1. Real Weddings

Kelly & Marc: A Outdoor Wedding in Petoskey, MI

When Marc saw Kelly for the first time, it was during rush for Phi Chi Theta, a coed business fraternity, at Michigan State University. “I instantly t

When Marc saw Kelly for the first time, it was during rush for Phi Chi Theta, a coed business fraternity, at Michigan State University. “I instantly thought Marc was attractive, and to my surprise he ended up being the most wonderful man I have ever met,” says Kelly. The Bride Kelly McGill, 24, college recruiter The Groom Marc Olin 25, sales The Date July 1 After a fabulous first date she invited him to join her on a white-water rafting trip with friends, and the two officially became a couple. Following a romantic surprise proposal at the place where they had met on campus two-and-a-half years earlier, they set about planning a garden wedding in upstate Michigan by the water.

Kelly's bridesmaids wore strapless dark pink chiffon dresses.
Following dinner, the couple cut into their four-tiered square cake, iced in white frosting and decorated with cascading peonies and orchids. The best part? Each tier featured a different decadent cheesecake flavor: almond cream, black forest, chocolate peanut butter, and black raspberry.
Because Kelly and Marc decided to host a destination wedding, Kelly created invitations that would include loads of important information for her guests.
The ceremony and reception took place under a tent on the Perry Hotel's Rose Garden Veranda overlooking Little Traverse Bay.
The bridesmaids carried bouquets of various shades of pink peonies and white orchids.
A lush garden, twinkling lights, and hanging Japanese lanterns set the stage for the romantic reception under the tent. Tables, named after countries that Kelly and Marc had traveled to, showed off the couple's pink theme by way of white, floor-length linens, pink criss-crossed runners, and pink or white orchids tucked into each napkin.
Vibrantly colored centerpieces -- some low square vases with pink peonies wrapped in bear grass and garden stones, and others tall with white orchid -- alternated between tables.
Kelly ordered 20,000 rose petals to blanket the ceremony aisle and for guests to shower the couple with during the recessional.