Couple Spotlight: Aaron & Brian

Though we may be in the midst of a cold Chicago winter, it only takes one look at Aaron and Brian's wedding photographs to transport us to the lush green of a Michigan summer. This past September, the couple invited 100 guests to enjoy an evening under the stars at their Allegan Gardens home in Saugatuck, Michigan. Filled with simplistic elegance and personal touches, Aaron and Brian's wedding was a true celebration of their love.  

The Meet Cute: We met online in 2010 through a dating app. We became Facebook friends and Brian sent me a message. I never responded to the message because I started seeing someone, so he DEFRIENDED me. Well, the other relationship was short lived and I was back on the app after a few weeks. Luckily, so was Brian and as he likes to say, "he came running back to me!" I knew I had to step it up for our first date, so I took him to my third date place on our first date. I picked him up in a cab and we had a long dinner at Cafe 28 where we talked all night. I don't remember much time we have spent apart since then!

The Proposal: We spend a lot of time in Saugatuck, Michigan. Brian surprised me with a hike to the top of Mount Baldhead, the highest point in the area, with beautiful views of Lake Michigan and Saugatuck.

The Invitations: We wanted simple, classic elegance and chose navy lettering on white card stock. It was important that our look and feel was consistent from our save the dates, invitations and the event itself. Our home and our suits were navy blue and All She Wrote was able to help us create a timeless invitation that perfectly spoke to our personalities and ideas for our big day.   

The Big Day: We had a trolley pick up guests around Saugatuck. They signed in with our polaroid guest book and made their way to our backyard where they enjoyed cocktails around the pool. My best friend Samantha served as our officiant and wrote a beautiful ceremony, joining us in front of our family and friends. Guests then enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and a formal dinner outside. Desert was a naked cake with fresh seasonal berries and cream and a donut bar with spice donuts from Crane’s Orchard. Guests were invited to wander our two acre property and enjoy our home under the stars.

The Lessons Learned: Make sure to take time to enjoy the evening you’ve worked so hard to plan! Plan your event to give you and your partner enough time to connect with each of your guests. Recognize that while every little detail matters to you, it won’t to your guests and they will love you regardless of whether everything goes ‘perfectly’ as planned. If you have a professional photographer, give him or her a shot list of everything you want captured that day. Some things that may be obvious to you, may not be to them. Having that list is a great way to insure you are able to capture every memory. 

Grooms' attire: Zeglio Bespoke Suits | Invitations: William Arthur by All She Wrote | Photographer: Jacqueline James Photography | Flowers: Back to the Fuchsia | Music: Sinatra Station on Sirius Radio | Ceremony: The Couple's Home, Allegan Gardens | Venue & Catering: Gilmore Catering | Cake: Alpen Rose