Kara & Michael || Peterloon Estate Wedding

The Proposal of

Kara & Michael

Michael and I met on spring break of our senior year of high school in Panama City Beach, and randomly both ended up going to the University of Tennessee. We remained friends in college but didn’t start to date until our senior year.
Michael’s family goes up to Glen Arbor, Michigan, every summer for vacation. At least once during the holiday, Michael and I will ride our bikes to Sleepy Bear Dunes to watch the sunset. In July 2020, Michael decided he wanted to do our annual bike ride the day we got there. I was a little tired, but the weather was nice, so I agreed. Now, Michael has always said he wanted to propose with both of our families around to celebrate. Since this was his family’s vacation, a proposal was not on my mind at all.
We ride to the dunes and hike up to the top. Michael set up his Go-Pro to take a picture of us but sneakily had set it to video mode. When he came over to me, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. The first call I made was to my parents. They also acted surprised, but very happy for us. We hiked back down, hopped on our bikes, and headed back to the lake house to celebrate with his family. Unbeknownst to me, Michael had arranged for my parents to be there waiting for us when we got back. I was stunned and so excited to see them!

The Wedding of

Kara & Michael

I will be the first person to tell you that I did not enjoy the wedding planning process. I was so stressed all the time, and I could hardly sleep during our whole engagement. I constantly felt like there was so much to do and so many decisions to make on top of working a full-time job; I was a relentless ball of nerves.
We had our rehearsal dinner and welcome party at the Lytle Park Hotel, and I stayed at the hotel by myself that night. I woke up to alarm the morning of our wedding, and that was the first time I woke up to an alarm instead of my anxiety. This started my day off perfectly: I was ready to marry the love of my life.
My bridesmaids picked me up from the hotel, and we headed to Peterloon to start getting our hair and make-up done. I loved having girl-time with all my best friends from all the different parts of my life, my sister and sister-in-law, my mom and mother-in-law, and my 3 nieces who served as flower girls. I was so relaxed and at peace the whole day.
Leading up to the wedding, and especially on the day of, people kept telling me that something would go wrong, but to just roll with it. I kept bracing myself for some big disaster, but fortunately, it never came. The day went off without a hitch. We opted not to do the first look, and I’m so glad we didn’t. I will never forget the look on Michael’s face as he saw me come down the aisle.
Our reception was a blast! Michael sabered a bottle of champagne, and the band started up. We wanted our reception to feel like a big party, so we greeted everyone with spicy margaritas. We wanted an “elevated casual” feel for food, so we opted for a gourmet grilled cheese station, taco bar, slider station, and late-night coneys. Everyone raved over the food and drinks!
All in all, I have to say the stress of planning was totally worth it. I loved every minute of our wedding day. Covid restrictions had been lifted, so our guests were able to enjoy themselves and dance, the weather was perfect, and most importantly, the cicadas held out for a few more days! Our wedding day was truly magical.

Kara’s

Bridal & Formal

Experience

Working with Bridal and Formal was great. All the employees were so knowledgeable and kind. The selection was incredible! So many dresses for anyone’s style and budget.
Iris was fabulous. I knew the style and feel I was going for, and when I explained what I wanted, Iris took it all in and helped me find the perfect Monique Lhuillier gown.

Wedding Location – Cincinnati, OH
Ceremony & Reception Location – Peterloon Estate
Bridal Gown – Bliss by Monique Lhuillier, style BL20120 in Silk White
Bridesmaids Gowns – Mori Lee, styles 21528, 21569 & 21686 all in Sage. Amsale Bridesmaids, styles GB093F, GB1345 & GB160F all in Sage.
Photography – Margaret Eilert Photography
Florist – Two Little Buds
Makeup – Make Up by Liz
Band – Blue Water Kings Band
String Quartet – Olmsted String Quartet
Videographer – Mechael McLeod
Caterer – All the Ingredients by Leah Moss