Carrie & Caleb were married this past August in the beautiful historical landmark building of Dane’s Hall in downtown Waupaca, Wisconsin! With the couple residing in Oregon their wedding was very much a destination wedding. Even though their guest count was small, due to the pandemic, they were still able to celebrate with a small group of their closest friends and family!
Carrie & Caleb’s classic wedding was definitely highlighted with all the charm & nostalgia that the Dane’s Hall brings to share their love story.
A little about Dane’s Hall of Waupaca…
Historical Meets Hospitality
For over 125 years, the elegant turret of Danes Hall in Waupaca has been a beacon of hospitality and history. Inside its brightly illuminated windows, six generations have gathered to celebrate life’s milestones. Its architecture and artwork tell the stories of young Danish immigrants whose dreams were rooted in the American frontier. The grand ballroom echoes the joyous celebrations of three centuries. Danes Hall is a place where hospitality and history come together to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Favorite Wedding Day Highlights
I had so much fun planning with Carrie & Caleb! It was how planning a wedding (or any event) should be – fun, meaningful, and all centered around their love for each other! I was so honored to be part of their wedding day. A little behind the scene’s fact was that Dane’s Hall was working on opening the lower level bar & cocktail lounge and Carrie & Caleb wedding was going to be the first to enjoy this brand new space. In addition, it spread the event out amongst all three floors (good for social distance at the time).
Bride & Groom’s First Look
I have so many favorite parts of their wedding day, but hands down, one of my very favorite moments of the day was Carrie & Caleb’s First Look! It was emotional and so sweet!
It was private but they seemed to have a secret audience of friends and family that didn’t want to miss out on such a special moment with them. There’s just something so special about the first moment the Groom gets to see his Bride for the first time! It gets me every time… and I’m not the only one, because there were plenty of happy tears from everyone that was “secretly” involved.
Eco-Friendly Wedding Decor
Another unique touch I love was using potted plants as wedding decor! Not only are potted plants an eco-friendly wedding decor option (which was very important to Carrie & Caleb), they are a great budget-friendly alternative to flowers too. Even better, they can easily double up as living keepsakes for you and your guests after the big day. Decor that is trendy and functional? Now that’s what we call a wedding win-win!
To continue with their unique and eco-friendly theme, Carrie’s bridesmaids held lace fans as an alternative to floral bouquets.
The ceremony and reception celebration was a mix of lush potted greenery and floral centerpieces all beautifully created by Faye at Blooming Envy.
Of course, no reception is complete without amazing entertainment! DJ Cory at Dialed-In Sound did an amazing job and had the dance floor packed ALL NIGHT LONG!!
A big thank you to Ann Ilagan Photography for capturing their day beautifully! Check out some of our favorite photos below!
Let’s dive right in and see some more of those beautiful details…
Planning a Wedding at Dane’s Hall of Waupaca
Planning a wedding at Dance’s Hall was a great experience. They have an on-site event manager to answer any and all of your questions. Also, they have an experienced event coordinator to see that everything comes together at the venue perfectly. Planning a destination involves lots of details in the whole scope of a wedding. This is where a local wedding planner is beneficial to help ensure all your wedding details come together perfect while planning from a distance.
You know that I always like to keep things completely real and upfront. Here are some things you need to consider when choosing to plan a wedding at a historical place like Dane’s Hall of Waupaca.
2 Things T0 Be Aware Of With Historic Wedding Venues
#1 – More Rules and Restrictions
With great history, comes great restrictions…
Historic wedding venues can come with rules and restrictions. It’s mainly because they want to preserve the history and the character of the building, space and grounds so that others can appreciate and enjoy it too.
Since it’s an older space, it can be a little more fragile.
Make sure you understand and are comfortable with those restrictions before you sign on the dotted line.
#2 – May Have Some Old School Features
Remember, with historic venues they want to preserve the original look and character and sometimes things can’t be changed. So, make sure you’re aware of these features (or the lack thereof) and what you’d need to do in order to accomodate for it.
Conclusion
Carrie & Caleb! Thank you, thank you, thank you for trusting us and allowing us to accompany you on your wedding planning journey! We will always be so proud and so grateful that we got to be a small part of your Big Day.
Thank you to all the amazing vendors that helped bring their day to life!
- Ceremony & Reception Venue – Dane’s Hall of Waupaca
- Wedding Planner – Distinctly Yours Wedding & Events
- Hair and Makeup – The Blue Angel Salon
- Photographer – Ann Ilagan Photography
- Videographer – Leah Mann Creative
- Caterer – Three Guys & a Grill
- Florist – Blooming Envy
- Cake Designer – Kelly Cook
- Dessert Bakery –Zest Bakery
- DJ – Dialed-In Sound and Mobile DJ
- Transportation – Xecutive Limousine
Marsha & her team were so great to work with! She was consistently in communication and helped us plan a destination wedding in WI. We were able to enjoy our stress-free wedding day as Marsha coordinated vendors & handled things that came up through the day.
Carrie & Caleb (Google Review)