Maryal & Chris | Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding

I had been anticipating Maryal and Chris's wedding for months and months. When you have a bride with such impeccable style and a team of incredible talent like Sarah for Sincerely Ginger Weddings, Simply Sweet by Jessica and Bloom Floral (just to name a few) it is easy to understand my excitement. With beautiful northern Michigan lakes as our backdrop I was already imagining the sun soaked images I would create for them. When I got a glimpse of the french blue, red, gold and blush pink palette I was over the moon.

And then, the weather report came in.

We all woke up to ominous skies threatening rain-- we photographed the crew getting ready and Maryal and Chris seeing each other for the first time on the docks of Hotel Walloon and then the skies opened up. It didn't just rain, it poured and poured...and poured even more. Tornadoes and flooding were reported around the area and it got darker and grayer by the minute. But as the day unfolded I kept commenting that it couldn't be anymore romantic or perfect if it tried. 

Despite the not so ideal weather, magic unfolded. The team of vendors tweaked and changed plans and the excitement and joy vibrated, it buzzed just below everything that was happening and you couldn't help but get swept right up into it. If you could be there you would have felt so much true joy and heard an awful lot of laughter. 

 Looking back now I wouldn't change a single thing, and this rainy wedding will go down in the books as one of my all time favorites...Because after the beautiful dishes were returned and the lights went out at Walloon Lake Country Club, the (pretty incredible) love between this bride and groom was such a force that I can still feel it when I look through these images.

And that friends? That is absolutely what it is all about and the reason that I love this job that I do so very much. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Carter! Now here are some (read: a lot) of my favorites from their day! Full list of artists at the bottom.

Artists & Vendors: Planning, Styling, Coordination: Sarah for Sincerely, Ginger Weddings, Floral Design: Bloom Floral, Photography: Ashley Slater Photography, Wedding Dress: Monique Desserts & Wedding Cakes: Simply Sweet by Jessica , Beauty: Vogue Salon by the Lake, Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier, Ring: Trumpet & Horn, Pies: Jesperson's Pie, Ceremony: Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Petoskey, Ceremony Music: Festival of Strings, Reception Entertainment: Soul Xpress, Reception Venue: Walloon Lake Country Club, Rentals and Decor: La Tavola Linens, Taylor Rental, Vintage Place Setting, Vintage Dishes, Goblets & Tea Saucers: Gigi & LeClede, Videography: The Compass Points Here, Groom's Bowtie: The Tie Bar, Film Processing and Development: Indie Film Lab