Sarah + Michael :: Rhiannon Bosse

To say I’m excited to share this wedding with you today would be a major understatement.

It’s been on my calendar for weeks and held near and dear to my heart for months. And Sarah and Michael’s love story? Well, that’s been in the works for a lifetime. I say this so often about my clients but these two individuals are truly two of the kindest, most radiant, and gracious souls I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with (and I use the term ‘working’ lightly because my time spent with them felt like anything but). For 14 months every single email, call, and meeting felt like a meet up with old friends. While Sarah and Michael shared their dreams with me, they also made sure to share their gratitude and excitement in a way I’ll always remember.

And their wedding. Oh their wedding! It’s what I now lovingly refer to as the ‘Labor Day weekend wedding fairytale’ and for good reason. Sarah’s one wish? For her special day to feel like a floral fairytale. And not one to shy away from making wishes come true, the HGE team and I made sure to deliver. Using a color palette of soft purples and pinks, we pulled in hundreds and hundreds of garden roses, Michigan grown dahlias, sweet peas, and snowberry (to name just a few of the delicious ingredients used) and got right to work making sure every part of this celebration was adorned in texture, color, and softness. Case in point: the ceremony backdrop of florals designed along one of ‘branches’ of the beautiful Northern Catalpa tree at Hidden Vineyard. It took us about six hours to complete that day but was well worth the effort as you’ll see from photos below.

Yet, it all comes back to the people. People help make magic happen. And there were people there that day. The kind bridal party that radiated joy and personality. Sarah’s uncle serving as their officiate and overseeing a ceremony with passion and purpose. Sarah’s beyond sweet Mother with whom we honored with the Southern tradition of letting the mother of the bride rise first during the processional to soak up the experience as her husband and daughter make their way down the aisle. The team of professionals behind the scenes who worked tirelessly in 93 degrees all day and night to ensure everything went off without a hitch. Which it did. And of course, Sarah and Michael themselves. After all, that’s where this story first started.

The the McAuliffe’s, you are so loved. Your wedding is a sweet memory and will forever remain as such. Thank you for letting us play a part. We wish you both a lifetime of happiness and joy! Below is a collection of incredible photographs from the wedding taken by Brad and Sam of Bradley James Photography. They knocked it out of the park and managed to truly illustrate just how one beautiful this day was.

You can also see more of this beautiful celebration over on Martha Stewart Weddings. Enjoy!

From the custom watercolor invitation suite and calligraphy done by Laura Hooper to Sarah’s feminine accessories (like her lace and tulle gown from The Gown Shop), this wedding had no shortage of beautiful details. And of course I was head over heels for the muted color palette and all of those feminine textures.

This moment between Sarah and her father is so sweet. Great capture, Brad and Sam!

This is going to be a bold statement for me to make but the image below was taken during a prayer in the middle of the ceremony, and it’s one of my favorites from my over six years of planning weddings. The angle of the photo, the leaves framing the ceremony space, the guests looking on towards the couple, the bridal party bowing their heads with Sarah and Michael, the florals on the tree visible through the leaves, the sunshine!

This photo is so special.