If you’re looking for ideas for planning the perfect casual wedding welcome party, you’re in the right place. I’m kicking off sharing more of Katie and Roger’s incredible wedding weekend with their casual, backyard welcome party. These two hit every touchpoint so perfectly for their intimate, intentional, experiential destination wedding weekend, and I barely know where to even begin!
To start, here’s a few key details you should know. They kicked off the magic with choosing a location for their wedding that is deeply special and loved to both of them, Katie’s family’s cabin in Michigan. And, they chose to do it over the 4th of July holiday—one of the sweetest and most fun celebration traditions in town!
When you’re planning a destination wedding weekend, there’s a few things to keep in mind that can take really up the experience for your guests. Wedding weekend events can be such a transformational time with your favorite people, creating memories together that are going to stick with all of you for a long time. Giving people a chance to take a pause from daily life and really soak in quality time with each other, and reconnect to the love and joy that exists in the world. Now that is worth celebrating.
[Love photos, but don’t want them to feel like a big production? Reach out and let’s chat about documenting your intimate wedding weekend!]
Wedding welcome party ideas to keep in mind: the welcome party sets the tone for the weekend and gives everyone a chance to orient themselves. Consider including lots of personal stories and details, as well as incorporating local touches to introduce guests to the area.
Katie and Roger and their family hosted most of their wedding weekend events at the family cabin in Michigan—a place where Katie’s family has gathered every summer since even before her grandfather built the cabin 75 years ago. During the welcome dinner, Katie’s mom shared the history of the cabin, inviting guests into the story and shared history they were now all a part of, as Katie and Roger prepared to tie the knot. They grilled out, played cornhole and croquet, enjoyed the sunset over Lake Leelanau, shared the quintessential Michigan cherry pie, and wrapped up with enjoying the views of the fireworks in town from across the lake!
We documented not only the celebration of everyone hanging out and getting to know one another, but I also spent time documenting the sights of Up North, around town, and the details around the cabin. Creating a whole and complete visual story of their wedding weekend, that they and their family and friends will be able to look back at for decades to come and remember the magic of celebrating together.
There is such a beautiful depth in an intimate wedding weekend, and it was an incredible honor to document every moment of it. Scroll down to see images from Up North, the welcome party, and of course, the town fireworks that they timed to perfectly wrap up the evening!
For extra bonus fun, hit play on the album “Welcome” (the original, not the reframe!) by the Arcadian Wild, which was my personal soundtrack for driving all over the stunning Leelanau Peninsula!
One thing I’m just completely obsessed with about these photos is that they feel like the kind of photos that would fill a family scrapbook. Family and friends, grilling out in the backyard before fireworks, in one of their favorite places in the world. No script, unposed, no checklists, no big production. Just the joy of being together! It’s one of my favorite things about an intentional, intimate wedding weekend. Seamlessly and groundedly blending in to the celebration and documenting this joy for you.
Want to see what that looks like for your wedding? Let’s talk!
Yup, still obsessed 5 months later haha. Check back soon (and I’ll update here with links!) for more from this weekend including the 4th of July parade, rehearsal dinner, and wedding day!
xoxo, Jen
P.S. Looking for a photographer to create art in the real moments of your wedding weekend, without making it feel like a big production? I’d love to talk with you! Visit the website for more information and to fill out the contact form and I’ll get you all the info you need!
