The Wilds Wedding & Event Venue

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

End of Event Shuttle Service We are providing a shuttle service for the reception. A 30 passenger bus will be available from 8pm-10pm to bring guests from the Wilds to Kirkwood. You can either take a rideshare to the venue and the shuttle back to town OR you can leave your vehicle at the venue and pickup Saturday morning. Please note that you must come get your vehicle by 10am Saturday.

Our Wedding

Blake and Larissa met in Bloomington, Indiana! Their joke is that meeting each other was, "the best thing I've found on the internet". Larissa was in her first year of graduate school at Indiana University, while Blake had started his career in Bloomington after graduating from IU in 2016. Blake had been active on the market for a while when he matched with Larissa, who had decided to take a stab at dating again, even going so far as to make a pact with her friend, Kristina, to go on a date by the end of November. After chatting briefly on the app (with Blake explaining early on that he was "bad at texting" and preferred to meet up), they met at Switchyard Brewery. When Larissa arrived, Blake immediately pushed his beer across the table and asked if Larissa wanted to try it and then got up to get her a drink as well. Unbeknownst to Blake, this was the right move, as Larissa is known to always want to trade bites and sips! Blake was Larissa's first and only online date, so either he had an impressive profile, or it was truly written in the stars. On Larissa's graduation day, their dog, Strider, had an unfortunate accident while home alone during the ceremony. Luckily, he made a full recovery but it took a lot of time and dedication on the parts of Larissa and Blake. This sad event cemented their partnership and became the start of a life together. A few months later, they were moving to Madison, Wisconsin in pursuit of new jobs and adventure! While moving away from friends and family has been incredibly difficult, this move brought Blake and Larissa even closer, forging them into their own small family unit. The culmination of their partnership was reached on Christmas Day, 2024, when Blake proposed, which leads us to today! It is with overwhelming love, gratitude, and joy, that we look forward to a lifetime together. We can't wait to spend our day with all of our loved ones and get to share some of our love story with you. - Blake and Larissa

"You're the Best Thing I Found on the Internet"

Our Story

Photos

Amalia Cerbin

Alaina Weidman

Lucky Jackson

Kristina Kirby

Jenny Besemer

Millie Cerbin

Abby Cerbin

Logan Zuber

Jake Millet

Alexander Schlink

Jared Hartman

Chris Zent

Kaleb Antrup

Sam Cerbin

Callum Lawson

Wedding Party

Are the ceremony and reception in the same location?Yes they are! Both will take place at The Wilds. Will the ceremony be indoors or outdoors?The ceremony (weather permitting) will take place outside, under a covered pavilion. Are kids allowed?While we love your kiddos, unless specifically indicated on your invitation, no children please. Use this evening as a parents' night out! Can I park at the venue?Yes! There is a large, lit parking lot at the venue. You may park your car overnight as long as you pick it up before 10am the next morning. Okay get to the good stuff... what's the bar situation?We're ready to party! We'll be providing an open bar. What do I need to know about the venue?Please note that there is no outside alcohol permitted on the premises and that there is a designated smoking area outside the venue as well. All guests will need to depart before 10pm. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact Larissa, Blake, or check out the venue's FAQ page.

Q + A

End of Event Shuttle Service We are providing a shuttle service for the reception. A 30 passenger bus will be available from 8pm-10pm to bring guests from the Wilds to Kirkwood. You can either take a rideshare to the venue and the shuttle back to town OR you can leave your vehicle at the venue and pickup Saturday morning. Please note that you must come get your vehicle by 10am Saturday.

Dinner - Family Style!

Please enjoy a farmer's market grazing table during cocktail hour, followed by dinner. Dinner will be served family style so please enjoy the menu below. Please contact Larissa if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions. Also note that you may ask the catering staff to replenish any dishes you run out of. No one goes hungry at a Cerbin or Lawson event! Starter:Caesar Salad Entrees:Bourbon Barrel Smoked BBQ Pork - served with Carolina Gold sauce and BBQ Sauce on the sideBourbon Barrel Smoked Chicken - bone-in, slow smoked basted chicken with bacon jam Sides:Garlic Roasted Fingerling PotatoesBrown Buttered Brussels Sprouts with caramelized onionsGarlic Roasted Green BeansMac n' Cheese Dessert:Apple PieCherry PieIndiana Sugar Cream Pie Kid's Menu:Chicken FingersMac n' CheeseApplesauce

Reception Details

Bloomington, Indiana is the home of Indiana University, which happens to be the alma mater of both Blake and Larissa, in addition to many of their friends and family! Blake and Larissa both lived in Bloomington for almost a decade each, making this a hometown of sorts for them. This special town is about an hour south of Indianapolis, which is also the closest international airport. There are many car rental options or you can choose an airport shuttle through <a href="https://goexpresstravel.com/bloomington-airport-shuttle/?_gl=1*1p4g6dv*_gcl_au*MTQ3MDE1OTc0NC4xNzM4MzU1ODI1*_ga*MTk5MDg0MTgxLjE3MzgzNTU4MjU.*_ga_61CH0D2DQW*MTczODM1NTgyNC4xLjEuMTczODM1NTgzNS40OS4wLjA." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Go Express</a>. Blake and Larissa will be reserving hotel blocks for our guests. There are quite a few hotel options in Bloomington if you decide to book independently but we recommend looking for something near the town square or on Kirkwood, which is the main town thoroughfare. You may also want to look into Airbnbs or cabins in nearby (gorgeous!) Brown County and Nashville, IN. Bloomington itself is very walkable, but you may need a vehicle to access the venue, as it is about 10-15 minutes outside of town limits. Ubers and Lyfts are plentiful to get to The Wilds but you may have a little more trouble getting an Uber/Lyft at the end of the night. End of Event Shuttle Service We are providing a shuttle service for the reception. A 30 passenger bus will be available from 8pm-10pm to bring guests from the Wilds to Kirkwood. You can either take a rideshare to the venue and the shuttle back to town OR you can leave your vehicle at the venue and pickup Saturday morning. Please note that you must come get your vehicle by 10am Saturday.

Please book by October 23rd! When you call, you can reference the "Cerbin/Lawson Wed" to access the block or you can use the following link: BOOKING WEBSITE:&nbsp;<a href="https://book.passkey.com/e/51008624?utm_source=50920553&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=296950883&amp;trkid=595586923&amp;linkid=3606330171" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://book.passkey.com/e/51008624</a>

Graduate by Hilton Bloomington

Home2 Suites by Hilton Bloomington

Travel

Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers! Welcome to Bloomington, Indiana! There is quite a bit to do both in town and in the surrounding area. We recommend strolling around campus to see the stunning buildings or popping into some of the shops on the Square. Some of Blake and Larissa's favorite places in Bloomington include:Bars/Restaurants:- Big Woods - this is a brewery with food and drinks. There's also a location in Nashville, IN that their main distillery and restaurant set back in the forest.- The Tap - huuuuge tap list with something for everyone. If you go here, you can't go wrong with the tap fries!- Upland - Bloomington's premier brewery with great beer and great food. The Cerbin kids have spent many an afternoon on the outdoor patio here.- Aver's Pizza - this is one of the staple pizza places in Btown (Pizza X and Mother Bear's are also popular and delicious) and the go-to for Larissa and Blake. Definitely try their specialty pizzas; the Cream and Crimson is where it's at!Janko's Little Zagreb - this is a special occasion place with insanely good steaks.Dats - something a little more casual, this spot is Cajun inspired food and a *staple* of college life at IU.Cardinal Spirits - Larissa's favorite bar in town. Come here for incredible cocktails and good food.The Bishop - this was a favorite bar for Blake and Larissa to hit up after dinner.Nick's English Hut - playing "Sink the Biz" here is a right of passage for all IU alumni. A typical college bar, make sure you get Biz fries with your pitchers when you're playing. Coffee!!!:Soma - one of Larissa's favorites. You can't go wrong with a latte or drip coffee here.Hopscotch - Blake's number 1 coffee spot in Btown. If you're on the Square, go to their downtown location and snag a Thai Iced Coffee (or whatever your heart desires!)Crumble - another great spot with tasty seasonal lattes and baked goods. Breakfast/Brunch:Uptown - this is another upscale Bloomington classic for brunch! Try the eggs benedict or the creme brulee french toast!Runcible - sitting in an old house-turned-restaurant, Runcible is the typical student hangout for breakfast. This is an iconic representation of the quirky options that gives Btown its charm.Bloomington Bagel Company - bagels, bagels, bagels!!! BBC has amazing bagels and you can make your own bagel sandwich with any schmear and topping you can think of. For our outdoor inclined guests, we recommend exploring Brown County State Park (there's also a beautiful drivable loop in addition to activities like hiking, caneoing, and horseback riding), Yellowwood State Forest, or Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve (Larissa's favorite; this one has a raised boardwalk that takes you through a marsh and forest). Nashville, IN is about 30 minutes from Bloomington and is a very cute, rustic town that has some fun shops and great restaurants. This makes a great day trip, especially as a stop before or after checking out Brown County State Park. Bird's Nest Cafe is Blake's favorite for brunch!

Things to Do

Registry

larissaandblake.com

Blake & Larissa

Blake & Larissa

Registry

Please note that your presence is a gift in and of itself! If you feel you'd like to help us further establish our lives in Wisconsin, we would love donations to our home fund. Thank you!