A Luxurious Black-Tie Wedding at Pritzlaff Events in Milwaukee | Courtney & Cole

Courtney & Cole’s love story is a true testament to love enduring space and time. Their fifteen-year journey to the aisle began during their senior year of high school and withstood long-distance periods, chasing individual dreams, and the challenges and growth of young adulthood.

After developing a crush, Courtney ended another relationship to pursue Cole as more than just a friend, a decision her mother knew was worth the risk. Their connection quickly grew into late-night phone calls and hour-long conversations, but they knew their lives were heading in different directions as college drew closer. It turns out undergrad was only the beginning of weathering long distance. Still, Courtney & Cole made time for one another on the weekends, traveling for study dates or for Courtney to support Cole as he pursued sports through college.

Their next chapter took Courtney to Madison for medical school and Cole to Milwaukee for graduate school studying physical therapy. Between busy lives and difficult coursework, the couple took a short time apart to focus on their futures, reconnecting shortly before Courtney moved to New York for a residency at Columbia. Now with 900 miles between them, they decided to fight even harder for one another over the course of six years (and 100+ flights!). Finally, Courtney moved to Milwaukee after completing her residency, and it felt like coming back home.

Thinking back on their love story, the couple said it best,

After nearly 15 years together, Courtney & Cole finally had a place to call home. They excitedly began planning their luxurious black-tie wedding in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which included finding their dream venue.

Pritzlaff Events is located inside The Pritzlaff Building, a historic landmark turned one-of-a-kind wedding and event venue. Pritzlaff Events offers multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, which Courtney & Cole utilized across their ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and couple portraits.

In addition to the versatile spaces, they chose the venue for its convenient downtown location and character, which reminded them of their favorite New York corners. The natural brick backdrops adapt to any color palette, and the vaulted ceilings, warm lighting, and modern, industrial charm felt truly “them.” Pritzlaff Events also offers in-house planning assistance, and the couple credits Andrea Evans with helping their dream day come to life.

Local design studio and print shop, Bay View Printing Co., specializes in custom-designed, traditional letterpress printing. They worked with Courtney & Cole to create a suite of hand-printed pieces on white, black, and taupe papers, all sealed inside a black envelope with a brown liner.

These pieces helped set the tone and color palette for the wedding, alongside a save-the-date featuring a black-and-white engagement photo of the couple.

Courtney found her dream dress at Vow’d Weddings. The fit-and-flare dress blended classic and modern, keeping the fabric details simple while adding a plunging V-neckline and sheer fabric on the back to create the illusion of an open back, while still offering supportive buttons and straps. Her bridesmaids wore matching black dresses from Dessy Group After Six, each accessorized with a black skinny scarf.

Hair and makeup similarly blended classic and modern. The Honey Post Weddings designed unique, textured updos and half-up styles for the bride and her bridesmaids. Makeup artist, Opal Bloom, paired soft pinks with dark lashes and defined brows. Courtney’s final look included shimmering pink, smoky eyeshadow, and a mauve lip.

Cole wore a black tuxedo from NL Suits, with a black vest, white dress shirt, black tie, black dress shoes, and white pocket square. His groomsmen wore matching black suits with white dress shirts with black buttons, black bow ties, and pocket squares.

Courtney & Cole chose a large wedding party made up of their closest friends from their many adventures and life chapters. Alongside photographer Stephanie Koppa, the couple found scenic outdoor locations for portraits before the wedding. They first posed beside the nearby Milwaukee Federal Building, a granite Romanesque Revival edifice with stone pillars, arches, and an airy, sophisticated feel.

Jane Kelly Floral designed the day’s florals, starting with bouquets for Courtney and her bridesmaids. The arrangements began with a timeless round bouquet of white and subtle toffee roses and white ranunculus, with white delphinium, veronica, and greenery adding texture and playful asymmetry.

Personal details and guest experiences were most important throughout Courtney & Cole’s wedding planning process—especially for their ceremony! They exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony in Pritzlaff Events’ four-season courtyard, walking down the aisle to music by string trio, Gabriel’s Horns.

The couple wrote, “We put a lot of heart (and time) into creating our ceremony—we picked songs that spoke to us, spliced non traditional readings together to emphasize the privilege we have in loving each other, and incorporated hand holding and knot tying ceremonies with contributions from both of our families. Our vows were a combination of Courtney’s parents’ and our own, and our families wrote heartfelt blessings for us.”

Inside Pritzlaff Events’ 333 Space, guests enjoyed a beautiful reception with plenty of drinks, food, desserts, and entertainment. A grand, three-piece seating chart helped direct everyone to their seats, and a champagne wall got the party started. Courtney & Cole used their custom couple monogram in multiple ways, including on their seating chart, installed on the dance floor, and on contour-cut printed pieces placed on the rims of on the rim of the champagne glasses.

Jane Kelly Floral brought more floral arrangements placed on the floor and in bud vases and centerpieces on the tables, and crawling greenery made a statement on the venue’s wooden beams. Rental vendors further elevated the tablescape, with Event Essentials providing chargers, chairs, and flatware, and BBJ La Tavola and Windy City Linen bringing linens.

Sound by Design brought more than just music. In addition to DJ services, they brought a dance floor and hung glowing chandeliers that coordinated with those already in the 333 space.

For couples planning a luxurious black-tie wedding of their own, Courtney & Cole’s reception shows how formal style can still feel warm and personal. Start with a cohesive foundation, such as classic attire, refined stationery, elevated rentals, and a formal meal, then layer in details that reflect your story. Custom monograms, meaningful favors, live entertainment, and a mix of candlelight and statement lighting can give a polished reception a personality all its own.

Dinner, desserts, and small bites shined throughout the reception. Pritzlaff Events works with some of Milwaukee’s top caterers, including Zilli Hospitality Group, who served plated meals to the couple and their guests.

Instead of having a traditional wedding cake, Courtney & Cole embraced their sweet tooth with custom donuts from Cranky Al’s, cruller bites from Grebe’s Bakery, Bailey’s chocolate dessert shots, a candy bar, Leon’s Frozen Custard, and bomboniera (candy coated almonds) wedding favors honoring Courtney’s Italian roots. Fixture Pizza Pub stopped by for a late-night snack, once the dance floor was in full swing.

When it comes to wedding portraits, golden hour is a must for many couples. Courtney & Cole took advantage of Pritzlaff Events’ private rooftop for dreamy photos set against Milwaukee’s recognizable skyline. Courtney added a statement veil, a cathedral-length, layered tulle piece with dramatic ruffle edges.

Stephanie Koppa specializes in timeless imagery for real life couples, taking a fine art approach to her galleries while staying true to each couple’s unique personality.

Courtney & Cole’s perfect day concluded with dancing and live music from Tobias Cainion Sr. After the big dances and portraits were done, Courtney debuted a second bridal look: a sparkling, strapless, tea-length gown.

For couples currently planning their wedding day, she wrote,

The inspiration doesn’t have to end here! Pick up a free copy of our WedPlan Milwaukee publication at our vendor locations, request yours online, or view our virtual planning guide to keep the ideas flowing. Have an incredible wedding story to share? Head to our submissions page to learn more about how to be featured in our annual publication, on socials, or right here on our blog!