A Fairytale Winter Wedding at Planterra Conservatory in West Bloomfield, Michigan

Ariel and Camran knew Ann Arbor would be the ideal spot for their winter wedding. The city is not only the location of their alma mater and near their hometown, but it’s also where they met and fell in love. Welcome bags with Zingerman’s Bakehouse treats and Great Lakes chips greeted guests, who then took buses to the ceremony just outside of town, keeping with the back-to-school vibe. During the ceremony, Camran retracted a single vow: “I promise not to be mad after Michigan loses,” he said before scratching it out.

Ariel and Camran transformed Planterra into what they call a midwinter night’s dream with glowing string lights, hanging greenery and pops of yellow and red amid deep jewel tones. “We loved the idea of a greenhouse winter wedding under the stars,” Ariel says. A greenery runner, deep blue taper candles and overflowing roses and cymbidium orchids topped the exposed wood table. Guests found their seats by reading from a hanging installation of vellum sheets layered together and painted with Monet-esque watercolor artwork. The crowning jewel, a flower-filled trellis, hung overhead. “It added to the winter forest feel,” Ariel says. “We were surrounded by flowers on all sides.”

The newlyweds led their wedding party to the Big House, where they charged the field and snapped pics. “We pretended to play football and took in the view,” Ariel says. “It was an experience.”