Rachel + Brett
Summer Wisconsin Wedding at Lilac Acres in Waukesha
Rachel and Brett’s wedding at Lilac Acres
Rachel and Brett had a beautiful, relaxing wedding day at Lilac Acres in Waukesha. We had the pleasure of meeting Rachel and Brett four years ago at Carrie & Peter’s wedding (Rachel was a bridesmaid). THEN, two years later, we “met” Rachel & Brett again at Rachel’s brother’s wedding (Ben & Mariah). It is SO fun to serve our couples, but even more special when there are so many little connection points that tie us together.
Rachel and Brett were beaming all day long. It was so wonderful to watch their immense joy and love for each other. And I couldn’t help smiling along as I edited these favorites.
The Proposal
From Rachel: “We went to look at rings together in 2022, and again, in early 2023. I picked out styles that I liked and gave Brett some hints and pointers to go by when he decided to come and purchase a ring. A few months go by, and we were going on our trip to Ireland. While exploring cities and countryside, I was thinking, “Well this would be a good place to propose,” but it didn’t happen until I was least expecting it.“
From Brett: “I had planned to propose in Ireland and this was the first “plan” of one or two that I was considering while in Ireland. Seeing as we both love hiking and the outdoors I spent some time researching the Kilarney National park in which we would be visiting. I had looked online in various subreddits and forums to see if there would be a “perfect” location to ask the big question. After some time I found a “secret beach” which some people had said was beautiful and private hence the name. As we got to the park I was not necessarily nervous, but finding the right timing was obviously on my mind.
We started the day by hiking up a mountain to a waterfall; this was after walking across the national park grounds which contained a large estate, open greenery, and horses. The park itself was quite populated so I was a bit worried we would have the intimate moment alone. After seeing the waterfall which took about 60 minutes to get to we hiked back down to the estate area.
As we were nearing our vehicle I mentioned that we should take a look at this 2-3 mile out and back hike which I had known contained the secret beach. At this moment it was about 4:30 or 5:00pm and we had some uncertainty if the park was closing at 7:00PM. Rachel thankfully agreed to take the extra out and back which was much more secluded and as we progressed through the hike we saw a greater ratio of people leaving rather than going in our direction which worried me at times.
Rachel was also curious on exactly when we were turning around and continued to ask to see the map in which I had to state that we were “almost there” on several occasions. Finally we were approaching the offshoot trail to the secret beach which was a perpendicular trail away from the main trail. As we had gotten closer to the end of the trail the scenery was about as perfect as it could be for the moment, sun setting in our distance, trees creating a dramatic effect as we were reaching the beach and water, and not a soul to be seen; things were looking absolutely perfect for the big moment.
At this time I was prepared and ready to ask the big question as we neared the sand. Just as we were passing into the beach and able to see with a wider perspective, I looked to my right and noticed two figures lying on the beach about 50-75 yards away near to the water. Immediately I was a little disappointed that we would not be alone, but accepted that things can’t always be perfect and this would be close enough.
After 2-3 seconds of greater focus I noticed an important detail on these two people – they were completely naked. Now I was immediately flustered and we stopped in our tracks and questioned if we should proceed internally. Despite this, I was certain this still would be the moment I would propose and persuaded Rachel to stay on the beach, but to keep to the left.
Just for reference this beach was indeed private and was maybe 100 yards wide. Trying to find the right moment to propose was the constant thought on my mind as we proceeded to walk closer and closer to the water. Rachel began to get into the rocks and boulders near the water and I was definitely not going to propose there. I persuaded her to come back near the sand and sit on a log. Shortly thereafter we enjoyed the beautiful and serene moment (while avoiding looking to the right) and I asked the big question.“
From Rachel: “Brett had it all planned out. We finally got close to our destination right when the sun was poking out of the clouds. We had to take a short walk off the main hiking trail to get to a beach that Brett had heard about on the internet. When we got to the shore, we came upon two stark naked sunbathers who were completely undisturbed by our presence.
I almost turned back but Brett urged me to go take in the view of the mountains and lake that we had just hiked around. I continued forward as far away from the naked people as possible to take in the stunning view. The mountains and trees were reflecting off the still water and the sun was just shining down on us.
Brett started to say some really nice things to me and talked about forever. He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring to propose. I started crying, and of course, said “YES!” We took photos by the shoreline and spent some time enjoying the moment. On the walk back to the car I was beaming and couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.“
A Few of Our Favorite Things
Their joy. Rachel and Brett truly soaked up every feeling: every happy tear and every bit of laughter. When I look back at these images, I just see pure joy, and it reminds me how beautiful it is to capture these moments for our clients-turned-friends.
Vendor Love:
Venue: Lilac Acres, Waukesha | Planning + Coordination: Emily with B-Rad Celebrations | Dessert: Simma’s Bakery | DJ: Milwaukee Wedding DJ | HMUA: Haven Salon | Bridal Boutique: Amelishan Bridal | Bridesmaid Boutique: Azazie | Men’s Wear: Richard Bennett Tailors | Photography & Films: The McNiels Photo & Films
Comments +