A Classic, Elegant Wedding at Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan

As undergraduates at Pepperdine University, newlyweds Lauren (28 and a history of art graduate student) and Gary (28 and a law school student) met and dated for a number of years before getting engaged on Point Dume beach in Malibu. "It was where I lived when we first started dating," Lauren says. "One year minus a day later, we were married." For their classic, June wedding, the couple returned to the bride's hometown of Grand Rapids to celebrate with 180 family members and friends at the Cascade Hills Country Club. "We settled on Grand Rapids because we love Michigan in the summer," Gary explains. "It's so lush and green compared to dry California where we currently live!" Dressed in a white lace Monique Lhullier gown, the bride and her groom exchanged vows at the Central Reformed Church before retreating to the local country club for a formal fête with guests. "We wanted our wedding to look traditional, yet still romantic and modern," Lauren explains. To achieve this look, the couple kept the color palette fairly neutral with pops of green and pink against muted tones like gold and ivory. The bride even carried a neutral bouquet made from peonies and Lily of the Valley for an elegant, yet classic, look. "Our wedding was formal and I wanted the flowers to reflect this," the bride says. "But I also wanted a degree of softness -- a look that was elegant, but not uptight." Gold chargers popped against ivory linens while lush greens added contrast to the predominantly white flower arrangements. "The menus were a last-minute creation at Mason Jones in Grand Rapids," the bride explains. "The generous staff at the country club even agreed to place rosemary sprigs with the menus the morning of the wedding." As a warm, final touch, hundreds of tea lights were scattered throughout the space to add just the right amount of warmth to the venue. "We were just happy that our guests had fun," the bride explains. "We wanted our wedding to truly be a celebration for everyone involved. Many of our guests traveled a long way to be there, so we felt honored that they made the effort to spend that day with us."