A Chic Fall Wedding at Windmill Island in Holland, Michigan

Between Nicole Prince’s (30 and a copywriter for BHLDN) eye for style and Tim Barnes’s (29 and a design director Shift Design) background in design, there was no question in anyone’s mind that their wedding would be elegant, chic and one of a kind. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based couple ditched the East Coast and headed to Nicole’s hometown of Holland, Michigan, to celebrate with their family friends, hosting the ceremony at the same church where her parents and grandparents were married, followed by a night of dinner and dancing at Windmill Island. A week after Tim popped the question, the pair kicked off the planning process with a brainstorming session, making a list of words that captured their wedding day vision; "warm," "intimate," "personal" and "dinner party" were just some of the many things that came to mind. With a late-September date to say their “I dos,” the couple chose a romantic fall-inspired palette of rich berry, merlot, peach and dark green hues. Since Nicole and Tim lived over 1,000 miles away, Nicole’s mother and family friends were instrumental in ensuring the day went off without a hitch. They spent hours scouring shops for vintage vases, growing herbs and succulents for the centerpieces, meeting with vendors and cutting fabric for the reception. “I really owe her a vacation,” Nicole says. All the flowers were locally sourced from flower farms and family homes and were transformed into breathtaking bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces that infused the understated event space at Windmill Island with warmth and ambiance. Natural elements like birch rounds, terrariums and leafy green wreaths lent an organic element to the decor, creating a balance of rustic sophistication when paired with gilded accents from BHLDN. Nicole and Tim took the lead on the stationery, an element that gave the day a modern, personal edge. “I worked on all the copy for the wedding, then passed it off to Tim,” Nicole says. “He was the mastermind behind all of our paper assets, as well as the majority of the signage, which he hand-painted the week of the wedding. The escort cards were particularly of note, each featuring one of eight hand-drawn iconic chairs, a nod to Tim’s architecture and design background. Knowing many of their guests had dietary restrictions, Nicole took dessert into her own hands. “I had one oven fire, three burned tortes, one collapsed cake and many tears, but it all worked out in the end,” Nicole says.