It’s our third post to our Winter Wedding Series, and time for a Winter Wonderland Wedding! Erin and Darin had their ceremony in the Queen’s Tavern, with a reception following in the West Garden Room. Michigan’s ‘Up North’ was the first pick to creating their Winter Wonderland when the couple decided on a winter wedding. With pine tree branches, pinecones, green ornaments and snowflakes, their reception room resembled a snow-covered forest. They even gave their guests thick slipper socks to keep from getting “cold feet”! Mother Nature added to the festivities by providing a touch of snow falling against the windows of the West Garden Room, providing that perfect extra touch to their Winter Wonderland. Read on to hear from Erin and Darin, and see a few of their winter wedding photos!
All of our decorations were DIY. We took advantage of after-Christmas sales, and spent time making pieces in the months before the wedding. The day before, a large crew helped us decorate; everything turned out amazing! Our winter wedding centerpieces and favors were unique, playing on our theme of “Up North”. We incorporated some fun details, like offering slipper socks to anyone who wanted to take their shoes off. We even made a sign that said “We don’t want you to get cold feet, either!” My favorite part? The dozens of little snowflake ornaments we hung from chandeliers. It looked like it was snowing indoors!
It took an army of friends and family to make everything come together, and we’re incredibly fortunate that our friends are not only talented, but extremely generous. Our photographers (great friends, Jordan Buzzy and Mitch Borden of ThoughtWell Media), shot our engagement and wedding photos as a wedding gift. Our friend Stephanie Hahn made 500+ cake balls that were absolutely delicious. Darin’s mom helped make dessert, and my brother, Ian, served as the DJ, keeping the dance floor full the entire night! Samantha Randolph, a freelance graphic designer based in New Orleans, custom designed all our stationary, and Breanne Kanak painted our guest “book”, a giant painting of a pine tree which everyone signed. My mom’s best friend, Stacy Piller, became ordained just for us, and officiated at our ceremony.
Darin and I could not be happier with our wedding day. It was beautiful, and everyone had a blast! Plus, it meant so much that so many people were willing to help us have the perfect day. If it weren’t for our amazing family and friends, it never would have happened. Working with the staff at Castle Farms was also great. They made planning from a distance much less stressful, and everything the day-of went off without a hitch!
Photos by Jordan Buzzy Photography.