Lawn Games Filled This Couple's Relaxed Backyard Wedding Reception in Ann Arbor, Michigan

To celebrate their union, Yvette and John exchanged vows with a backyard wedding ceremony at a private residence in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Following their vow exchange, the couple celebrated alongside loved ones with a relaxed reception that included plenty of festive lawn games. "On July 12th, we were able to say I do with a small crew of family and friends," recalls Yvette. "We went from 350+ guests to about 50 guests. We moved our wedding a few times from Chicago, to Cali, and eventually to Michigan, where we exchanged our vows on my John's grandma's dock in her yard. We endured an interesting and unpredictable season of constant change while wedding planning during a pandemic, but we're beyond grateful that our fourth and last wedding plan was the most perfect one. It was a day covered in prayer and love from those near and far. We had an army of loved ones encouraging us in such special ways as we took steps forward as husband and wife, and we just felt so incredibly overwhelmed with their love and support on and leading up to the wedding day." 

For Yvette and John, it was important that their shared Christian faith be at the center of their wedding day. "It was really important for us to not get lost in the many details of planning, stay grounded, and keep the day focused on the true meaning of marriage. The importance of a covenant marriage relationship that is designed to pursue Christ’s glory was at the forefront. While our church family and friends cared so well for us during our engagement season, our parents’ counsel and love also continued to direct us back to Christ." The couple's choice of wedding officiant helped them remain grounded and focused on their faith throughout the wedding day. "It was also important to us to have our good friend and pastor Todd Burgett stand with us at the alter to officiate the wedding," shares Yvette. "His generous time in prayer and walking us through marriage counseling during the engagement season meant the world to us. We're grateful for the way he and his wife cared deeply for our relationship in the time leading up to the wedding."

Many of the dates Yvette and John went on during the early days of their relationship took place outside, a fact the couple paid homage to by settling on a backyard garden wedding theme. "We wanted to get married in a garden because we liked the idea of being outside and surrounded by beautiful nature, like most of our fun dates," says Yvette. "It was really important to have a simple take on floral details that would complement the already beautiful natural background in Gram’s yard and other details of the day."

In addition to keeping their faith at the center of the backyard garden wedding day, Yvette and John wanted to ensure that their big day was a celebration of their community of loved ones who mean so much to them as a couple. "We made an intentional connection with our community a priority since many of them had never met one another before, and they all meant so much to us in different ways. The small wedding actually enabled us to personalize the wedding time a bit more, as we could connect directly with our guests and make everyone there feel so special in our own way. We were grateful for the opportunity to actually spend time hanging out with all our guests." To better facilitate interaction among guests, Yvette and John filled their wedding with festive lawn games like corn hole and Jenga. "It was a special time for both of our communities to connect and get to know each other just a little better. We also customized some of these games to include either the wedding date, our new Mr. and Mrs. names, or a Bible verse. During the reception, we also played a trivia game, which highlighted our love story in different ways and sometimes even got our guests belly laughing at some of the answers," recalls Yvette. 

Looking back on their wedding day in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Yvette and John encourage to-be-weds in the throes of wedding planning to focus on joy while wedding planning. "Be filled with deep joy as you take steps forward into marriage. Do not get lost in the details and planning. Remember to stay focused on what really matters: the special gift and answered prayer that your spouse is in your life. Furthermore, hold on to thankfulness and humility. There is truly so much to be grateful for, and there’s no reason to let a minor detail in planning disrupt your day, or worse, take your joy away. It’s not worth it. Keep the bigger picture in mind (Think: there’s a more beautiful picture of your love story to tell here, and no one can take that away)."