2020 Heartbreak & 2021 Joy
Chad and Carly are a resilient pandemic couple, who were forced to either cancel or postpone their 2020 wedding. They were understandably heartbroken that they wouldn’t be able to have the big, beautiful wedding that they had always dreamed of, so we were able to walk through that challenging grief together and do some problem solving. It was important to the couple to carry on with their wedding vision, so they ultimately decided to postpone the wedding by one year.
When it came time to make a decision about whether to cancel or postpone, the financial factor helped us decide that it was much wiser to postpone. Had Chad and Carly chosen to cancel their vendors and forego all of the deposits and vendor fees, they would have paid almost the full cost of the wedding but had nothing to show for it. With the option of postponing, their wedding costs were similar to their original budget, and they were still able to celebrate their big wedding, one year later. Big thanks and appreciation to all of their wedding vendors, especially to Spicy Tie Band and Natashia Nicole Photography, who so kindly postponed the wedding date and maintained their service agreement so Carly and Chad could have the A-Team at their wedding, one year later!
I ended up getting to know Chad and Carly very well since we had two years of planning time together! We grew very close by walking through the heartbreak of a Covid postponement and problem solving together, and I grew to love these two. Carly was so organized and easy to work with, and it was just a joy to plan with her. She also was managing a lot at one time as she was wrapping up nursing school and studying for her boards at the same time as their wedding planning.
That brings us to 2021 – the summer when they can finally tie the knot and celebrate with their families. Their long, anticipated day was finally here! They had dreams of creating a beautiful, clean wedding with blacks, whites, pinks and greens to soften the neutral palette. They chose to have their wedding at the Rothschild Pavilion for both the ceremony and reception, so we had a lakeside ceremony to look forward to out on the peninsula, and a reception inside with the high ceilings, big windows, and the perfect space for a big party with a full dance floor ALL NIGHT LONG. Let’s walk through how we planned it, and how it went!
All photos from this wedding by Natashia Nicole Photography
The First Look
Chad and Carly chose to have a first look, and can we just say, we love those! Having a first look allows for the Bride and Groom to have a personal moment when they first see each other on the wedding day, can feel whatever emotions they need to feel together, and experience that special moment just the two of them.
Logistically, there are perks too! We were able to set up the wedding day schedule to allow for couple photos before the ceremony (and wedding party ones too!) so the Bride and Groom can flow smoothly right from the ceremony to the reception without a huge break between. Besides a few family photos between the ceremony and reception, that time was not spent taking formal photos.
The Outdoor Ceremony
Both the ceremony and reception took place at the Rothschild Pavilion. The ceremony took place lakeside out on the peninsula, which allowed for peaceful views and fresh air. Since the Pavilion is a public space, sometimes that means that wanderers can make their way over to the ceremony – we always run that risk on public land! In this case, there was a peaceful fisherman in his neon orange socks and tube socks there to take in the wedding ceremony. One of the members of the wedding party gently asked him to come back in half an hour after the ceremony was done, and he kindly puttered away to fish somewhere else.
The walk or drive out over the bridge to the peninsula can feel long sometimes, especially in heels, but it’s worth it. We always recommend having ushers to assist elderly or handicapped guests from the parking spaces out to the ceremony venue. The wedding planning assistants and I used our two wagons to take all the ceremony gear, flowers, and such out to the ceremony space.
Once all the decorations, supplies, guests, and wedding party made it out there, the ceremony went smoothly! We had all our fingers and toes crossed that the rain would hold off, and sure enough, the ceremony went from start to finish with big black clouds and no rain, but as soon as it was done, down it came. We were watching our weather forecast apps down to the minute and making plans of escape, and we made it just in the nick of time! We were thankful to have an indoor reception space where we could usher all the guests! We were so glad to not have to use the plans B, C, and D that we had prepared in case the rain came.
Carly and Chad wanted guests to have a memory walk as they entered the ceremony where they could take in the photos of the loved ones who had passed before their wedding day. Their hope was that they could honor their late friends and family members by saving a chair for them, allowing other guests to walk by and remember as they entered, and for them to be watching over the ceremony. We thought this was such a beautiful way to honor those loved ones!
The Indoor Reception
Spicy Tie Band was the musician for Chad & Carly – they’re an in-demand live band that we had to book 2 years out to secure them for this wedding! They’re booked out for good reason; their are incredibly talented musicians who are great performers and even served as emcee and sound for the reception, and they kept the dance floor packed the whole time.
Chad and Carly ended up having to endure a wedding postponement due to the pandemic, and the vendors they worked with were flexible, accommodating, professional, and frankly, absolute all-stars. This wedding was a breeze to plan and execute with such pros on the team. Below, we’ve listed the professionals who made this wedding happen and have linked to their official websites.
Chad & Carly's Vendor Team
Venue: Rothschild Pavilion
Photographer: Natashia Nicole Photography
Videographer: Leah Mann Creative
Florist: Gerstbergers
Caterer: The Mint Cafe
Bar Service: Larc’s Shenanigans
Transportation: HGI Wausau
Band: The Spicy Tie Band
Hair: Wes & Co Salon
Makeup: MaiChee Moua
Rentals: Everest Rentals
Decor & Florals: Evolutions in Design
Cleaning: Focused Cleaning Group
Chad and Carly, thank you for trusting us to plan your wedding. We walked a long road together through the tears and heartbreak of a wedding postponement and the joys of seeing it through to the very end, this was a long time coming, and we were honored to walk this road with you! We hope the first year of marriage has been an absolute joy. Sending all our love!
XO,
Marsha & Team