Cozy Winter Wedding Dazzles at Earl & Wilson Event Center

From the moment Jake Watzka heard Madison Schultz laugh in a statistics class at Winona State, he wanted to know more about her. He didn’t get the chance for two years, when she boldly approached him while he was on duty as a bouncer; though he turned down her request to join her later, she persisted via Instagram. “One thing turned into another,” Madison recalls, “and he asked ‘What's your major? ... and your number?’ ” Their wedding day fell three days short of the four-year anniversary of their first date, and despite the weather, “our pictures taken in the rain ended up being some of the most breathtaking,” Madison says. Seeking a warm, cozy atmosphere, the couple found Earl & Wilson Event Center, with its chandeliers and exposed brick, suited them perfectly. Special moments abounded throughout the day. The ceremony was officiated by a dear family friend who had seen Madison’s mom through a 10-year battle with cancer. “Sueann is the person who comes to mind when we think of love lived out loud,” Madison says. To celebrate her mom, Madison arranged a special mother-daughter dance, for all the “sleepless nights [she spent] helping to make my dream wedding become a reality.”