St. James 1868 Wedding - kuffelphotography.com

St James 1868 Wedding | Milwaukee, WI

This weekend Dan and Gianna hosted their wedding at the St James 1868 in the historic district of downtown Milwaukee! It’s a unique luxury venue, that reminded me of Europe. The stained glass windows, high arched ceilings, and beautiful architecture fit Gianna’s classic vision perfectly, and Dave and I were so very excited to spend our own anniversary celebrating the start of their marriage.

Getting Ready at The St James

When we arrived on site, the wedding party was slowly trickling in and we were greeted by the team at St James, a wonderful crew of ladies eager to help the day run smoothly! Gianna and Dan each had their own getting ready suite, which allowed them to relax and prepare without seeing one another before their first look. Gianna and her girls giggled and made sure every detail was just perfect, while Dan and the guys set the intention for the day with a group prayer. When it was time for the two to finally see one another, we made our way to the front of the courtyard. Their first look was intimate and sweet, complete with private vows, a few twirls in the dress, and lots of giddy glances. By opting for a first look, we were also able to capture a few wedding party photos before the ceremony, which was perfect for a Friday wedding. The excitement was high, as their group of friends cheered on the soon to be married pair!

The Ceremony

As the ceremony time neared, we ushered Gianna back inside to avoid being seen by any guests. The wedding party relaxed once again in their lounges while guests made their way inside through the iconic red doors. I smiled as I listened in on the conversations about how beautiful everything was, how perfect the weather was, and how excited guests were for this day to have arrived. As the ceremony progressed, I couldn’t help but notice how sweetly Dan was squeezing Gianna’s hands. When the vocalist sang,

“I have never been so sure of anything before
Like I am in this moment here with you
And now, for better or for worse
Are so much more than only words
And I pray every day will be the proof
That I mean what I say when I say, “I do”

Gianna looked up at him with a look in her eyes that felt like she was singing the words to him herself. They sealed their vows with a kiss that they had been waiting all day for, and happily made their way down the aisle with ear to ear smiles.

Cocktail Hour and Reception

With guests enjoying a cocktail hour on the patio, we stepped away for a few more photos while the team at St James worked to flip their ceremony space for the reception. When everything was set just perfectly, Dana and Gianna snuck away from cocktail hour to enjoy their grand reveal. The look on Gianna’s face was proof that all of her lists and planning had finally paid off, because her vision was now a reality.

Soon after, guests were invited in to marvel at the transformed space and everyone was seated for a delicious dinner. As we listened to speeches that made us laugh and awe at the two of them, one speech in particular really stuck out to me, and that was the Best Man speech. Johnathan, Dan’s brother had so many silly anecdotes about the kind of guy Dan was before Gianna, and the person he’s grown into since. He had nothing but praise and gratitude for Dan’s new wife, and at the near end his words brought me to tears. He said that even though he was happy for the wedding, he was also sad. Sad because from that day forward, they would no longer be best friends since now Dan had found himself a new best friend- and that is by far the best part of marriage. As someone who just celebrated 7 years married to my best friend, I could not agree more.

The rest of their evening was filled with funny speeches, load of fun on the dance floor and a special surprise wardrobe change! We of course had to show off her second dress, so we headed out to the patio one last time for some end of the evening snapshots of just the two of them, allowing Dan and Gianna a few moments to soak in the day, and celebrate their new titles as Mr and Mrs.

Dan and Gianna, we are so grateful to have shared this special weekend with you and your families! Thank you for asking us to document this incredible day, and happy honeymoonin to you both!

Special thanks to the fabulous vendor team that I will be sure to tag below.