Jen Kroll Photography
The year before Kim and Mark said I do, they had been to many weddings for their friends. All lovely of course, but by being guests at all the previous weddings they discovered that they wanted to offer their guests something more; an experience. Both the bride and the groom are from Texas but the bride’s parents were originally from Michigan before heading south after college. They had been coming back to Northern Michigan for many years in the summers to enjoy what we all know and feel are the best summers in the world. When Mark popped the question and Kim said yes, the planning began with a vision of having an intimate wedding at their summer home and showing their friends and family from Texas that Michigan does not disappoint.
The wedding inspiration was blended with the lush wooded surroundings of the home and the majesty of the water just steps away. Guests joined the couple as witnesses to their love on the beach. Simple and elegant bamboo chairs with paddle programs greeted each guest held by rocks that the families were collecting the morning before the big day. They enjoyed cocktails on the lawn which was filled with comfy lounge seating featuring bright blue colors and tangerine tones including custom pillows with an homage to the couple’s beloved golden retriever who was back home and vintage wooden boats that they loved.
Dinner was in a separate tent on the side lawn. One of the passions the couple and their families have is good food and great wine and when you can’t take everyone to a restaurant, they decided to bring the restaurant to them. They designed an open kitchen dining tent where guests ate, drank and were merry over six courses prepared on site just on the other side of the counter from them. The ambiance was just what Kim and Mark were hoping for: toasts, laughter and full bellies.
Be sure to check back on Wednesday for more Suttons Bay MI wedding details from this event, and click HERE to see the full gallery.