The Wedding Story of Bruce Shultz and Carolyn Ulstad

Bruce and Carolyn met during their first year of college at Grand Valley State University. Actually, they lived together long before they even started dating! They lived in the same dorm just two doors down from one another. Carolyn says she still remembers how Bruce introduced himself to her parents while they were still just friends; she was drawn to how sweet and polite he was.

Years later, Bruce proposed while skiing at Boyne Mountain. "With no warning or notice, he dropped to one knee, which I really hardly noticed until he took my hand!" says Carolyn. "I didn't even say yes. I just started crying." (We're assuming the "yes" came later, since we're featuring this wedding!)

From the beginning, Carolyn had her sights on an outdoor ceremony and reception, but didn't think it was feasible. However, while the couple was dining with friends, one of their friends suggested the backyard of a family home. As they were showing the couples photos of the backyard, Carolyn realized she knew the family who owned the home. And as they say, the rest is history! 

the details

With the intent to have a garden wedding, Bruce and Carolyn made the right choice to have their wedding at this private residence. The owners of the home are retired teachers who spend their retirement gardening and selling flowers at the local farmers market. According to Carolyn, their backyard looks like a "scene from 'The Secret Garden'."

The couple decided to have a day-time wedding rather than an evening reception with a midnight end-time. Carolyn says she's definitely not a night owl and the thought of partying into the late-night hours was not appealing whatsoever. The wedding ended around five o'clock and by six, the couple was en route to Grand Rapids for a quiet dinner for two!

The gardens were vibrant with color so the couple chose a neutral color scheme to complement the natural environment. They chose marine blue and gold as accent colors. The centerpieces were made of various flowers that were locally grown and in season. Peonies were a focal point in the bouquets framed with various types of greenery. Carolyn and her parents spray painted the wine bottles used on the tables and Carolyn made paper cranes for the garland hung behind the head table. After many nights of tackling D.I.Y. projects while watching Netflix, they ended up with around 400 paper cranes!

Carolyn had known for quite some time that she wanted a wedding gown with long sheer sleeves. She never could find one that she felt in her heart was the right dress for her so she ended up buying one that she "liked." It didn't have sleeves, but she settled anyway. She had the dress in her possession for a couple of days when she stumbled on a Needle & Thread gown from BHLDN. On the day the dress was to arrive, Carolyn and her mom heard the mail truck coming up the road and both ran out to meet him as they couldn't wait a second longer! "I was so excited. I didn't know until then that the whole 'the one' thing was real. It was exhilarating!" says Carolyn. 

what we love

Bruce and Carolyn chose to have an "unplugged" wedding. Originally, it was only supposed to be for the duration of the ceremony, but it wound up being continued throughout the entire reception. "We wanted our guests to feel truly connected to one another and not just view the day through the screen on their phone," says the couple. This is one trend we are hugely in favor for!

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