Northern Michigan Weddings: Romance At Crystal Mountain
Northern Michigan Weddings: The bride and groom returned to their childhood summer destination to say "I do" in Northern Michigan.
Northern Michigan Weddings: Amy and Kurt didn’t have just a wedding day when they chose Crystal Mountain for their destination wedding; they had a wedding weekend. Located in Thompsonville, this Northern Michigan resort is a short drive from Traverse City, the Sleeping Bear Dunes and Lake Michigan—destinations that provided seemingly endless fun for the guests of this rustically elegant wedding.
Since meeting as neighbors while students at Western Michigan University, Jackson-born Amy and Kalamazoo-born Kurt have moved to Minnesota, but their hearts, family and friends still live in Michigan. “We love, love, love Northern Michigan,” Amy says. Both vacationed there while growing up, so an Up North destination wedding was perfectly tailored for them.
Adventures like wine tasting on the Leelanau Peninsula and tubing down the Platte River filled the long Labor Day weekend, giving the wedding a stress-free vacation feeling. Crystal Mountain provided its fair share of entertainment, too. Amy chose Crystal for its close-knit community and amenities for all age-groups, and guests took full advantage, splashing in the resort’s waterpark, speeding down the alpine slide and luxuriating at Crystal Spa, which rented out space for the bridal party’s pre-wedding primping.
Crystal Mountain also fulfilled the couple’s one wedding wish: to be married on top of a mountain. Chairlifts transported the wedding party and guests high atop a hillside overlook, where birch logs, hand-carved with Amy and Kurt’s initials, lined the aisle to the altar. After saying “I do,” the newlyweds shared one of their favorite moments from the wedding day—a quiet chairlift ride back down the mountain with the September sun on their faces and a soft breeze cooling the 80-degree day.
Once guests and wedding party touched ground, it was time for the reception at Crystal Mountain’s beautiful Northwest Territories Ballroom. Not one for frills, Amy filled the reception with rustic decor and a casual elegance that lent the night a classic simplicity. Birch place card holders and vases hand-carved with the couple’s initials and filled with LED-lit branches decorated the ballroom, while framed wedding photographs from Amy and Kurt’s families captured a timeless romance. A Hungarian Grand March, complete with customary dance line, whiskey shot, chocolate, cigar and polka, kicked off the reception, and guests danced the night away for a perfect end to a wonderful weekend.
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A cappuccino-colored sash embellished with rhinestones and pearls added an elegant flair to Amy's sweetheart cut wedding dress. (Craig Watson Photography)
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A Hungarian Grand March in honor of Kurt's heritage brought the guests to their feet. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Amy and Kurt high atop the hillside overlook. (Craig Watson Photography)
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An elegant "E" for Ellis paired with green and white fondant flowers glam up the classically tiered and navy-accented wedding cake. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Crystal Spa adorned Amy's hair with a rhinestone headband. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Florist Marla Courtney Wood created a bridal bouquet of green orchids and bells of Ireland. (Craig Watson Photography)
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For the reception, Amy and Kurt hand-carved their initials into rustic birch vases that held LED-lit branches. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Kurt and Amy's wedding reception lit up the bay windows of Northwest Territories Ballroom at Crystal Mountain. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Kurt's sister hand-painted a "Just Married" sign for the newlyweds. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Photographer Craig Watson took pictures of Amy and Kurt along Lake Michigan's shoreline in Frankfort before the wedding. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Pockets in Amy's gown and the bridesmaids' dresses captured a much-wanted casual air, and proved useful for holding lip gloss and tissues. (Craig Watson Photography)
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Surrounded by family, Kurt kicks it saloon-style in front of B&L Bar, 10 miles from Crystal Mountain. (Craig Watson Photography)
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The bridesmaids' green spider mum bouquets were placed in mason jars filled with river rocks and sand and repurposed as centerpieces during the reception. (Craig Watson Photography)
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The couple displayed place cards in birch holders. (Craig Watson Photography)
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The new couple shares their first moment as husband and wife. (Craig Watson Photography)
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