Before I get into how lovely this wedding was, I just have to say…I have been blessed with the most chill brides in the world! I’m new to the wedding scene with the Smith wedding being # 5 for me. All five brides (and grooms) have been the most laid back and the sweetest people I’ve ever worked with! How lucky for me to get my start with such awesome couples.
Okay, on to the beautiful wedding story of Austin and Alex! They chose the quaint location of Frog Pond Village in Northern Michigan (one of my happy places). Their destination wedding week was filled with fun with family and friends who rented houses in the area. The groom’s party stayed on a lake and the brides party stayed on a scenic horse ranch just south of Traverse City.
When I arrived at the ranch, I was greeted with big hugs! All the girls were in full swing with hair and make-up being done by (the amazing) Paige and Ashley from Salon West & Spa out of Escanaba. A very laid back relaxing morning. When Alex took me upstairs to see her dress, I immediately lost my breath. Seriously. Gorgeous. It makes me want a “do over!” This dress has fairy tale princess all over it! I could not wait to see Alex in this dress. Before it was time to put it on, you better believe I snapped about 50 pictures of this exquisite gown! I know, weird right? Who wants that many pictures of just a dress? Well, it was pretty darn amazing and I had to take in all of the details. Nothing compares to the beauty of the whole package though. When Alex put that dress on, we were all in awe. Jaw dropping. Stunning. I remember looking at her mom in the first few moments of her getting into her dress and could just feel the emotion. The pride and love.
Next it was off to the lake house to check on the groomsmen! These guys are a lot of fun! The groom’s family and groomsmen made me laugh a lot. So down to earth and funny. Lots of joking and lots of crazy socks! We got some good shots of getting ready and figuring out suspenders and ties, then headed to the ceremony site at Frog Pond.
Vintage woodland charm all over the place! Alex and Austin created the coolest decor using the natural beauty of birch bark, moss, and other nature related materials. Loved the details at this wedding. The ceremony took place in the shade of a large pergola (thank goodness because it was VERY sunny!) Their pastor did a wonderful job and something that stood out to me was the blessing of the rings…they were passed through the guests for each to say a prayer for Alex and Austin. I’ve never seen this before. Really special. Oh and did I mention the flower girls? Oh my sweetness! Cutest ever.
The rest of the wedding was an incredibly fun mix of good food, dancing, and mingling. There was a giant swing, s’mores bar, bonfire, golf cart ride to the lake. So many great moments captured it’s tough to pick the most memorable. There was definitely not a dry eye in the room for the “father/daughter dance” and the night ended with a fight song battle between the MSU graduates and UofM graduates! (Bride vs. Groom) Good stuff.
Congrats Alex & Austin…I wish you a long happy life filled with many blessings.
