Waterfront Private Estate Wedding on Grosse Ile Detroit

Both originally from Detroit, now residing in Grand Rapids, Hannah and David met through mutual friends when they were only 16 and have been inseparable ever since. With a classic colour palette of greens and whites, and settings including a historic church, Victorian architecture and gorgeously manicured private gardens, you may never guess that this elegant waterside wedding, planned by SHORELINE EVENT DESIGN and captured by Grand Rapids wedding photographers THE FOURNIERS, took place in the heart of the Midwest.

St. Anne's Church, situated just down the road from Hannah's childhood home, was very minimally and simply decorated for their ceremony with greenery and floral from Hawthorne & Vine. THE FOURNIERS leaned into the historic architecture of the church and surrounding neighbourhood, as well as the Church's gorgeous view of the water for portraits of Hannah and David, their wedding party and family, including their adored pets along the way.

Living on Grosse Ile her entire life, it was important to the couple to also host their reception on there as well. The small island on the Detroit River didn't host the venue that suited their vision, so they opted to host a tented reception at their family friend's private home on the water. Guests enjoyed appetisers and cocktails from the Detroit Catering Company on the terrace while watching boats cruise by. 

An engineer and optometrist by trade, these two are wired for early mornings, so rather than a late night dance party to celebrate, their reception was an elegant, waterside dinner party under the tent. Guests dined to the music of a classical pianist and ended the evening with bocce ball and toasting marshmallows over an open fire at dusk. 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WEDDING STYLE? I wanted a classic, understated, white colour scheme with fresh greens to complement the beauty of the waterfront setting. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION? David and I wanted a special place where our favourite people could enjoy relaxing by the water. Our tented reception at our family friend’s home did exactly that. Our guest could sit and listen to the piano as they sipped on a drink or they could roast a marshmallow by the water. Our goal was a fun and relaxing atmosphere and we got just that.

HOW DID YOU MEET? We are high school sweethearts.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: David proposed at the National Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw. It was just the two of us on the beach when he asked me to marry him. The Dark Sky Park has always been an important place to us. While dating we would take a trip to the park every year and camp nearby.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS/ATTIRE: My mom and I went to Spring Sweet in Holland, MI. It is a beautiful bridal salon that gave me a personal and extraordinary experience. I tried on a handful of dresses but knew that this dress was the one as soon as I put it on.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: My cousin created a cascading bouquet of white roses and anemones with greens.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: Having a pianist play throughout the entire evening was one for the best details of the day.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? One of our favourite moments was the first look. It gave us time alone before the events of the day started.

WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU BOTH? The most important aspect of the wedding was to spend our special day with our closet family and friends.

ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? David and I both have grandparents that could not be there in person for our wedding and we wanted to honour them in a special way. David wore a pin I made inside his suit with photos of his grandpa and grandma. I had a floral arrangement that matched my flowers on my grandparent’s headstone. Our ceremony was at the chapel that my grandparents are buried at.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON: We will be traveling to Iceland for our 1 year anniversary.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? Not at all. It was everything we could have asked for.

A huge thank you to Grand Rapids wedding photographers THE FOURNIERS for sharing this beautiful wedding with us. Together this married duo create radiant and adventurous images of their couples in breathtaking locations around the world. "With romantic film tones and a blend of guided posing with photojournalism, we capture your most euphoric moments with a signature experience that is tailored to you. Our film wedding photography focuses on romantic, editorial, candid images full of radiant light." You can see more of their work in their portfolio here and check out this French Countryside Elegant Intimate Wedding Ideas.