J.P. and Megan Baxter Pollard wanted to avoid feeling like they were one couple among many getting married on October 22, 2011, so they booked their reception at Villa Filomena, a downtown Milwaukee mansion built in 1874 for a Great Lakes marine captain.
“We looked at many hotels,” recalls Megan. “Places where we’d have one room, with one or more other weddings nearby.” Settling in at the Filomena meant their 150 guests could effortlessly roam from patio to parlor, ballroom to settee, all in a private, homelike ambiance. Megan also liked working with a family-run business, because “everyone is invested in making sure your event goes off without a hitch.”
Another advantage? “You have the perfect backdrop for photography (we did our first look in the courtyard) and less of a need to use decorations.”
Staircase Staging
Many brides walk down the aisle in churches or pass through lush archways outdoors, but a wide, open staircase also sets up a grand entrance.
“A lot has happened on our staircase,” says Kim Price of The Waters, a 1903 Georgian Revival mansion that faces Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh. “It’s where the bride first appears, where wedding ceremonies occur, where kisses are exchanged.”
It might also be the place to draw a crowd. A bagpipe player stood on The Waters’ stairway for a performance at one wedding, which was a smooth segue to bridal toasts and dancing.
The stairs also link a mansion’s various levels. Bob and Linda Beckwith booked The Waters for their 130-guest reception in July 2011, and were pleased to find that the property offered an upstairs space where sit-down meals were possible, and a downstairs reception area with a lakefront yard. “We moved seamlessly from dinner to the reception,” Linda says. “No one had to watch the cleanup, our seven-piece band fit fine, and friends had the room” to move easily from private to party spaces.
No matter what the weather, Price adds, you have two floors—so you can plan an outdoor wedding but move inside if it rains.
Creative Challenges
Josh and Melissa Taylor chose the History Museum at the Castle in Appleton for their June 2011 reception. Stone architecture, leaded glass and vaulted ceilings add a medieval feel to this 1923 former Masonic temple.
“I’m not a girly-girl, but I could play the role of princess,” explains Melissa, who speaks French, enjoys French culture and loved the old European look of the museum. “The space was a huge hall—gorgeous, majestic and very fairytale-like.”
Her 140 guests were seated in rounds, slightly below the bridal party’s on-stage table, which had a red velvet curtain as a backdrop.Though idyllic, the site also had a few challenges, which sometimes comes with the territory at historically significant buildings. Melissa advises brides not to let that limit their creativity when planning a reception.Since the venue didn’t allow decorations to be attached to walls with tacks, tape or staples, the Taylors brought in an 8-foot-tall Eiffel Tower replica and strung it with lights. Easels held photos of Paris scenes, while French music wafted in the background.Though they appear homey, typically you must take extra precautions in historic settings. You might need to involve a licensed florist to avoid insect infestation from homegrown bouquets, for example. Some places may also require a short-term insurance policy to cover potential property damage.“If a couple is looking for an intimate setting, this is the way to go,” says Dawn Voss, who operates , a B&B and local history museum in Neillsville. “Our house has a plantation look, with a popular outdoor reflecting pool. People use flowers, or nothing extra, to decorate.”Some just use Tufts’ as a ceremony site. Others book it for the reception, add an overnight suite and hire the house band for entertainment (Front Porch Swing, a five-piece jazz group that includes Voss on vocals and her husband on stand-up bass).Another perk of the property? Voss is also a licensed massage therapist and licensed hairdresser, so bridal parties sometimes opt to stay overnight before the big day for total pampering and primping.The night before Nicholas and Ericka Piotrowski married in June 2011, the bride and her mother spent the night at in Sheboygan. The following night, the bride returned with her groom to the three-story 1912 brick beauty that overlooks Lake Michigan.The property provides “a very soft, classical, romantic feel,” Ericka says. “The muted colors—not too bold or modern—made it perfect” as a place to prepare for her wedding day.Bridesmaids arrived with practical and moral support about three hours before the late-afternoon ceremony. Groomsmen appeared an hour later.The mansion was the perfect private setting for the bride to have pre-ceremony first looks with her father, then her groom. Wedding photographs were taken on the beautiful property, and the atmosphere helped calm nerves before the ceremony and reception at a nearby country club.“This B&B already had other guests,” Ericka recalls. “Otherwise we might have booked it for the wedding.” The couple intend to return for anniversaries, if the property remains a guesthouse (owner Richard Suscha has had the mansion up for sale for a number of years). Short-notice weddings work the best, since reservations aren’t accepted more than three months in advance.“It’s a spectacular venue,” says Suscha, “but we just rent the space. An outside caterer would arrange the rental of tables, linens, glassware.”Seventy members of the , representing both historic and modern properties, say they are well-suited for weddings.Dozens of other magnificent historic buildings, such as the Mansion Hill Inn, an 1857 Victorian in downtown Madison, also host weddings but are not a part of the state’s B&B group. Check lodging listings through tourism bureaus or chambers of commerce for many more historic property options.
At a Glance
If you’re considering a mansion...