Bold Reds, Bright Whites and Butterflies - This Midwestern Wedding Is a Rustic Chic Dream.
There's always something about every wedding we publish on SMP that absolutely stops us in our tracks! For this one, it's the stunningly bold contrasting color palette. I mean... that orange and red bouquet against her crisp white gown, it just doesn't get any more beautiful than that. Sincerely, Ginger Weddings and Events designed every detail of their day flawlessly, from the intimate outdoor ceremony to the sailcloth tented reception. Katie Wachowiak made their organic-chic floral dreams come true with every lush arrangement. See all the pretty unfold at the full gallery - taken by Clary Pfeiffer Photography!
From the Bride... I have been spending summers "Up North" on Lake Michigan since I was a little girl and introduced Grant to this beautiful part of the country when he first started joining my family’s yearly vacations to The Homestead. Once we were engaged, we quickly decided Leelanau Peninsula was the perfect location for our wedding. We couldn’t imagine a better place to gather our friends and family and show off this special part of Michigan to Grant’s California relatives. After touring a few venues, we fell in love with Cherry Basket Farm’s historic white barns, picturesque fields, and delicious food from Epicurean Catering. In addition to having the ceremony outdoors, we really wanted to eat and dance the night away outside as much as Michigan's unpredictable weather would allow.
With that in mind, one of the very first things we selected was a beautiful sailcloth tent for the reception. To put our own personal spin on the venue, I knew I wanted a mix of rustic elements combined with an elegant but bold color palette. I love how it all came together - from the farm tables, cross-backed chairs, and bamboo chandeliers to the subtle black striped napkins, butterfly details on the menus, and striking red floral arrangements. I would not have been able to bring my vision to life without an incredibly talented group of vendors including our florist, Katie Wachowiak. She created the most chic organic floral arrangements which felt like they could have been plucked from a nearby field.
When we arrived in Michigan for the wedding weekend, we hadn't seen the farm in nearly a year. Since then the adjacent field had transformed from a manicured vegetable garden into a wild meadow. As the sun went down during our reception, the field gave off the most beautiful golden glow. It was the perfect, unexpected backdrop for our head table and golden hour photos. Working with our photographer Clary Pfieffer was such a wonderful experience. Not only does she somehow capture the feeling of a moment, but she is also the most wonderful person to be around. From the moment we met her at our engagement shoot, we were immediately comfortable in front of her camera and couldn’t stop laughing even though it was a very cold, windy day on the beach in Northern California.
As much time as I spent thinking about the various details of the day, the personal elements in our ceremony are what I’ll treasure most. When our wedding day finally arrived, I truly felt like I was in a dream. Grant and I both really wanted three things from our ceremony - to have that special moment of seeing each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle, to incorporate our families through a handfasting, and to write our own vows to each other. Without question, I can say that reciting my vows and declaring my love for Grant while looking into his eyes as he did the same for me were the most precious moments of the day. Jumping up and down on the dance floor screaming the lyrics to the last song of the night, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, surrounded by the people we love most was a close second!
