After planning several weddings, it was finally time for your wedding planner to celebrate her own wedding day. An inside look of the industrial, romantic, and elegant wedding of Emily + Ethan. 

Planning my own wedding was extra special and something I enjoyed (almost) every minute of! Being the bride means that you are all in emotionally and financially which naturally adds to the complexity of things. It is definitely different to be seeing the wedding planning process through the perspective of the bride and it gave me a better understanding of what brides go through, what might cause undue stress and how to better serve them as their planner. Despite any challenges that may have been in my way, being able to plan my wedding day down to the last detail was something I will always look back on fondly. 

I met my husband, Ethan Wentland, right before we went off to college at Grand Valley State University. Our friendship grew during our time in college though it was never anything romantic. After graduating, Ethan moved to Traverse City and I stayed put in Grand Rapids. Through a series of events and a word from God himself (no joke) we were reunited in our hometowns for a coffee date and the rest is history. We both realized we at least needed to give this a shot and just a couple short weeks later we knew that dating was what we needed to step into. After 5 months of dating, Ethan popped the question and we began planning the wedding day and the rest of our lives! Our love story has so many more twists, turns and intricate details and I am so grateful to God for it. ​

Our wedding day was on a cold day in March of 2022 at Baker Loft Events in Holland, Michigan. The weather did not bother us one bit because we were so excited for the day and 90% of the wedding festivities happened indoors anyways. On my wedding day I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and peace that can only come from Jesus. I had prayed for so long for my future husband and that day was an answered prayer. Ethan is everything I prayed for and more! God gave me a man who compliments my personality and balances me out so well. I was at peace knowing that this was the right decision walking into my wedding day and I was able to relax and enjoy every minute of it! The joy surrounding us by our family and friends was unmatched and we had such a fun time celebrating with them.

My favorite part of the wedding day were the final moments right before the ceremony. I got to go into the reception space and see everything perfectly set up just as I had imagined it! This was a surreal moment for me! Right after that, they brought Ethan upstairs for us to do our “first touch.” We opted out of the first look tradition as we wanted to see each other for the first time walking down the aisle, but doing a first touch around the corner was just what I needed before we said our I-do’s. We held hands, talked a little and then said a prayer together. It was such a special moment being able to talk to God like there was nobody else in the room with my soon-to-be husband. It is a moment I will never forget. ​

Being in the wedding industry, I have seen a lot of venues and I had a pretty good idea of what I like and what I don’t like. However, when it came to picking a venue it was difficult because I didn’t really want to get married somewhere I had worked before. I wanted a fresh and new experience. I also was looking for a venue that included everything – ceremony space, reception space, in house catering and bar, tables, chairs, all of it! Baker Loft Events made it extremely easy to check off several to do’s on my list just by booking their space. I loved having everything in one building and knowing that their catering and bar team knew their way around the space. This made for a seamless day! 

​My color palette was pale pink, pale yellow and neutrals. The wedding industry is definitely leaning more fun, bright and vibrant these days, which I love, but it just isn’t true to me. I love all things elegant, soft and timeless. I didn’t want to over-do it on the pink but I had tasteful touches throughout. We had pink satin napkins and cocktail table linens, pink chiffon bows on our menu cards and pops of pale pink in our florals. Looking back, I would not change a thing! The wedding aesthetic was a great representation of who I am and I am still so happy with how it all came together.

Vendor List

Day of coordinator: annagraceweddings.com/

Venue:www.bakereventsholland.com/

Photographer/Videographer:www.oaknfern.com/

Florist: @hartandcofloral

Wedding Dress:www.beckersbridal.com/

Seating chart:www.taylorvdesign.com/

Catering + Bar:www.gilmore-catering.com/

Hair and Makeup: www.quinnvise.com/

DJ:www.tandemweddingproductions.com/

Cake:thecakabakery.com/

Late night snack:littlecaesars.com/en-us/

Linens: www.specialoccasionsmi.com/

Decor Rentals:
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www.inthedetailsweddings.com/

eventsbyicandy.com/