Rehearsal Dinner

Welcome Drinks

Wedding Day

Old St. Mary's Catholic Church

Ceremony

The Pfister Hotel

Cocktail Hour

Dinner & Dancing

Goodbye Breakfast

Spring

Our Wedding

Our Story

How We Met

The year was 2017 when Michael and Michelle first met. Michael was in Switzerland and Michelle was in Atlanta. Michelle had just transferred to join the same team at work as Michael.

Before we get to far into the story, for background Michael and Michelle both joined General Electric after college in the company’s early career financial management program. Michelle started in 2014 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin and Michael started in 2015 after graduation from Penn State.&nbsp;Following the two-year program, they both joined the GE Corporate Audit Staff where they would work on financial projects across the company and travel the world to do so.&nbsp;

Getting back to the story, Michael’s first recollection of meeting Michelle on the Skype call (mind you this was before Zoom and Microsoft Teams) was that she was attractive and poised. So much so that he scheduled time with her a few weeks later to get to know her more.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A few months later, Michael and Michelle’s paths crossed again, this time in Boston in the summer of 2018. Both of them were on assignment for work in Beantown living in the same apartment building (Michael in the apartment directly above Michelle). Conversations picked back up given their similar routines and interests. Both would wake up at 4:30 and be the first ones in the office. In addition to Michelle’s three alarms that she would set, Michael’s unsubtle walking on the floor above her at 4:31 would be her fourth alarm. During this summer, the two grew closer as friends, often times doing dinner together on Sundays near the Boston Harbor and walking to get lunch during the work-week together. The two learned more about the other … Michelle learning about Michael’s roots being born in New York then growing up in Pennsylvania, and Michael would hear of Michelle’s stories from Wisconsin.&nbsp;

A few months later the two were on opposite sides of the world. Michelle was living in Southeast Asia, and Michael was in the exotic Cincinnati, Ohio.&nbsp;They continued to talk through texting. Due to time zones this was usually when Michelle would be going to sleep and Michael would be waking up for the day.&nbsp;This virtual relationship continued to the next location when Michelle was in Dubai and Michael in Western Ireland. They would see each other every few months at work conferences, but the two kept talking every day via text.&nbsp;

Finally, after nearly a year of texting and talking over the phone while being thousands of miles away from each other, their relationship began to be more then just friends. This time Michael was in Atlanta and Michelle was in Cincinnati. They agreed to fly to meet each other in New York City. Their first kiss occurred ~30 minutes after leaving LaGuardia, before meeting Michael’s friends from Penn State.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For the next few months, the two would travel between Atlanta and Cincinnati to see each other every few weeks and things began getting more serious. Finally, on New Year’s Eve together in Boston, Michael asked Michelle officially to be his girlfriend. Not a bad way to start 2020.

At this point, Michelle was permanently located in Cincinnati and Michael was still traveling for work. They agreed to see each other every few weeks and make the distance work (since that was already what they knew how to do). Then, the Covid pandemic happened.

In March 2020, Michael was sent to work from home, due to Covid. At the time Michael was in Chicago for his work assignment. Michael decided to drive home to New York City, but on the way stop to see Michelle in Cincinnati for a week. Despite knowing each other for over two years and being an official couple, Michelle was worried about Michael living with her for a week and messing up her work-week routine. She committed to the weekend with the option for him to stay the week, if all went well. Needless to say, the week together went better than she expected.&nbsp;

Throughout the pandemic, Michael would travel between New York and Cincinnati to see Michelle … spending a month in one location and a month in the other. When together in Cincinnati, the two would spend time cooking together, exploring the city, and trying new restaurants. During this time, each goodbye became harder and the two grew even closer as a couple. The two also met each other’s families and spent the holidays together.&nbsp;

In April 2021, Michael moved to Chicago for work. Michelle followed several months later in September, both still working for GE in the Healthcare division. Their relationship continued to grow in Chicago as they traveled together for vacations, attended sporting events, and explored more of their new city. They became embedded in each other’s families and group of friends.&nbsp;In September of 2022 they moved into their first apartment together.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Proposal

In December 2022, Michael asked Michelle on the rooftop of their apartment in downtown Chicago to spend the rest of their lives together. Michelle was expecting to go to a basketball game (Knicks vs Bulls) that night with Michael’s parents who were visiting from Pennsylvania.&nbsp;The proposal and wonderful night that followed was a total surprise.&nbsp;Michael had arranged for Michelle’s parents to come down to Chicago, from Milwaukee and Michael’s parents were also in town.&nbsp;The couple and their parents celebrated together at Michael &amp; Michelle's favorite Italian restaurant. It was a wonderful night that was five years in the making.

Now, as the two prepare for their wedding in May 2024, Michael and Michelle live together in downtown Chicago, and still work in Finance at GE HealthCare. They both still wake up each morning at 4:30 and cook together most nights after work. Their love for each other grows stronger each day and they couldn’t be happier that they get to spend the rest of their lives together.&nbsp;They cannot wait to celebrate their love with all their family and friends!&nbsp;

Our Travels Together

Bryce Canyon National Park

Florence, Italy

Miami, Florida

Zion National Park

Madrid, Spain

Hiking in Asheville, NC

Napa Valley, CA

Brookyln Heights, NY

Time with Family

Meeting our niece Emily, October 2022

Milford, PA in the Fall

Thanksgiving hike at Raymondskill Falls

Patrick &amp; Lauren Arne's Wedding

Christmas in WI

Christmas in NYC

Sporting Events

New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks Basketball

Penn State vs Wisconsin Football

Milwaukee Brewers vs New York Yankees Baseball

Weddings & Special Events

Fun in Chicago

Photos

The Wedding Party

The Bride's Side

Blaire Shoor ... Maid of HonorAli Ojikutu ... Maid of HonorLauren Arne ... BridesmaidNicole Montemarano ... BridesmaidDaniella Montemarano ... BridesmaidHaley Cantone ... BridesmaidEmily Arne ... Flower Girl

The Groom's Side

Dominic Montemarano ... Best ManJames Montemarano ... Best ManPatrick Arne ... Groomsman Charlie D'Angelo ... GroomsmanPeter Castoro ... GroomsmanMatt Falcon ... GroomsmanAlex Madzio ... GroomsmanGarrett Frank ... Groomsman Joe Belsterling ... GroomsmanJason Pabst ... GroomsmanEric Taylor ... UsherBobby Norgard ... Usher

Wedding Party

Travel FAQs

Airport

If traveling from out of state for the Wedding, we recommend flying into one of the following airports: Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport (airport code: MKE) which is approximately a 15 minute drive to downtown &amp; the wedding or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (airport code: ORD) which is about a 1 hour &amp; 15 minute drive to downtown Milwaukee

Accommodation 

The Pfister Hotel 424 E Wisconsin AveMilwaukee, WI 53202 If staying in downtown Milwaukee, we recommend booking at our reception venue. Please book through our hotel room block to receive a discounted rate for Friday and Saturday night, by clicking the below link:<a href="https://res.thepfisterhotel.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=13974&amp;nights=2&amp;checkin=5/10/2024&amp;group=ARNEWED23&amp;lang=en-us" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arne &amp; Montemarano Wedding</a> We have King and Double rooms and suites available. If you call for reservations, remember to mention the "Arne and Montemarano Wedding" room block and discount. (414-273-8222) The discounted rate will be available until April 17, 2024.

Other Hotels in the Area The Hilton Garden InnMilwaukee Marriott DowntownHoliday Inn Express Milwaukee DowntownSaint Kate - The Arts Hotel

Parking

At Old St Mary's Church parking is available in the back. The Pfister Hotel offers a parking structure for self-park and valet.

Ceremony to Reception

The Wedding ceremony will take place at Old St Mary's Church which is 0.4 miles (7 minute walk or 2 minute drive) away from the reception venue of the Pfister Hotel for cocktail hour, dinner, live band and dancing. Transportation will be provided on a continuous loop from the Pfister to the Church beginning at 1:20PM. The bus will depart every ~10mins from the Pfister until the ceremony. The bus will be at the main entrance (door by Allen Edmonds). The bus will also run on a continuous loop after the ceremony back to the Pfister Hotel for cocktail hour beginning at 4:30pm.

Travel

Frequently Asked Questions

Q + A

Things to Do in Milwaukee

Restaurants

Downtown near the Pfister:Carnevor Steakhouse ... Our favorite steakhouseOnesto Italian ... Fresh made pasta and sandwichesHarbor House ... SeafoodSafeHouse ... Family Friendly AmericanDanDan ... Chinese, owner is currently competing on Top Chef! The Wicked Hop ... Bar &amp; GrillZarlettis ... ItalianLupi &amp; Iris ... Upscale French ItalianMOTOR at Harley Davidson ... American At the Pfister:Blu BarMason Street GrillCafe at the PfisterLobby Lounge

Activities

Historic Third WardLakefront BreweryMiller BreweryThe Pabst MansionMilwaukee RiverwalkMitchell Park DomesThe Milwaukee County ZooPotawatomi Casino

Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers take on the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field (Thursday - Sunday) ... Baseball stadium is a 6 minute drive from the Pfister The Milwaukee Bucks basketball arena, the Fiserv Forum is a 5 minute drive from the Pfister

Museums

The Milwaukee Art MuseumThe Harley Davidson MuseumDiscovery World