Door County Wedding at Kress Pavilion

Annika and Brian’s Wedding

Months to Plan: 14 | Guest Count: 80 |
Music down the Aisle: Trumpet Voluntary by J. Clarke | First Dance Song: Biblical by Calum Scott

The couple’s first Door County visit together began at the Egg Harbor Library, a wedding right upstairs
in the Grand Hall at the Kress Pavilion was meant to be!

How They Met & Got Engaged

Both from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Annika and Brian met through the dating app, Hinge. Brian knew Annika was the one from the moment that they met. And he knew that he wanted the proposal to be something just as special as Annika. So, he planned for months, inviting family and friends to be a part of the experience. When the day arrived, Annika’s friends invited her to get her nails done and then they went for a walk at Annika’s favorite nature preserve. Little did Annika know that her family and friends were waiting for her amongst the tree-lined trails. Thirty family and friends, including Annika’s parents and brother from Wisconsin, her best friend from Michigan, and even their puppy lined the pathway, each handing Annika a rose as she passed by. At the end of the trail, Brian waited on bended knee to ask the question that would change their lives.

The Dress

The night after getting engaged, Annika was too excited to sleep and started scrolling through Pinterest and found a gown, designed by Morilee, that she loved. Her maid of honor took her new duties seriously and began calling boutiques to track down the dress. She finally found one with a sample of the dream dress. Mission accomplished. When Annika went to try it on, she didn’t even make it out of the dressing room before she started crying. It was perfect.

The Photos

Since she was a little girl, Annika had dreamed of taking her wedding photos in her parent’s backyard. So, it was time to make that childhood dream come true.  Chris Miller a Door County Photographer, captured the special moment of the couple’s first look under the shade of the birch trees in the backyard. The couple also took advantage of picturesque Door County by taking photos of the wedding party at Anderson Dock, in Ephraim, overlooking Lake Michigan. The couple took the opportunity to sign their new shared last name on the warehouse at the dock; a tradition shared by sailors, visitors, and couples for many years.

The Ceremony

Annika grew up spending summers in Door County visiting her late grandmother in Egg Harbor and had fond memories of skipping rocks on the bay, cherry picking and baking pies with her aunts, and swimming with her brother. And with her parents retiring to Egg Harbor in 2020, it seemed like the perfect place to create new memories with a wedding.
After 14 months of planning, the big day had finally arrived. Right before the ceremony, the couple had their first look at each other and shared a very touching moment in which they read heartfelt letters that they had written to one another. Annika surprised Brian by telling him that she wanted to honor him by taking his last name. This was something that she had always said was not part of her plan. And Brian had never pushed her on the subject so this came as a big surprise to him and left him in tears. The ceremony was held at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ephraim where Annika’s parents were members. Wanting to keep the feeling bright and cheerful, the church pews were festooned with pink tulle and baby’s breath. The bridesmaids wore pink dresses and the groomsmen wore black suits from Joseph A. Banks. The bride walked down the aisle to Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary played on the organ. Annika’s mom’s cousin officiated the ceremony.

The Food & Drink

For Annika & Brian, it was important to use as many Door County vendors as possible to support the local community. But, with limited supply and heavy demand, this sometimes meant that they had to be a little flexible and proactive.  Thyme Restaurant and Catering from Sister Bay provided the food. Passed hors d’oeuvres included whitefish balls, classic bruschetta, and fruit skewers. The seated dinner began with rolls and a fresh garden salad followed by an entrée where guests had their choice of Atlantic Salmon, Bistro Chicken, or Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers. Annika and Brian also included a signature mocktail with their reception, Door County Cherry Lemonade.
Dessert was a white cake with Door County tart cherry filling and buttercream frosting. Wanting to be sure to include all of their family, Annika and Brian had a small figure of their puppy, Trillium, made for the cake. The figure sat on the cake stand, “taking a bite out of the cake.” The cake was served with locally roasted Door County Coffee.

The Reception

While dating, their first trip to Door County together included spending a snowy evening by the fireplace in the library on the first floor of the Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion. Four years later, they would have their wedding reception on the second floor in the Great Hall. It seemed meant to be and was the perfect spot for celebrating their wedding with their 80 guests. All of their tables, chairs, and linens came from the Kress Pavilion, making for a seamless and stress-free set up. The couple said they “loved the spectacular sunset view over Lake Michigan out of the West facing windows and the quaint view of iconic cherry orchards out of the East facing windows.” Their love story involved many unique similarities and coincidences, so they added a “Quiz About the Couple” on the back of the menus to get their guests mingling. They spent eight months taking dance lessons at Fred Astaire learning choreography for their first dance. Brian says it was a great bonding experience for them leading up to the wedding. DJ Michael Raye helped the couple show off their new dance moves by playing Biblical by Calum Scott for their first dance on the picturesque patio at the Pavilion. After celebrating with family and friends, the couple was given a sparkler send-off to start their mini honeymoon which they spent in Door County taking in all of the tourist attractions. They would later spend two weeks island hopping in Hawaii.

Advice from the Bride…

Do not sweat the small stuff! There are a million micro-decisions to be made when planning a wedding that, truthfully, no one will notice or remember. The important thing is marrying your best friend- the rest doesn’t matter!

Wedding Vendor Team

Wedding Film by Chris Miller Photography