Forested Northern Michigan Wedding | Casey + Derek

I photographed an intimate forested Northern Michigan wedding at the Betsie River Lodge.

Despite many obstacles, Casey and Derek made their wedding work, but not only did it work, it couldn’t have gone any better. It was my first wedding of the year, and definitely a great start.

This intimate forested Northern Michigan wedding was like something out of a storybook.

The spring leaves had just opened, saturating the forests with green. All week the forecast called rain but the wet weather held off, and we were blessed with a perfect partly cloudy day. Casey and Derek were married at an altar overlooking the Betsie river with their closest friends and family in attendance. Casey had her childhood friends, and man of honor in her party, while Derek had his brother and closest friends beside him.

After saying, I do, the wedding party proceed down to another spot along the river to do a sand ceremony, for Casey, Derek, and little Hazel. Casey’s man of honor, RJ lead the event and poured sand for Derek and Casey’s little one.

It was after that when the party started. Although it was just snowing last week, today felt like the first real day of summer. After plenty of dancing, a dress and suit were too hot so Casey and Derek even decided to take a dip in the river in their full wedding attire. There wasn’t even a single complaint about it the water being cold. I went in to my knees for some epic photos of these two playing in the water. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful forested Northern Michigan wedding.

A Forested Northern Michigan wedding