Hannah and Mark came to Northern Michigan from just further south in Grand Rapids where they both work and met in the engineering and design field. While planning her wedding in 2020, Hannah ventured off to start her own interior design firm, Hannah Leigh Interiors, and her talent, eye, and visionary skills set the tone for this bold, gorgeous autumn wedding at the historic homestead Fieldguide Farmhouse in Central Lake.

 

Hannah and Mark had already planned on a smaller wedding of around 100 guests for their October nuptials, and hoped to have a casual evening after their ceremony for dinner and music and hanging out on the lovely property of Fieldguide Farmhouse. And so when COVID preparations were under way beginning in spring 2020, we knew that we could keep much of Hannah and Mark's vision of a romantic outdoor soiree a la Northern Michigan style, complete with bonfires and seasonal craft cocktails.

 

When the weather forecast abruptly changed for the first week of October and we were facing 40 degree temperatures and an unusual northerly storm system, we quickly had to translate the al fresco dining plans into a tented reception, and provide coverage for the bars as well to ensure guests were warm and comfortable throughout the evening.

 

All hands were on deck as we prepared for Hannah and Mark's wedding and what we knew would be a challenging storm to account for throughout the weekend, and Hannah finally revealed to us the colorful and eclectic decor she had been working on all year for her wedding. Earthy warm jewel tones of orange, rust, mauve, pink, and cabernet popped in Hannah's invitation suite design, modern signage design, and in her textural tablescape design in which she juxtaposed relaxed ivory cheesecloth with stoneware candleholders, amber glassware with matte gold statement flatware, and handmade pieces such as minimalist modern name cards, arched table numbers set in low wood holders, custom logos designed on goatsmilk soap labels from a farm near their home, and all filled in with organic, bold, and whimsical floral from Cass and Jean Floral Co. My lead assistant Caitlin and I had so much fun styling Hannah's design pieces and executing her vision, and respected how well they adapted to a change of al fresco dining plans within a 72 hour notice and allowed us to create something inviting, safely distanced, and lovely in their tented reception.

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Guests arrived to Fieldguide Farmhouse by shuttle bus from nearby Shanty Creek Resort and were greeted with elegant poured champagne and a lovely ceremony space overlooking Central Lake, where Hannah and Mark exchanged their vows. Everything about Hannah and Mark's aesthetic was so textural, from her beaded drop waist dress and lusciously styled curls to Mark's impressively groomed shoulder length beard and herringbone suit. After their ceremony, they described wanting a long and languishing cocktail hour without too much structure or formal plans to follow, which is exactly the type of vibe that lends itself to such a fun and relaxed evening. Guests immediately headed to the covered and heated bar deck where The Bartending Co. served an array of signature cocktails and local beers and wines, and noshed on individually boxed small bites prepared by the team of The Daily Blend. Right as the rains finally came, guests made their way into the warm and candlit tent, and enjoyed several rounds of speeches before enjoying a decadent and colorful taco spread cooked on site by The Daily Blend. Hannah and Mark are not only designers who love craft cocktails, but are also audiophiles who created a romantic punk, smooth, feel good playlist to last the night, which ended with Hannah and a few of her closest friends dancing in a perfect revelry in the tent at the end of the night. 

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