Leelanau wedding

Real Weddings :: Olivia & Zach’s Leelanau Love

1 · May 17, 2017 ·

Twirling. That’s what comes to mind every time I think back to Olivia and Zach’s beautiful wedding day. I think of Olivia’s sweet spirit and beautiful nuptials on the shores of Lake Michigan. I reminince about the hot summer sun warming the weathered board walk that lead to a romantic beach location. I can still see the sunlight dancing across the gentle waves and the chiffon blowing in the breeze – a breeze that I was so thankful for on that hot July day.

Leelanau Wedding | The Day's Design | Bethany Small Photography

But most of all, I picture Olivia twirling between the vines in the most perfect blush dress, fit for a princess. Once again, I love Northern Michigan weddings because you really can have it all from the sun and the sand, to the breezes that accompany the waves on the shore, the woodland settings and the sprawling vineyards. It all adds up to the most perfect place to say “I do.”

To see an up close look at Olivia’s stunning bridal bouquet (seriously, it was one of my absolute favorites!) you can revisit her bouquet recipe here.

Featured :: Jarvie & Hank’s Tuscan Sun Wedding on The White Wren

0 · May 12, 2017 ·

Jarvie is a city girl with heartstrings tied to Northern Michigan. Hank’s heart is linked straight to Jarvie. His passion for her is evident in the small smile creeps across his lips while she speaks, the stolen glances he casts her way while she’s not looking and the strong silence that stood beside her as we eagerly planned the magic of their wedding day.

Jarvie once told me that she wanted her wedding to be just like the one at the end of “Under the Tuscan Sun.” After watching that movie, I realized I never once noticed the bride’s bouquet, what the centerpieces looked like or the color of the table linens. It was all about the mood, the hospitality, family and closeness that was portrayed. There was so much laughter and joy, it was the conclusion of a fabulous journey with even better things to come. This is also how I would describe Jarvie and Hank’s wedding day. A picturesque setting with thoughtful details and celebration in the air as all the guests around them knew that this was just the beginning of their amazing life ahead.

Although I’ve previously shared this beautiful celebration on my blog, it’s absolutely worth seeing it again and today it’s featured on The White Wren.

Happy Friday!

Real Weddings :: Erin & Dan

0 · Apr 5, 2017 ·

Willowbrook Mill is one of my absolute favorite venues. I love the whitewashed walls, the quaint chandeliers and the stone fireplaces are amazing. I’m pretty sure I’ve shared the story before of how I used to come and get ice cream here as a girl, prior to it being an amazing event venue. It had old iron parlor chairs and a jute box. Someday I think it would be fun to recreate a wedding based on that memory in that venue, however I suppose not everyone is filled with the same sense of nostalgia as I am. But really, who doesn’t love ice cream?!

Needless to say, whenever I receive a wedding inquiry siting Willowbrook Mill as the reception venue, I get a surge of excitement with Erin and Dan’s celebration being no exception. The decor was muted and understated and absolutely perfect.

This was also one of the first wedding in quite some time that the couples didn’t do a first look prior to their ceremony. I almost always recommend that bride and groom find an alone moment early in the day, it usually just makes sense to get the most of our their wedding day timeline. But I have to say how much I loved the anticipation and secretly sneaking the bride in the back door and tucked her safely away from the groom’s curious eyes. Plus, it turned out to be pretty convenient that the church was located right across from beautiful cherry orchards in full of fruit – the perfect post ceremony escape.

Congratulations to Erin & Dan! You’re wedding was a dream and I wish you all the happiness in life ahead.

Save

Real Weddings :: Jarvie & Hank’s Leelanau Wedding

0 · Jan 9, 2017 ·

I know I promised this wedding would be posted Friday. But something that I have learned is life is unpredictible and so is your internet service when you live in the country. I’m trying to cut myself a little slack in 2017 and not get so up tight about little hiccups such as this. Plus this wedding is definitely worth the wait.

If you know me at all, then you know that Lake Leelanau holds the key to my heart. So for that reason alone, I could dub this wedding one of my favorites of all times. But then I get to add in a beautiful vineyard, gorgeous watercolors and calligraphy and stunning film photography and this wedding alone just about made my year. Not to mention how incredibly fun, authentic and just wonderful people that Jarvie, Hank and their families really are.

The story started a little year prior to their wedding, we began searching for the perfect location to host their Northern Michigan celebration. It was my first tour of Aurora Cellars and right away I knew it was special. Thankfully, Jarvie and Hank recognized it too. We took a chance on a tented space that was just a sketch and a farmhouse that was still pink.

Throughout the planning process, the theme stayed the same. There was a focus on simplicity, with a clean and organic feel, a Northern Michigan vibe with a Tuscan twist, however still wanting all of their Chicago friends to feel right at home.

A slight kiss of pink accented the mainly white day, so we brought in some California roses and luscious pink peonies and displayed them as many places as possible. Jarvie found she had a hidden love for calligraphy, so Graceline was hired to address everything from her save-the-date envelopes to her custom invitations and all the signage in between.

June 18^th arrived with a sun beaming bright in the sky and the smiles were contagious throughout the vineyard. The guests were greeted with refreshing lemonade and ushered through the vines to the ceremony site. Cocktails and Aurora’s divine wine waited near the farmhouse on the lawn. And dinner & dancing took place under a pristine white tent.

And the evening ended with a most glorious Leelanau sunset. I would plan every wedding on the peninsula for that reason alone.

If you’d like to see more behind the planning of Jarvie & Hank’s wedding, you can see some of the inspiration and details that when into the design here.

Save

Jarvie & Hank :: The Inspiration

0 · Jan 5, 2017 ·

Greenery, calligraphy, winery. The three key words that best describe the wedding day of Jarvie and Hank – which will be in my journal tomorrow. But before I share the wedding in its entirety, I’d like to give a little behind the scenes of what went into the planning and design of the day.

Lake Leelanau Wedding | The Day's Design | Ashley Slater Photography

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

Jarvie is very clean and classic. She’s elegant and has a sophisticated yet fun air about her. The couple resides in Chicago, but have Michigan roots as far north as the U.P. Decorative elements that were really important we lots of fresh greenery (she loves garlands), beautiful and soft calligraphy and simplicity.

We wanted it to feel very classic and not too rustic, even though part of the day would take place near Aurora Cellar’s farm house. But the farmhouse itself has a very modern and almost minimalistic feel with amazing lighting inside, so it blended all of the various concepts we had in our head quite well. It gave accommodations for sleeping and getting ready, it was a perfect backdrop for cocktail hour and the entire day could be located on the same property without guests tiring of the same scenery.

Below you’ll find the mood board that we used to start pulling together some of the visuals of the design. You’ll notice when I publish the entire wedding tomorrow, that we didn’t copy any one of these details, but rather used them as a guide and inspiration. This gave us an anchor point and when we started to get a little overwhelmed by options, we could always fall back and see what best fit our original vision.

Working with what the venue already provided was a perfect starting point. Harvest tables, white lawn chairs and bistro lighting were all included in the rental. These are bonus items that made us love the space even more. But Jarvie really wasn’t a fan of extremely long tables in perfect little rows as it doesn’t encourage conversation. So we got creative and came up with a floorplan that ensured that no two tables would be pushed end to end and all of her guests could easily mingle. Simple white plates were topped with textured eggshell napkins to add contrast against the dark tabletops and very subtly layer in another shade of ivory and white.

The main tasting room has a Tuscan feel, and while it wasn’t a direct host of the wedding day, it did host the rehearsal dinner and guests would be passing by it. To tie in both this Tuscan and farmhouse setting, we added white ceramic and terra cotta pots for the centerpieces and cake table. And tried to pull in other touches that would feel like an authentic Italian vineyard with olive branches and grapevine used throughout the design.

And of course flowers are always my favorite part of the décor. June in Northern Michigan means local peony season and one simply can’t go wrong with a big, beautiful peony. But as we were focusing on that vineyard, Tuscan, and even slightly Napa vibe – I wanted to bring in some California grown garden roses. And they were so pretty, multiple heads on one branch, the slightest hints of butter and blush and then a few blossoms in the perfect shade of a ballet slipper. So many textures and ruffles. A few accents of olive branch and bay leaf were added and then we foraged local grapevine (not from the vineyard!) and the rest of our foliage was native to the area.

I mentioned Jarvie’s love of garlands and in a perfect world, she would have loved to see lush greenery lining the entire length of each 8 foot harvest table. However, they also wanted a family style meal. Meal service of this style means that lots of plates need to be placed on the table and your table scape needs to be able to accommodate this. So we opted for 3 smaller floral centerpieces that could easily be moved slightly when platters were placed on the table. We added her greens in other places, on her ceremony arbor, draping on the bars and into the rehearsal dinner décor.

Classic Greenery & Blush Mood Board | The Day's Design

Image Sources (top to bottom, left to right): unknown | Photography: Melanie Duerkopp Photography via Joy Proctor | Photography: Abby Jiu Photography, Cake: The Boutique Bakeshop via Weddings Unveiled Magazine | via Woman Getting Married | via ModWedding | Photography: Pasha Belman Photography, Floral Design: Blossom Events via Southern Weddings | Invitation: Meagan Tidwell

The entire day was very intentional and well thought out. It was beautiful and we could not have asked for dreamier weather. And Jarvie and Hank – they’re such a handsome couple who I wish much happiness for all the years to come.

Fell in Love in Fishtown

0 · Jan 22, 2015 ·

Don’t you just love Northern Michigan? The Leelanau Peninsula is one of my absolute favorite places on earth. There’s something so quaint and simplistic about the area and yet it holds on to a sophisticated splendor that locals and travelers from near and far can appreciate. It’s no wonder that the beaches have received national recognition for their beauty and its bride’s love to plan their summer weddings there.

But life on the peninsula almost comes to a halt as soon as the first snowflakes begin to fall. The Fishtown shanties board up their rickety doors and the world becomes quiet. I think it’s a shame. The magic of the region doesn’t stop just because the weather turns colder. Last winter, Rachel of Sincerely, Ginger Weddings and I dared to dream about what it would be like to elope on the shores of Lake Michigan with ice and snow all around. We imaged the cool beach color palette paired against rustic touches. We loved the concept of freshwater nautical. We thought of the practical-ness of a toboggan serving as the getaway car (and a fabulous cake table!). We imaged what it might be like if the couple were to get ready together, the bride taking a moment to adjust his tie and place his handkerchief. It would be a vision all about the couple, about their romance and a place where love is enough to keep them warm.

We were also honored to have this inspiration shoot featured on Style Me Pretty earlier this month. You can see this feature here. Want to get married in Leland? No matter what the season, I’d love to help you plan it!

Leelanau wedding

Footer

Instagram