There is something so sweet and natural about this wedding that took place at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor on July 24th. Quileen and Duane were made for one another; I noticed throughout the day how much they complimented each other.
The Gateway garden they chose to get married in was beautiful, full of flowers and plants that surround the ceremony site so amazing you don’t need to add anything else to it.
It was yet another hot day here in Michigan and the gardens provided cute umbrellas that actually matched with the colors of the wedding. Guests were extremely happy for some extra shade as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
A string quartet called Urban Stringz played as the groom and his groomsmen walked out and stood waiting for the processional to begin. It was so peaceful hearing the beautiful music and sitting in the garden as the bridesmaids walk down the circular aisle. When Quileen made her appearance, everyone’s breath was taken away at how beautiful she looked!
Nicki Anderson was the officiant for the day and her ceremony fit the couple perfectly. Quileen and Duane each wrote their own vows, which were full of love and promises for years to come.
Cocktail hour was on the patio right in front of the reception room, located at the same site. Prior to everything getting started, we folded napkins, set up centerpieces, and added all the DIY touches the bride had made. When we first arrived the reception room was a blank canvas but as the pops of color came in and everything was set up we took a step back and loved the beautiful simplicity of it all.
Inn Season Cafe (Royal Oak, MI) was the caterer for the day, and they were incredibly impressive. Due to space constraints, they decided to serve everyone a plate of food rather than make guests get up and go to the buffet line!
The bride and groom are both strict vegans, and so was the food served that day. For cocktail hour they had bowls of fresh fruit and wonderful plantains cakes, and for the main course guests were served lasagna and wax bean salad. The chef actually went to the market the day before to create a lot of the food eaten on the wedding day.
The newlyweds’ cake was also vegan, and was made by Big City Small World Bakery. It was beautifully decorated and matched some of the details in the couple’s invitations and save the dates.
The photographer for the day was Tracy Ann Photography. The couple took a lot of pictures in the gardens – and they had fun visiting the different gardens available at Matthaei.
One thing that I adored from this wedding was the dancing. This couple knew how to dance and so did their guests! Watching the bride and groom dance together and share secret smiles made me get the love goose bumps. I never knew there were so many different hustles to dance to, and it was so much fun watching the guests do all of them.
This wedding really showed that you don’t need a lot of “stuff” to make something gorgeous. My one hope is that the bride and groom will look back and see how all their hard work came together flawlessly with a little TwoFoot Creative magic!
Written by Melanie King – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor