Photos of small,
semi-luxury weddings and elopements
for couples that love
to travel.
Depending on your school of thought, you may think elopements & small weddings are just two people either at the local courthouse or far away in the mountains. And while those are great options for some, they’re far from the only options! You can have a small wedding close to home that has a lot of traditional wedding elements, just on a smaller scale. The best part about small weddings & elopements is that you decide to prioritize what you & your partner want over what others expect.
Despite all the challenges of planning a wedding in the midst of a pandemic, Grace & Sergio decided that the show must go on and planned the perfect small wedding in Milwaukee.
They got married in a church with just immediate family. Friends & family were eagerly awaiting them as the church doors opened, along with a freakin’ mariachi band!!
The crowd formed a literal PARADE as they walked (and danced!) to the cocktail reception at Grace & Sergio’s house a couple blocks away.
During the ceremony, friends went to their house to set up for the cocktail hour. They put up decorations, loaded the coolers and, of course, put out masks #2020.
Even though it was different than your usual wedding, everyone enjoyed being able to safely celebrate this incredible couple. I could tell Grace & Sergio were over the moon that so many people came to share in this day with them.
After the cocktail hour, the family hopped into the party bus and we headed off to St. Francis Seminary and the lakefront for some photos.
The festivities continued at Cafe Centraal. The restaurant staff went above and beyond. They set up a stunning tablescape, made sure everyone’s drinks were full, queued up the dance music and, of course, the food was out of this world too!
If you’re planning a small wedding in Milwaukee, I cannot recommend Cafe Centraal enough!
At the restaurant, they were able to do a lot of classic wedding traditons: Grace & Sergio did their first dance, parent dances and the maid of honor & best man gave their speeches. Doing those traditions with such a small group of people was so intimate and heart-warming. Some family members had to travel from Texas, but it was clear they wouldn’t miss celebrating these two for the world.
It was so special to watch these two families blend and enjoy each others’ company in a way they probably couldn’t have if it was a bigger wedding.
The night ended with a little escape to the street for a quick dance under the street lights. These two got a lot of lovin’ honks and screams of ‘congrats!’ from passing cars, and it was the perfect end to a perfect day <3
I loved Grace & Sergio’s ‘hybrid’ approach to their small wedding in Milwaukee.
It was a perfect combo of close friends & family, with the opportunity for other loved ones to celebrate with them. Talk about best of both worlds!
Special shoutout to Chelsea Matson Photography for inviting me along on this amazing day! Da real MVP.
