Bay + Brian

The Ties that Bind

Bay + Brian

ou may be able to take the person out of Door County, but you can’t take Door County out of the person. Especially when your family tree has roots that go back several generations in the area.

Though Bay Toft-Dupuy and Brian Hennes live in California, both knew they wanted to have their Aug. 28, 2021, wedding ceremony at Toft Point in Baileys Harbor in honor of Toft-Dupuy’s family connection to Toft Point and Door County.

“We couldn’t think of a more special place to wed than at the same site ToftDupuy’s parents wed in 1983,” Brian Hennes said.

That site was Toft Point: 740 acres that Toft-Dupuy’s relatives worked to preserve, including more than two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 325 acres of old-growth forest.

“Toft Point is a special place to my family,” Toft-Dupuy said. “[I] grew up learning about the Tofts that settled in the area and hiking the old-growth forest there with my family.”

The eco-conscious couple also saw eye to eye with their decision to keep the rest of the wedding wish list simple, intentional and small. The only aspect of planning where the couple differed was just how small of a wedding they wanted.

“Brian would have been OK with just us, the officiant and the witnesses,” ToftDupuy joked.

In the end, the couple had fewer than 30 guests in attendance, which, in their opinion, was ideal. Not only did the small guest list minimize traffic at the environmentally sensitive ceremony site, but it also simplified logistics for the rest of the weekend. Transportation is generally one of the biggest challenges couples face when planning a Door County wedding. “Options seemed limited at first, but it didn’t end up being an issue for our event,” said Toft-Dupuy, who relied on guest carpools to take guests to Toft Point for the ceremony and Door County Trolley to transport guests between wedding events in Fish Creek and Sister Bay.

Minimizing their carbon – and actual – footprint was just one way ToftDupuy and Brian Hennes infused their weekend with personalized touches that reflected who they are as a couple and individuals.

“We knew we wanted to focus on minimizing waste,” Toft-Dupuy said.

Employing the “leave no trace” principles, the couple chose to forgo chairs and infrastructure at the preserved natural area, and guests walked the one-mile unpaved path to the location. For the reception held at Whistling Swan in Fish Creek, ToftDupuy and Hennes asked their florist to create mason-jar arrangements they

Planning Pointer

Booking everything – including transportation – far enough in advance helped To -Dupuy and Hennes mitigate any planning headaches. “Book as far in advance as possible,” the couple recommended. “Guest lodging in particular seemed to ll up very fast, given high demand in the summer.”

could send home with their guests, along with the potted herbs that adorned the guests’ tables.

Knowing which elements of the day were most important to them — and letting their values guide those decisions — made the planning signi cantly easier.

“We knew the reception is typically the biggest budget item, and we were OK with splurging on good food and wine,” they said. With that larger expense in mind, the couple prioritized from there.

“Floral arrangements the guests could take home and photography were the most important to us,” To -Dupuy said.

A one-time-use dress, not so much.

“Everything adds up quickly,” To Dupuy added, “so it helped to focus on what wedding-day aspects mattered most to us as a couple.”

Toft-Dupuy’s parents, Mark Dupuy and Trudy Toft, exchanged vows at the exact same spot at Toft’s Point nearly 40 years earlier.

Vendors

Ceremony Venue: To Point Photographer: Art of Exposure Hair/Makeup: Blush Bridal Team, Edge Salon Florist: Folklore Flowers Reception Venue: Whistling Swan Catering/Dinner Vendor: Whistling Swan Bartenders/Bar Service: Whistling Swan Cake/Dessert: Blackbird Bake Shop Music/DJ: Ben and Lily Larsen Rehearsal Dinner Venue/Catering: White Gull Inn Transportation: Door County Trolley