St. James 1868 Wedding | Emily & Jeff
Emily + Jeff
A Milwaukee Wedding at St. James 1868
Emily & Jeff’s Playful Summer Wedding at St. James 1868 | Milwaukee, WI Wedding Photographer
The wildfire haze drifted back into Milwaukee just in time for wedding party photos, softening the light over Wisconsin Avenue into something golden and unexpected. It felt fitting. Emily and Jeff’s summer wedding at St. James 1868 was full of moments like that, where the day gave them something unplanned and they turned it into one of the best parts. With a full Catholic mass at the Church of the Gesu, seven bridesmaids in pale yellow, and 250 guests who have been cheering for these two since 2017, the whole day moved with an energy that was playful, intentional, and completely them.
How Emily & Jeff Met
Their story starts in September 2017, freshman year at the University of Iowa. Emily was out with high school friends when the night ended at a bar with more of a club vibe, everyone dancing, and Jeff asked her to dance. That was the spark that started it all, right there on the dance floor. Their first real date, however, came that November when they were both back in their shared hometown. Jeff picked her up, played Walk the Moon on the drive, and they had lunch at Panera. By the time he dropped her off, she was over the moon, and they’ve been each other’s person ever since.
A Proposal at the Edge of Two Continents
Jeff spent months planning to propose under the northern lights in Iceland. He booked a private jeep tour into the wilderness, hot chocolate and photos included. Then the weather refused to cooperate. Twice.
So on the last day of the trip, after a morning at the Blue Lagoon and a lunch where Jeff suspiciously skipped the appetizers, he insisted on one more stop before their flight home: the Bridge Between the Continents. As they stood there talking about how lucky they’d been, Jeff got down on one knee. (She said yes.) Forty minutes to catch their flight, completely off script, but also exactly right. They raced to their flight newly engaged.
Favorite Moments from Their St. James 1868 Wedding
The morning with her girls. Emily got ready at St. James 1868 surrounded by her bridesmaids, with her mom helping her into her Rosa Clara gown. The laughter in that room set the tone for everything that followed.
Wedding party photos in the haze. The smoke that settled over the city could have been a problem. Instead, it wrapped Marquette’s campus and Wisconsin Avenue in this soft, diffused glow that made the portraits feel like film stills. Thirteen friends in black tuxedos and pale yellow dresses, laughing their way down the sidewalk. It set the tone for the rest of the day: dancing through the celebration with laughter and joy.
Their private room reveal. Before guests were seated for dinner, Emily and Jeff slipped into the reception space at St. James 1868 alone for a first look at the room and a private dance. A few quiet minutes together in the middle of a very full day.
The checkered dance floor. Once the party started, it did not stop. Emily came ready to dance, so ready that she planned a dress change for it, trading her gown for a dress that could keep up with her. She and Jeff closed out the night the same way their story began: on a dance floor, surrounded by the people they love.
Vendor Love:
Photo + Video: The McNiels | Ceremony: Church of the Gesu | Getting Ready + Reception Venue: St. James 1868 | Planning: Katie Jenson, Willow & Waylon Events | Florist: Belle Fiori | Hair & Makeup: Team Bride MKE | DJ: David Charles Pro | Dress: Rosa Clara Chicago | Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse
Emily & Jeff,
Your day was proof of what we saw in your questionnaire months ago: you two find the fun in everything. When plans shift, you adjust and make the moment better than the original. Thank you for trusting us to document a day that felt exactly like you, playful and full of the people who have been rooting for you since a dance floor in Iowa City. We’re so glad we were there for this one.Vendor Credits
About St. James 1868 | Milwaukee Wedding Venue
Photographing a real wedding at St. James 1868 is a gift. The former church turned event space sits right on Wisconsin Avenue, and its gothic arches, dramatic ceilings, and stained glass give a reception the kind of architecture you usually only get during a ceremony. Paired with the Church of the Gesu just up the street, Emily and Jeff’s day never needed a single long drive, and every location, from the Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette’s quad to the sidewalk crossings in between, felt connected to their story. As Milwaukee wedding photographers, this corridor of the city is one of our favorite places to work. Planning your own Milwaukee wedding? Reach out to us here to tell us more. We’d love to document your day.
