WISCONSIN WEDDING BLOG

Welcome to WedPlan Madison's Blog, created to share Wisconsin wedding inspiration, tips, and ideas, real weddings, styled shoots, and vendor spotlights in Madison and surrounding areas. Check it out and get inspired! Follow us on social for all the latest posts. 

Bathed in the abundant natural light found at the Madison Public Library, Katie and Jared exchanged their promises to love and support each other, surrounded by family and friends. This adorable and artfully styled wedding, captured beautifully by Maureen Cassidy Photography, is bursting with lovely touches. Scroll further to see all the pretties!

bride and wedding dress

HOW DID YOU MEET? Jared and I met during our medical residency. We were assigned to work together for my first month as a resident. During that time, our relationship evolved from co-workers to friends. When that month ended, we both realized how much we missed spending time with one another. Jared asked me out on a date shortly after that, and we've been together ever since.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR VENUE: We had our wedding at the Madison Public Library. Madison is where Jared and I met, fell in love, and continue to build our life together. It made sense to have our wedding here as well. We both love spending time outside and initially thought about having an outdoor wedding. However, once you've spent a summer in Wisconsin, you realize how temperamental the weather can be. The library ended up being perfect for us. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much natural light, and you get a sense of being outside while actually being in climate-controlled, mosquito-free bliss! The downtown location also ended up being an excellent choice for our out-of-town guests as they could stay at a hotel nearby and walk to the venue.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING? Can I say everything?! I especially loved the ceremony that our friend created and the vows we wrote for one another. To share our thoughts and feelings while surrounded by our loving family and friends made for a great start to a truly spectacular day.

wedding invitation
bride and groom under altar

IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO OTHER COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? We highly recommend day-of coordinator (anything to ease the stress on the big day), our delicious wedding cake by Bloom Bakeshop (I'm still getting compliments on this!), and not skimping on food or alcohol.

Start planning early and keep track of things as they happen (cost, deadlines, contact person, phone numbers). We started planning about one year ahead of the big day, which meant that we could tackle tasks one at a time, making it feel more manageable.

ANY WEDDING PLANNING REGRETS OR SOMETHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY? Ordering special table linens. It was a hassle to drop them off and pick them up and, in the end, probably weren't drastically different from the linens our caterer had offered to provide.

The guest list proved to be our biggest challenge. A lot of our friends and family live somewhere other than Madison. It was hard for us to know how many of them would make the trip to the Midwest for our wedding. I got anxious when we invited more people than space could accommodate, fearing everyone would come, and they would have no place to sit. Of course, it all worked out in the end. My advice: brainstorm everyone you can imagine ever wanting at your wedding early on to avoid the stress of last-minute additions.

bride and groom dancing

IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO OTHER COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Make the day your own! Don't feel obligated to do something just because it's considered traditional or typical.

Have a photo booth! It kept the handful of kids who attended our wedding entertained. It was a fun way to take a break from the dance floor, and the album created that night is a fun keepsake.

To see more Madison wedding inspiration be sure to visit our other blog features!