The Wedding Story of Heather and Eric Krauss

Who knew that Health Risk Identification class could be so romantic? The odds were certainly in Eric’s favor as he shared that class and the same major with Heather at Central Michigan University. They happened to be paired up for a group project and...the rest is in the History 101 books!  
 

 

While in St. Joseph, Michigan for a wedding, the two were driving around town when Heather asked him to stop at a nearby spot to get a glimpse of a beautiful outdoor wedding. She not only loved weddings but secretly hoped that the venue could one day be for their own wedding. On their way home Sunday morning, Eric treated Heather to some beautiful scenery at a park overlooking the bluff called Lookout Park. “I was completely clueless,” Heather says. “I was walking around admiring the water and the hundreds of sailboats that were out that day. Eric came up behind me and asked me to turn around. When I did he was down on one knee with tears in his eyes and he popped the question. Of course, I said yes. I was so overwhelmed with joy, I didn’t even notice Eric had asked a nice woman to take pictures of the whole proposal!"
 

With images of the beautiful venue still sealed in Heather’s mind, they called right away, booking their wedding date for Friday, August 5th, 2016 at the Veranda at the Whitcomb. “I knew from the moment I saw this venue that it was meant for us–simple, timeless, and it was outdoor overlooking Lake Michigan,” Heather says.
 

Having a pretty good idea already of what her perfect wedding would look like, Heather turned to Etsy, Pinterest and 1928 Planning Co. to help fine tune her vision. The Wedding Planner & Organizer by Mindy Weiss also helped Heather stay organized.

 

 

Just as easily as Heather found Eric in that class at Central Michigan, she found the bridal gown that was meant for her! "I purchased my Enzoani dress from a boutique in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan called Renee Austin Bridal,” she says. “I had an idea of the style that I liked and the first dress at the first bridal boutique that I tried on happened to be ‘the one’.”  

 

The overall look of the wedding was based on the greenery that Heather loved so much. From the details at each table setting to the potted succulents that served as a wedding favor, you can see the lush color throughout the wedding. “I wanted something subtle–just a little bit of color to add to the greenery. That’s why my bridesmaids wore blush dresses and the groomsmen wore grayish/blue suits,” Heather says. Elizabeth Shank of Posh Petals designed the bridal bouquet with blush peonies, blush garden roses, white stock, white anemone, white ranunculus, pandora vine, seeded eucalyptus, and Italian ruskus. The centerpieces and other decor used many of the same flowers, but also incorporated dahlia, blush and ivory spray roses, olive, and succulents. With the help of Etsy, Heather made the table numbers and wedding programs.

 

What’s this #foreverkrauss bride’s advice? “Not to sweat the small stuff and to be in the moment and take in every step of the planning process, as the whole thing goes by way too fast.” And her biggest regret? Not budgeting in a videographer to capture their first dance and vows. However, even without the video, we are certain the guests remember what she hopes they will–the fun, laid back atmosphere with love in the air!

 

 

 

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