Woodland Weddings: The Hot Trend Tailor-Made for the Big Lake

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A couple of years ago, the popular wedding magazine The Knot headed its “10 Hot Wedding Trends” with “woodland weddings,” and planners all over the country jumped at the trend – even without nearby woods.

Seems everyone was saying “I Do” amidst earthy, woodsy backdrops, whether in a forest of towering pines or in a city church with an altar adorned in cedar, moss and wildflowers. And woodland weddings still reign as wildly popular among brides and grooms of all ages.

Woodland weddings are far from a trend around the Big Lake; nature, our backyard, has always been our wedding planning ally.

Marrying couples may hike to an overlook they’ve always loved or trek to their childhood campsite to take their vows. Whatever the inspiration, our combination of forests and stunning lake views makes Lake Superior the ideal place for the perfect woodland wedding.

“We have the best of both worlds,” says Emily Jeffress, wedding planner and owner of Lace & Brass Events in Bayfield, Wisconsin. “The North Woods meets the southern shore of Lake Superior here. Most of the weddings end up combining the couple’s love for the outdoors and the precious water we are surrounded by.”

Emily has overseen gorgeous weddings in the woods overlooking the bay and sea caves. A number of local woodsy beaches are popular for ceremonies – often sporting a birch-branch arch and local flowers and greenery.

In Duluth, Mariah McKechnie, owner and principal event specialist of Northland Special Events, meets a lot of clients who want to incorporate woodland themes into their weddings. The popular “Do-It-Yourself” trend is a large motivator for woodland weddings, too.

DIY brides and grooms enjoy creating most things connected to the ceremony and reception, from a wooden-covered guest book to sawn log slices that hold guests’ name cards at dinner. Many of the hand-done items have extra meaning, Mariah says. “Maybe they have birch trees, and they say, ‘Oh, my dad is going to cut down some birch trees and make candle holders for the wedding.” Family members who are crafty love to contribute to the couple’s big day.

Mariah keeps her own stock. “At my company, we have a room full of these candleholders, birch and wood elements. We can offer that look because we have an extensive collection: moss galore, buckets full of pine cones.”

Woodland weddings may be a trend, but Mariah points out that nature is a timeless theme. Using natural elements, the married couple isn’t going to look back and regret making a trendy decision that didn’t last beyond the summer.

The woodland theme brings another advantage; it’s gender neutral. “That kind of woodland, woodsy, rustic piece has a masculine element to it that grooms can get behind,” Mariah says. “It’s typical of the Northland – men are hunting, fishing, outdoorsy. It’s not like asking your groom to put pink bows on everything.”

The Reverend Jeffrey Thiel, a Unitarian Universalist Church minister, has officiated more than 30 weddings in an outdoor setting, at all times of the year, around the Keweenaw Peninsula. “Usually people have a spot – they were proposed to there, or they went on a kayak trip together – and they think, ‘We should get married here.’ Most people have some kind of connection to the place.”

He finds that couples who choose to marry in the woods come from all ages and backgrounds, but share a desire to bring the outdoors into their spirituality. “In general, I think this country is pulling away from conventionality when it comes to weddings and religious ceremonies and trying to personalize them more while still keeping religious traditions.”

Nature, of course, doesn’t change its plans for a wedding, and hardy couples don’t change their plans for the weather.

Jeff has tromped with a wedding party through three feet of blinding, sideways-blowing snow to perform a ceremony by Lake Superior just south of Eagle Harbor. “The ceremony was pretty fast,” he jokes. “We were yelling just so we could hear each other.”

If you choose to marry right beside the Lake, Jeff warns that you may need to yell your vows over the crashing waves. And forget lighting that unity candle in strong winds.

When considering a woodland wedding, Jeff advises making plans for any guest who can’t walk long distances or needs a chair during the ceremony. He often carries lawn chairs to the location, along with mosquito netting and lightweight pedestals that look like Greek columns to make an elegant on-the-spot altar. He also packs a small folding wind block for incense, candles … or mosquito coils.

Hunter’s Point outside Copper Harbor is a great wedding location, says Jeff. It’s only a short hike from the parking lot and has restrooms. “I like it because it’s close to Copper Harbor, so after a wedding, couples can go to the Harbor Haus for dinner.”

Brockway Mountain is also a popular wedding site. The mountain-top ceremonies are particularly beautiful in fall, when wind-whipped colored leaves scatter like confetti.

It’s good to remember that weddings on a trail or scenic overlook will attract curious tourists and hikers, Jeff says, “but they’re usually welcome because they’re like-minded people.”

Not all of those tying the knot by the Lake are locals. Our region is popular for destination weddings and when couples choose Lake Superior, they usually embrace woods and Lake elements.

Nicole Corne, wedding planner and owner of Knots and Kisses in Marquette, finds that the majority of her clients come from out of town – New York, Chicago, Dallas and as far as Germany and Ethiopia. “They enjoy getting out of the city and being submerged in the Upper Peninsula culture.”

Often, couples have a connection to the area; maybe their family had a camp here, they attended college here or they visit family who live here.

One of her favorite woodland locations is Belsolda Barn in Marquette, where couples profess their vows in an apple orchard. “It’s quite lovely – fun, shabby chic at the same time. They have sheep and chickens wandering around, a gorgeous wooden trellis, antique wooden chairs out. There are a bunch of blackberries and raspberries and then a gorgeous barn.”

Of course, Nicole points out, you must consider the elements if you want to say your “I Dos” in a Lake Superior woods. Patio heaters and restroom access are good ideas.

While a few stray tourists might be acceptable, party-crashing bugs are not. To play on the theme, Nicole will place baskets of bug wipes, bug spray and bug lotion atop whiskey barrels. “Fogging is always a good idea,” she says. “It’s not very green, but it’s totally worth it.”

But having a woodland wedding doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it.

Kelly and Jon LaCore chose Spirit Mountain in Duluth for their 2010 wedding – a perfect combination of woods and a spectacular view. Their ceremony was held outside overlooking the lake, a happy hour followed on the patio and the dinner and dance were held inside.

The couple got engaged in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, so a wedding with a woodland feel seemed natural. “We both spend time outside whenever we possibly can,” says Kelly. “It’s where we want to be when we can be.”

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Woodland Weddings

On3Design / Courtesy Jon & Kelly LaCore

Woodland Weddings

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On3Design / Courtesy Jon & Kelly LaCore

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Woodland Weddings

On3Design / Courtesy Jon & Kelly LaCore

Woodland Weddings

Add a Touch of Nature

“Take a look in the forest here in our area and you will find supplies and inspiration perfect for a woodland-themed wedding,” advises Emily Jeffress, owner of Lace & Brass Events in Bayfield, Wisconsin. “Beautiful birch-branch arches, cake stands made out of wood slices and moss for centerpieces are just the beginning. I've seen stunning floral centerpieces made out of wildflowers, ferns and cattails.”

For their outdoor wedding ceremony at Spirit Mountain in Duluth (photos above), Jon and Kelly LaCore used simple glass cylinders with rocks and flowers as centerpieces. For party favors, they gave out flower seed packets that said, “Grow with us.”

For a woodland wedding reception, keep it simple, adds Nicole Corne of Knots and Kisses in Marquette. Use plain white linen tablecloths and nature-based centerpieces. Nicole has used apples in centerpieces, or wildflowers from an orchard or picked along the road, displayed in vintage bottles.

Another way to introduce nature can be with the wedding cake itself. Birchbark cakes are highly popular for a woodland wedding – maybe with deer on top or the couple’s initials carved into the side. The winning cakes are made by Joe’s Cakes in Marquette’s Huron Mountain Bakery and How Sweet It Is in Duluth (an example of How Sweet’s work is shown here).

Some couples take the woods one step farther – doing without the cake and opting for cupcakes displayed on different cuts of logs or setting up an indoor s’mores bar, with different flavored marshmallows and chocolates to roast over Sterno fuel, says Mariah McKechnie of Northland Special Events in Duluth. “The minute they take a bite of the s’more, they are immediately transported to their childhood.”

Felicia Schneiderhan married her husband, Mark, in a building, but they make up for that by traipsing around the woods on anniversaries.