Goodness gracious. I’m not sure where to start with this one, my friends.
Jamie and Ryan had one of the loveliest (and most labor intensive) weddings last Labor Day weekend on the shores of Lake Michigan. Set against the bride’s parent’s beachfront property, complete with miles of white sand, blue water and soft green dune grass, this event was the stuff wedding dreams are made of. I’m thrilled to announce this event in all its splendor is featured in a five page spread via the national issue of The Knot out on new stands now. Pinch me, guys. And I’m even more overjoyed to finally be able to share this labor of love with you all. From the gorgeous bride’s killer gown, that amazing tent set up directly on the beach thanks to Fairytale Tents, all of the understated but lovely coral and peach florals my staff and I created, the driftwood arch made by the bride’s family, the dreamy images captured by my colleagues and friends, Ben and Laura of Harrison Studio, the soft seating lounge areas set in the sand; oh I could go on and on. But I’ll quit typing now and let the stunning imagery do the talking from here on out, deal?
Did I mention there was a 60% chance of thunderstorms all day the day of the event? Not one drop fell from the sky.
The day started out with the sweetest first look between the beautiful bride and dapper groom.
Halfway en route to the beach, was a pit stop station to ensure guest’s comfort during the event.
The bouquets were made up entirely of huge, oversized, and fluffy looking florals with no greens as per the bride’s request. A selection of orange Free Spirit roses, David Austin garden roses in ivories and peaches and Michigan grown dahlias, made up the oversized bouquets. Paired together with the girl’s navy and polka dot Jenny Yoo gowns, the colors were downright delicious. Jamie has a love of monograms so we hired on McKay from Oatmeal Lace Design to embroider some grosgrain ribbon with every girl’s monogram to fasten around the stems of the bouquets.
The most perfect wedding ceremony; everyone’s toes in the sand just like the bride has always dreamed of.
My dear friend, Laura Hooper was the creative genius behind the stationery and calligraphy. From the custom box mailer invitations, custom wedding map, gorgeous white ink calligraphy, custom flag stir sticks, menus, table numbers and programs, she went above and beyond to make sure her work tied together the Kate Spade meets nautical meets preppy vibe and design aesthetic we were after. The couple’s custom monogram (with nautical flags!) was a detail used throughout the event from the cocktail napkins to the Thank You cards the couple sent after the wedding.
The simple but textural compote centerpieces were arranged in gold mercury glass stemmed bowls. We had to keep the centerpieces fairly small to allow room on the King’s Drape tables for the four course, family style tapas meal (which was absolutely amazing thanks to Hearthstone Catering). I also put a small touch of geranium leaf in each arrangement to soften them up a little and help lend to the preppy vibe Ryan really loves. And those dahlias! Can we talk about those dahlias for a second? Grown in Holland, Michigan they were literally picked off the stalk two days before the wedding for ultimate freshness. They stole the floral show that day would you agree?
Some other fun details incorporated into the event? Mini Tabasco sauces at each guest’s placesetting in honor of the bride’s love for spice. Also at each table was a bell to ring for those who wanted to toast to the couple or for those who wanted the bride and groom to embrace. I love an alternative to the tradition of clinking glasses, especially when it ties in with a wedding theme. The tablescape rentals from Special Events Rental were just perfect and so lovely.
Stripes and Swiss dots. Is there anything better?
Remember the rain forecast I mentioned above? Yeah this happened instead.
The couple actually had seven wedding cakes made by a family friend who owns Grand Finale Pastry and Cakes. Once the sunset and the lights came on in the tent, the couple cut their main wedding cake before letting guests decide which flavor of the seven they most wanted. You had to see this tent in person that night. Fairytale Tents did a stellar job with the draping and lights and you could see the lit up structure from miles down the beachstrip that evening.
My team and I also placed hurricane vases and pillar candles in the sand randomly around the beach for am ambient glow post sunset. You can see this a bit in the above photo off to the left. Tied together with the bistro lights over the cocktail area lounges, the string lights in the tent and then of course the sparkler send off at midnight, I have to say this wedding ended with quite the bang. Happy bride and groom? Happy Rhi indeed.
Jamie and Ryan, it was such a pleasure being a part of your celebration. Thank you for trusting my team and I to pull off what I hope was your absolute dream big day. I wish you a lifetime of happiness, summer days on the water and more oyster than you can imagine. Below is an extensive e list of the vendors who helped pull this wedding off. I owe so much to everyone for their talents, hard work and dedication. This wedding was a logistical challenge, one that everyone handled so gracefully. You can also view more over on The Knot’s home page. Happy Monday, friends!
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Photography: Harrison Studio / Full planning, design, florals and direction: Hey Gorgeous Events / Paper and calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy / Hair and make up: Renue Salon / Bridesmaid’s gowns: Jenny Yoo Collection / Bride’s gown: Ever After / Lounge furniture: AFR Event Furnishings / Catering: The Hearthstone Bistro, Bar and Grill / Rentals: Special Events Rentals / Tent, lighting, flooring and draping: Fairytale Tents /Wood tables, mason jars and misc rentals: The Rental Co / Monogrammed ribbons: Oatmeal Lace Design / Cakes: Grand Finale Desserts and Pastries / Linens: I Do Linens and La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals / Videography: Wedit / Band: The Empty Pockets