Jenny sighed again and again as she struggled to organize an event worthy of such a special occasion. The plentiful choices of location and banquet halls in Wisconsin made her task harder instead of easier. Her quiet office looked out over the John Taylor Park band shell in the historic small town of Menomonee Falls, WI. She thought of Elizabeth and John, her friends and special clients, who entrusted her with planning their wedding reception. It was fortunate that they already had made arrangements to be married at the three century old St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, where their parents and grandparents had been members most of their lives.
Being married in a small town could present some problems, but not here. There were several choices of banquet halls with catering right in town. Elizabeth and John deserved the best that Wisconsin had to offer, thought Jenny. A fall wedding would be so much fun. The maples would be ablaze with color, and it would be so romantic to hire a carriage to take them from the church to the banquet hall. The decorations could echo a fall theme. The catered meal had to be top notch, at least 5 stars. The banquet hall had to be spacious to provide a festive meal for 250 guests, at least. Jenny studied the menus and brochures from the local banquet halls, looking for just the right one. There were so many good choices just in Menomonee Falls, let alone in Milwaukee, which was so close. Being situated on the shores of Lake Michigan could give Milwaukee an edge. It was enough to set Jenny’s mind awhirl.
A walk along historic Appleton Avenue would be just the thing to clear her mind, Jenny thought. Once again, she marveled at the blessings that had landed her in this small Wisconsin town. It was really not so small, with a population just over thirty thousand, but lovely, quiet, with so much to offer. Some of the banquet halls were within walking distance, so Jenny decided to stop in and discuss catering details with them. While prices would figure into the mix, the quality of the catering was most important. Jenny did not want to leave any detail to chance.
After several hours of discussion with banquet hall managers, Jenny took her notes and wandered through Mill Pond Park. A quiet nook with a bench called to her. The summer day was coming to a close. Jenny sat quietly picturing the wedding reception, the catered meal, the fall decorations, and most important, the joy of this occasion. She could see Elizabeth and John in the center of the long banquet table, sampling an elegant catered meal. Soft lights and soft music would relax everyone as night quietly fell. It would be a perfect close to a perfectly wonderful day.
