Ellie and Brian’s Elegant Outdoor Michigan Wedding

With the Summer wedding season just around the corner, we thought we’d share Ellie and Brian’s lovely outdoor Michigan wedding. Ellie and Brian were married last August outside a small country home overlooking a small lake in Port Sheldon, MI. Their very intimate ceremony and private reception incorporated very unique elements including mason jar centerpieces with fresh cut flowers and a cordial canoe ride on the lake. Their outdoor Michigan wedding was beautifully captured by Kelly Sweet from Kelly Sweet Photography.

Kelly tells us, “Ellie went barefoot the entire day and was totally up for getting in the canoe and floating around the lake before the ceremony. I loved her for that. The guests parked in an empty lot and a small bus shuttled the guests to and from the home. The ceremony was short and sweet, followed by a cocktail hour in the back yard. After cocktails, guests moved into the tent for a barbecue style dinner with toasting and dancing. The smoke from the tiki torches with the sun setting behind created some of the most beautiful lighting.”

The bride Ellie tells us, “We chose the location because I always wanted an outdoor wedding, and I absolutely loved his parent’s setting with the small lake. My wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses were designed by J Crew. We purchased the flowers at Holland’s Farmer’s Market from Hamilton Dahlia Farm the morning of the wedding and my aunts arranged them. The programs and the invitations were handmade by me, my sister, and my cousin. We simply wrapped twine around them and put a rock on top of it. The delicious cake was created by Brian’s aunt Carol (of Cakes by Carol) and was accented with peach ribbon wrapped around the tiers with freshly cut dahlias. Our tent and chairs were rented locally in Holland, MI from The Rental Company with tasty catering from Beechwood Catering.”

If you’d like to set up a tent at your outdoor reception, you can hire someone to do it for you. Try Find Me A Tent as one resource. They’ll help you figure out what size you’ll need, help you choose what kind of tent is best, and get a quote on pricing.

If you love these photos and want to see more from this Michigan wedding photographer, check out Kelly’s site Kelly Sweet Photography. You can also view Kelly’s listing in the Emmaline Bride Bridal Book.

All images courtesy of Kelly Sweet Photography. All Rights Reserved.