A Sweet Rustic Wedding at Blue Dress Barn in Benton Harbor, Michigan

The love story of Melanie Robbins-Ong (30 and a resident physician) and Binnan Ong (28 and a resident physician) brings tears to our eyes. This couple have stayed strong through long-distance and life-threatening medical conditions, which made their wedding all the more meaningful. They got married at the Blue Dress Barn in Benton Harbor, Michigan, which provided the main inspiration for the turquoise blue base of their color palette—and the bridesmaid dresses, of course. “We picked Blue Dress Barn because it is religiously neutral, romantic, rustic and a perfect getaway location,” the couple says. They added a hint of modern formality in their wedding-day fashions, but kept the rest of their wedding casual, like the barn venue. “We wanted our guests to think 'Damn, they look sharp,' but not feel like they have to know which fork is the salad fork. The barn was great because the nontraditional setting and rustic feel naturally made people feel at ease,” Binnan says. Wildflowers composed by Tara Florist added to the natural look, with added red roses, a nod to Chinese tradition. One of the most special parts of their day was the music they selected: During the ceremony, the bride’s aunt sang the Lord’s Prayer, which she also performed at the bride’s parents’ wedding. The procession and recession were to a piano version of the song “I See The Light” from the Disney movie "Tangled." Melanie and Binnan shared their first dance to “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies—"Every word in it is true to our relationship,” Melanie says. “We’ve had so many ups and downs that ‘This will be our year, took a long time to come’ could not have been more perfect.” See the details, beautifully captured by Style & Story Creative, below.