With so many couples wanting to showcase their love of Milwaukee to their wedding guests, planning a wedding weekend itinerary with fun events and activities is an awesome trend we hope continues.
Special thanks to Harley-Davidson Museum for sponsoring this article! We sat down with their event team to brainstorm many of these wedding weekend ideas and to learn how the H-D Museum could play a part. What we learned is that the H-D Museum is a hub for so much activity in Milwaukee and is a great place for your wedding and wedding weekend plans.
If your wedding is already at the Harley-Davidson Museum, then you may be planning some of these fun activities. If not, the Museum is a great spot for rehearsal dinners, day after brunches, cocktails or general mixing and mingling for your wedding guests.
1. Welcome Party at Bike Night
Photo by Janviere Photography.
Running every Thursday mid-May through late-September, The Harley-Davidson Museum hosts Bike Night complete with music, drinks and plenty of amazing motorcycle eye candy!
2. Take a Milwaukee Food Tour
Arrange a guided tour for your guests of Milwaukee drink spots, historic spaces, food destinations and more with Milwaukee Food & City Tours. This would work great for pre-wedding events, the gap between your ceremony and reception, or day after entertainment options for your out of (and in town) guests!
3. Plan a Milwaukee Scavenger Hunt
Feeling ambitious? Plan a customized scavenger hunt to occupy your guests featuring some of your favorite spots in Milwaukee. Here are some ideas from our friends at Visit Milwaukee and we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Harley-Davidson Museum 20-acre campus located on a peninsula is a perfect spot for scavenger hunts too. Download the map here!
4. Don’t Forget Your Rehearsal Dinner
Rehearsal dinners have gained more of the spotlight and for good reason! As couples opt to include their out of town guests at their rehearsal, larger spaces are in demand. Check out MOTOR Bar & Restaurant’s indoor and outdoor spaces, with ample space for groups up to 200 people, and super yummy food. Customized menus available.
5. Rent a Pontoon
Suggest your guests cruise along the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers in a rented pontoon boat or plan an outing for the day after the wedding. Little known fact — the Harley-Davidson Museum has a boat dock to easily jump on and off for a drink or snack at the Museum.
6. Museum Visits Galore
Milwaukee has a huge amount of museums from The Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, Discovery World and and the Harley-Davidson Museum. Museums may offer group discounts, so reach out to them to inquire. A huge bonus of the H-D Museum — if you have a special event there, including your wedding, your guests get free admission! Contact the H-D Museum Events Team for more info.
7. Visit Some Breweries and Distilleries
Milwaukee has been exploding with breweries and distilleries over the past few years. Check out our friends at Visit Milwaukee for their extensive map of these spots.
8. Explore Milwaukee Via Kayak
Most weddings in Milwaukee happen during summer which is the perfect time for you and your wedding guests to explore our favorite city via kayak! Check out Milwaukee Kayak Company for more info and group rates. Kayak level docks exist along the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers including Lakefront Brewery, Twisted Fisherman and the Harley-Davidson Museum.
9. Day After Drinking Games at the H-D Museum’s Patio
Complete with fire pits and lawn games, the patio at MOTOR at the Harley-Davidson Museum is a perfect spot to hang out the day after your big day! Plus have you heard about their new Can Room featuring many of our favorite microbrews in cans to whet your whistle? Nothing better than being outside drinking a cold one.
10. Bike Ride Around Milwaukee
Milwaukee continues to get more bicycle friendly and our continually expanding bike sharing system Bublr Bikes makes exploring Milwaukee on a bicycle a fun option to suggest to your guests. We also have a number of awesome paved bike trails, including the Hank Aaron Trail, which even goes along the H-D Museum’s 20 acre campus!
Be sure to check out Visit Milwaukee’s suggestions for some Milwaukee bike tours. If you are super adventurous, take your guests on a bicycle ride ON your wedding day!
11. Morning After Brunch
Much like rehearsals growing in popularity, so are day-after brunches. This option is a perfect cap to an awesome wedding weekend, and if your parents still want that traditional gift opening, might as well have a delicious brunch to go with! Maybe have it on the H-D Museum’s patio and play some games too!
If you are looking for more fun activities and Milwaukee city itineraries, then check out Visit Milwaukee for even more suggestions! And if you’re looking for an amazing Milwaukee wedding weekend spot, then reach out to the Special Events Team at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
