The Homestead, MyNorth Wedding 2019

the homestead

wedding WEDDINGS WE LOVE

STORY BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN STEWART PHOTOGRAPHY

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A classic beauty herself, Marta chose classic touches for her wedding including her trumpet silhouette gown by Adrianna Papell. The gown originally had sleeves but Marta has a seamstress cap them. No altar needed when the backdrop is a stunning view of Lake Michigan. The invitations, place cards and programs by Lindsay Green Weddings and Events reect the colorful combo of hydrangeas (Marta’s favorite), garden roses, uproar rose zinnias, dahlias, and spray roses used in the bridesmaids bouquets and other arrangements. Classic navy bridesmaids dresses don’t detract from the incredible natural setting.

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the homestead

Marta & Alex

MARTA HITCHCOCK & ALEX WIESEN | JULY 29, 2018

This love story begins in the ER at Loyola Hospital in Chicago where Marta Hitchcock (who is currently the STEMI Coordinator at Munson) was a nurse. Or, more precisely, it begins with Marta’s mom, Mary, and her best friend, Carol Clark, who were scheming to set Marta up with Carol’s daughter’s brother-in-law (got it?)—Alex Wiesen, from Northern Michigan. The woman had told Marta a teeny white lie: That Alex had seen her on Facebook and was interested and she should friend him. Hesitant to friend almost a complete stranger, Marta was showing his FB page to fellow nurses one day when a doctor walked by and asked what Alex did for a living. “He’s a hops farmer,” she told him.

The doctor smiled and said, “That’s awesome—you have to friend him, he practically grows beer.”

So she did. And after three weeks of messaging each other, Marta made the trip up to visit him. That was in 2016. The next summer, Alex proposed on the beach (after a drive there in his grandfather’s old baby-blue convertible Cadillac).

Marta was still living and working in Chicago, a city she grew up near and adores, so obviously she wanted to explore a venue there. Alex was willing and made the trip down to check out a venue with a view of the Chicago skyline. However, he was, shall we say, underwhelmed, telling Marta: “Hey, I grew up in Northern Michigan where we have mountains and lakes.”

So the couple turned their attention to The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor where the ceremony venue is on the top of a mountain (the ski hill in winter) that overlooks both Lake Michigan and the Glen Lakes. “We knew it would be a great way to show our friends and family who aren’t from here my new home,” Marta says. With its vast buffet of lodging that ranges from lodge rooms, to condos, to homes, the resort was more than capable of housing out-of-town guests onsite.

The event’s relaxed vibe was set the day before the wedding when the couple set the rehearsal at noon so that the wedding party could spend the rest of the day boating on Glen Lake. The ride up the mountain on chairlifts to the ceremony also helped the fun factor—especially as several of Marta’s bridesmaids had never ridden a chairlift.

A white floral and greenery bridal bouquet, navy bridesmaids dresses and gray suits for the groomsmen set a simply sophisticated tone that harmonized with the gorgeous Lake Michigan view from the top of the mountain. Guitarist Mike Moran played for the ceremony and during the mountaintop cocktail party that followed. Guests nibbled on butlered hors d’oeuvres that included shaved tenderloin on toast, whitefish pâté and shrimp cocktails while a spirited game of Closest to the Pin commenced at the resort’s beautiful hole #7 on the resorts on-site par-3 course, Mountain Flowers.

From there it was back down the mountain aboard chairlifts for a beautifully catered sit down dinner followed by a wildly fun night of dancing to music provided by Two Bay DJs. Guests left happy and armed with a nod to that other beautiful city down Lake Michigan’s coast: bags of Chi-town’s famous Garrett Popcorn.

The next morning Marta’s mom texted her this: “We thought this wedding was our gift to you and we now know it was your gift to us.”

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The Homestead’s Sleeping Bear Bay beachfront feels made for photo ops. Marta chose rustic woodblocks to showcase table numbers as a nod to the Michigan northwoods. The cake was white almond four-tiered with a thin cherry filling and a white frosting. It was served with chocolate-espresso sheet cake.

The newlyweds first dance was to Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love. The Homestead’s Mountain Flowers Lodge was the setting for the reception.

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resources

Venue |The Homestead Photography | Dan Stewart Photography Flowers | Field of Flowers North Cake | Aunt B’s Cakes & Desserts Music | Mike Moran, Two Bays DJ Hair & Makeup | Lilyjade Salon, The Homestead Bridal Gown | Complete Bridal, Illinois

See more photos at MyNorth.com/TheHomestead Friend getting married? Get them a copy at ShopMyNorth.com/Wedding19

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Wedding Notebook The Homestead

Accommodations You’ll feel at home in one of our resort hotels or in the spaciousness of a privately-owned condominium or a home. Rates span a wide range but all are available on attractively priced wedding specials. So you can choose a level of luxury that suits your mood and your means.

Bay Mountain Ceremony

We invite you to visit a special place where generations of lovers have shared whispered promises, their faces caressed by Lake Michigan breezes, hearts touched by the vision of shimmering

A Suite at Little Belle

islands, souls stirred by watercolor sunsets over a vast bay and towering dunes. Here, at The Homestead, you’ll feel waves of emotion wash over you, as you discover the most wonderfully romantic setting in the place chosen by Good Morning America as the "Most Beautiful Place in America". You'll choose one of three wedding venues with unmatched style and beauty. Each promises a succession of memorable moments you’ll treasure forever.

To learn more, please call us. We will send you information filled with wonderful photos and warm reviews from recent brides. And, we will invite you to come for a visit. When you do, you’ll see that your perfect wedding, like Memories

your love, can begin with a look and a touch.

Catering

We’ve carefully paired our menus with our community. They include seasonally fresh food from local farms and awardwinning wines from nearby vintners. To that we add sparkling table settings and seemless service for fabulous dining on the most important day of your lives.

Event Facilities

Destination Services

Mountain Flowers Lodge

Almost touching the sky, and fresh as the flowers that scent its terraces, Bay Mountain offers panoramic views of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. Your ceremony and cocktail reception can be there, dinner in the valley below at Mountain Flowers Lodge where you'll find the warmth of stone and pine logs with country gardens and a sparkling waterfall. Accommodates 170.

Camp Firefly captures the charm of the north woods with welcoming ponds, a pine-paneled great hall, covered porch with an outdoor fireplace and wildflower-lined patio overlooking a waterfall and pond. Accommodates 80.

A bouquet’s throw from the beach, Café Manitou inspires Thoreau-like vows in an intimate, shoreside setting with endless blue views of lake and sky from outdoor brick terraces a cozy café. Accommodates 40.

NEW! "Mountain Village" featuring an all new grocerant, restaurant, outdoor grill and bar, stage, dance floor and fire pits. And, a massive stone fireplace and curvilinear celebration table that's perfect for your rehearsal or brunch.

Lillyjade

You and your guests will enjoy the resort’s many amenities - beach, pools, tennis, golf, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, fitness center, skiing, and snowboarding. Your man and his groomsmen might enjoy golf at Manitou Passage Golf Club or Mountain Flowers Par 3.

You and your bridesmaids are sure to enjoy Spa Amira which overlooks Lake Michigan and offers lighthearted fun around a pool. Then, bathed in natural light beside Lillyjade Salon's reflecting pool, you and your bridemaids locks will be coiffed and colored, your nails and toenails buffed for the Big Day. You can welcome your guests with a beachfront bonfire–S’mores and sunsets are included! Your rehearsal reception, and brunch can feature sophisticated soirees or picnics to go.

Wood Ridge Road Camp Firefly

Glen Arbor, MI 49636 231-334-5000 231-334-5300 Events Phone thehomesteadresort.com Event Sales Veronica Diebold Sandy Luthardt

Café Manitou

Reception Capacity Up to 170

Event Rooms 3 Guest Rooms 225

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Glen Arbor, MI 49636 | thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000 GlenGlen Arbor, MI 49636 | thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000 Glen49636 Arbor, MI|49636 | thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000 Arbor, MI thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000 Glen49636 Arbor, MI|49636 | thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000 Glen Arbor, MI thehomesteadresort.com | 231.334.5000

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8 PICK 201