Soft Neutrals Create an Elegant Air for this Michigan Celebration: The Real Wedding of Katelynn and CJ Oppenhuizen

When Katelynn spontaneously joined her parents for an ATV trip up north, she had no idea she'd meet the love of her life. A friend who came with them brought CJ along for the trip and they instantly clicked! Just like how they met, Katelynn and CJ went to the Upper Peninsula for a snowmobile trip to celebrate CJ's birthday. When they went out on the trails, they came to a beautiful look out where Katelynn thought he was going to propose, but he didn't. He proposed the next day back at their cabin after Katelynn crashed her snowmobile. "Come to find out he had every intention to ask me at that look out, he just forgot the ring at the cabin," Katelynn shares.
 

It wasn't until Katelynn's last appointment at the bridal shop that she ended up finding the gown she loved. "I thought I knew what I
was looking for but it ended up being very different but so much better," Katelynn admits. "My recommendation to other brides is have an open mind and try on ALL the dresses." We love the classic elegance of the satin gown and its silhouette as well as the modern touches like the exposed corset in the back and removable sleeves!
 

At first, Katelynn thought she wanted to elope, but she just couldn't imagine spending the day without people that she loved the most. Instead, they decided to have a west Michigan wedding. Since Katelynn's parents work in the wedding industry (and own the venue she got married at!) and her sister got married in 2019, they were able to find vendors pretty easily. One vendor was more special than the rest. "The Cox Ranch is very special to me, it was the place I grew up," Katelynn raves. "My favorite thing about The Cox Ranch is that it creates more than just a wedding day, it is an entire wedding weekend experience. The property is rented out Thursday through Sunday allowing me to have an entire weekend with our favorite people." 
 

Speaking of vendors, their florist had a huge impact on their wedding day by inspiring Katelynn and CJ's color scheme. She put together a soft and monochromatic neutral palette for them to build their wedding day around. Katelynn explains, "I like very light and neutral décor. My dad is very handy, and hand built natural wood tables that I paired with lots of neutral florals." There are so many places you can see their elegant color scheme, including that beautiful and delicious cake made by Froehlich's!
 

 

What We Love

The most special thing about Katelynn and CJ's day was the venue and the work that got put into making it ready for their big day. "Watching my family come together and literally pour their hearts into my venue and accomplishing it by my wedding day deadline was something I will never ever forget," Katelynn gushes.
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Katelynn and CJ advise, "Hire a very good photographer and videographer, I know they can be an expensive part of the wedding budget but it is so worth it! I did not realize how much you miss of the day as a bride/groom or do not remember because so much is going on and it turns into a blur. Having the photos and video to cherish the memories of one of your most special days is everything. I am forever thankful for the work of The Brothers Martens."
 

 

 

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