day.
Vendors: Photographer: Lisa Diederich Photography // Venue and Caterer: Big Foot Country Club // Planner: Mother of Bride + Bride {We did have a family friend in the wedding industry help as a day of coordinator.} // Florist: Lily Pots // Baker: The bakery at Daniels’ Sentry Foods Grocery // Dress(es)/Suit(s): Wedding dress was Nicole Miller from BHLDN // Suits: Navy suits that each groomsmen owned // Bridesmaid dresses: Mostly from Nordstrom and Bloomingdales– includes brands such as Parker, Adrianna Papell and Aidan Mattox // DJ/Band: Indigo, Arlen Music Productions // Makeup/Hair: Clear Waters Salon and Spa // Videographer: Neil Gowan