A wedding reception taking place at the wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee, the reception is indoors and the head table is in front of a massive brick wall with ivy lining the rafters and a large chandelier overhead

Ivy House Wedding Venue Feature

& STUDIO

Bloomington IL Photographer

It’s time for another part in my series of venue features, and this one has been a favorite of mine for a WHILE. That’s right, we’re covering The Ivy House in Milwaukee! But what makes The Ivy House such a special wedding venue you might be asking? There’s a lot of factors that make this former warehouse turned wedding venue a dream space for celebrating your marriage, so let’s take a look at them.

A bride and groom hold hands and walk down the aisle together after their outdoor wedding ceremony at their venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee, with guests cheering for them on either side

Guest Limit

One huge factor that makes The Ivy House such a special and versatile wedding venue is the fact that both intimate and large weddings can take place here. The venue’s guest count caps out at 250 for indoor seating, 300 for a cocktail style reception, and seating for 340 in their outdoor space. While these numbers are on the larger side, like I said The Ivy House can also host intimate weddings just as well. The spaces, while large enough for those larger gatherings, aren’t too big to the point where an intimate wedding would feel out of place. As a wedding venue they are incredibly diligent in making sure that your wedding day experience goes exactly how you envision it going.

A bride and groom kiss one another during their outdoor wedding ceremony as their wedding party members and officiant look on and clap for them

A bride and groom smile at one another while standing at a round table with drinks in their hand, they are outdoors with greenery all around them and the bride's bouquet on the table in front of them

Spaces Available

The Ivy House has multiple spaces available for use to you throughout your wedding day. First is their large indoor ballroom, ideal for receptions and an indoor ceremony. They also have the Fernweh, which is their outdoor patio space. This space is an incredible outdoor ceremony space. With it being connected to the ballroom while also having its own separate bar, the space can also be used for cocktail hour as well as an extra space for your guests to mingle if they need a break from the dancefloor inside!

The Ivy House also has one of my FAVORITE things that I recommend couples look for in a wedding venue, an on site getting ready space! The space itself is incredible and has everything you could want when getting ready for your wedding, which is why it’s no surprise that it showed up in my blog about what to look for in a getting ready space. Lastly the venue has a greenroom off of the main ballroom that can be used for portraits or just a general hang out space for you and your guests away from the craziness of the ballroom.

A photo of the front of The Ivy House in Milwaukee, a wedding and event venue

During their wedding ceremony at their venue, The Ivy House, a bride and groom stand holding hands with their wedding parties on either side of them and their guests seated watching the outdoor ceremony

Two bridesmaids pose next to one another and smile at the camera during a wedding at The Ivy House in Milwaukee, they're in a getting ready space that has a ton of speakers and a tv on the wall behind them

In a brick room a wedding dress hangs from the ceiling between a mirror and a window

A bride in her wedding dress stands facing away from the camera looking at a mirror on a brick wall, she has a bridesmaid on either side of her helping her get ready for her wedding day

A table decorated for a wedding with candles, glassware, flowers, and a picture frame that reads "Table 11"

Catering and Beverages

Another area that The Ivy House lets you create your own wedding experience with is in your choice of catering. While they do have a list of recommended catering vendors which you can find on their website, it is not an exclusive list. So if you have a favorite restaurant in the Milwaukee area that isn’t on their list you can still get them as your caterer as long as you clear it with the venue during your planning! As for beverages The Ivy House handles that portion themselves as they have multiple bar spaces available for you to use on your wedding day.

The inside of the wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee, tables are decorated for a wedding and the walls and ceiling of the space are covered in ivy vines

Wooden rafters of the wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee are decorated with real ivy vines and hang above the bar space

A bouquet of flowers for a wedding is being held out in front of the camera for a detail photo, the groom can be seen in the background but is out of focus

Overall Feel of the Venue

An area where The Ivy House truly shines as a wedding venue is the overall feel and vibe of its spaces. From the abundance of natural light indoors, the vines of ivy that the venue got its name from, the cream city brick that is a part of Milwaukee’s history, and so much more. With the lush greenery the venue almost feels alive, and combined with the rich history of the space that is on full display it creates a perfect setting for your day. The staff are also incredibly helpful, friendly, and professional giving you an all around wonderful experience.

The indoor reception space of the wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee decorated for a wedding reception with candles and white flowers on black table cloths

A neon sign on a wooden wall reads "Til Death" and is part of the décor of the wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee

A bride is held and lifted in the air by the groom as the two kiss in front of a brick wall while at the head table of their reception

A bride and groom laugh and smile while sitting at their head table at something off camera

Bridesmaids in the second floor of the wedding venue The Ivy House all stick their heads out of the window to see the bride and groom who are outside on the ground level having their first look, the bride and groom are out of focus in the left foreground of the photo

A bride and groom kiss one another on a cloudy day after seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day

In front of a brick wall covered in vines a bride and groom stand next to one another and kiss

Other Important Things to Note

In terms of travel and stay, being located in Milwaukee means that you and your guests will have plenty of options available to you. Milwaukee is home to SO many different places to stay and things to do, so your guests can travel with ease while also having plenty to do while they’re there! As mentioned earlier the venue has a recommended vendor list, but you aren’t required to use them. The only exception to this is the DJ who they have an exclusive deal with Milwaukee Airwaves. Lastly, with over 50 years of wedding experience, you can trust that the venue has your best interests in mind when planning and will provide you with a professional and pleasant experience from start to finish!

Outside of the front of their wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee, a bride and groom smile at one another while touching their hands together

Outside of their wedding venue The Ivy House in Milwaukee, a bride stands in front of a groom who is holding her hands and looking down towards her as she looks down towards the ground

It should be clear now what makes The Ivy House in Milwaukee such a special wedding venue, and why it is and has been one of my favorites. For a more in depth look at one of my galleries from The Ivy House, check out this blog here. And if you’re ready to book me for your wedding day send me an inquiry through my contact page!