Welcome back to another great week here at SMP Destination! We've got quite the pretty line up for you this week and it all starts with this gorgeously laid back and locally sustainable Lake Michigan wedding. The local, hand-picked dahlias are to-die-for and I'm loving the bride's simple and beautiful bouquet. And speaking of simple, how adorable are the flower girl dresses? Bryan and Mae were on hand to capture all the pretty, DIY details. And one of the best parts of this wedding has got to be that the couple married on a Wednesday so they could spend an entire week with forty-five of their closest friends and family. Gotta love it! Click here for more.
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From Bryan and Mae...Sarah and Mike live on the West Coast but planned their wedding in Michigan so that they could share the state's beauty with their friends and family. Mike grew up vacationing in the mitten state every summer and after sharing it with Sarah, they decided to plan their wedding for this lovely little place. These two are some of the sweetest, most kind and most compassionate that anyone will ever meet and we were honored to photograph their day.
Sarah and Mike's wedding was truly unique. They rented two cottages on the Lake Michigan shore and flew out with 45 of their closest friends and family to not only celebrate their love for one day, but to do so for the entire week. They planned their wedding for Wednesday so that they could enjoy time relaxing with their guests on both ends of the wedding. When we arrived on Wednesday morning to photograph their day, all of the wedding guests were helping to set up for the wedding– making bouquets, arranging place settings, and carrying tables to the beach. There was a strong familial feel to the whole day. Sarah and Mike were married on the beach with waves crashing in the background and partied on the bluff overlooking the water into the night.
Sarah and Mike were very intentional about choosing local vendors who practice sustainability within their work. Their caterer, Marie Catrib's was a great choice for them, offering a menu of foods that were locally grown in Michigan by small farms that they partner with.
Some great DIY projects-- Sarah and friends picked dahlia's from a local farm on Tuesday and Wednesday morning some family and friends set to work arranging them in gorgeous bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding. The bride, friends and family also made all the bunting, the ring pillow, pie topper and flower girl hair clips.
Wedding Photography: Bryan and Mae / Event Coordinator: Pearls Events / Venue: Ventura Pines Cottage / Caterer: Marie Catrib's / Pies: Crane's Orchard Pie Pantry / Band: Matt Sedman Music Inc. / Flowers: Picked from Hamilton Dahlia Farm, arranged by Friends + Family / Wedding Gown: J.Crew / Groom's Suit: J.Crew