Crafting Experiences

These four local experts have helped put together dozens of Wisconsin weddings. We asked them to share their tips on planning ahead, the latest trends and how to make the big day special.

What are some of the latest trends in weddings?

DANA M c INTOSH: First off, the guest list is increasing again.

HADLEY SHULLY: Absolutely. Thank goodness.

NINA SHULLY-DARLING: We recently did a wedding that was just shy of 400 people. And I feel as though post-pandemic there’s this new focus on supporting local businesses.

DAVID CARUSO: I would say, especially coming out of COVID, that the fun factor, the extravagance, the personalized experience, are more important than ever. I think the biggest trend for 2023 is that really anything goes. It’s about not being afraid, being ultra-expressive. I think it’s going to be about being bold and vibrant.

One trend that I know for sure is going to be big in terms of décor is crafting setpieces with seating displays that are more of a designed and decorated area than just, say, a frame with a list of people’s names or a table with placecards on it.

Another thing is a variety of entertainment. Gone are the days of having one DJ or one band. Instead, having a variety of different kinds of entertainment at one party is going to be something very different and popular.

Because things are still busy after COVID, there’s a need for people to look outside of traditional venues. I think that a unique location can really set a wedding apart. We did a wedding that was at Road America on turn five at the racetrack. You know no one will ever go to a wedding like that again.

DM: In makeup, toward the end of the year, there were more coppers. I believe that’s starting to trend into next year as well, coppers and more golds and champagnes. A lot of my brides have been closer to a no-makeup look. I’ve been seeing a lot of demure colors for the eyes, and maybe pops of color for the liner. I’ve seen more dotted, graphic liner. Still the nude lip. The dewy look for the face has been trending as well. I’ve been trying to encourage people to add pops of color.

Men have been coming in and getting their facials and brows. I’m loving it because for so long, you saw only one person of the couple getting services, but now it seems to be something that they’re doing together.

What are some ways couples can make their big day stand out? Do any weddings you’ve been involved in really stick in your memory?

HS: Basically any wedding we did with David. He makes them so specific to the couple, down to the minutest detail. It’s so beautiful, and that’s what makes a wedding unique, making it solely about the couple and their love. It’s their favorite food, their favorite cocktail, the little treat on the guest’s table.

NSD: What was something they ate at their first date? We can recreate that. There was a wedding we did with David for a couple who really loved books. The couple’s whole personality was throughout the event, from the hors d’oeuvre trays to the décor. I feel like if you’re not being true to yourself as a couple, it shows.

DM: One of the events that I went to this summer had a photo booth, and that was a hit. They had slomo options, they had costumes for people who wanted to dress up as superheroes. Couples are really thinking about the experience that their guests are having, especially while they’re getting all their photos or videography done between the ceremony and the reception.

DC: I think what’s sometimes misunderstood about what we’re saying is that it is about making it about the couple, but that doesn’t mean it has to cost a lot of money. It’s more about putting thought into what the details are. A lot of those details can be more homespun and still be done well. It really is about picking a few elements that stand out about you as a couple – I call it accentuating the positive – and really creating these signature statements that your guests are going to know are thoughtful and have the stamp of you.

I think that a few really easy ways to do that are even just incorporating pictures of yourselves into the party scene, at the bar, or in a lounge or a food station.

HS: One of my favorites that David did with us was this wedding where they had spoons. It was the coolest thing ever. David, you tell it.

DC: So this couple told me that when they have people over for parties at their house they have this fun thing, where they have everyone just grab wooden spoons and spatulas and use them as microphones and do karaoke. So for the wedding, we had 270 wooden spoons engraved with the date and the couple’s names. During the mother’s speech, she started talking about the karaoke parties, and the Shully’s staff came out with trays of wooden spoons stacked up, and everybody came out onto the dance floor and grabbed a spoon, and they were dancing and singing “Don’t Stop Believin’.” It was that small detail that nobody will ever forget.

What are some common mistakes couples make planning their weddings? And how can they be avoided?

DC: Don’t do it yourself. That is how people feel the most stressed, have the most anxiety and have the least successful outcome.

Cheap is expensive – if you’re doing it yourself to save money, that isn’t always necessarily what happens. Thinking you can do it because a friend of yours did it isn’t the right way to create a path forward that’s going to be fun. Aunt Betsy really