Venue Spotlight: Milwaukee Art Museum!
The Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum was completed in 2001 and designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Highlights of the building include the magnificent cathedral-like space of Windhover Hall, with a vaulted a 90-foot-high glass ceiling; the Burke Brise Soleil (the wings!), a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily; and the Reiman Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that connects the Museum to the city. The older parts of the museum have been around for decades, but have also recently gone under renovations.
Come inside with us to meet the team at the Milwaukee Art Museum and see why it’s one of our favorite spots in the city!
The Interview
Meet the Milwaukee Art Museum Event Professionals!
Katie Shorts – wedding coordinator, Michelle McCue – Director of Food Service & Events, and Kari Miller – Sales and Event Coordinator
MICHELLE
What’s your adult beverage of choice?: Bubbles!
What’s your favorite junk food?: Pepperoni Pizza
What’s your favorite animal?: I love large cats. I just love the idea of tigers and lions, and jaguars. They are so fierce and beautiful at the same time! I don’t own a pet right now, but I’ve become an aunt to a beautiful rescue dog, named Maverick. He is 5 months old.
If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?: Veuve! It will be the continuous celebration!
Best trip you’ve ever been on?: Ireland
What makes up your favorite playlist?: I’m across the board. But lately, I’ve been enjoying a lot of old country. Love Johnny Cash!
KATIE
What’s your adult beverage of choice?: Bourbon
What’s your favorite junk food?: Brie cheese with crackers
What’s your favorite animal?: I love my dog (Border Collie Husky Mix, named Towens. He is gorgeous.) but if I have to pick an animal besides my dog, I’d say foxes.
If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?: Leonardo deCaprio, just throwing things out to Universe! 🙂
Best trip you’ve ever been on?: Paris
Best concert you’ve ever been to?: I just saw Radiohead in Montreal. That was like, a bucket list for me. Other than that Rage Against the Machine in Alpine Valley, when they just reunited and that was a killer.
KARI
What’s your adult beverage of choice?: Prosecco or moscato
What’s your favorite junk food?: Popcorn
What’s your favorite animal?: Horses, hands down. I love my dog, (she is a Beagleman, her name is Paige) but horses are the most beautiful creatures
If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?: Wanderlust
Best trip you’ve ever been on?: Wyoming, I don’t travel far
Best concert you’ve ever been to?: Metallica, it was my first concert! I listen to everything.
What type of couples are drawn to the Milwaukee Art Museum for their weddings?
Couples are drawn to our space because of the architecture. It has a very unique style. It’s modern, yet timeless. It never goes out of style – and of course, you’ve got the beauty of the lake. A lot of our couples are looking to give their guests an experience from the moment they walk in the door. First, they are wowed by the view! Then when they get to taste the food, people are blown away. We also offer the art exhibitions for the guests to view. It’s a full experience.
Favorite trend you are seeing for weddings this year?
My favorite trend is incorporating moss into the floral and also custom made neon signs.
One thing every bride or groom should know before their wedding?
Michelle: When you walk through, just have fun and enjoy it.
Katie: It’s all about the compromise. You have to get on the same page before you tie the knot. 🙂 Also tell your story, it’s all about you as a couple; not about anybody else.
What’s your favorite dish on the menu?
Michelle: like so many of our hors d’oeuvres. I love to try different flavors. Our Caprese is done so uniquely, better than I had anywhere else. We have around 20 hors d’oeuvres on the menu, from the lamb to chicken skewers, ahi tuna with seaweed salad. There are so many to chose from!
Katie: My favorite item on the menu is divers scallops entree.
Kari: I like the Turf and Turf, which is amazing braised short rib and a roasted chicken breast.
What services are available in-house?
Catering, audio, video, lighting – everything! Just now, we are getting into our own in-house design and styling of weddings. The couples are encouraged to bring an outside designer or wedding planner, if they feel like it. But our services include a venue coordinator, who gives them exceptional service. However, we recently built up a design portfolio so the couple can pick their linens here and they can do it all at a one-stop shop. We are excited to expand in that direction. We are going to start offering these services in the fall of 2018.
Fabulous features of The Milwaukee Art Museum
The wings! That’s part of the deal. We can open and close the wings when the couple decides. It’s an interesting feature and it’s done remotely. It’s unique and no one else can do it, obviously.
What is your favorite thing about weddings at the museum?
Michelle: I often ask guests about their experience when they are done eating. It makes me so happy when the guests find out that the food is exclusively catered here, they tell me it’s some of the best food they’ve ever eaten. It never gets old.
Katie: Every wedding is different. They are never the same.
Kari: I get so many compliments on the staff. People are always commenting on how nice the staff is. It’s nice to hear and I enjoy it greatly. 🙂
The Beauty
We love photographing weddings at the Milwaukee Art Museum for many reasons, but a lot of them circle around its unique and memorable architecture. Designed with high ceilings and an impressive façade, the Milwaukee Art Museum provides a terrific variety of photo ops. Be it with dresses or the couple themselves, we’re regulars at the MAM and still always able to find a new way to document their day uniquely. Secondly, the Museum staff are charming and fantastic, always willing to lend a hand or answer any questions we may have.
Learn more about a Milwaukee Art Museum wedding here!
Contact Katie Shorts: katie.shorts@mam.org or 414-224-3845
Follow them on social media!
Learn More!
You can always contact the Front Room Studios team to learn more about weddings at the Milwaukee Art Museum or our wedding photography and wedding videography.
Call us (414) 294 – 0080
Email us at info@frphoto.com