We are absolutely smitten with this shoreline wedding inspiration .. the beautiful light, pale blues, and elegant florals all come together to create this dreamy vision of a wedding day. You can almost feel the breeze blowing over the water! Personally, we can’t think of anything more restful than relaxing along the water and having a perfect wedding day!

Nestled along the shores of Lake Michigan is a small lakeside community featuring pristine beaches and a variety of maritime history and pastimes; the town of South Haven, Michigan. It was this gorgeous section of shoreline that inspired us a well of inspiration to design a lakeside elopement featuring a table for two overlooking the waters of Lake Michigan.

When looking for inspiration for the shoot, designer and planner Jeannene Lillie Events, looked to poetry and found a poem titled If Love Were Like Water by Charles Wiles. The poem inspired Jeannene to create design elements that felt free and flowing like water as well as focusing on the simplistic yet powerful notion of giving yourself to someone – like in marriage.

The inspiration of the lakeside nuptials continued to influence the rest of the vendor team as they designed their custom elements. Erin of Lupine Letters shared the following about her design process, “My vision for this Lake Michigan editorial was to celebrate the movement of water and the experience of witnessing a breathtaking view for the first time. Drawing inspiration for the color palette from the natural beauty of the shores of Lake Michigan, I focused on imperfect textures and white space. One of my favorite elements of the invitation suite is the use of vintage stamps that highlight different wildlife regularly seen in the area”. – Jeannene Lillie Events

From the florist: “We began by playing into our bride’s soft, romantic look with the soft greens and white blooms. At the beach, you think of blue waters and light breezes, so just subtle touches of blue and an organic shape that would wave in the breeze were exactly what we were hoping for. From here, we love to pull our centerpiece and ceremony piece inspiration through, always letting our couple take centerstage yet creating a natural elegance that lends to the surrounding beauty”.

We then topped the design off with a waterfront table for two featuring a lush arrangement, small cheese, and fruit platters, as well as stunning place settings featuring Lupine Letter’s modern romantic calligraphy against the handmade paper, reminiscent us of waves tumbling upon the shore and the texture left behind on a sandy beach.

The couple toasted and soaked in the simply stunning view ahead of them; that magical time of day when the sun and the sky and the water’s surface create a colorful, ethereal masterpiece. – Jeannene Lillie Events

“As a recently engaged couple, it was an amazing experience to model for this gorgeous styled shoot. We were able to see a glimpse of the behind the scenes workings of what goes into a wedding day. We were so fortunate to work with amazing vendors that had a spectacular plan for this shoot. Not only was it a beautiful day but the shoot allowed for us to feel comfortable when all the eyes will be on us! We were already excited to be married, but this made it all the more real!” – Samantha, bride model

From the cake designer: “I grew up right across from the beach in South Haven so I was thrilled to be asked to contribute to this shoot. As a kid, I used to love playing in the waves and I was thinking about that when I created the design. To create the wave effect, we used thinly poured sheets of gelatin”.

Intimate Elopement Inspiration featured on Bajan Wed and WeddingDay Magazine

Vendor Team:
Planner/Designer: Jeannene Lillie Events | Photographer: Cynthia Boyle Photography | Floral: Flora Rae | Beauty: Wild Bees Beauty | Bridal: Renee Austin Wedding | Cake: Sweet Heather Ann | Stationer/Calligrapher: Lupine Letters | Rentals: White Dahlia Event Rentals & Burn Special Event Rentals | Getting Ready Venue: South Haven Creations

Jeannene Lillie is a Michigan Wedding Planner and Michigan Event Planner serving clients in Michigan, Pittsburgh, Ohio, San Diego, and Worldwide Destinations. The JLE Team is committed to coordinating and designing inclusive and intentional events that celebrate the romantic and modern couple. Inquire with us today and stop by the JLE Instagram to get a peek into our beautiful events and get to know us better!

Michigan Wedding Planner | Pittsburgh Wedding Planner | Ohio Wedding Planner | San Diego Wedding Planner