A Classic Summer Wedding at Visions at Center Pointe in Traverse City, Michigan

For their wedding, Kristine Martel (34 and a doctor) and Anthony Cece (41 and a marketing manager and graphic designer) planned a traditional summer soiree with plenty of personalized touches. The resort town of Traverse City, Michigan, seemed like an obvious choice for Kristine and Anthony to host their early summer nuptials, for its proximity to Kristine’s family and for the delicious eats and beautiful sights nearby. The day started with a traditional ceremony at Central United Methodist Church, followed by a night of dinner and dancing at Visions at Center Pointe. The couple wrote their vows to add a personal dimension to the traditional ceremony, keeping them secret until the day of the wedding. “The reciting of those vows was a really special way of sharing a truly intimate moment, not just with ourselves, but all of our family and friends,” Kristine says. Visions at Center Pointe immediately appealed to the couple, with its waterfront location, panoramic views of the sailboat-dotted harbor, ambiance and intimacy. Amy Kate Designs captured the summer season in her arrangements of bright pink blooms, bringing the Visions ballroom to life. The couple had fun with the menu, offering guests a “smashed martini” bar, where guests could customize martini glasses filled with mashed potatoes with a variety of toppings, antipasto kebabs and mini quiches. Dancing and music are two things Kristine and Anthony enjoy as a couple, so extra thought was put into the evening’s musical selections and wedding party dances. “We chose to go in a different direction with the mother-and-son dance,” Kristine says. “We opted to use the upbeat song ‘Happy’ by Pharrell for the mother-son dance. Halfway through, my mom, my dad and I joined Anthony and his mother, followed by the wedding party and their dates, using it as a springboard to open the dance floor to all our friends and family.” A tip from Kristine: “While the details can be overwhelming, especially in the final days leading up to the big day, remember that all the stress melts away in that special moment at the end of the aisle.”