A Comic Book Wedding With Spiderman, Pizza, And A Rickroll Processional
Lively moments captured by the talented Lindsay Stayton Photography, this event brought together an unconventional yet charming pair, Molly & Dan. The sun-kissed afternoon of April 15th, 2023, played host to their special day at the scenic South Shore Pavilion, overlooking the serene Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI.
Our comic book wedding at a glance:
Our online meeting sparked a connection that would lead to an unforgettable proposal at Disneyland in February 2022. Fast forward to Spring 2023, when we exchanged vows at South Shore Pavilion, just 10 minutes from our home. This charming vintage venue boasts expansive windows overlooking Lake Michigan and is part of the city’s park system, allowing us to bring our own food and drinks – a major draw for us.
As we tailored the wedding to reflect our unique personalities, we opted for a superhero theme that echoed our shared love of all things nerdy. Our ‘Save The Date’ cards featured custom illustrations by Molly’s Matron of Honor, showcasing us in superhero attire inspired by the Milwaukee flag colors – even incorporating our loyal pup into the design.
Both of us were actively involved in the planning process, but an unexpected hurdle was managing expenses.
Despite having a clear vision, we faced rising costs across the board. My mom took matters into her own hands, creating all the dresses for myself, my mother, the bridesmaids, and flower girl – a true labor of love.
Tell us about the ceremony:
Tell us about the reception:
To make our special day even more unforgettable, we hired a Spider-Man impersonator to take photos with us and our guests. The atmosphere was further enhanced by the Marvel-themed decorations, including table runners made from comic book fabric and superhero action figures adorning the centerpieces. Even the table numbers were cleverly designed as postcards featuring iconic locations from pop culture.
We chose pizza as our main course, a nod to its status as our favorite meal and a classic Friday night staple in Milwaukee. Ian’s Pizza, a local institution, provided us with their signature giant slices and unique toppings, accompanied by breadsticks and salad for a well-rounded meal. For dessert, we opted for an assortment of pies and a small cake designed specifically for cutting and serving to ourselves.
As a wedding favor, we also received small cookies from Crumbl in two delicious flavors inspired by our love of theme parks: ‘Dole Whip’ and ‘Churro’. The cake table took on a life of its own with action figures of ourselves dressed as Ghostbusters, while the cake itself featured Mario and Peach in their wedding attire. We also designed custom koozies as a memento for our guests. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the night was our t-shirt toss instead of a traditional bouquet toss.
The shirts bore the phrase ‘I danced my pants off at Dan and Molly’s wedding’ in the iconic Dirty Dancing font, sending everyone into a frenzy as they tried to catch them. We had an absolute blast tossing those shirts!
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?
Throughout our planning process, we faced our fair share of ups and downs. As two indecisive individuals, we had to be adaptable and open-minded when our minds changed or new information arose. This flexibility allowed us to make adjustments as needed, ensuring that every decision was made with the best intentions. One of the biggest challenges we faced was managing our budget.
We were fortunate enough to have my mom’s creativity cover most of the costs, but we still had to be mindful of our expenses. Photography was a significant investment for us, but it was an essential part of capturing our special day. Thankfully, we had a fantastic team of helpers who went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly. Looking back on our experience, I think one of the most valuable lessons we learned is the importance of asking for help when you need it.
We were fortunate that every person we approached was willing to lend a hand, either with a yes or a no answer. Having a wedding planner can be incredibly beneficial, especially if you’re short on time or overwhelmed by the planning process. Our month-of coordinator did an amazing job of helping us stay organized and creating a timeline for our big day.
And on the actual wedding day, our day-of coordinator was nothing short of spectacular – she went above and beyond to ensure everything ran like clockwork.
Vendors
The list of vendors and suppliers who contributed to making SusieQture’s special day a memorable one includes: Dresses by SusieQture herself, accompanied by her mom, Bride’s Mom. Suits were provided by Men’s Warehouse. The superhero-themed celebration wouldn’t have been complete without the help of Friend Like Me Parties & Entertainment (@friendlikemeparties) and Spider-Man himself. Capturing all the magic was Lindsay Stayton Photography (@lindsaystaytonphotography).
Veronica Rose, the talented wedding planner from @veronicaroseplanning, brought everything together seamlessly. To keep guests cool and comfortable, Redwall’s (@redwallprints) koozies and T-shirts were a hit. Marius Bell Floral & Events (@mariusbellfloral) took care of the beautiful flower arrangements. For delicious eats, Ian’s Pizza (@ianspizzamke) served up tasty pies from Honeypie Cafe (@honeypiecafe), while Crumbl Cookies (@crumblcookies) provided sweet treats.
And finally, the pièce de résistance was Classy Girl Cupcakes’ (@classygirlcupcakes) stunning cake.