Open House Social

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Oak & Antler

Reception

Our Wedding

Our Story

Engagement photos captured by our wonderful photographer Anna, please check out her work at: https://wildlyconnectedphotography.com/

Photos

This one has been my best friend for over a decade and I am so blessed to have her by my side in life and for my wedding day. She is always there for getting a tasty treat or going off on adventure ♥️

Katie Messelt 

Ellie is another one of my best friends for the last decade, we have seen each other through the awkward teenage years and into our awkward adult years. She is such an amazing, supportive friend and we have some amazing girls nights together ♥️

Ellie Messelt 

My sister was blessed with me as a little sister, to torment her, steal her clothes, and go into her room whenever I decided to be annoying. I am so happy to have her as my big sister, to help guide me and be a constant source of support ♥️

Jessica Oren- Detweiler 

The best roommate (besides George) and college best friend a person could ask for. She is always a source of joy, love, and board game recommendations ♥️

Allie Morales 

Another college best friend, fashion consultant, and travel buddy. Thankful for her steadfastness in friendship, boldness to try new things, and always challenging me to be my best self ♥️

Shantina Manning 

Robin has been a true friend since college, studying for our science courses by day and gaming/partying by night.

Robin Melse

Eyy, Brother! My younger brother Greg has always been around for games, working on creative projects, and making jokes.

Greg Sorrell

I've known Colin since we were in elementary school, growing together from weird nerds into athletic weird nerds.

Colin Schulz

Izzy is a good friend who models kindness, consideration, and fun. I enjoy our philosophical conversations and media discussions, as well as co-piloting video games.

Aaron Isbell

My soon-to-be brother-in-law is always down for board games (and always seems to win,) as well as sharing ideas for Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

Ben Oren

Wedding Party

Q + A

Feel free to select any housing accommodation that suits you!

We have not blocked any rooms, but this hotel is quite close to the venue.

Hampton Inn Glendale Milwaukee

Directions to venue

Traveling on I-43 North or South:Exit at Good Hope Road (Exit 80) and head west on Good Hope Road.At Range Line Road, turn right to head North.Turn left at the sign for Brown Deer Park, and keep left toward Brown Deer Park Clubhouse. Use "Brown Deer Park Clubhouse" as your destination for GPS directions.

Travel

Wherever you go in the city, be sure to tune the radio to 88.9. Our favorite public radio station is locally operated and has an eclectic selection of new music, including Milwaukee music every hour. They also air Uniquely Milwaukee, stories from around the city.

Culture

The Mitchell Park Domes (524 S Layton Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53215) are the centerpiece of Mitchell Park. They house a horticultural conservatory with domes maintaining both a tropical biome and desert biome to display many different plant species.

The Milwaukee Art Museum (700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202) has a large art collection housed inside the most iconic building in the city. See Erica's favorite piece, Flowers in Terra-cotta Vase by van Os, and George's favorite, Le Père Jacques (The Wood Gatherer) by Bastien-Lepage. Spend some time walking through the galleries, then head north to the various lakefront parks.

Nature

Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve (511 High Bluff Dr, Grafton, WI 53024) is a special place for us and our relationship. It's the site of our first date and our engagement. Enjoy a fairly easy hike with views of Lake Michigan over the bluffs, and take the stairs down to the sandy beach.

Harrington Beach State Park (531 Co Rd D, Belgium, WI 53004) is about 40 minutes north of Milwaukee. The park on the lake has a nice beach and a hiking trail around a former limestone quarry.

Neighborhoods

The Lower East Side has numerous restaurants, bars, and shops. Sciortino Bakery on Brady Street has some tasty treats, or stop by Lilliput Records on Farwell (where George made Erica wait in line for 2 hours in the cold with him for a Billy Joel record!) It's a popular neighborhood for UW-Milwaukee and Marquette students.

The Third Ward is lined with boutiques and shops, dining and nightlife. The Milwaukee Public Market borders this neighborhood to the north - take a walk through the space and see the variety of vendors.

Historic Downtown Cedarburg has a Main Street experience full of local coffee shops, bakeries, and boutiques. Take a walk down Cedar Creek and stop in at Penzey's Spices for inspirational, flavorful seasonings.

Things to Do

Registry

Celebrating the Love Around Us

We want to celebrate the love and relationships of those around us in our reception. If you want to be included in this, please send a picture from your wedding day, or with your partner, or just with someone you love. Send this to: erica.george.mke@gmail.com

Guest Photos

Breakfast and Coffee

Interval Cafe is on the East Side of Milwaukee. They have George's favorite coffee in the city. Try any single-origin coffee made with a V60, or your favorite barista-crafted espresso drink.

Discourse Coffee is an "all-day cafe" with seriously interesting experimental drinks made with creative ingredients. The craft lattes are unique experiences - try the Channel Orange, Moonwater, or Lana Del Fog. The space is also very cool - located in the building of our favorite radio station, it has interesting decor and even a tiny record store inside!

La Crema is a local breakfast-focused cafe in Cudahy. We enjoy getting the crepes and the Eggs Benedict.

Flipside Cafe is located in Grafton. It's a favorite spot for getting breakfast when visiting George's grandmother. The Breakfast Trios have a filling lineup, and they offer a wide selection of waffles.

Lunch

The Cafe Benelux has a variety of foods inspired by the Low Countries in Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.) The Third Ward location has great rooftop dining and lots to do nearby. We always get the pull-apart cheese bread, and our shared favorite is the Turkey Pesto sandwich.

Pilot Project is a brewery that serves a great midday snack in the Brewery District. Erica is a cheese curd connoisseur, and the curds here are some of the best. (The serving size is also quite large!) Be aware - ordering is done at the table with a QR code on your phone.

Highland House is off the freeway in Mequon. We stopped here right after our engagement! The chips con salsa are a necessity, along with the Mexican street corn. They serve sizzling fajitas that turn the heads of everyone in the restaurant.

Dinner

The Edison is a New American restaurant in the Third Ward. The spacious restaurant has interesting art and an ever-changing selection of dishes made with local ingredients. While the menu can change, we enjoyed the Lamb Ragu and the Edison Burger.

Doc's Commerce Smokehouse in downtown Milwaukee serves some tasty barbeque. The sauce selection is small, but all options are good. The brisket is delicious and they give you the choice of a fatty or lean cut, and the sides are generous.

Points East Pub is often voted Best Chicken Wings in Milwaukee in local polls. The only option in the dive-bar atmosphere is the number of wings - you get 6, 12, or 18 with a light buffalo sauce that has just a bit of kick. The rest of the menu is probably good, too; there just isn't any reason to try it when there are wings to eat.

Dining

Pizza gets its own page - and we're limiting ourselves to one best option of each style.

Even Odds Pizza in Grafton serves Detroit Style Deep Dish. Thick, bready, rectangular pies come with the sauce on top, and this spot has excellent caramelized cheese on the corners.

San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana has authentic Neapolitan style woodfired pizza. It's one of two spots in Wisconsin that is VPN Certified, indicating that the process and ingredients are authentic. The traditional Margherita is a treat, and the specialty options are also great. Get a peek at the pizzaiolos if you can sit at the bar around the pizza oven.

Lou Malnati's Pizza is a local chain for Chicago Style Deep Dish. Mostly in Illinois, it has a few locations in the Milwaukee area. You can even ship a frozen pizza back home!

Pizza Pete's is down the road from us in Cudahy. Their hand-tossed delivery-style pizza is best with a stuffed cheese crust to go with your favorite toppings.

Neapolitan style pizza gets a special bonus mention because it's on the menu at Sorella (no relation.) This Italian restaurant in Bay View serves a delightful wood-fired pizza alongside other Italian meals and pasta dishes. The Rigatoni alla Vodka and Chicken Parmigiana also make this one of our favorite date night spots.

Erica & George

Erica & George

Photos