Perri and Dirk did not let the pandemic stop them from having the wedding of their dreams. These two love birds knew that they wanted a simple yet elegant wedding, and agreed the perfect venue would be in the bride’s hometown of West Bay Beach along the water where Perri grew up boating and swimming. The beautiful ceremony was held on the lawn of the West Bay Beach Resort overlooking the bay.
Perri + Dirk's Traverse City Wedding Film.
Wedding Cinematography: 97 Films
The natural blue, green, and silver accents of the bridesmaids’ dresses from David’s Bridal and venue decor, along with simple white lights hung around the Hooper’s Farm Garden greenery made the evening look out of a fairytale!
Groomsmen photo at Hoopers Farms.
photo credit: Exposures by Rah
Let's first start with the dress. Perri wore a gorgeous gown, designed by Ann Barge, which was true to theme: simple and sophisticated. She paired the gown with royal blue suede flats - a nod to her bridesmaids dresses and husband-to-be’s tie. Both Perri’s make up artist, Sarah Gillis and hair stylist, Mallary Burroughs, came up to the wedding suite at the resort to style her stunning updo and create her soft glam look.
The couple incorporated unique and sentimental elements to their reception that made the day extra special including beautiful vintage cobalt blue water glasses from Gigi & LaClede (out of Grand Rapids) which reminded Perri of her Great Aunt. The newly married couple dined at McGee’s 72 with their closest family and friends in celebration.
Perri and Dirk sunset photo at McGee's 72.
photo credit: Exposures by Rah
It was an honor to work with Sarah from Exposures by Rah who photographed the Perri and Dirk's magical day. Most of the amazing shots were captured after the ceremony in the charming gardens and the dramatic bright blue ethereal smoke bombs added a perfect backdrop to the dreamy setting.
Perri and Dirk in a Catalpa Tree at Hoopers Farms.
photo credit: Exposures by Rah
You can either see weddings in the time of COVID as a glass half full or a glass half empty. Perri and Dirk definitely chose to see the positive, and I’m so happy they did! Yes, they had to make a few changes and postpone their larger reception, however, in doing so, it allowed for a much more intimate day with just their closest friends and family. In the end, they were pleased with the small ceremony as it took a lot of the pressure off, and made the day feel more relaxing.
I conducted a little Q&A for the bride and groom to share some more background on their love story, wedding inspiration, and advice. Take a look:
How did you two meet?
Online! Not afraid to admit that once we hit 30 we decided to give it a go, and so thankful we did!
How did he propose?
Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on a bike ride to Sausalito.... His second attempt due to a “ruined moment” the night before by some fellow tourists that were taking our picture. Instead we were able to get it on camera with a little stand to take our picture!
What was your favorite moment of the wedding?
Kissing my HUSBAND!
What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?
Roll with the punches. Things are going to come up that you can’t control and it will make you so much happier if you are open to options! At the end of the day, all that matters is that you are getting married to the man of your dreams! AND hire a day-of coordinator! They will be your best friend on that day!
Are you getting married in Northern Michigan? Send me an email [katie@97films.com] or fill out the contact form and let’s chat about how AMAZING your wedding day will be and how I can capture every single detail!
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