Oshkosh Rising

Ideas & Inspiration

The Waters, a renovated former yacht club, is back in circulation as a posh reception venue.

Oshkosh Rising

After serving for years as little sister to cosmopolitan Appleton to the north, Oshkosh (second only to Milwaukee in size in the early 1900s) is seeing renewed vitality as a wedding destination for Fox River Valley residents. Situated on the shore of Lake Winnebago—the largest lake inside the state’s boundaries—Oshkosh is also on the busy Fox River. While some brides and grooms have family in the area, others are lured by Oshkosh’s proximity to water, a fancy for airplanes or its historic buildings that represent the city’s early lumber baron wealth. 

Outdoor Options
    Arguably the foremost outdoor ceremony or reception draw in  Oshkosh is the Paine Art Center and Gardens. A limestone Tudor Revival-style mansion, with art galleries inside and acres of surrounding gardens outside, the Paine is the legacy of Nathan and Jesse Paine, one of Oshkosh’s foremost lumber families. The elaborate estate lures about 50 couples per year for ceremonies and/or intimate receptions, says Michelle Rector, the Paine’s special events coordinator. “It’s reminiscent of a grand English country house. Inside, we can accommodate up to 125 wedding guests while outside, we have space for 225.” Renting outdoor ceremony space runs about $1,300 with an outdoor reception costing about $3,900. Inside receptions run approximately $3,600.
    Ann Evenson of Fort Atkinson says the Paine was her destination wedding choice in June 2007, partly because it was between her hometown of Green Bay and that of her husband’s in Fort Atkinson, but largely because of its beauty and convenience. “We knew our guests would be able to tour the grounds and we could have all of our pictures right on site. Everything was there. And the Paine has a wedding coordinator right on site (Rector) who did an amazing job.” 
    Oshkosh also offers other outdoor photo options. Photographer Melody Wollangk points to the 110-acre Menominee Park Zoo, with its stone bridges and ivy-covered walls, as well as to South Park, featuring a creek and old growth trees. “Even the Oshkosh Public Museum, built over a century ago, features incredible architecture that’s a perfect backdrop for wedding photos,” says Wollangk, who owns Limelite Studios with husband Jason Toney.