2011 Entries
Bride of the Year 2011 Entries:
NOTICE: Entries for Bride of the Year 2011 will be taken down March 1st or when the first 2012 entry is received (whichever comes first), so get your fill now! The photos will, however, stay on our Facebook page! Thank You!
Miranda and Ryan
Photography by Raymond Siler
For more pictures of Miranda and Ryan see our Facebook Page!
Mindy and Josh
“Everything was really special on our wedding day, but my dress caught peoples attention right away. The wedding tree was the only place I could find the unique look I was looking for without over spending. After a friend added the finishing touches to my dress (corset back and black lace trim to the bottom) I fell in love with it all over again. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, and dress. Our wedding was truly a day my husband and I will never forget!” -Mindy
Photography by Pichette Photography
“I got my wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses from the wedding tree so we had to make several trips to the shop. Everyone seemed very helpful with trying to find the right dress for everyone. The Wedding Tree is a place I recommend to others for their dress needs!” -Mindy
For more pictures of Mindy and Josh see our Facebook Page!
Jenny and Dane
“We were married on a balmy Friday afternoon in August. The ceremony took place at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church followed by a reception at the Cargill Room. All of our guest enjoyed a cocktail hour filled with appetizers, drinks, and funfilled converstion enjoyed on the outdoor patio at the Cargill Room while the bride and groom took photos at Riverside Park.” -Jenny
Photography by Stephanine Neprud Photography
“Amber Koel and Deb Lash exceeded my expectation at the Wedding Tree. After having a not-so good experience at another bridal shop I was wow by the kindness and expertise the Wedding Tree provided. We purchased everything from the wedding tree (with the exception of MY bridal gown). Deb and her staff helped ease my mind and went above and beyond for myself and my bridal party. Amber was exceptional at helping me dress my junior bridemaids, junior groomsmen, and minature groomsmen. Deb even went out of her way to contact the vendor I had purchased my bridal gown from (another vendor in the area) to ease my mind and check on the availablity and delivery date. On the day of the weddding the groomsmen notice that some of their items did not “fit” properly. Amber arrived at the church to hand deliver the new groomsmen attire. I would highly recommend the Wedding Tree for their professionalism, close attention to detail, and punctuality. Thanks to Deb and Amber and the rest of the staff at the Wedding Tree we had the wedding of our dreams! Thank you for making my wedding day so elegant and fabulous!” -Jenny
For more pictures of Jenny and Dane CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Julia and Levi
“It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day. We saw each other for the first time that day in an emotional meeting alongside Rush Creek near Hoiland Mill in Rushford. During the ceremony, one of the highlights was a unique and special video that we had created as a surprise tribute to our grandparents. It was a collection of six generations of wedding pictures from Great-Great-Great Grandparents to Parents set to music. Many compliments were received on our bridal party colors and attire. Following the service, the wedding party traveled by limo to LaCrosse, first stopping at Riverside Park and then onto the reception, including dinner and dance, at the LaCrosse Center Ballroom. The theme of honoring our grandparents was carried to the reception where framed wedding pictures, which were included in the tribute video, were part of the table centerpieces. We received a tremendous amount of comments and compliments on the video and the pictures. Also at the reception, guests enjoyed videos shown of the bride and groom through the years.” -Julia
Photography by Luann Dibb
“The bride purchased her veil and hairpiece at the Wedding Tree. The rest of the wedding party, including bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, Mother of the Bride, Grandmother of the Bride, and Fathers of Bride and Groom, all were outfitted at the Wedding Tree. We were pleased with how the design features of the bridesmaids’ dresses were consistent with those of the bridal gown. In addition, the color options for the bridesmaids along with the color matching and color coordinating for the groom, groomsmen, ushers, and fathers’ tuxedos were just what we wanted. Everyone found the Wedding Tree to be convenient, helpful, and accomodating. We couldn’t have been happier with how our wedding came together. I appreciated becoming familiar with the bridal consultants and them getting to know me on a first-name basis.” -Julia
For more pictures of Julia and Levi CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Tracy and Adam
“Our wedding day was a fairy tale come true for us. We were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sparta. Our Pastor did an amazing job at making our ceremony so special by talking of how our relationship has grown over the past seven years in Church. Everything from the horse-drawn carriage chauffeured by my cousin, wedding cake with a water fountain made by my grandmother, and all of our amazing family and friends made our wedding exactly what I dreamed of since I was little. The famous compliments of the day were of my dress, the flowers made by the Greenery in Sparta, the horse-drawn carriage, the wedding cake,the beautiful fall-themed reception hall, and the personalized m&m wedding favors.” -Tracy
Photography by T Hanson Photography
“The Wedding Tree did a wonderful job with helping me pick my wedding dress, the tuxes, the bridesmaids’ dresses, my shoes, and my jewelry. We were especially grateful for Donna and Amber, who spent many hours with us to make our wedding attire exactly what we wanted, even though we didn’t know exactly what did want coming in! ” -Tracy
For more pictures of Tracy and Adam CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Heidi and Bradley
“Our wedding took place on a gorgeous, warm and sunny September day, and it all played out even better than we expected. Since our ceremony was almost an hour away from our reception venue, timing was everything! However, everyone was on time and ready for our big day! It was truly special to have all our friends and family present to watch us exchange our vows. I will never forget the way Brad looked at me as we said our “I do’s.” I received many compliments on my dress and was told that I made a beautiful bride! Everyone had a great time and I will cherish the memories forever!” -Heidi
Photography by Jared Heyer / 1,000 Words Photography
“My first visit to the Wedding Tree was actually for my twin sister, who was getting married at the beginning of the summer. Just for fun, I thought I’d try on a few dresses, and to my amazement I found the perfect one! It was elegant and sophisticated; just the look I was going for. I also found bridesmaids dresses that I knew would look amazing on my entire bridal party. The Wedding Tree has not only gorgeous dresses, but they have the best service! Everyone there is extremely friendly and helpful. I’d like to thank Jennifer for helping me find the perfect dress, the perfect veil, and the perfect bridesmaids dresses for my wedding. You truly helped my vision become a reality. A big ‘thank you’ to Sarah in alterations for making my dress fit perfectly! You did an amazing job! Thank you!” -Heidi
For more pictures of Heidi and Bradley CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Alyssa and Jake
“Our wedding day truly was a big party! We had such an amazing day with our family and friends, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. We picked an early spring day, and the weather completely cooperated. I grew up at Holy Trinity and feel so fortunate to have gotten married in a such a beautiful church that I have so much history in. Everyone loved the whole day… I’m still hearing comments about all the fun we had that day.” -Alyssa
Photography by Mueller Photography
“I was so happy with the success we had at The Wedding Tree! I found my dress as well as the bridesmaids dresses there. For our spring wedding, I wanted a nice bright green for the bridesmaid dresses in a shorter length for fun dancing! They did a great job with my ideas and found the perfect dresses. After that, my dress was actually the easy part! A shout out to Sarah down in alterations, who is amazing!!” -Alyssa
For more pictures of Alyssa and Jake CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Ashley and Matt
“I had alot of compliments on every thing from that day I chose to use black chair covers which were very elligant and defiantely set the romantic and that what what we was going for. I also got alot of compliments on having a photobooth which was such a great time and also an excellent party favor. We let go balloons when walking out of the church which was something that was different and so neat to see as well. We lit off lanterns at about 8:30 the night of our wedding, everyone in the wedding party lit off a lantern and both sets of parents as well, it was just another romantic key to the best day of our lives. The day itself was just breath taking we had so many people attend the wedding and that made it even more amazing. My dress and the colors were my favorite part of the wedding I have always been a big fan of pink and when looking at bridesmaid dresses we found the perfect ones. My dress was just stunning the details on the dress were simply amazing, the lace-up back, and sweetheart top made it that much more beautiful! When people ask me what the best part of the wedding day was I would have to say it was saying our vows, to me it was a moment that Matt and I shared alone, even though there were hundreds of people in the church nothing else mattered, it was about Matt and I, Its a feeling that words cannot describe,and that moment is something we will cherish forever!” -Ashley
Photography by Suzy Photography
“I had such a great time shopping for my bridal gown. My dress would have to be the thing I loved the most it fit me just right and made me feel like I did not have a care in the world, My veil, headpeice and jewlery were also purchased from the wedding tree which accented my dress just perfectly. Our wedding day has been the best day of my life, I could not have done it without the support of my family friends and of course finding that perfect dress which I found at the wedding tree!” -Ashley
For more pictures of Ashley and Matt see our Facebook Page!
Ashley and Tyler
“Our wedding day was more beautiful that I think any of us could have ever expected. We were lucky enough to have a good friend let use her land on top of the La Crescent bluffs. I will never forget the feeling I had walking through the woods and down the field to see my soon to be husband staring back at me with his eyes filled with tears, the whole walk down was surreal, both my father and I doing everything we could not to completely start balling! Everyone told us that they had never seen anything so beautiful and that it was truly breathtaking. We tried making our day unique to just us, we had our good friend perform the ceremony and instead of the traditional unity candle we both took part in watering a tree as a symbol of our growing love which we will plant when we purchase our first home. We are big advocates for same -sex marriage equality and made sure to make a point during our ceremony that everyone should be able to share this experience with the one they love.” -Ashley
Photography by Scott Bacon Photography
“Out of all the vendors we went through The Wedding Tree is who I will recommend over and over. I could feel that everyone I worked with was genuinely excited to find my dream dress. The day I found my dress was so special, we though we had found the one and went the purchase it, but out of curiosity we decided to go upstairs to see the new addition, I saw this dress and just knew I had to try it on. The moment I walked out I saw the look in my moms eyes and I began to cry, I looked in the mirror and my first instinct was to jump up and down. We all knew this was the one. From there on The Wedding Tree was with me to make sure everything was perfect. I cant thank them enough for making the experience so smooth and so so special.” -Ashley
For more pictures of Ashley and Tyler CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Renee and Chad
Photography by Saylor Photography: Gil and Karla Saylor
For more pictures of Renee and Chad CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Amanda and Will
“Our wedding day was wonderful! It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day…even though it was the end of October! Will and I wish we could re-live every bit of the day. Everything went perfectly thanks to our awesome wedding party and the help of our parents. We received so many compliments about my dress and the bridesmaids dresses. Everyone loved the bold color combination and thought that it went so well with the venue and fall colors. Riverside park made a great backdrop for our beautiful wedding party! Thanks to The Wedding Tree everyone looked their absolute best!” -Mandy
Photography by Crystal Ivey-Schulz: Two For the Show Photography
“We were so impressed with The Wedding Tree. Having shopped there for a bridesmaid dress when I was only 14 years old, I knew it was the right place for our business! I was so happy with Donna and her help in picking out the right wedding dress for me. It completely captured my personality! I was able to feel like myself in it :) I was also fortunate to find the perfect jewelry, veil, shoes, and headpiece to compliment the dress. Everything came together great! Will and I also went through the Wedding Tree for our tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses. They were even able to dye the bridesmaids’ shoes to perfectly match their dresses! My mom was on the hunt for the perfect mother of the bride dress as well. With Donna’s help, we found a great dress for her too! We were so impressed with Donna and Kacia, although everyone in the store was always so helpful and friendly! We will definitely be recommending the shop to our friends and family.” -Mandy
For more pictures of Amanda and Will CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Kim and Ryan
“Our day was a wonderful mix of family, friends, and great music. Pastor Bruce helped make our day even more special. I was told by a friend it was the best wedding they had ever been to! My dress, oh the red dress, was a huge hit! After months of wondering whether or not I could pull it off, I realized I could and I did! The day couldn’t have been any more perfect than it was.” -Kimberly
Photography by Lenys Hill
“The Wedding Tree has always been my favorite. The first day I came in to look at dressed and the RED one was just hanging there waiting for me. It was fate. I purchased my dress and veil and Ryan’s mom Mary purchased her dress and we rented the tuxes from the Wedding Tree. Donna was truly amazing as usual. Sara in alterations did an outstanding job putting the corset into the back. Amber in the tuxedo department was very helpful when we had a last minute change in the bridal party. I have always been more than happy with the staff at the Wedding Tree. They are so helpful it almost makes me want to do it all over again :)” -Kimberly
For more pictures of Kim and Ray CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Sara and Chris
“Our wedding was absolutely wonderful – everything we dreamed of and more! We were blessed with a beautiful HOT September day and we were grateful to spend it with all of our family and friends. We were so excited to unveil our two-tone tuxedoes and our guests LOVED them. We received so many compliments on the wedding party’s attire. ” -Sara
Photography by Marc Bateman
“My dress was perfect for me and after having tried on about 50 dresses at 4 different bridal shops I could not have been happier with my choice to work with The Wedding Tree. We ended up getting everything from them – my dress, the tuxes, and the bridesmaids dresses. I fell in love with my dress…and with the staff at The Wedding Tree. Everyone was so helpful and helped to make it as stress-free as possible. A special shout out to Donna and Amber; thank you so much for all of your help! :)” -Sara
For more pictures of Sara and George CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Megan and Jarod
“Our love of sports and baseball was truly represented at the wedding. When we chose the date, we had no idea the Cardinals and Brewers would be playing each other in Milwaukee that day. We totally played up the rivalry (I being a Cardinal fan and Jarod being a Brewer fan). Our cake was baseball themed and instead of the garter/bouquet toss, guests had to choose which team they thought would win and we drew from that (they could win a Brewer glass with flowers or a Cardinal garter). During the reception we had a photo booth and a huge surprise for our guests: Bucky Badger! The crowd was shocked! We all danced with him to “Teach Me How to Bucky” and “Jump Around”. Guests had the chance to take pictures with him at our photo booth. To this day, our friends and family still say it was the BEST wedding they have ever been to. Our vision was to have the wedding showcase all we love and the fun we have together. It was perfect!” -Megan
Photography by Michelle Martin Photography
“The Wedding Tree was fabulous! I went in just for fun while my now husband was at a Grad School class. It was the very first dress I put on. The staff was so nice and helpful and the seamstress altered the dress exactly how I wanted. I knew my dress was in good hands!” -Megan
For more pictures of Megan and Jarod CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Teresa and Dustin
“Our wedding was amazing! It was a beautiful day with all of our friends and family there to share it with us.” -Teresa
Photography by Swanstrom Photography
“My dress was BEAUTIFUL! Donna did such a great job helping me pick it out, she knew what I liked and found the perfect dress for me. My bridesmaids dresses were also perfect! We spent a while picking those out, but all the staff at the Wedding Tree helped pick out the best color and style to match my gown.” -Teresa
For more pictures of Teresa and Dustin see our Facebook Page!
Sasha & Kevin
“We didn’t receive one complaint. everyone loved the dresses, flowers, wedding, reception, the food, and the Redneck Express. It was a party and it was celebrated with all of our close family and friends. it couldn’t have gone any better.” -Sasha
Photography by Plesha Photograhpy
“Everyone [at the Wedding Tree] was so nice and very helpful. I had come in so many times it was nice that the girls knew who I was and used my first name.” -Sasha
For more pictures of Sasha and Kevin see our Facebook Page!
Jennifer & Troy
“Everyone loved my dress, said it was very unique! Even though the wedding was at the end of October, we had a beautiful, warm, sunny day! It was an amazing day that I would love to do all over again!” -Jennifer
Photography by Sarah Schultz Photography
“The Wedding Tree staff (esp. Jennifer Freitag) was extremely helpful! The staff would contact me and see if I needed help with anything or to let me know that my things had arrived. I purchased my dress and my head piece at The Wedding Tree. I would recommend The Wedding Tree to everyone!” -Jennifer
For more pictures of Jennifer and Troy CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Erin & Allen
Erin and Allen are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. We were so happy to help them out with her gown, the bridesmaids, the tuxedos, and even Erin’s mom’s dress! The whole thing looks like it turned out amazing!
Photography by James Studio
For more pictures of Erin and Allen CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Melanie and Aaron
“We were blessed with an amazing day! We were reminded again how fortunate we are to have each other as well as so many beautiful people in our lives. Many of our guests told us that they had never been to a wedding more beautiful and meaningful as ours had been. I was also told my dress was the most beautiful they had ever seen and very unique with the skinny straps coming together at my back.” -Melanie
Photography by Natalie Johnson & Paul Apfel
“The Wedding Tree was more than helpful to Aaron and I as well as my entire wedding party. We were always pleased with their knowledge, ideas, and support. We knew we were getting the help we needed. After purchasing my dress we also purchased the bridesmaid dresses, the tuxedos, our flower girls dress, my mothers dress, as well as my hair accessory from the Wedding Tree. All of these purchases were complimented countless times to us. We are still hearing compliments! Thank you Wedding Tree for helping to make our wedding beautiful.” -Melanie
For more pictures of Melanie and Aaron CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Sara and Shawn
“We’ve had so many compliments on our awesome wedding party! They were amazing people to have such a big part of our day! Our photographer took fabulous pictures that we’ll teasure forever! ” -Sara
Photography by Krystal Muellenberg Photography
“I was very happy with the Wedding Tree! And Sarah the seamstress for my bridal gown was amazing! My maid of honor was very pleased with her wonderful bustling methods as well!” -Sara
For more pictures of Sara and Shawn CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!
Jacqueline and Brian
“Our wedding day was absolutely perfect and stress free! It was an exciting day full of love, laughter, and friendships. Our colors were shamrock green (john deere green) and yellow, with a little camo accent. The dresses were all perfect, and my dad told me that mine was suited to me perfectly! It all starts with the dress :) We received lots of compliments on the simplicity of our wedding, after all…it’s really about the marriage! Less is more, that is the best advice I could give any future bride to be :) ” -Jacqueline
Photography by Becky Ott
“The Wedding Tree was amazing! First and only place I shopped. Jennifer was my bridal consultant, and she was phenomenal at pinning down my vague descriptions of what I thought I wanted, and building it into perfection! My dress was a Maggie Sottero design, elegant and simple to fit my “country-ish” theme! I chose not to wear a hoop, the less poof the better for me…and a summer wedding! My headpiece was small and matched my dress and personality perfectly…Jennifer picked it out :) I bought my jewelry and shoes at the Wedding Tree as well. I went with silver shoes, since that’s what my girls were wearing, and they were cute. I bought my veil here too, I loved it, completed my outfit! Our bridesmaids dresses were an Alfred Angelo design and came from the Wedding Tree as well. They were Shamrock green, and I must say every one of my girls looked stunning in the style we chose. Thank you so much for being the beginning piece to a stress-free wedding day! You were all great.” -Jacqueline
For more pictures of Jacqueline and Brian CLICK HERE or see our Facebook page!
Jenny & Dominic
“It was a great day and my husband wishes we could do it all over again as we all had such a great time. We had all great compliments and some people said that it was the best wedding that they had ever been to. We had a huge wedding party which made it even more exciting that day. Everyone couldn’t believe the amount that we had. My husband sang to me at the wedding and it was so hard to not cry. We have been together for 10 years and engaged for 5 and we decided last year that we finally had to set a date and have the wedding.” -Jenny
Photography by Steve Bankes/Bankes Photography
“I thought it was a great experience. Kacia was the first person that came up to me the fist time I was in your store. She was WONDERFUL! She made the whole wedding shopping fun and exciting. She helped me every time I came to purchase something or just try on the dress. She made me feel like I was priority and very helpful to whatever I needed to get. I bought my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses through the Wedding Tree. Everyone loved the dresses and had so many compliments on them. My wedding theme was Wisconsin Badger as we are huge fans and the colors were perfect! I bought my jewelry from the Wedding Tree and had a lot of compliments on them as well. All in all, I am very happy to have chosen the Wedding Tree and would recommend to anyone!” -Jenny
For more pictures of Jenny and Dominic CLICK HERE or see our Facebook Page!