A romantic spot on Lake Michigan

Wilderness State Park, located in northern Michigan, takes in a large area of forest and Lake Michigan shoreline. This rustic setting was the site that Shannon and Brent choose for their beach wedding on June 16th. The weather was just ideal for a beach wedding.

The guests followed a sandy path through the trees, down to the beach where the couple had set up their ceremony site. With a quartet playing the bride and her father walked down an aisle lined with seashells to meet her groom.

After the ceremony, guests traveled to the Historic Bay View Hotel which was built in 1886. It is located in the Historic Landmark District of Petosky.

This location provided us with beautiful views of Little Traverse Bay and was a perfect setting for photos of family and our wedding party.

After dinner we escorted the bride and groom from the banquet room to take shots as the sun started to set. This gave the bride and groom a much needed break, and us an opportunity for some great photos.

The rest of the evening was devoted to just having lots of fun. One of the highlights of the night was the father-daughter dance where dad showed he could still cut a rug!!

Our best to Shannon and Brent.

~~~Cathy, Blogmaster

Perfect Day at Haggerty Center

The Great Lakes Maritime Academy and Haggerty Center is a wonderful venue to hold both your wedding ceremony and reception. Sarah and Matt had a beautiful outdoor ceremony held in the courtyard overlooking Grand Traverse West Bay.

Sarah and her bridesmaids got ready at the Bay Shore Resort which is just a short walk down the beach. The wind was light and the sun shimmering on the water. It made a great location for relaxed photos beforehand.

The Haggerty Center is a unique reception site. It features outside patio seating as well as a main room with lots of big windows. Guests are treated to the wonderful views of Grand Traverse Bay all night long.

After dinner we snatched Sarah and Matt outside for a break. The sun was getting lower in the sky which made the perfect setting for some bride and groom photos. A warm glow on the water made it perfect for romantic shots and, of course, no coaching was needed for Sarah and Matt to just enjoy each other.

It was a fun day and we wish our couple the best.

--- Cathy, Blogmaster

Saturday June 2 in Traverse City

Kelli and Jeremy were joined by many friends and family members as they exchanged vows at First Bible Baptist Church in Traverse City.

The Bride looked stunning in her white taffeta, strapless, pickup skirt gown. Her attendants wore champagne gowns with petal pink sashes that flowed down the back.

Jeremy looked equally dashing as did all the men in the wedding party. The groom's two brothers served as his best men.

After the ceremony we accompanied the wedding party to Clinch Park Marina in Traverse City. We had just finished up our photographs of our wedding party and couple when a brief shower sent us on to reception.

One of our favorite reception sites is the Park Place Hotel. The party was held in the spacious Dome where the dancing and fun took place.

Our best wishes to Kelli and Jeremy.
~~Cathy,Blogmaster

Wedding at Historic Watervale Inn

Watervale Resort was the site for our Sunday May 27th wedding of Angela and Todd. Watervale is a quaint and unique resort that has been in the bride's family for over one hundred years. Many special events have occurred there over the years and it was the perfect place for Angela and Todd to get married. The ceremony was held outside in the backyard of the brides parents home, overlooking Upper Herring Lake.

The weather forecast had been a concern earlier in the week, however the day turned out to be very pleasant. In the morning, the groom and his best man had spent a few hours building a Chuppah. A Chuppah in the Jewish faith symbolizes the home the couple will share which protects them from harm.

Unfortunately, just as the first guests were starting to arrive a gust of wind came up, blew the Chuppah to the ground, and broke one of the containers of colored sand for the sand ceremony; but all was not lost. The glass was cleaned up, sand was salvaged and a replacement vase found. During the ceremony, four of the brides cousins stood on Chuppah guard. The couple was indeed protected from harm.

Our couple chose a very special friend to be a member of their wedding party...Echo the family dog! Echo and nephew Trevor shared ring bearer duties and both did a stand up job.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the deck overlooking Lower Herring Lake. They then joined the bride and groom at The Watervale Inn where the reception dinner was held. After dinner and the cake cutting, guests moved down to the Casino for dancing with music provided by The Lookout Cats. We were able to take advantage of this time to steal away with the Bride and Groom down to the beach of Lake Michigan. It was a gorgeous evening and we were able to take some spectacular sunset pictures. It was our pleasure to be part of this wonderful day.

~~Cathy, Blog Master