Bay Harbor Wedding

A few weeks ago, Jane emailed me asking about my knowledge of northern Michigan wedding venues and vendors. I had to be honest, it was a little limited. While I spend a good amount of time up there skiing and vacationing, it is a rare treat that I get to photograph weddings in northern Michigan. I shared with her what I knew and thought nothing of the exchange. Sometime around New Year’s, Jane reached back out again, asking if I was available in two weeks for a Bay Harbor wedding for her daughter, Allie. If Allie’s wedding was going to be anything like her sister Brooke’s wedding, I knew it was going to be beautiful. Jane booked me on the spot and we began finalizing the details for Allie and Chanse’s Bay Harbor wedding.

When I spoke with Allie prior to her wedding, I picked up that she and Chanse were quite laid back and really were looking forward to two things, besides spending the rest of their lives together: seeing each other and spending time with friends and family. The whole feeling of the wedding was intimate. Family played a central role as everyone was present during bride and groom prep and Allie’s sister and Chanse’s brother made up the whole bridal party. They didn’t want many, or really any, distractions; just time together to remember their wedding day and celebrate their love. With that, their day was a dream and filled with beautiful moments and opportunities to capture the family ties they hold so dearly.

Both Chanse and Allie started their Bay Harbor wedding day at the Inn and Village, respectively. Chanse got ready with the help of his younger brother, Bode. Just a like a brother, they both had each other’s backs in making sure they looked their best…and had a little fun while doing it.

Just down the road at the Villages of Bay Harbor, Allie had a relaxing morning getting ready with some beautiful Petoskey views.

Before sharing a first look with Chanse, Allie shared one with her dad.

With both Chanse and Allie ready for their wedding, it was time the shared a first look. One of my favorite spots in downtown Petoskey also serves as a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos. Allie was a champ, braving the cold and looking gorgeous while doing it.

While Allie was getting ready, I asked her how she met Chanse. It turns out they both went to high school together but didn’t connect until they were older. Seeing it was Allie’s birthday on social media, Chanse took his shot and gave her a call. Before he did, he told his friend, “I am going to call and wish my future wife a happy birthday.” I am sure his friends didn’t take it too seriously and imagine that a lot of guys wished Allie was their future wife. However, four years later, Chanse’s words came true.

There were so many images that look timeless in black and white from their wedding, the whole blog could have been published in the format. However, this one may be my favorite from their day.

One our way back to their Bay Harbor wedding, we stopped at my other favorite spot in downtown – the Petoskey Pierhead Lighthouse. I may be a little bit biased (see why here), but I love this spot. I explained to Allie and Chanse on our way back to Bay Harbor how lucky they were to have a bluebird sky day in northern Michigan in January. It is incredibly rare so we had to take advantage of the opportunity.

As we arrived back at Bay Harbor, guests were starting to trickle into the Sagamore Room, where the ceremony and reception would take place.

After a touching ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour as the sun began to set, creating the perfect ambiance for a night of fun.

Bode owned the room, telling jokes and heartfelt stories during his speech. It was incredibly impressive for such a young man.

After dinner, it was time for dancing. Allie and Chanse opened up the dance floor.

With formal dances completed, guests took no time to kick off the bay Harbor wedding reception and joined the newlyweds on the dancefloor.

As the party continued, Allie and Chanse snuck out of their Bay Harbor wedding reception to take a few end of the night shots. The twinkle lights in the Village were the perfect backdrop for a few quiet moments between the two of them.

Beauty + Planning: Divine Beauty & Events

Film: Dale Bartosz

DJ: Ryan Rousseau

Venue: Bay Harbor

Cake: Bow Tie Baker