Where are our boho bridal tribes?! This wedding is for you! This northern Michigan wedding is full of henna, dogs, nature, and gorgeous DIY details. John and Danielle chose to wed at the earthy, rustic Blue Bridge Events outside Traverse City, Michigan. Surrounded by nature and their closest friends and family (and pup), this wedding was an incredible celebration of genuine love!
How did you meet?
A mutual friend set us up on a “blind” date! Although John cheated and saw a picture of me before committing, it was truly blind for me! MEN. He still won me over with his charm (and converse kicks)!
What is your proposal story?
John took me back to our first date spot, an awesome brewery in southeast Michigan, Rochester Mills. He knelt down in the snow and proposed with sentiments that made me weak in the knees, laugh, and of course, cry. When we entered the brewery, all of our family was already gathered to celebrate with us. Later, our friends joined for drinks and dancing!
Tell us a little bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).
We wanted our wedding to be all about family, friends, and soaking up the beauty of Northern Michigan. Our families spent the wedding week together enjoying the lake and wine tasting our way through the Old Mission Peninsula. Our bridal party stayed the weekend in rustic cabins with us within walking distance to the venue. This allowed for some fun outdoor activities: bonfires, yard games, and outdoor yoga. We wanted to remember the smell of the woods and laughter shared amongst our favorite people, not the napkin color or other formalities.
Tell us about your attire choices.
I wanted to achieve warmth with our colors. I gave each bridesmaid a color (shades of red/orange/gold), but ultimately wanted them to pick their dress so they felt comfortable and beautiful.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
Most important for us was for our day to be a symbolic of the things that matter most to us: our love, our families and friends, nature, laughter, and good music.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
The night before our wedding, we had a big bonfire and a wood-fired pizza party in the woods. Our friends and family performed songs, poetry, and magic tricks. I’ll never forget the feeling of having all of our favorite people together, surrounding us with love and joy. We also offered to all of our family and friends a morning outdoor yoga class by the lake led by my mentor and teacher. It was peaceful and beautiful, and the perfect way to be present for our day. My best friend (who introduced us) also caught the bouquet, which was a miracle because she’s the least coordinated person I know! We also heard hilarious stories about our bridal party stumbling home to their cabins through the woods, and some finding some friendly critters in the cabins too!
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
Our wedding flowers were rich and gorgeous. Or vendor Windflower Design Co. created the most beautiful mix of blooms, and also incorporated flowers from my moms garden. She also included Queen Anne’s Lace, which has special meaning to my family.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
We opted to do mini desserts instead, highly recommend!
What did you do for favors?
We did not! We offered late night, deep fried mini doughnuts 馃檪
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
Jus Sayin’ incorporated beautiful wood and mixed metal laser engraved signs for us. My favorite was an engraved sign of our dog for the signature cocktail “Lumi Lemonade” (a bourbon lemonade named after our pup, Lumi).
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
I wore my great grandmothers wedding ring. My mom gave it to me off her finger the morning of my wedding, it was so special.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Put your vision and dreams first, above all. Be inclusive. You must hire a day-of coordinator and a videographer!