🍻Claire + Tony’s The Domes + Pabst Best Place Wedding🍺
Claire and Tony are Married!
Claire and Tony knew each other in college, but it was a fateful day at a Shrek-themed bar where they reconnected and started their romantic journey together. The rest is history, as they say. They wanted their wedding photos to be natural, “in the moment,” elegant and timeless - and in our planning, we came up with a great plan that would do this while never stressing the couple out. While their Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery was their official venue, their day included stops at the Brewhouse Inn and the Mitchell Park Domes.
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*You can jump to a specific part of the day or check out their photos in motion through the Instagram reels linked. Also, tap any tag above (below the blog title) to explore more vendors, venues, and cool locations!
See the full Wedding Vendor Dream Team
*See more Pabst Best Place Weddings on the Blog or learn more about the venue on The Best Place Website!
Getting Ready at the Brewhouse Inn:
As a Milwaukee wedding photographer, I strongly believe that you cannot have too many beautiful locations on your wedding day. Why settle for a cramped and cluttered getting-ready space if you don’t have to? Your future self and your photo collection will thank you for splurging a little on a getting-ready space like The Brewhouse Inn & Suites.
The Brewhouse Inn is the perfect companion space for Best Place Weddings - they are Brewery District neighbors, they share the same vibes and beer ethos and styling, and they are both Milwaukee cool. The story of Brewhouse Inn & Suites starts in 1848 as the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, and now, 175 years later, it is one of Milwaukee’s most unique hotels.
From the minute you enter the Brewhouse Inn, you are exposed to its roots as a brewery. As you check in, you are looking up at the giant polished copper bottom of a vintage brew tank. If you head up to the second floor, you can see the whole floor with six enormous copper brewing tanks as well as a gorgeous stained glass window (featuring King Gambrinus - the saint of beer). It is a fantastic place for indoor photos - an invaluable asset on wedding days in Wisconsin.
Claire started her day in one of the Brewhouse’s spacious suites. It was the perfect space to get ready with her attendants and family. We took advantage of the beautiful room to capture images of her dress and details. Then it was time to get her dress on and a quick first look with her dad before jumping in the limo!
Fun connections: Claire grew up in central Illinois in the same community I am from. Her mom realized that she knew my brother’s kids from working in their school. Small world
First Looks at the Mitchell Park Domes:
The Mitchell Park Domes are a Milwaukee treasure! There is really nothing else like them - they give greenhouse & garden feels with a strong side vibe of Mars’ space colony. The combo works incredibly well and provides both a diversity of nature environs for photos as well as a strong architectural canvas to work with. Each dome is its own environment, and we mostly used the Tropical and Desert domes. When we were creating a photo plan together, the Domes were clearly perfect for Claire and Tony’s wedding day vision and really added some magic to the day!
Claire and Tony chose the tropical dome for their first look and private vows. I love the private vows trend—it’s such a meaningful gift. A quiet moment, just the two of them, to share promises too intimate for an audience but perfect for each other. They were especially lovely in a tropical dome surrounded by exotic plants and peace. I love the connection that Tony and Claire share - it is always evident when they are together and shows up in all their photos, as if their own gravity is pulling them together.
We met up with their wedding party in the Desert dome for all the typical shenanigans. Big wedding parties are always fun. Claire and Tony’s “couple gravity” was in effect here as well - pulling in all their friends and family into the joy and celebration together. Then we jumped back in the limos and on to the Best Place!
Pregaming at the Best Place Speakeasy!
I love weddings at the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. The venue has two options for weddings: The Great Hall & Speakeasy or the Blue Ribbon Hall and Captains Courtyard. I actually love both options - but the Great Hall option has more capacity (up to 250!) and was exactly what Claire and Tony needed!
The prohibition-themed Speakeasy sits under the great hall and is perfect for hanging out before the wedding, for getting ready (it has an attached bridal suite), and for cocktail hour while the Great Hall is converted from a ceremony space to the reception hall. The Speakeasy boasts its own bar, a cool beer cellar converted into a lounge, and a “drunk cell” that makes for fun photos and a great place to store rowdy groomsmen.
Claire and Tony entered through the blue Speakeasy door to hide as their wedding guests arrived. After we locked Tony in the Drunk Cell for a few photos, the couple had time to connect with their family, grab a drink, and freshen up before heading up to the Great Hall.
The Best Place Great Hall Ceremony:
The Great Hall started its life as the corporate headquarters of the Pabst Brewery. Many of its original features remain from the original stained glass windows, ornate woodwork, and the cream city brick exterior. Additionally, couples can collect gifts in Frederick Pabst’s old office. Conveniently, there is also a large bar in this space with a great selection of pours that comes in very handy after the space is flipped. The floor is also gorgeous and deserves to be noted!
Claire and Tony filled the space for the ceremony, and they made their promises to each other framed by the classic woodwork and backlit by the vintage windows.
Golden Hour in Milwaukee’s Brewery District
Some fun history: Joseph A. Zilber, a Milwaukee icon, had a vision to create The Brewery District from the remains of the Pabst Brewing Company in 2006. The Giant Pabst sign was turned from an aging historical artifact into a symbol of Milwaukee’s renaissance. Both the Brewhouse Inn and the Best Place live in the shadow of the giant Pabst sign, and photos with the sign are a must for any wedding in the area!
After the ceremony, Claire and Tony stepped out under the Pabst sign with their wedding party for some golden hour photos. We left their party to get the party started and headed to one of my favorite rooftops for some romantic couple photos. The parking garage next to the Best Place offers not only one of the best views of the Milwaukee skyline and the Deer District but also a fantastic eye-level view of the Pabst Sign. For years, it’s been one of my best secret locations - but it’s not really a secret anymore.
With all the official acts accomplished, Claire and Tony used the golden rooftop time to enjoy each other and transition to party mode.
The Best Place Great Hall Celebration!
The couple returned from their Rooftop session just in time for the festivities to commence! As their guest finished up cocktail hour in the Speakeasy, everyone returned to the Great Hall - now set up for dinner and dancing! Alexa’s Finishing Touches team did a great job getting the room flipped and helping everyone get comfortable for a feast setup by Prime Minister Catering! While dinner was going on, there were many emotional speeches and toasts. As the feast wrapped up, Claire and Tony cut their cake before opening the cupcake table for their guests. Then they took center stage for their first dances!
Party Time at the Best Place Pabst!
I love a lot of things about weddings - but there is something special about the “Party Time” part of the day. Everyone has feasted, and all that’s left is dancing! Claire and Tony’s Shrek origin story made a festive green-eared callback on the dance floor. The dance floor was hopping as all the guest rushed to join in the celebration!
✨Closing Time with the Pabst Sign✨
My first and last photos of the day were of the Pabst Sign. The neon adds a new dimension as the sign floats over the Brewery District at night. It was the perfect way to wrap up Claire and Tony’s wedding day! Claire and Tony’s wedding was an unforgettable Milwaukee celebration! Their day began at the historic Brewhouse Inn & Suites, featured a magical first look and private vows inside the Mitchell Park Domes, and ended with a packed dance floor at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. From beer history to rooftop skyline views, this wedding had all the Milwaukee magic.
Claire and Tony are great humans individually and even better together!🥂I wish them both a lifetime of love, laughter, and moments that matter as they step into married life together!🥂
Final Thoughts & Finishing Touches
There was so much to love about Claire and Tony’s wedding day. Like all weddings, theirs was full of details, both big and small. I include a wedding planning session with all my packages, which is really helpful for getting photo locations and timelines sorted out. However, there's still so much more to keep track of.
To keep their day stress-free, Claire and Tony hired Alexa from Finishing Touches Event Co. Alexa was so helpful in getting all the vendors and details lined up ahead of time so that Claire and Tony could stay present on their wedding day. When a couple has a coordinator or planner, it gives their wedding vendor team someone, other than the couple, to ask all the detail questions that come up about everything from load-in to schedule to clean-up. Alexa was fantastic to work with both in the planning phase and while executing the plan on the day of. We worked together to keep the couple feeling at peace and zen, while Alexa and the other wedding vendors managed the behind-the-scenes stresses.
PLANNING YOUR OWN Milwaukee Wedding?
I would love to help capture all the Love, Laughter, and Moments that Matter for your love story and wedding day! Reach out and let’s go!
*See more Pabst Best Place Weddings on the Blog or learn more about the venue on The Best Place Website!
The Wedding Dream Team:
📸 Photographer: Me!
📋 Wedding Planner: Alexa Ampe - Finishing Touches
🏨 Getting Ready: Brewhouse Inn & Suites
🌴Photo Location: The Mitchell Park Domes
🎙️ Officiant:
🛍️ Boutique: Marien Mae Bridal Boutique
👰🏼♀️ Dress: Martina Liana Bridal
👠 Shoes: Dolce Vita
💄 MUA: Shalisa Elizabeth Artistry
💆🏼♀️ Hair: Hair by Kookai
🪝Earrings: Sasso Jewelry
💍Wedding Bands: Kessler
🏺Bride’s Perfume: Gucci Flora - Gorgeous Jasmine
🏮Groom’s Cologne: Yves - Saint Laurent
🤵♂️ Groom Attire: Black Tie
🎂 Dessert Vendor: Classy Girl Cupcakes
🍽️ Catering: Prime Minister Catering
🍕Late Night Snack: Toppers Pizza
📹Video: Memento Video & Design
🚍Transport: Churchill Limo
There is more to see:
✨Wedding Reels: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6
💍 Claire & Tony’s Bayview Engagement Session
