A Floral Pattern Wedding Dress For This Intimate Outdoor Wedding At An Italian-Style Villa In Wisconsin

On the 10th anniversary of the day they started dating, Diane + Kellen tied the knot at Villa Terrace amidst an intimate group of family and friends. 

Villa Terrace is a breathtaking reproduction Italian villa in the heart of Milwaukee, Wisconsin that made THE most romantic backdrop for Diane + Kellen’s big day. Built in the 1920s, the villa overlooks Lake Michigan and is now used as a museum dedicated to the visual and decorative arts. 

The couple collaborated with planners from Company and Cheer to take this little slice of Italy and fill it with their unique wedding day style, bunches and bunches of baby’s breath, tons of amazing music, and a massive family-style Italian feast.

We truly can’t get enough of the stunning photographs Danielle Simone took of this elegant outdoor celebration!

Villa Terrace was built by architect David Adler for wealthy Milwaukee residents Lloyd and Agnes Smith who were inspired by Italian architecture during the trip they took to Italy after their wedding in 1915. And yes, that is a waterfall in the middle of a staircase 😍

Okay. So. We are SWOONING for this dress!! The dainty, pale blue florals!! The mismatched fabrics of the skirt and bodice! Here’s the story: Diane did some more traditional dress shopping and wasn’t feeling a typical bridal look. “Every time I put a white dress on I knew something was off,” Diane says. “I was looking for something more unique, more me, and something of an archival designer piece I’d love for years to come.” During one of her “daily shopping scrolls” she discovered that Brock Collection (a designer she already admired) had a new collection online. She found and quickly fell in love with this gorgeous belted, patterned dress, and after a few more attempts at bridal salon shopping, she knew more than ever that it was the one!

The First Look

So fun pairing non-traditional bridal looks with traditional veils!! The best of both worlds!

If you’re loving Diane’s silhouette like we are, take a peek at our list of the best puff sleeve wedding dresses!!

Kellen went tie-less in his stunning black Gucci suit, and it was totally the right move.

Diane’s dreamy loose waves were the work of Brush by Chelsea, and her effortless makeup look was by Shannon O’Brien.

How perfect are Kellen’s classic black Gucci loafers?! The whole look just screams ‘Italian villa.’

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding
Kellen: too many to pick from! Seeing how absolutely stunning Diane looked during our First look, and subsequently bawling my eyes out while reading our vows to each other;

The little moments we had to ourselves: while we walked to take photos and video, looking out over the lake and venue and our guests. It was such a beautiful day in every single aspect, I wish we could live in that day forever. Walking back down the aisle and then seeing all of our family members gather in the small room after the ceremony, welcoming each of us into our new, collective, family; Seeing the beauty of the venue’s layout for the first time and all of our planning come together even better than we could have imagined!
Diane: Seeing my husband during our first look! I wasn’t nervous until we arrived at the venue, but seeing him and saying our vows was magical and made all the jitters go away. Also seeing our vision come to life! Getting to see our reception before our guests entered was a special moment for us alone. And having both of our family’s join us privately while we signed our wedding license immediately after walking down the aisle! We are so close to our families, so it was so special to share. 

SO into pairing a wedding suit with a striped dress shirt for a mashup of casual and formal. Snag this one from The Kooples to recreate the look.

The Ceremony

The wedding’s florals, full of white blooms and greenery, were created by Bryde & Blooms. These organic, mossy aisle arrangements brought so much romance to the ceremony setup.

Wooden fans make such excellent wedding favors for a warm outdoor wedding!

Our Musical Choices
			
Processional: “Sign of the Times - Stripped” by Steve Horner (Harry Styles string cover)
			
			
Recessional: “Unbelievers” by Vampire Weekend
			
			
First Dance: “Take Care” by Beach House
			
		

The Reception

What is it about baby’s breath?! Loving the rustic simplicity of this reception table floral garland.

A little lavender moment! Estelle Colored Glass provided those amazing purple tinted coupes. And don’t miss that lavender sprig tucked into the napkins!

The idea of a “Family Style” celebration was important to Diane + Kellen, even beyond this gorgeous family style feast catered by Shully’s Cuisine. Gathering their closest loved ones and sharing the celebration with them was major inspiration for the vibe of the day.

Music is super important to Diane + Kellen, so they packed their day with nonstop incredible tunes.

Take a look at our list of first dance songs for every style if you still need some help deciding what the soundtrack of your special day is going to be.

This two-tier blue-and-white floral wedding cake by Delicately Delicious was inspired, like many of the day’s elements, by Diane’s dress.

Our Advice To Those Planning Now
Focus on what you can control, and don’t take out your frustrations on each other. Be communicative and work together as a team, and appreciate the work and effort you and your partner are both putting into the planning. (Also, don’t procrastinate!)

One of our favorite elements of the day? Diane had her mom’s wedding dress turned into this super cute reception look!!

And we adore her Loeffler Randall Dahlia Pearl Pleated Bow heels! Some of our all-time favorite wedding shoes!

Bridal sunglasses are the perfect outdoor wedding accessory!

And do not miss the video Circle Dot Weddings created for Diane + Kellen’s day that did an amazing job of capturing the vibe.

Congratulations, Diane + Kellen, on your Italian-inspired lakeside love story!! GWS wishes you all the best!