Nostalgic sentiments of summers spent in Northern Michigan on Lake Leelanau made this destination wedding a treasured occasion for everyone in attendance.

When Alexa and Miguel got engaged, tying the knot at Alexa’s family’s summer home in Michigan was obvious. “[Lake Leelanau] felt the most like ‘home’ to me and I knew that I wanted to share this special place with Miguel’s family and our friends,” explains Alexa.

Ecstatic to share this special time with the couple, 200 of their closest family and friends joined in for the trip of a lifetime, including 40 of Miguel’s relatives from Portugal where the groom is from. In anticipation of the wedding, anxious guests put together a Facebook page to plan activities and excursions for the upcoming trip. “It was fun to see our friends from different parts of our lives coming together,” says the bride.

Alexa’s grandmother and aunt organized a welcome party once everyone arrived at a beautiful winery overlooking Lake Michigan. This allowed guests to meet and mingle before the wedding in a stunning setting. The night before the wedding, the couple held a Portuguese rehearsal dinner at a local farm featuring Portuguese delicacies and plenty of wine.

Intent on utilizing the natural beauty of their location, the ceremony was held on the lawn overlooking the lake. With beautiful weather and a local guitarist serenading the guests as they waited for the ceremony to begin, the moment was perfect.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed an exceptional meal of local specialties from nearby farms. After dinner, the party was in full swing with guests dancing to the live band. Alexa recalls her favorite moment of the night when the band sang their final song. “The band broke into ‘We are young’ by Fun. and I remember standing next to Miguel looking around at these important people in our lives, feeling so blessed and happy. As the chorus rang out ‘Tonight…we are young…’ It was incredible to see all of the smiling faces of our loved ones dancing and singing as we ended a perfect evening celebrating together.”

Vendors: Ceremony and Reception Site: Family home on Lake Lelanau, Photography: Jen Kroll Photography, Event Planner & Design: Alicia Caldecott with A Day in May, Floral Design: Field of Flowers, Catering: Epicure Catering, Groom’s Attire: Ermenegildo Zegna, Bridesmaids’ Attire: Jenny Yoo, Band: Elan Artists, The Hudson Project, Videographer: Coastline Studios, Printed Materials: A Day in May Event Planning & Design and Crane, Hair: Pavlova Salon and Spa, Make-up: Mary Yoder, Impres Salon, Cake: Aunt B’s Cakes & Desserts, Décor/Rentals: Special Events Rental, Ceremony Music: Matt Hathaway, Cocktail/Dinner Music: The Bob Merbak Trio, Linens: La Tavola Linen, Nuage Design and Special Events Rental. 

This article first appeared in Destination I Do’s Spring/Summer 2014 issue. You can order a copy here.