What Makes a Wedding at the Milwaukee Athletic Club Extra Special

At any wedding, expect to find Brad and Kristy Stankowski on the dance floor. 

So, for their own wedding at the Milwaukee Athletic Club on June 17, they wanted to focus the reception around the dance floor. They were able to find a statement-making black-and-white checkered dance floor. And MAC Event Manager Katie Shorts was able to find another one just a few months before the big day after their first vendor went out of business. That is just one of the unavoidable and unwanted surprises that can happen when planning a wedding, so it’s best to have a good team in your corner. Katie also came up with the idea to angle the dance floor in a diamond shape and have the head tables surround the floor to draw everyone’s attention to the dancing.

The 180-person wedding included a rooftop ceremony, followed by cocktail hour and the reception in the grand ballroom. With about half of the guests attending from out of town, they liked the idea of having everything in one spot to keep it convenient. Brad and Kristy are Milwaukee-area natives and had attended galas at the MAC in the past, which is how they knew about the venue.

Brad and Kristy wanted to curate a playlist for each phase of the wedding so they worked with Sound By Design to create the perfect soundtrack to their big day. Their dinner playlist was all of their married friends and family’s first dance songs, so they had fun calling it out and watching guests notice that their song was playing.

Sound by Design also provided the “Cold sparks” sparklers so that Brad and Kristy could make a memorable first entrance into the ballroom for the grand march. Kristy admits it was her favorite moment of the night seeing everyone’s faces light up with surprise when the cold sparks first went off.

During cocktail hour, they offered four passed appetizers and chose the MAC’s Broadway plated dinner option with the MAC salad and choice of braised beef short ribs or chicken paillard. They had a few guests with dietary restrictions that the team at the MAC were able to accommodate without hesitation.

“During planning, Brad kept calling cocktail hour ‘happy hour’ so we decided to run with it and include a wall of champagne – something that makes me very happy – and a playlist of all our favorite songs,” said Kristy.

Another way to make a party memorable? Opt for a signature dessert, rather than a signature drink. “Brad and I love old fashioned cocktails so Chef Tom McGinty created our own ”Old Fashioned" Cheesecake with Luxardo cherries, orange peel, with a whiskey sauce. It was a hit!”

Both Kristy and Brad were surprised by how much they enjoyed the planning experience. They again credit Katie and Chef Tom. “It was really comforting knowing that most of the main elements of our wedding day were all in-house and we could trust that they understood our vision. It wasn’t just signing contracts with them, it was a true partnership and collaborative effort,” said Kristy. “The MAC truly offers a high-end, all-inclusive experience. When we were looking at other venues, we couldn’t find anything that measured up to their stunning indoor and outdoor spaces, quality of food, and the expertise and professionalism of their staff.”

What they also most appreciated about their MAC wedding was that it was the only event happening at that date and time so they felt like they were the absolute priority.