Katie asked Christian to the Junior Prom and, twelve years of dating later, they decided to have a destination wedding on the waters of stunning Lake Superior.

The two wanted a wedding that would act as a “thank you” to family and friends who supported the couple over their years of dating. Munising, Michigan was also close to Christian’s heart because his grandmother grew up on a farm close by. The couple have made it a point to vacation by the breathtaking lake in order to carry on Christian’s family tradition of doing so. 

“The upper peninsula is a beautiful place that immediately calms the mind, allowing one to appreciate what really matters in life, which for us is family and friends,” Katie says.

For the couple, holding the ceremony on Sand Point Beach was a no-brainer because of its stunning views and easy accessibility. 

“Knowing that Lake Superior would be the primary natural attraction for our guests,” the bride says, “I designed a watercolor map that would guide guests through the weekend’s waterfront gatherings.”

Each gathering location had to provide some special opportunity for guests to interact with the beautiful Lake Superior. A beach party on Au Train Beach took the place of a formal rehearsal dinner and a boat tour of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was offered the day after the wedding.

The couple says wedding planner, Lynette Ulman of Every Little Detail, helped make their large event happen and surpassed all expectations. The pair planned everything remotely from Philadelphia and leaned heavily on Lynette for vendor selection and trouble shooting.

Although Katie and Christian’s original reception site was a private cabin in the forest, Lynette already had the Beach Inn lined up as a replacement.

“This was quite a twist of fate because the Beach Inn was our first choice for the reception, but they had recently stopped hosting weddings. As a huge gesture of kindness, they let us have our wedding reception there after all,” the pair say.

According to the lake-loving duo, the upper peninsula is reasonably priced for the caliber of wedding coordination talent. This is because it is just now becoming a sought-after wedding destination. At the end of the day, however, the couple knew they wanted to invest in a wedding that would last long in everyone’s memory.

“Honestly,” Katie says, “we hate how fast a typical wedding goes by. As the most important day in a couple’s shared lives, it should be savored. It would have been less so had we had our wedding at home.”

If the couple could leave any tips for planning a destination wedding it would be to hire a planner and photographer you know are going to capture the spirit of your event perfectly, just like theirs did.

Vendors: Photographer: Vafa Photography, Wedding Planner: Lynette Ulman of Every Little Detail, Ceremony/Reception Site: Sand Point Beach, The Beach Inn Motel, Florist: Garden Bouquet & Design, Stationery: Narola Design + Letterpress, Cake: Peace Pie Company, Makeup: Scotti Oja, Hair: Jessica & Company, Gown Designer: Carol Hannah, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Indochino, Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Jenny Woo and Indochino