The look of beach weddings in Michigan
One of the top question we get asked is "what do your beach weddings in Michigan look like?" The answer to that is whatever the couple wants it to look like; if they can explain their idea, or show it to us in photos, we'll use that as our inspiration as we create a one of kind personalize look for them. However, we've found a majority of couples have the same basic idea of what a beach wedding should look like.
The look of a private beach
To start, everyone wants a nice sandy beach, preferably with no extra people in the background. That's the reason we aim for what's called the golden hour for photography. In theory, not only will you get some of the best sunlight of the day, at the end of it, especially here on SW Michigan beaches, we usually get the most stunning sunset colors which make the most beautiful backgrounds for wedding photos.
On top of that, the golden hour is typically at or after the dinner hour so, most beach goers are gone or leaving, giving you the look of private beach in photos, and saving you from a $10 per car parking fee, too.
Beach wedding Decor
Now that we have our "private beach" setting, we install a 4-pole bamboo arbor and decorate it with a white drapes. Then, you will decide on how to embellish it, options range from a large centerpiece for the top to small pieces for each side. Deck it out or leave it plain, the look is completely up to you.
Decorate your Aisle
After that, it's on to the aisle so, you can customize your walk in the sand. We offer white lanterns on shepherds hooks, filled with candles or flowers, flower petals, as well as a variety of black lanterns and faux candles to dress up your aisle and arbor.
How do we do all this
We work closely with you, and a team of wedding professionals, like our florist who will interpret your inspiration photos with lavish fresh flowers. You'll send us photos, fill out questionnaires, we'll walk through your day with you, and our team will be there on the big day to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Photos of beach weddings in Michigan
Most importantly, your wedding will be captured by an experienced wedding photographer, one's who runs their own businesses, highly respected professionals in their own right. Then why do they do one-hour elopement and small wedding packages? Because one, Sam, is a founding partner, she was instrumental in developing our first packages. But, when she isn't available we needed another outstanding photographer who could fill in. We got super lucky when Kim moved to town, and we've been working with her ever since. So, between the two, one is usually available.
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The different looks of beach weddings in Michigan
This is our new Bamboo arbor, we now have 2 available. Alexis & Rob decided to add flowers to the to corners, and the burgundy sashes tied in her colors so well. We finished their decor off by adding our new set of black lanterns with faux candles, which I think gave a wonderful glow to this photo. You can see more of their stunning photos HERE.
A basic Beach Wedding in Michigan
Alison & Mike chose to use a shade of green to match the bridesmaids dresses. We set their ceremony site up so that the South Haven lighthouse was in the background. As you can see the chair ties dress things up and add a great pop of color to a very neutral setting. This is what we consider our basic decor set up: arbor, chairs, and sashes. You can see more of their day, and find what a wedding on North Beach looks like from start to finish, HERE
And here's a close up of the arbor and us during the ceremony, there is always laughter when I'm performing.
A Customized Beach Wedding in Michigan
Hailey & Drew upgraded their look by adding flower rings to the arbor, plus the shepherds hooks, lanterns, and flower petals for the aisle. She loved the way this look turned out, and you can see more of it HERE
Eloping on a beach in Michigan
Angie & Ivan eloped with their 4 children as witnesses. We set their arbor up at the end of the walkway so they had Lake Michigan in the background and a solid aisle to walk down. Angie wanted her arbor plain so we use white ties that matched the drapes but, removed them for this stage shot. The birds are real and I love her mermaid dress, stunning!
Another couple, after their larger wedding, during their couple's mini-session at the end of their time with us. We removed the ties on the drapes to allow them to blow in the breeze but left the top piece on their arbor as an accent.
This couple had a simple wedding on Oval beach so, we had to get the traditional shot of them in the dunes grass, and with their cooperation this one turned into something a little different. Their warm embrace under the stars took several shots, and at least 20 minutes but, it was so worth it. Oval beach at night has never looked better!
Arbors in other places
We also put the same arbors up in other places, too. One of the first was for a couple who owned a house on a lake but wanted to dress up the yard with a tropical feel for the ceremony. Here's a shot from my cell phone of what the arbor and dressed up tiki torches looked like, they brought in the potted plants and flowers to fill out the look; so pretty!
So, as you can see, no two beach wedding look the same, and yours will be no different. However, with our packages you will have everything you need to bring your own wedding vision to life, all in one package. That's why there is no easier way to have the beach wedding you want.
About Us
Dream Day Weddings is a boutique wedding planning company, based in Saugatuck MI. We love cool, low drama, couples and take pride in catering to the LGBTQ+ community. We offer wedding planning and all-inclusive wedding packages throughout Saugatuck, Douglas, and South Haven.
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Does a beach wedding in Michigan sound like your kind of thing? Click the button to learn more about our packages, and find out how to book yours!
Photo credits: Shutter Sam Photography and Zahnow Photography