Five Generations of Door County Weddings

Mark and Katie Helscher. Helscher’s parents, John and Jackie Sawyer, were married in 1982 in Sister Bay at St. Rosalia’s Church, which is now LURE Restaurant.

A Family A air

Sawyers celebrate fi ve generations of Door County weddings

hen your family roots in Door County run six generations deep, the question isn’t whether you will host your wedding on the peninsula – it’s where.

“The Sawyer side of my family is very large,” Katie (Sawyer) Helscher said. “Trying to nd a venue that could t us was a challenge. There just wasn’t a place in the area big enough to hold us.” Then one day, she looked at the old dairy barn on the family farm – the same one where she had played as a child – and had an idea.

“I asked my dad if we could clean out the old barn and use it as a wedding venue,” she said.

Though the farm had stopped its dairy operations in the mid-1980s, Helscher’s father, John Sawyer, still raised cattle on the property.

“When Katie and Mark came to us and asked about having the wedding in the barn, there were cattle everywhere, and the barn was full of hay,” Sawyer recalled.

But as the former owner of CarlsonErickson Builders and a contractor for

Helscher's grandparents on her mother’s side, Dean and Eileen Champea, said “I do” in Baileys Harbor in 1959.

Before and after photos of the Sawyer barn. The 101-yearold barn has been in the Sawyer family since 1953, when John Sawyer’s father purchased the farm. After the farm stopped its dairy operation in the 1980s, Sawyer continued to raise cattle, the barn used to store hay. Over the course of eight months, the barn received a complete makeover into a rustic-chic wedding venue.

Helscher's great-grandparents Irma and William Peterson (left) were married in Bailey's Harbor in 1925, and Jack and Agatha Bretl (right) were married in 1922 in Maplewood. “I thought it was so interesting for the weddings of my great-grandparents that the brides and grooms both wore black,” Helscher said. Brides used to wear any color for their wedding gown, but not because it was the latest fashion trend. It was simply more practical: The dress could be worn for more than one occasion, plus a darker color would not show dirt as easily as a lighter-colored dress. Helscher's Grandpa and Grandma Sawyer were married in 1953 in Maplewood. Her grandmother’s dress, which featured white lace and a powder-blue underlayment, garnered enough attention for a writeup in the Green Bay Press Gazette.

more than 30 years, Sawyer welcomed the challenge.

“Design and architecture are something I enjoy,” he said. “It didn’t take me long to envision the old granary being converted to a bar area, or guring out where the dance oor would be.”

The winter was spent cleaning out the barn and renovating the space. By July of 2014, just eight months later, the “wedding barn” was ready to welcome family and friends back to the farm. For Sawyer, hosting his daughter’s wedding on the farm where he grew up was special because it was an opportunity to connect the generations.

“Generation wise, my great-grandparents on my mom and dad’s side were all married up here,” he said. Sawyer and his wife, Jackie, also wed in Door County in 1982, with their reception being the last one held at the Greenwood Supper Club in Gibraltar.

“We had a seven-piece orchestra band in there and 350-400 guests – so many we had to have two seating times for food,” Sawyer said.

The ceremony that preceded the dinner was at Sister Bay’s St. Rosalia’s Church, which is now LURE Restaurant.

For many peninsula locals, the decision to host their wedding in Door County is connected to family pride, as well as pride in their community.

“It truly feels like a community of family here,” said Helscher, who used as many local vendors as possible to bring the vision for her and her husband's wedding to life. But it was more than a vision brought to life that Saturday in July nearly eight years ago: Life was brought back to the farm.

“A er my grandma Millie Sawyer, who lived on the farm, had to be moved to Scandia Village for long-term care, I remember having a small picnic with our family on the farm and thinking this would be the last time we’d ever gather there,” Helscher said.

Being able to have friends and family together on the farm once again – a place that held many memories and celebrations over the generations – “it was a dream come true,” Helscher said. “Now, being able to build my own family here, it’s like paying homage to all those who came before us.”

Vendors

Wedding Planner: Door County Event Planners Ceremony/Reception Venue: Sawyer Farms Catering/Dinner: Thyme Catering Wedding Rings: Samara Jewelry Designs Ceremony Music: Ben Larsen Photographer: Kim Thiel Photography Florist: Door Fleurs Hair: Tangled Salon Alterations: Julie’s Custom Clothing

NORTHERN HAUS, SISTER BAY WI

A MATCH MADE IN THE MIDWEST

The newest destination wedding for New Yorkers looking to escape the city is somewhere you would probably never guess: the midwest. This untapped gem is hidden at the very tip of a peninsula called Door County that reaches far out into Lake Michigan. In a little town called Sister Bay, Northern Haus is Wisconsin’s best kept secret. You’ll wind along a few quaint roads before this modern and beautifully industrial venue pops up almost out of nowhere. Built in a 30-acre field of high grass, wildflowers, and forest, Northern Haus is anything but its modest surroundings. You’ll be welcomed by a grand yet unassuming two story farmhouse; the perfect blank slate for all of your dream wedding visions to come to life. The space, complete with a 35-foot ceiling event room, a full bar, catering kitchen, luxury suite, prep quarters, and additional outdoor ceremony forest retreat, can hold up to 225 guests during any season of the year. The luxury suite and prep quarters are private spaces reserved for the couple and their accompanying parties. With a full bathroom, and yes, even a shower, five makeup counters complete with mirrors and outlets, a champagne and coffee bar, and lounge chairs in the luxury suite, and a lounge area, flat screen TV, wet bar, and mini fridge in the prep quarters, you’ll feel right at home.

The unmatched and exceptional service of Northern Haus is fueled by the hardworking and loyal people of Door County and incredible Preferred Vendor team, which span from the local peninsula area, to Chicago, Milwaukee, and beyond to cater to your every need.

For the wedding of a lifetime, this venue might be the one thing that gets us New Yorkers to finally touch down in the flyover states.

When we got engaged, the most important part of our wedding planning was, of course, finding the right venue. We wanted somewhere luxurious and modern, while warm and inviting. We loved the idea of being married among nature, but wanted an indoor space to account for fickle Midwest weather. In short, somewhere to be the perfect backdrop for one of the most important days of our lives.

When we found Northern Haus, it was as if someone had designed it just for us. Tucked away in northern Door County, Wisconsin, it’s far enough from the city to feel like a destination, but close enough to be convenient for our family and guests. The drive up took us through cherry and apple orchards, then quiet forested roads that opened to the Northern Haus venue itself; a beautiful white barn in a field dotted with wildflowers.

We were immediately in love with the location. Northern Haus has seemingly unlimited photo opportunities onsite, from the large, light-filled indoor space to the wooded forest retreat.We knew immediately we wanted to be married there, in the quiet, grassy clearing surrounded by the forest and our loved ones.

For our reception, we chose the large Gambrel Room for dinner and dancing. The white walls and tall ceilings were the perfect high-end backdrop for our decor, and our guests loved the covered porch for a quiet place to enjoy cocktails and chat. Our friends are still talking about the menu we chose with Northern Haus’ exclusive catering partners, and the custom, hand- crafted cocktails served with signature Midwestern charm.

I am so happy we found Northern Haus. From the ideal location to the flawless service, every detail was accounted for and handled with kindness and warmth. I’ll be recommending this venue to all my friends, if only to spend a few more wonderful evenings at Northern Haus.

Molly McGaan Chicago, IL