There were just so many moments where we got to look at each other and feel like, ‘This is the best day ever!’
A Hollywood-Inspired Fresh Coast Soirée p. 26
Lakeside Wedding on Walloon p. 33
Grand Traverse Resort Getaway p. 42
Pro Tips: Mackinac Island Wedding Planning p. 46
A Rustic Deer Camp Celebration p. 52
—BRIDE CASSIDY KUREK “
A chic soirée redefines Up North wedding fashion.
BY MELISSA CONRADIE PHOTOS BY AMY CARROLL PHOTOGRAPHY
n a beautiful summer day in northern michigan, Riley Billingsley Juárez and Adrián Juárez celebrated their love lakeside at the private residence of Riley’s aunt and uncle, Brenda and Ross. Since Riley was a little girl, she dreamed of one day saying “I do” among their lush gardens, surrounded by the beauty of their one-of-a-kind Traverse City property.
Like many couples, Riley and Adrián wanted their wedding to reflect their own bold style. Long gone are the days of the “traditional” wedding planning approach; couples are redefining what it means to plan their big day and are more excited than ever to think outside the box.
For Riley and Adrián, that personalized approach involved sharing their story, including their family and honoring their culture. ›
When starting the planning process, they first focused on weaving their love story into their special day, and theirs began in a Los Angeles restaurant where they both worked. Riley and Adrián found creative ways to pay homage to their meeting wherever they could—from the invitations Riley designed to look like old-school guest checks, to the restaurant-themed table numbers.
It was also important to them to include their families’ stories. For Riley, that meant taking part in a time-honored tradition of riding in her grandmother’s convertible O ldsmobile Cutlass—the pride and joy of their family. Like many other couples in Riley’s family, Riley and Adrián cruised the streets of Traverse City post-ceremony in the beloved vintage sports car.
The couple also honored Adrián’s Mexican heritage and culture on their big day.
“Traverse City is my hometown and a place that means so much to both of us, but honoring my husband’s Mexican heritage to show the melding of our two families was really important to us,” Riley says. ›
“I knew I wanted to wear a bow veil à la Julia Roberts in ‘Runaway Bride,’” Riley says. “My mom found this pink tulle with cherries at EB2 in Traverse City and gave it to me thinking maybe I could use it for something wedding related. My friend Mason was able to make the fabric into a stunning veil with a pink bow on top. It seemed fitting to honor my TC roots!”
→ On Trend ←
Bold Groom Fashion
Grooms are stepping away from the classic black or navy suit, and also opting for accessories that are a little less formal, like Adrián’s white and maroon Nike high tops that he wore to the reception.
Stylish Accessories
Accessorizing is the best way to tie your signature style together, much like Riley did with her embroidered blush-pink veil.
Dessert Stations
Couples are skipping the traditional wedding cake and requesting smaller, less conventional wedding cakes and/or offering an assortment of sweets for their guests to enjoy. Riley and Adrián chose an ice cream sundae bar from Moomers Homemade Ice Cream.
Personalization
In the modern-day wedding planning process, personalization is everything. The little touches are often most loved and appreciated by your nearest and dearest. Guests want to feel like they just walked away from an event that was uniquely you.
“The inspiration for my suit was the iconic heroes of Mexico—the ‘charros’ that were movie stars, musical super stars, and the mariachi who would play at my family gatherings for celebrations,” Adrián says. “It’s about looking up to them and paying homage not only to my culture, but also to the spirit of celebration.” The fabric was purchased at B.Black & Sons, which has been open since 1922 in the heart of the Los Angeles Garment District, and custom made by El Charrito.
Dress: Dress: Mac Duggal, Anthropologie Weddings // Suit: Suit: B.Black & Sons, El Charrito // Catering: Catering: Boathouse Restaurant // Bar: Mammoth Distilling Dessert: Moomers Ice Cream // Entertainment: Chris Smith & DJ Marco // Rentals: Event Theory, GJ’s Rentals, Gigi & LaClede, BBJ La Tavola Linens
Transportation: Blue Lakes By The Bay
The groom’s mother, Angelica, sourced personalized papel picado banners from Mexico that are displayed in times of celebration, especially weddings. The banners adorned the ceiling of the reception tent, and colorful pom-poms lined the ceremony aisleway.
The couple’s love of vibrant colors and eclectic designs inspired their entire wedding vision. From jaw-dropping style (hello, babydoll pink tulle wedding dress and charro suit!) to the perfect finishing touches (Riley’s pink tulle veil embroidered with cherries), each choice the couple made reflected their creative, fun-loving style.
Melissa Conradie lives in Traverse City with her husband, Dawie, and English bulldog, Lola. Melissa’s event planning and design company, Conradie Event Design, has been creating unique memories in exceptional locations since 2011.
The eye-catching dress Riley wore was a Mac Duggal gown from Anthropologie Weddings.
“I knew I wanted a pink dress but never thought I would find one in a wedding dress shop,” Riley says. “I instantly loved it, but it had a lace underlay that I didn’t love, so my friend and talented clothing designer Mason Bunnell was able to change out the lace for some polka dot fabric that I think complemented the vintage look of the dress perfectly.”
Mission Table is the original house of the Stickney estate built in 1880, with incredible views of West Grand Traverse Bay. An award winning culinary team & a professional staff that anticipates your every need, will create memories that will last a lifetime.
We can accommodate ceremonies & receptions from 20–100 guests.
up northweddings we love weddings
Wedding Walloon on
With
an unhurried vacation--on-the-lake--feel,
a couple
gathers friends and family from afar to celebrate their love in their new favorite place.
TEXT BY MEAGAN FRANCIS
PHOTOS BY JENNA GREENAWALT PHOTOGRAPHY
Before 2019, columbus, ohio, natives cassidy and chris had never been to Northern Michigan. “Growing up, most people went south for vacations, to North Carolina or Florida,” explains Cassidy. But after moving to Detroit for Chris’s job in 2019, the couple finally visited the area on the recommendation of a client. “We were like, oh my gosh—how did we not know this existed?” says Cassidy. So when Chris came home from work one day and asked if Cassidy would consider moving to Petoskey, it didn’t take long for her to give a hearty “yes.”
The next “yes” was still a couple of years away, after they’d had a chance to establish some Northern Michigan memories of their own. For his proposal, Chris re-created a trip the two had taken when they were initially exploring the area: a winery tour, a kayak trip, a dune hike, with the engagement ring stashed under Chris’s baseball cap the whole day. >
And soon after Cassidy said “yes,” Chris posed a third question: “Why don’t we just get married up here?” Cassidy resisted the idea at first, thinking the travel would be inconvenient for their guests, most of whom still lived in Ohio. But Chris persisted. “What’s more romantic and cool than bringing all the people we love to this place that we’ve completely fallen in love with?” he argued.
Cassidy was convinced, and their next decision—to hold the wedding at Hotel Walloon—was an easy one. The couple loved kayaking the lake, and Chris’s parents had stayed at Hotel Walloon a few times, “so we knew how amazing it was,” says Chris. Since they wanted a smaller wedding, Hotel Walloon’s intimate size, with just 32 guest rooms, suited the couple perfectly. “We imagined it would be like summer camp.”
As family and friends gathered in the week leading up to the wedding, Cassidy and Chris basked in the shared appreciation of their new home. “Our friends and family were amazed,” says Chris. Guests fished, boated, and just relaxed in the Northern Michigan atmosphere: “They really treated it like a vacation, and that was our dream come true,” says Chris.
On the wedding day itself, the festivities began with a lateafternoon ceremony on Hotel Walloon’s brick waterfront patio. After they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Kurek, the couple walked down the hotel’s dock and climbed into a vintage Chris
Craft and took a private ride around the lake while their guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the hotel patio. “Our guests just watched us sailing away while we waved back at them,” Chris says with a smile. “That was a really epic moment.”
Throughout the wedding week, the couple’s 100 guests were able to stay mostly in one place, lending the festivities an unhurried, relaxed feeling and allowing Cassidy and Chris to achieve another dream: that of being together for the majority of the wedding day. Since no time had been lost in traveling from one venue to another, they’d had plenty of opportunity to connect with loved ones and were able to relax and enjoy one another’s company during the reception. “Chris and I really made a point to not leave each other’s side the whole day and evening,” Cassidy says. “There were just so many moments where we got to look at each other and feel like, ‘This is the best day ever!’”
LAKE VACATION VIBES
“We wanted the vibe to be really laid-back, like a family lake vacation, but elevated,” says Cassidy. The garden-party theme was supported by “cheerful, joyful touches,” like a colorful sailcloth tent. The hotel lobby was decorated with old family photos: loved ones who had passed away, but also childhood vacations of the couple and their families. “It almost felt like
we were hosting everyone in our own home.” Keeping with the relaxed, beachside feel, Vernales catered four courses, including a fresh whitefish and shrimp ceviche that was waiting for guests when they were initially seated at the reception. “I can’t believe how much food we had. Nobody went hungry, that’s for sure,” laughs Cassidy. The seated dinner was followed by a raucous rave-like party right in the lobby, complete with strobe lights and lasers, “that completely transformed the space,” says Chris. In addition to a traditional wedding cake, the couple offered another beachside nod: treats from Jeni’s Ice Cream. “A highlight of the night was pushing the ice cream cart around the dance floor and serving our friends!” Cassidy says.
SMALL TOUCHES, BIG IMPACT
“Our planners loved working with the Hotel Walloon staff— they’re super responsive, really helpful, just truly willing to do whatever and go above and beyond any idea that we pitched to them,” says Cassidy, citing extra surprises, like the door key cards printed with Cassidy and Chris’s engagement photo and the wedding date, handwritten letters from hotel staff in the honeymoon suite, and even a special present from the gift shop that a staff member had overheard Cassidy admiring during a visit weeks earlier. “Nothing felt like it was asking too much, and from the moment we walked in the door, Chris and I felt like royalty.”
Meagan Francis is a writer whose work has appeared in Parenting, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Midwest Living, The Washington Post, NBCNews.com, NYTimes.com, and is the author of the forthcoming The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read.
Venue: Venue: Hotel Walloon // Planner: Planner: Lexxie and Natasha with Aisle & Co. // Photographer: Jenna Greenawalt // Content Creator: Content Creator: Wedding Days with Dania Florist: Florist: Sweetwater Floral // Hair: Hair: Sarah Whittaker // Makeup: Angie Warren Artistry // Dress: Dress: Alex Perry from Ultimate Bride Chicago // Bridesmaids Dresses: Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Paper Details and Invitation Suite: Paper Details and Invitation Suite: Designed by bride, printed by Avant Garde Impressions // Entertainment: Entertainment: DJ Casey Rusch with Rusch Entertainment
LAKESIDE VENUES: Hotel Walloon and the Village of Walloon Lake o er four di erent wedding venues to pair together for your wedding weekend. With over 11,000 square feet of venue space, we can host intimate to large celebrations, based on your vision for your perfect wedding.
Your Dream Wedding
In Northern Michigan’s Hidden Oasis
Nestled on the east shores of Walloon Lake, Hotel Walloon is an iconic setting for elegant lakeside weddings. Choose from an array of sophisticated venues with a unique history, including stunning, customizable indoor and outdoor spaces overlooking Walloon’s crystal-clear waters. Our waterfront venues also provide an exquisite space for rehearsal dinners, welcome receptions, and fond farewell brunches. Experienced wedding specialists are there to assist with all of your planning needs from local vendor selection and catering to luxurious overnight accommodations for you and your guests. Walloon Lake Village o ers a range of options, designed to create an experience and celebration just for you.
Travel + Leisure’s Number One Resort in the Midwest, 2023
Hotel Walloon o ers an unparalleled experience. e hotel combines the charm and hospitality of the early twentieth century with the comforts of every modern amenity. e privately owned boutique hotel features spacious guest rooms, elegant design, rich history, and worldclass service. An exclusive and unforgettable wedding day awaits in Walloon.
WEDDING
WEEKEND EXPERIENCE:
Friday Rehearsal Dinner at Walloon Lake Inn. Welcome Party on Hotel Walloon’s Patio.
Saturday Ceremony on Hotel Walloon’s Patio and Reception at the Village Green Park.
Sunday Fond Farewell Brunch on Hotel Walloon’s Patio.
LOCATION:
Explore the beauty of Michigan from our central location. Travel from Walloon Lake village to Petoskey, Boyne City, Harbor Springs, Mackinac Island, and Traverse City.
HOTEL WALLOON AMENITIES
Hotel Walloon o ers various types of guest rooms. Each guest room has the below array of amenities included in the room rate:
• A relaxing Hearth Room that o ers (4) food presentations throughout the day including a continental breakfast, fruit, cookies, and snacks through the afternoon, a hors d’oeuvres display from Walloon Lake Inn in the evening, followed by a dessert presentation.
• Semi-private porch and/or balcony for each guest room
• Complimentary valet and concierge services
• Private beach and patio area with heaters and a re pit
• An outdoor heated whirlpool spa, with a heated patio for year-round use
• Billiards room
• 24-hour tness center
• An exclusive bar in the Hearth room for Hotel guests only. Charges may be routed to a guest room or paid separately.
• Our guest rooms o er a mini fridge, heated bathroom oors, plush bath robes, slippers, an Amazon Echo acting as an in-room concierge to assist with requests during your visit, and other state-of-the-art electronics for your guests to enjoy. ADVERTISEMENT
4127 N M-75
Walloon Lake, MI 49796
231-535-5000 hotelwalloon.com
Event Rooms: 4
Guest Rooms: 32 Reception Capacity: Up to 210
Event Sales
Emily Jensen (231) 489-1012
ejensen@hotelwalloon.com
A Grand Affair
With turnkey planning, endless amenities and a oneof-a-kind setting, weddings become the experience of a lifetime at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
TEXT BY LISA BLAKE
PHOTOS BY KATE ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHY
Megan and ben jonker couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect wedding day. The gorgeous sunny September afternoon caressed in soft breezes, the sunset ceremony on the private Beach Club deck on sparkling East Grand Traverse Bay, the barefoot sugar-sand photoshoot, and the adorable personalized touches woven into the ceremony and reception made it feel as though they’d rubbed a magic lamp and a genie had answered their every wish.
Enter the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa weddings team. The property’s wishgranting experts crafted Megan and Ben’s day down to the intentional hole in their tiered wedding cake made to look like the couple’s dog had snuck in a nibble.
“At their day-after brunch, the wedding party and guests said, ‘We can’t believe it’s over,’” says Payton Taylor, wedding sales and service manager. “The bride and groom and their parents ended up extending their stay by an extra day because they didn’t want it to end.”
Taylor has worked directly with dozens of couples, using special diagramming software to configure table arrangements, seating charts and prime dance floor placement; painting the weekend in detailed color palettes; arranging spa days and golf outings; and coordinating flawless rehearsal dinners, receptions and send-off brunches.
“The beauty of Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is that it’s genuinely a one-stop shop for weddings,” Taylor says. “And once you’re here, you really don’t have to leave for anything.”
The 900-acre Northern Michigan resort features nine flexible indoor and outdoor wedding venues, spanning ballrooms to a scenic overlook tower to the wooded championship golf course 55th Hole hideaway. The resort accommodates wedding parties as large as 500 and can orchestrate intimate events for parties as small as five. >
Destination weddings begin with complimentary guest shuttles to and from the airport. Guests settle into comfortable hotel rooms and condos; savor luxe spa treatments and active pickleball, tennis and golf gatherings; and indulge in specialty cocktails, dancing and culinary delights. The inhouse catering and pastry team goes above and beyond, creating menus around a couple’s specific tastes and authentic family traditions, greeting guests at cocktail hour with flutes of Champagne, and designing show-stopping wedding cakes and dessert tables. Resort staff is practiced at bring couples’ visions to life, whether its themes like Midnight in Paris or Moroccan soirée.
“If the couple can dream it, we can do it,” Taylor says.
Vintage getaway car exits and romantic horseback ceremony entrances have been seamlessly executed along with week-long family gatherings filled with time on the resort’s three championship golf courses, beaches, water playground and pools, dinners among five restaurants and lounges, and playtime at the full-service arcade with VR games and an escape room.
Couples typically reach out eight months to a year in advance of their desired wedding date and begin the planning process with Taylor and her team. A site tour and complimentary food tasting are enjoyed and couples often stay on property beforehand to soak up the amenities and map out the upcoming celebration.
As the big day approaches, the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa staff ensures every detail is in place, every piece of flatware is polished, every vendor is ready to go. Turnkey destination weddings unfold with ease and grace while couples take that first step into their next chapter.
property
photos
credit:
Grand Traverse
Resort and Spa
Your Dream Wedding DESTINATION
Mackinac Island is a national wedding destination. Its roots are based on the classic fairy tale weddings featuring the horse-drawn carriage, sweeping panoramic views, and the peacefulness of Island time.
Photo by: Sara Lynn Macy
6 Insider Tips for a Glorious Mackinac Island Wedding
The island holds the secret to destination wedding bliss.
by LISA BLAKE
With easy-access mini-destination weddings on the rise, dreamy Mackinac Island is finding itself at the top of 2025 wedding wishlists. Here, the inside scoop on how to make your Mackinac Island wedding sing:
Spring for the Flight
Stepping onto the plane at quaint Mackinac County Airport, enjoying a bird’s-eye-view of Lake Huron and the iconic Mackinac Bridge, landing on Mackinac Island and taking a carriage ride to town sets a magical tone for the entire celebration. If the air taxi just isn’t in the cards, there are plenty of fast and frequent ferries and private wedding charter options to choose from.
Let the Vendors Do Their Thing
A florist delivering peonies by bike, a cake artist bringing the tiered buttercream in a carriage—common sights at this romantic destination. Because they are familiar with the island’s transportation rhythms, local vendors seamlessly coordinate logistics, ensuring everything you need arrives on time. Onisland wedding planners know every view, logistical technicality, ferry schedule and horse around the 8.2-mile island. DJ’s, officiants and florists are all here, so there’s no need to import and coordinate travel for off-island vendors.
Personalize It—Island Style
Mackinac Island is known as the Fudge Capital of the World; home to 13 fudge shops and seven fudge companies. Customize party favor boxes from Joann’s Fudge, gifts for guests and the wedding party from Ryba’s Fudge shops, or call on Original Murdick’s Fudge for a sweets bar stocked with fudgy favorites.
Mackinac Island is also 80 percent state park property, making it a beautiful landscape for a group hike or a personalized scavenger hunt.
Relish in a traditional post-ceremony carriage ride down Main Street, stopping for kisses as friendly visitors cheer you on. Tip: Have your photographer follow behind on a bicycle and make your way to the shoreline for a private shoot.
Get Married on a Tuesday
Nothing says you have to get married on a Saturday at sunset. The blooming gardens, crystal blue waters, historic statues and fountains are here every day. Midweek ceremonies bring a sense of exclusivity and tranquility. Twilight gatherings enjoy lanternlit streets with more vendor flexibility and fewer crowds. Even the horses seem to move at a slower, easier pace.
Go Big on the Venue Photos
It’s not unusual for a Mackinac Island couple to select their wedding venue based on its breathtaking vistas and unreal setting. Embrace the Inn at Stonecliffe’s Victorian aesthetic and $40 million renovation and tour the onsite orchard and garden where ingredients are picked for reception dinners. Host a cocktail party on the iconic Grand Hotel porch. Exchange vows among stained glass and murals at Sainte Anne’s. Or channel the days of high tea and croquet with a Great Lawn celebration at Mission Point Resort.
Give Guests a Dose of Adventure
Guests enjoy a mini-vacay with a sip-n-sail boat cruise or preday spa session, golf outing or carriage ride. Plan an island bike ride with your wedding party, visiting historic landmarks and sampling fudge as you go. Go phone- and technology-free for a bit and fully welcome the island’s charming slower pace.
Look to this treasured Northern Michigan destination for a wedding you’ll hold in your hearts for the rest of your lives. Start planning at mackinacisland.org.
photo by Sara Lynn Macy
wedding woods in the
Rustic cabins. Retro thermoses.
Felt pennants.
This camp-themed wedding is a vibe.
TEXT BY Allison Jarrell Acosta PHOTOS BY Rachel Burns Photography
hen it came time to plan the wedding of their dreams, devon and John Hanner knew it would take place surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Michigan. Pair that with Devon’s love of antiques and anything retro, and you have a match made in mood board heaven.
In fact, if you’ve seen the iconic summer camp–inspired Wes Anderson film “Moonrise Kingdom” then you know the exact aesthetic the couple was going for: muted tones, felt pennants, vintage thermoses and all things camping.
With that theme in mind, it didn’t take long for Devon and John to tour Camp Deer Trails, nestled on Long Lake in Harrison. The 140-acre property features lakeside campsites, charming cabins and forested trails; they knew it was the perfect fit. ›
“We loved the dense woods and waterfront views,” Devon says. “It also fit our theme perfectly—it’s a retired Girl Scout Camp that’s been recently renovated and reopened as a public campground and event center.
“When we first toured the venue, I was drawn to this rustic cabin toward the back of the property,” Devon continues. “It wasn’t really used for anything at the time, but I begged the owner, Courtney, to let us get married in it. It was just a shell of an empty cabin but had a gorgeous stone fireplace. We put
long wooden benches in it and lit some candles above the mantle. It was beautiful.”
Beyond their dream ceremony location, Devon says they loved the convenience of on-site lodging and catering. Guests could camp in cabins, rustic tents or rustic RV sites, or head to nearby Wilson State Park for full hook-ups. And for those craving a more urban option, the historic Doherty Hotel is just 20 minutes away in downtown Clare, as well as chic Airbnb options. In true camp fashion, Devon DIY’ed much ›
of their wedding—she did her own wedding planning and designed the stationery. Her aunt, Carol Morse, made her son’s and daughter’s outfits. A family friend, Gus Murphy, stepped in as their florist. And Devon thrifted all of the décor. “It took me a long time,” she says of the thrifting, “but it was definitely worth it!”
Her favorite pieces were thermoses used as vases for their flower arrangements, and the custom felt pennant she had made from Oxford Pennant (“The Hanner Family, Est. 2022”).
In addition to these lovingly crafted details, family and friends enjoyed snacking on charcuterie boards by Longer Table in Harrison; a beef brisket and smoked chicken dinner from Cole’s Catering Service; and a full bar, including the bride’s
drink of choice, a mojito, and the groom’s favorite, whiskey sour.
And to top it all off, the desserts from Leaman’s Green Applebarn in Freeland were what dreams are made of: caramel apples, plenty of pie, s’more and strawberry rhubarb donuts.
“Our favorite moment was eating dinner together privately outside the rustic cabin we got married in,” Devon says. “Oftentimes brides and grooms get rushed off to the reception or to pictures right after the ceremony, and we
didn’t want that to be the case. It was important to us to make sure we had a little bit of time to ourselves to reflect after our ceremony.”
The late September celebration came together just as the couple hoped—even with rain and an autumn chill in the air. The weather, they said, made their wedding in the woods that much cozier.
We adore the convertible Oldsmobile Cutlass newlyweds Riley Billingsley Juárez and Adrián Juárez took for a post-wedding spin around Traverse City. For those who don’t have access to that kind of vintage glory in their garage, Hagerty’s DriveShare program has you covered. Rent a classic car for your big day, engagement photoshoot, honeymoon, you name it. – A.J.A.
