Erin + Ben | Multi-Barn Wedding | White Oak Farm Venue | Michigan City, IN

July 7, 2021

Weddings

Food has always brought people together. It may look like the family dinner where you haven’t seen loved ones since last year, or simply the “meet-up” half way between houses to catch up with old friends. Ironically, we can clearly point back to some of our favorite moments with Erin and Ben and they have all involved “gathering together” over delicious food in some way or another. Whether it’s the delicious meal that we shared with them after their engagement shoot, the impromptu “donut run” the four of us did back in the winter, or simply meeting at our house and playing board games with cookies; our times with Erin and Ben had us literally giddy as we approached their beautiful wedding day!

The storms of the past two weeks had finally disappeared, revealing an absolutely gorgeous sunny day! Through the morning and afternoon, the vendors arrived, one by one, and began decorating White Oak Farm from floor to ceiling with lights and florals. Erin and Ben had intentionally thought through the entire day and had some “special requests” that created some really special and fun moments throughout the day. Instead of a “First Look,” Erin and Ben opted for a “First Touch,” a moment where they could hold hands (but still not see each other) and chat for a few minutes before it was time to walk down the aisle. In leu of simply walking around to each table during the reception, they teamed up with ourselves and the DJ, DPM Productions, to put on the “Time Table Challenge” for the guests! To put it simply, everyone’s tables are divided into three sections and it’s a race to see which section of tables can get photos with the bride and groom the fastest! It’s little touches like these that make each wedding day so unique, especially when our couples lean in and make something totally new and fun for everyone to enjoy!

Since COVID restrictions were still a very real threat as they planned their wedding, Erin and Ben made the brave decision to switch their venue at the last minute to White Oak Farm Venue, and we personally couldn’t have been happier with their decision! Erin and Ben truly wanted to be able to invite ALL of their friends and family and not worry about any sort of restrictions on the number of people they could invite. White Oak Farm was ready for the last-minute challenge, and between the barn they use for the ceremony/reception and the second barn they used for cocktail hour, we could tell that a lot of thought and care had gone into the design of this venue! Our only problem was trying to pick which barn we loved more: the rustic yet elegant Cedar Barn or the sleek and sophisticated Poplar Barn! Are we allowed to have two favorites??

Erin and Ben, if we’ve said it once, we’ve said a hundred times, but it brought us so much joy to see two of our friends become husband and wife; we are so honored to have gotten the chance to capture your day for you! Your love of life is only eclipsed by your love for each other, and even though you are moving away soon (not bitter at all), we know that wherever you live, life and joy will flow out of your home and into the lives of everyone around you! Just make sure to let us know the next time you are coming back to Michigan, because Sweetwater’s is calling our names! All our best!

J + A