A Classic & Sunny Wedding Day at The Gardens Wedding Center in Allenton, WI

Shayna and Chandler’s wedding day was filled with timeless elegance, bright sunshine, and meaningful details. The Gardens Wedding Center in Allenton, WI, with its charming historic church and serene gardens, provided the perfect setting for their classic celebration. From exchanging heartfelt vows to enjoying the company of their loved ones, the day reflected their unique love story. Read on for their Q&A!

Can you share the details of your proposal story—who was involved, what happened, where it took place, and when it all unfolded?

We went on a trip to visit some of our friends that live in California in March 2023. We planned a day trip to Napa with our college friends, John, Claire, and Gerry to visit a couple wineries. After our tasting at Cuvaison, we walked the grounds of the vineyard. Chandler pulled me aside near a pond and surprised me with the proposal! Afterwards, we celebrated with our friends with more wine and dinner.

What was your favorite moment from your wedding day?

Our favorite part of the wedding day was during our private vows. Right after the ceremony, we went into the chapel to read the vows we had written for each other. It was the first time we had seen each other or spoke to each other on the wedding day, so we were happy to finally be together and express our excitement surrounding our big day. We also loved dancing with all of our friends and family at the end of the night. The stress of wedding planning was behind us and we could let loose with all of our favorite people.

Can you share a memorable or funny story from your wedding day?

During the ceremony, when our officiant asked Chandler for his declaration of intent. He prompted him with, “it’s those two words.” With all the nerves that come along on your wedding day, Chandler couldn’t remember what to say -And instead of saying those two traditional words, “I do,” Chandler answered with a simple “yes.”

How did your family and friends contribute to making your wedding day special?

Our parents were very supportive through the wedding planning process and really tried to make our day perfect. Many members of our wedding party as well as most of our guests traveled from all over the country (from California to Maine) to celebrate with us. We also loved the speeches prepared by our parents, the best man, John, and the maid of honor, Lacey. Each of my bridesmaids also wrote me a hand-written letter for me to read the morning of the wedding. The amount of effort from everyone at our wedding made us feel so loved on our day.

How did Carley contribute to making your wedding day stress-free and enjoyable?

We really appreciated the contact we had with Carley before the wedding. The document we filled out and the meetings we had were helpful in identifying what parts of the day we thought would be best to capture. Carley is organized and has a great attention to detail. She kept us on schedule through the day and gave us lots of guidance when she took our photos.

How did you feel when you first saw your wedding photos?

We love our wedding photos! We were so excited to sit down together and scroll through all of them! We also were so excited to share them with our family and wedding party.

How did your wedding photography experience make you feel, and what stood out to you about the process?

The photography experience at our wedding was great. Carley gave us as well as our family and wedding party plenty of guidance to make sure we felt comfortable in front of the camera. Out of all our vendors, we felt that Carley cared the most about what we wanted for our day. We loved that she took extra time and effort to have meetings with us and answer any of our questions/concerns.

How did you feel about being photographed on your wedding day?

We were super comfortable being photographed by Carley. She knew exactly where to have us be in the Gardens for the best lighting and background for our photos.

Do you have any shoutouts or thank yous for family, friends, or vendors?

We’re super appreciative of all our family and friends, especially those friends in the wedding party. The staff at The Gardens were also great to work with.

Hair & Makeup: www.piccolasalon.com
Gown Designer/Retailer: www.buccisbridal.com
Bridesmaids Attire: www.davidsbridal.com, www.lulus.com
Groom + Groomsmen Attire: www.menswearhouse.com
Florist: www.theflowerlady.com
DJ/Band: www.kjentertainmentwi.com (DJ & Videographer collaborate)
Videographer: www.dedicatedvideos.com
Caterer: The Gardens Wedding Center
Wedding Cake: www.miastavcakes.com, https://www.aggiesbakery.com/
Other Professionals to Note:

Carley Marie