🥂Tori + Andy’s Saint Kate & Pilot Project Wedding🥂

Weddings
Written By Brandon J Brown

📸 There is more to see:
✨Tori & Andy’s Wedding Reels: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3

💍 Tori & Andy’s Lakefront Engagement Session

Tori & Andy met years ago at UW-Madison. After some complications arose with their original venue, the couple found Pilot Project accommodated their vision of a downtown wedding at a venue with classic Milwaukee vibes - what’s more Milwaukee than a brewery?! They wanted their wedding to be bright, colorful, and summery - and were able to find great accommodations and photo locations that completed their vision!

From getting ready at Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, to their first look and photos in downtown Milwaukee by the Riverwalk, to their wedding and celebration at the Pilot Project Brewery in Milwaukee’s brewery district, every element of Tori & Andy’s wedding fulfilled their vision and came off without a hitch!

🥂PLANNING YOUR OWN WEDDING AT Saint Kate or The Pilot Project?

I love Pilot Project MKE Weddings, and I would love to help capture all the Love, Laughter, and Moments that Matter for your wedding day!
Reach out and let’s go!

🍺See more weddings at Pilot Project MKE or Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel on the Roost Blog

🍻Learn more about each venue on their website: Pilot Project Brewing - Milwaukee // Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

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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!

🥂Getting ready at Saint Kate -The Art Hotel

🥂First Look at the Milwaukee River Walk

🥂Wedding Photos at the Historic Milwaukee City Hall

🥂Couple Time in the Saint Kate Lobby

🥂Pilot Project - Brewery & Wedding Venue

🥂Signing the Ketubah on the Mezzanine

🥂The Wedding Ceremony in The Venue

🥂Cocktail Hour in the Beer Hall

🥂Fun & Tasty Reception in The Venue

🥂Golden Hour on The Rooftop

🥂Party Time in The Beer Hall

🥂Final Thoughts

🥂See the full Wedding Vendor Dream Team

🥂Getting Ready at Saint Kate - The Art Hotel

Tori & Andy's days both began at the exquisite Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel. Saint Kate has been called "One of the Absolute Coolest Hotels In Wisconsin," and it's easy to see why. Stepping inside, you're instantly transported from the modest charm of Midwestern Milwaukee to something that feels more like the urban sophistication of LA or New York City. The lobby features carefully curated, ever-changing art displays that ensure there's always something new and inspiring to discover with each visit.

On the first level, you'll find a stunning lobby, a spacious bar, inviting seating areas, and a variety of art display spaces and galleries, all connected by a grand staircase leading to a dedicated venue on the second floor. Every corner of the hotel is thoughtfully styled with unique artistic touches and playful pop culture references. The guest rooms are equally impressive, modern, trendy, and incredibly comfortable, with large windows framing beautiful views of downtown Milwaukee and flooding the space with natural light, perfect for photography.

While Andy and his groomsmen combed the internet for help tying their bow ties, Tori, Karl (their crazy Blue Russian cat), and her attendants enjoyed fun beverages as they got ready. When you're the bride, there's always time to cuddle with your cat and jump on the bed! Tori's details truly shine throughout, because you can never have too many sparkly shoes and beautiful flowers on your wedding day.

🥂First Looks at the Milwaukee Riverwalk

Saint Kate's convenient location near the Milwaukee Riverwalk made it the perfect backdrop for Tori & Andy's first look. The Riverwalk is one of my favorite spots in Milwaukee, showcasing the city's unique old-world charm while offering plenty of beauty and character around every corner. With a little help from their awesome photographer (hint: that's me!), we coordinated the big moment without any accidental sightings!

Andy and Tori were absolutely delighted to see each other, and there were more than a few emotional onlookers in the crowd. Along for the experience were the couple's parents and their wedding party. While Tori's gorgeous bridal look stole the show, her flower girl was more than happy to steal a little of the spotlight, too!

🥂Wedding Photos at the Historic Milwaukee City Hall

Just a block from the Riverwalk stands the Milwaukee City Hall, a stunning Historic Landmark. Designed in the Flemish Renaissance Revival style, it held the title of tallest building in Wisconsin for years and remains a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. It also happens to be fantastic for Milwaukee wedding photos, especially when the weather is threatening to rain on your wedding day parade!

One of my favorite features of the building is its arched entry vestibule, a great spot that keeps couples sheltered from potential rain while offering beautiful light and interesting curves and lines to work with. Tori, Andy, and their wedding party were absolute troopers about the weather, keeping great spirits throughout and throwing themselves into every pose with enthusiasm. There was no shortage of laughter, which always makes for the best photos! Tori especially embraced the idea that umbrella photos are cool and ran with it!

🥂Couple Time in the Saint Kate Lobby

I brought Tori & Andy back to Saint Kate's lobby to reconnect with Karl the cat and make the most of the art displays and galleries. We popped in to meet the artist-in-residence, Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, a Milwaukee-based artist, curator, and puppeteer whose impressive background spanned Harvard, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Madison. Anwar gave us a quick lesson about his colorful ceramic face tiles, which we of course put to good use in the photos, before we slid over to the bar and lounge area to soak up all of Saint Kate's cool ambiance.

🥂The Pilot Project - Brewery & Wedding Venue

After that, we were ready to head to Pilot Project Brewing, the venue for Tori & Andy's wedding and reception. Pilot Project is a modern Milwaukee gem located in the city's historic Brewery District, modeled after the music industry as a launch pad for start-up beverage businesses. Their space is expansive and versatile, featuring a restaurant, rooftop, beer garden, onsite brewery, and spacious event space. Concrete, glass, and greenery adorn the eight unique areas available for private rental (individually or all together), which can accommodate up to 1,500 guests. With on-premise catering, craft beer made in-house, and full audiovisual capabilities, it's easy to see why it makes such a fantastic wedding venue! While there are plenty of beautiful spots in and around the venue for photos, the Mezzanine and Brewery offer an unexpectedly cool backdrop too, and that's where you'll find the hidden gem of the giant vintage neon Pabst Showcase sign!

🥂Signing the Ketubah on the Mezzanine

After our foray to the brewery to grab photos with the Pabst sign, it was time to meet up with family on the Mezzanine for the Ketubah signing. A Ketubah is a traditional Jewish marriage contract outlining the rights and responsibilities of the couple to one another, and many couples choose to display it prominently in their home as a daily reminder of their vows and commitment to each other. Rather than a somber affair, the Ketubah signings I have photographed are full of joy and humor, a nod to a rich cultural identity that roots the marriage in the traditions of parents and grandparents, while also leaving plenty of room for fun and the occasional good-natured bartering!

🥂The Jewish/Christian Fusion Wedding in The Venue

Inside the Pilot Project, there is an official "Venue" space for events and weddings. With giant floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown Milwaukee and the Deer District, the room is a clean, modern concrete and glass space with great light and beautiful lines. Skylights flood the space with even more natural light!

Tori & Andy's emotional ceremony was filled with meaningful Jewish traditions, including the chuppah (a canopy over the couple symbolizing their future home and divine blessing), circling each other seven times (a symbol of completion and a full life together), and, of course, the breaking of the glass (even the strongest human relationships are delicate, and the breaking of the glass wards against those fractures). Reflecting the beauty of their fusion wedding, the ceremony was led by both a Jewish Rabbi and a Christian Deacon, honoring the traditions of both families.

🥂Cocktail Hour in the Beer Hall

Next, everyone made their way to the Beer Hall for cocktail hour, where Tori & Andy took a moment to breathe and soak in their newlywed bliss with their guests. With a large menu of tasty craft beers and other libations, the room was filled with great conversations, warm reunions, and the happy buzz of loved ones coming together to celebrate.

🥂Fun and Tasty Reception in the Venue

After a quick room flip, the Venue was ready for speeches and feasting! With all the guests seated, the couple made their entrance with some epic dance moves. As guests ate, the speeches delivered plenty of laugh-out-loud moments alongside more than a few happy tears. A certain groom's favorite stuffed bear even made a surprise appearance! The couple then cut the cake, a delicious creation by Milk Bar, before feeding it to each other with giant smiles and more than a little frosting on their faces!

🥂Golden Hour on The Rooftop

After dinner, I snuck out with the couple, and we headed up to the Rooftop for golden hour portraits. The Rooftop has two distinct spaces, a bar area facing the Brewery District and a ceremony space facing the city skyline. The sunset really broke through, and we were showered in golden light and happy smiles. We soaked up the warm glow and all the emotions that come with it before heading over to the city-facing side to pop a bottle of champagne. One of my favorite moments of the entire day was the sheer gusto with which Tori & Andy popped that bottle! Honestly, most of it ended up on the ground in a glorious liquid explosion, but there was just enough left for the two of them to share.

🥂Party Time in the Beer Hall

Back in the Beer Hall for their first dances, Felix and Fingers treated guests to dueling pianos playing all the hits and getting everyone out on the dance floor! With all the stress and events of the day behind them, it was time to throw back a few more craft beers, let loose, and dance! Tori surprised Andy with matching Iowa "Wife" and "Husband" shirts, a sweet nod to a fun chapter of thier lives together.

🥂Final Thoughts & Wrap Up!

Tori & Andy's wedding day was a beautiful reflection of who they are as a couple, full of art, culture, humor, and heart. Milwaukee provided the most incredible backdrop, from the sleek sophistication of Saint Kate to the historic charm of City Hall to the modern energy of Pilot Project Brewing. Their fusion ceremony was as meaningful as it was moving, and the celebration that followed was pure joy from start to finish. It was an absolute honor to document every moment of this incredible day, and I cannot wait for Tori & Andy to look back on these photos for years to come!

Let's Go!

🥂PLANNING YOUR OWN WEDDING AT Saint Kate or The Pilot Project?

I love Pilot Project MKE Weddings, and I would love to help capture all the Love, Laughter, and Moments that Matter for your wedding day!
Reach out and let’s go!

🍺See more weddings at Pilot Project MKE or Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel on the Roost Blog

🍻Learn more about each venue on their website: Pilot Project Brewing - Milwaukee // Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

📸There is more to see:

✨Tori & Andy’s Wedding Reels: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3

💍 Tori & Andy’s Lakefront Engagement Session

🥂Tori & Andy's Wedding Dream Team:

Brandon J Brown

Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

https://www.roostmke.com
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