The Wedding Story of...Chelsea & Peter Lamberta

It only took a few snaps of the camera to change the lives of Peter Lamberta and Chelsea Udell. Doing an article for an online tourist website, Peter asked to take a photo of Chelsea at the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival in June of 2010. The pair hit it off immediately, and a quick photo-op became an invitation to dinner and the start of a new relationship. 

 

In September 2011, Peter planned a camping trip in Leelanau, MI at the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes Park. Despite the rainy and cold weekend, the couple was able to enjoy hiking and the views at Pyramid Point. “I was looking out over the lake admiring the view, and when I turned around he was on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course I immediately said yes.” In an area with no cell phone reception, Chelsea and Peter were forced to wait several days before spreading the news.  

 

 

 

Planning a wedding that is a perfect blend of sincere and celebratory is no easy task, but Chelsea and Peter divided up the “to-do list” and struck the right balance with a little teamwork and flexibility.  

 

When they visited possible venues, Chelsea was drawn to the Chapel at the Morris Estate.  “It was my favorite space. It is the most beautiful little white chapel, extremely simple and elegant. It was just what I was envisioning,” she said.  The crisp white and clean lines of the chapel are timeless, and at the same time the atmosphere is very inviting and homegrown. 

 

This nature-loving couple wanted decor that was soft and rustic, so once they found the Mill Creek Barn, they knew they had found the ideal location for their celebration. For visual interest and drama, centerpieces varied in height and texture; from the tall vases of baby’s breath to small antique vases mixed with peonies and roses.  By narrowing her florals down to only three classic flowers, Chelsea was able to find the right balance between rustic and elegant, using the simplicity as a means of highlighting their classic wedding choices. 

 

 

 

Chelsea had a great experience searching for her bridal gown, and found out along the way that her perfect style wasn’t actually what she had imagined. “I had envisioned myself wearing a lace dress with some sort of sleeve,” Chelsea said.  Instead, she chose a strapless dress with no lace but plenty of ruffle to fit the elegant rustic theme.  How does Chelsea describe her Oscar de la Renta dress? “Love love love! As soon as I put it on, that was it!”  She added glamour with a statement necklace and jeweled brooches on her satin pumps. She let the beauty of her favorite flowers, peonies, stand alone in a full, white bouquet. 

 

Her bridesmaids each chose their own style of dress, resulting in a variety of blush tones. Carrying bouquets of baby’s breath that were contrasted with pale large leaves, the overall look was ethereal. 

 

Peter kept his look both casual and classy in a charcoal grey suit and subtle white tie, while his groomsmen wore similar suits in a lighter shade of grey. 

 

 

 

Chelsea was calm and collected that morning, spending a lovely moment to give some attention to their puppy, Walter. Things got much more emotional when they arrived at the church, and Chelsea says one of her most cherished memories was “seeing my dad before the ceremony- he had me in tears!”

 

Of course another of her favorite moments happened as the doors of the Morris Chapel opened and she saw Peter. Seeing each other for the first time in the chapel was a traditional way to bring even more excitement and romance to their day. Speaking of excitement: a special escort led by a fire truck was provided because Peter is a volunteer firefighter.  That’s a whole different way of arriving in style!

 

 

 

For Chelsea and Peter, the most important aspect of the day was being surrounded by the love and support of their family and friends, and of course - celebrating with them!

 

The couple shared a first dance to Tony Bennett’s version of “The Way You Look Tonight” before all the guests joined on the dance floor.  The dessert table was packed with variety: cupcakes, cannoli, cookies,  caramel popcorn, and a lovely cutting cake as the centerpiece. To sweeten up the guests’ dining tables, and provide another layer of visual décor, cookies and other bite-sized treats were showcased in small cake-stands. 

 

Although Chelsea was head over heels for her dress, a second dress made an appearance at the reception: a short silver sequined dress perfect for enjoying the party. She says, “The day of the wedding I tossed it in my bag because I thought I might get uncomfortable in the wedding dress- boy was I happy that I did!”  

 

“We focused more on the experience we would have with our friends and family than the minor details.  We really just wanted everyone to have a great time and enjoy themselves…. and I think we accomplished that,” Chelsea said. Her advice for other brides-to-be: plan for the experience you want for you and your guests, and get a videographer to capture everything going on that day so you can be more focused on living in the moment.