Savannnah & Paul - An Oktoberfest Wedding - 10/12/19

Chloe Leach November 25, 2019

Savannah and Paul both agree; Mom knows best. Both of their moms, in fact.

After years at separate colleges, Paul and Savannah moved back home to be near their families. It so happened that they shared the same hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. The year was 2015. Paul was working for his family company, Britten Banner, and Savannah was working as a yoga teacher. As fate would have it, Paul's mom was a regular at Savannah's yoga class, and acquainted with Savannah's own mom. After some discussion, both moms agreed that their kids would hit it off, and encouraged Savannah to introduce herself to Paul. Savannah figured, with a mom like Darcy, Paul must be a pretty cool guy. Why not introduce herself?

Their first meeting was kismet: They spent the afternoon snowshoeing trails on Old Mission Peninsula, and warmed up with beers at the Jolly Pumpkin while catching up on all the years that led up to their coming together. They continued to share adventures over the following years while Savannah went to school to be a physician's assistant. One summer day, Paul had a captive audience with Savannah's dad while they fished together on West Bay. He decided that this was as good a time as any, so he steeled himself, and asked for the blessing to marry Savannah.

That same evening, Paul bought a ring, and took Savannah to the same place they shared their first date to ask her an important question. The rest, as they say, is history.

The wedding day was a flurry of warmth and laughter against a stunning backdrop of autumn color. For their reception, Savannah and Paul masterfully executed an elaborate Oktoberfest theme, complete with free-flowing beers and a traditional Bavarian Band for live entertainment. Midway through the night, a second live band (of the 90s cover variety), stole the show with their surprise entrance.

Venue: Bay View Weddings, Gallagher Farms

Hair and Makeup Styling by Alexis Micunek, Kristyn Noelle Taylor
Bride's Gown: Truvelle, One Oak Bride
Catering: Bayside Gatherings
Beer: Beverage Co.
Live Entertainment: Polka band, Box On. 90s Cover Band, Class of ’98
Floral Design: Rory O'Donnell at 307 Events & Tents

Laura & Kyle - Spring Wedding on Old Mission Peninsula - 5/26/19

Chloe Leach July 10, 2019

Laura and Kyle spent their college years at Olivet running in the same Greek circles. They became fast friends, but things hadn’t progressed past that point – much to Laura’s disappointment. It wasn’t until 2012, after they had both graduated and gone their separate ways, that Kyle called up Laura and asked her to be his date to a holiday concert. And the rest, as they say, was history.

On a bright spring day in Northern Michigan, the two longtime friends finally tied the (literal) knot in a ceremony overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. It was a day full of love, laughter, and happy tears. Not to mention lots of dancing late into the night!

Venue: The Peninsula Room, Traverse City

Floral by Hooper’s Farm Gardens

Bride’s gown: Moonlight, A’doraBelle Bridal

Hair and makeup styling by Urban Modern Hair and Arbonne Kim

Entertainment by Casey of Rusch Entertainment

Lauren & Mark - An Exquisite Vineyard Wedding at Aurora Cellars - 5/26/18

Chloe Leach June 18, 2018

Mark and Lauren - or MoLo, as they are affectionately known to their circle - have decidedly set the standard for the modern power couple. Each their own driven and determined individuals before they met, they had already mastered the art of taking hold of life and living to its fullest. Once they joined forces, well, the rest became history.

Exhibit 1: Lauren. a lovely and quick-witted personal trainer and Pilates instructor not for the faint hearted. Exhibit 2: Mark. An ambitious orthopedic resident with a timely week off work and a clever mother who decided to set him up for a session with the aforementioned personal trainer. This session set things in motion which would eventually bring Lauren and Mark to the center of each other’s universe. As Lauren put it, “I kicked his ass, and he fell in love”. This thoughtful pair have no shortage of adventure, affection, and gusto for life between the two of them. In fitting fashion, their wedding day was absolutely packed full of meaningful details and treasured memories honoring the friends and family that surround and support them both. As a wedding gift, Lauren presented Mark with a box full of significant items she had saved and collected since their relationship began, including the key to their first apartment, and the first love notes they ever exchanged. Mark had a necklace custom made for Lauren, engraved with her new initials. Their emotional ceremony was a beautiful tribute, incorporating anecdotes and loving advice from their family and friends. The couple put out a thoughtful display of photographs of them with each of their guests, welcoming them to fill up the display with new Polaroid photos over the course of the celebration. After an incredible gourmet dinner and a blazing red sunset over the rolling hills of vineyards, the Dan Rafferty Band rocked the dance floor into night.

Venue: Aurora Cellars, Lake Leelanau, Michigan

Catering by The Cook's House, Traverse City

Beverages by Tonic & Lime Boutique Bartending

Bride's Gown: J Mendel

Entertainment by the Dan Rafferty Band

Floral Design: Department of Floristry

Jordan & Jarrett - Glamorous Barn Wedding in Gaylord, MI - October 28th

Chloe Leach November 16, 2017

Jordan and Jarrett are magnetic personalities. The kind of people you meet only once and feel that you've been friends with for decades. People with giant hearts and an equally large mass of people who adore them. At once effortlessly glamorous, charismatic, and proud self-proclaimed hillbillies, their seamless melding of perceptual contradictions has produced the most unique and delightful pair of humans imaginable. So it was that, on my first occasion discussing wedding plans with Jordan, I became instantly enamored with this woman and her refreshingly organic grasp on life, love, and exactly the way she envisioned the day that she'd marry the man who had possessed her heart and soul.

Their story began beneath the atmospheric glow of indigo lights in Royal Oak's Tequila Blue one summer night in 2012. Bright-eyed beauty Jordan, then a junior in college, was out with her best friend Kara at coincidentally the same time and place as a group of merrily inebriated gents across the room. On the fringe of this group was a sober Jarrett, whom Jordan immediately noted was strikingly handsome, but oh-so-grumpy. In her characteristic low-key, gregarious way, Jordan piped up, "What’s wrong with you, you look like you need a drink!” The music was loud, everyone yelling to talk to each other over the noise. “What’s your name?!” she asked. “Jarrett.” Jordan shouted back, “Jerry?!” “No… 'Jarrett.'" "Oh okay, 'Jared?!'" Shaking his head no, Jarrett removed his ID from his wallet and showed it to her, the photo boasting his once full head of hair. With that, guards came down and the two became dancing partners for the rest of the evening, which ended with Jarrett carrying Jordan's heels out the bar for her. Before they parted ways, Jarrett asked for Jordan's number, which she gave him without much expectation. Two days later, he was back in touch. Their first date was to be a week later. On the entire drive to the restaurant, Jordan struggled to calm herself and muster the courage to walk inside. Was he even going to show up? While she sat in the parking lot breathing into a paper bag, a text appeared on her phone from Jarrett; "“I’m here, sitting outside on the patio.” Inside, she found Jarrett who greeted her with a warm hug. Instantly, Jordan was home. His presence somehow calmed and excited her all at once, and the two were absolutely captive to one another in conversation for the next four hours. Jordan managed to eat only half a sandwich, despite having chosen the restaurant on account of their fantastic bread sticks. While they sat completely lost in catching each other up on the twenty-something years they'd lived apart from one another, the restaurant began to close around them. Jordan headed home that night on cloud 9, telling herself decidedly, "I'm going to marry that man".

And marry him she did.

What follows is a small but moving glimpse at the glorious day that began this new chapter in their beautiful life together. This unstoppable pair is a joy and an inspiration, and we can't wait to watch the rest of their story unfold through the years.