Walloon Lake Wedding Photography

Oh my! Look at this Bride and Groom, and those orchids! Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding Photography Northern Michigan by Photographer Paul Retherford.

Yes, this couple is gorgeous, the venue is amazing, and every vendor is doing an incredible job.

Luckily, I am the Photographer chosen to photograph their day!

Not only do I photograph the Wedding day, but I was also invited to be at their rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal is waterfront Walloon Lake too. Insane views!

First of all, lets talk about the flowers. William from Monarch Garden and Floral Design is the man. His design and floral skills are insane. If you are looking for someone to mirror your dream Wedding, well, William is your man.

This orchid bouquet is wonderful. It goes down in the top three bouquets of my career. Keep in mind that I have photographed over 600 Weddings! Why is it so amazing? The simplicity and freshness of the flowers, all while designing a cohesive piece.

Yes, it is orchids. But they are not just bound together.

There is an art in the design of even just stems of orchids. If I took these stems of orchids and bound them they would look nothing like this.

Kuddos to William and his eye for design.

Next I would like to mention Kim from Bella e Dolce cakes. This cake mirrored the floral design to a tee. Not only is it scrumptious, the design is simple and elegant.

The whole day is elegant from the dress, flowers, to the tuxes, the tiaras, cake, and the order of events.

First look Walloon Lake Wedding

The bride and groom choose to have a first look at the Brides parent’s house on Walloon Lake.

I love this first look! Not only is the Bride’s gown amazing, but the environment around them is stunning.

The Bride walks out of the house and says, “Let’s do this.” She has energy and her vibe is wonderful. This sets the stage for the remainder of the day.

We decide on the dock for the first look. Why not? It is Walloon Lake which, if you haven’t been, looks like a tropical paradise in the summer. The tranquil blue and turquoise waters are caused by deep, clean, sandy bottom fed by springs.

Of course the images of the first look are amazing. The lead up to it, back of the dress, the emotions…everything.

They jump in the speed boat and take a few turns around the area for some pics before doing a few more around the grounds.

Chris Riley Productions is videoing this day too.

Everyone travels over to the Walloon Lake Country Club.

Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding ceremony

Time for the ceremony at Walloon Lake Country Club. This venue is insane. The ceremony setup is on the base of the docks with the beautiful floral arch making the entrance to the Walloon Lake Country Club dock.

The guests make their way down from the club via a paved and winding path. There is a gazebo, some really nice birch trees, soft music playing, and a panoramic view of Walloon Lake.

On this bluebird day, oh my.

The men all arrived via the ski boat from the Brides parent’s house.

Again, the Bride looks just stunning in her gown!

An uncle marries the couple in a beautiful and personal Wedding ceremony.

The couple has some of the traditional Jewish events during the Wedding day.

With the breaking of the glass and the first kiss everyone cheers as the Bride and Groom walk arm in arm, and the ceremony is complete.

Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding Photography Northern Michigan reception

Right after the ceremony, the guests make their way to the outdoor Wedding reception, cocktail hour. The cocktail hour is on the deck of the Walloon Lake Country Club overlooking the ceremony location. Everything is so close and convenient. Even the parking lot is only a couple hundred yards away.

The Walloon Lake Country Club bring out hors d’oeuvre, and drinks are available at the bar.

During this time, we make beautiful family images at the ceremony location for about 15 minutes. Since we had a first look we didn’t really need to do too many images following the Wedding. Just family images.

The couple wanted more candid images with friends anyways.

Probably a half hour of mingling with the guests before introductions into the reception by Shawn Peterson of DJ’s North.

What I like about Shawn and his setup is that he has the Bose system which projects the sound all over the room. What this offers is consistent noise levels whether you are right next to him, or on the other side of the venue.

In addition, Shawn is a DJ at Odawa Casino and owns his own business.

Every vendor for the day owns their own business and runs it themselves, with the exception of the Walloon Lake Country Club. 🙂

One of the things I tell all of my Brides is owner/operator businesses will be your best decision. If you have the owner of the business at your Wedding, typically, you have the most knowledgeable and professional vendor. This is a bonus in my mind.

Upon being introduced, the couple cuts their cake and dances their first dance.

This allows for the cake to be served anytime, and people can get up and dance when they wish.

Toasts are provided by a host of people during the evening. They are spread out as to not hold up the evening.

Then it is dance, dance, dance, drink, dance, dance, dance the night away.

A noteworthy story, the Groom has a daughter and he raised her himself while going through college. His sister told a story about how he would google how to do things and watch videos. There wasn’t a dry eye in the venue. By the way, cutest daughter ever award!

Enjoy these Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding Photography Northern Michigan by photographer Paul Retherford images below. If you would like to see the entire collection of images visit the link Walloon Lake Country Club Wedding Photography.

All images by Paul Retherford Photography link here. Feel free to call Paul at 231-445-1793.