Real Wedding: Rebecca and Matthew’s Lake Michigan Estate Wedding

Real Wedding

Feb 13

Rebecca and Matthew’s wedding was one of my favorite wedding designs this past season, not only because they were great to work with but because they really leaned into COLOR! As you’ll see in the beautifully captured photos by one of my favorites, Neri Photo, those bold pops of pink and blue make a big impact. We’re excited to share with you a look at a real wedding: Rebecca and Matthew’s Lake Michigan estate wedding.

The ceremony was held at the bride’s family home overlooking Lake Michigan, followed by drinks, dinner, and dancing at The Felt Estate. One of the benefits of hosting your wedding at a family property is that you are preparing to walk down the aisle in a space that feels familiar and safe. When I arrived at the house on the wedding day, everyone was relaxed and happy, surrounded by all the comforts of home.

Guests were greeted with a refreshing glass of champagne and mingled in the backyard while a string duo played before the ceremony began. Given how picturesque the setting was, we went minimal with ceremony decor, anchoring the space with a stunning floral arch to frame the couple.

IF YOU’RE HAVING A LAKE MICHIGAN ESTATE WEDDING WITH AN OUTDOOR CEREMONY OR RECEPTION, IT’S IMPERATIVE THAT YOU HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS MAKE YOUR GUESTS ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE AND UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU BANKED ON MOTHER NATURE COOPERATING.

The weather on Rebecca and Matthew’s day was less than cooperative. All day the chance of rain during the ceremony continued to increase, and multiple team members (and vendors!) were constantly checking the radar. If you’re having a Lake Michigan estate wedding with an outdoor ceremony or reception, it’s imperative that you have a backup plan. The last thing you want to do is make your guests absolutely miserable and uncomfortable because you banked on Mother Nature cooperating. In this case, the rain plan was to divert all the guest shuttles to The Felt Estate, where the ceremony would take place inside the reception tent. Ultimately, we made the decision to proceed with the outdoor ceremony, and thankfully Mother Nature did cooperate. Shortly before guests arrived, the rain stopped and gave us just enough time to wipe down all the chairs. The sun even came out!

IF YOU’RE GIVING GUESTS THE OPTION OF CHOOSING THEIR ENTREES WHEN THEY RSVP, YOU MUST INDICATE WHAT EACH GUEST CHOSE FOR THE CATERING STAFF. ONE OF THE SIMPLEST WAYS TO DO THIS IS TO COLOR CODE THE ESCORT CARD TO COORDINATE WITH YOUR WEDDING PALETTE.

As soon as Rebecca walked down the aisle, I hopped in my car and drove back to The Felt Estate where our team was putting the finishing touches on the reception details. Jeanne at Back to the Fuchsia (another favorite!) created absolutely stunning arrangements in a variety of blue and white porcelain vases that featured beautiful hydrangea, roses, and peony. Guests enjoyed cocktail hour inside the mansion and on the surrounding grounds, before moving into the reception tent for a plated dinner and dancing. If you’re giving guests the option of choosing their entrees when they RSVP, you must indicate what each guest chose for the catering staff. One of the simplest ways to do this is to color code the escort card to coordinate with your wedding palette. In this case, white indicated chicken, blue indicated beef, and green indicated vegetarian.

A big thank you to Rebecca and Matthew for trusting us with their wedding day, and for allowing us to be creative in designing a Lake Michigan estate wedding celebration that was vibrant and fun!