Wedding Shower

Stafford's Perry Hotel

Wedding Ceremony

Fall

Our Wedding

Jacob and Michael met on a boat on Lake Lanier in May of 2019. &nbsp;Let's back it up...&nbsp;We begin our story in Shanghai, China and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Jacob was at an international high school where he befriended Whitney. At the same time, Michael was in Grosse Pointe trying to stay out of trouble with his friend Brian.&nbsp; After some time, the four had graduated high school and gone on to college; Jacob at Ohio State, Whitney at Purdue, and Mike and Brian at Michigan State. While Mike and his buddies made East Lansing their new stomping grounds, Jacob and Whitney stayed connected, occasionally visiting each other at Purdue and Ohio State. While at Purdue, Whitney befriended Sima.Keeping up with all the characters still?&nbsp;Let's fast forward a few years and set the scene...&nbsp;Mike is living in Atlanta and tearing it up with his friends Tim, Dan, and Aaron. While there, they meet Sima. After a few nights out and crossed paths, Sima and Aaron go on to begin dating. Together, Mike, Aaron and Sima are invited to a wedding. Sima calls Whitney: "There's a guy going to the wedding who needs a date! Are you available?" Hesitantly Whitney replies: "Yes..." Whitneydecides, 'what's the harm', it couldn't hurt and might be fun. Free food andbooze? Count her in. "His name is 'Mike'," Sima exclaims. Whitney did havea great time. This 'Mike' was a great guy. I mean in hindsight, who wouldn’thave a great time with Mike? He’s the life of the party.&nbsp; A few months later Jacob makes the move from Ohio to Chicago and moves into a small apartment in Lakeview East with Whitney. &nbsp; While living in Chicago, Whitney introduced Jacob to Brian who she'd met while she was Mike's date at a wedding. Ironically only a few months later Jacob asks Whitney to be his date to a wedding. What could they say? At least Mike and Jacob had good taste. While their orbits were beginning to circle into place, Michael and Jacob knew nothing of one another or the adventure that was yet to come.&nbsp; We'll fast forward another few years...&nbsp; Whitney, Jacob, Michael, Brian, Sima, and Aaron (helping you out with the names here) have moved on in their lives to new cities and new jobs all around.&nbsp; Jacob has moved from Chicago to Atlanta to start a new job with Coca-Cola. It takes some time, but Jacob eventually finds his footing in the city, setting out on his own, making new friends, and jet-setting around the world. It's spring of 2019 and Whitney's birthday is around the corner. Her birthday always falls on Memorial Day Weekend, and she's brainstorming where she should host her annual birthday bash. "Why not Atlanta?" she thought to herself. More than a few of her friends had moved there. Atlanta would be warm and could be a fun destination for a 3-day weekend.&nbsp; &amp; so she decided it would be Atlanta. She called Jacob to tell him, and he was thrilled. Little did he know that Coca-Cola would have him travelling in the weeks before. He only barely made it back to Atlanta for the festivities. Needless to say, he was ready for a party.&nbsp; The next morning was the day. A bus would be taking Whitney's birthday crew from Atlanta up to Lake Lanier about 45 minutes north of the city. The group was gathered on the sidewalk beginning to load up the bus when Jacob rolled up in his Uber. He stepped out of the Uber and walked towards the group, already dressed in swimsuits and loading up the bus with beer and snacks. There was only one person he didn't recognize. "I'm Jacob" he said with an outstretched hand. After hoisting a cooler up into the bus, the stranger reached out his hand; "I'm Mike...nice to meet you."&nbsp; After arriving at the lake, the crew loaded up the boat. Mike had volunteered to be the captain. "I barely know most of these people," Mike thought tohimself as the group loaded up the boat with booze and sunscreen. "Maybe Ishould volunteer to be captain." Nobody was going to argue with Mike'soffer, and so he became the captain of a boat full of very rowdy youngprofessionals.&nbsp; The boat had slowed into place in the middle of the lake. The sun was bright and glistening off the water. Drinks were being passed around, and an Ariana Grande remix played in the background. Mike put the boat in park, threw on his hat and sat on the seats at the stern, across from the guy he'd met when boarding the bus earlier.&nbsp; Jacob looked up as Mike took a seat and the two struck up a conversation. It was easy. It was comfortable. Maybe it was because he was the captain, or maybe it was the Tequila, but something about this new friend made Jacob want to spend more time with him.&nbsp; "I wonder if this is him," Mike thought to himself. Whitney had told himthere was a guy she thought he might like on the boat. The more theconversation went on, the more he realized he liked this person. Who was this guy that just flew in from abroad? There was a certain mystery and allure that was amplified by the fact that Jacob was taking pulls from a Costco sized bottle of Tequila. As it turned out, Mike didn't know that the friend Whitney had spoken to him about had cancelled last minute. But alas; in the end, something was right. There was a guy on the boat that Mike liked, and he was sitting in front of him trying to find the next hit pop song to queue up for the stereo.&nbsp; The day was rowdy, and nobody walked back to their apartments in straight line. Shirts and shoes were lost. But somehow, this crew had made it to the bars at the end of the night.&nbsp; The Ivy was packed. They were squeezing through crowds to get drinks at the bar. In typical fashion Jacob was gossiping in the corner with a friend, discussing how Mike and Whitney would make a good couple. Whitney and Mike seemed to get along well, and Jacob was looking out for Whitney. Much to her chagrin, Whitney had been through one too many of Jacob's 'set ups'. Whitney approached the corner. "You two would make a good couple," Jacob whispered to her. Whitney responded flatly "Um I don't think so... he's gay." Jacob furrowed his brow. He was surprised but intrigued.&nbsp; The group moved to the next bar; the iconic 'Johnny's Hideaway'. There are a few things that Johnny's is very well known for: killer music, a long line out the door, and a profound number of cougars. The dancefloor was packed. Drinks were spilling and there were smiles all around. The sunburn and exhaustion were no match for the DJ at Johnny's hideaway. Mike and Jacob almost by fate were pushed closer to one another on the dance floor. The crew was dancing in a small circle, with Mike and Jacob holding onto one another; Jacob's left arm around Mike's waist and Mike's right hand on the back of Jacob's neck. They continued dancing and Mike's hand moved to the back of Jacob's head, touching his hair. "This feels right," Jacob thought. He turned to Mike, and they continued dancing just the two of them. It wasn't because he was the captain of the boat, and it wasn't the tequila he thought. This was a crush.This was a genuine crush.&nbsp; It took a few months, a few missed opportunities, and a few panic attacks before Jacob finally worked up the courage to ask Mike to go to beers. We should mention this was after Mike's thwarted attempts to take Jacob out himself, all thanks to Jacob's cold feet. "Friday night happy hour. No risk at all. It could be a date or just a hang out - open for interpretation." Jacobthought to himself. It was the perfect plan. &amp; so it was in the books.&nbsp; The day of the ‘maybe date’ Jacob sat at his desk in the office. He was nervous, excited, scared, happy. In just a few hours he could be going on what could be a date (or a hangout, he reminded himself). Just after lunch he got a text from Mike: "I have a different idea". Mike had received two VIPtickets to the PGA tour at East Lake golf course for that afternoon: one of themany perks of working in sales. But there was a catch; "You'll have toleave work and meet me now." The text was bold. Jacob was surprised. Itwas one o'clock and they weren't supposed to meet for drinks until seven. Would he say yes, drop everything he was working on and meet Mike at his apartment? That would almost certainly steer things into date territory, right? Would he seem too available if he did?&nbsp; "It's worth it" he thought as he closed his laptop.

Our Story

Contact the hotel directly via phone to reserve your accommodations in our room block. Reference the Long/O'Meara Wedding when reserving. Please be advised there is a two night minimum.

Call the hotel directly to book via the number above. Ask for the O'Meara/Long Wedding room block. Please be advised there is a two night minimum.

Apple Tree Inn

Getting to Petoskey For those in the Michigan or Ohio area, it may make sense to drive to Petoskey. However, if you are one of the many guests that will need to fly into the area, we recommend looking for flights into the following airports: Pellston Regional Airport - Pellston (PLN) - 27 min drive from Petoskey Cherry Capital International Airport - Traverse City (TVC) - 1 hr 20 min drive from Petoskey Chippewa County International Airport - Kincheloe (CIU) - 1 hr 20 min drive from Petoskey Flint Bishop International Airport - Flint (FNT) -2 hr 59 min drive from Petoskey Sawyer International Airport - Marquette (MQT) - 3 hr 30 min from Petoskey Gerald R. Ford International Airport - Grand Rapids (GRR) - 3 hr 11 min drive from Petoskey Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport - Detroit (DTW) - 4 hr 3 min drive from Petoskey Harbor Springs Airport - Harbor Springs (MGN) - 10 min drive from Petoskey (*private only*) Airport Transportation to Petoskey For those flying into the area, you will need to rent a car or find other transportation from the airport to Stafford's Perry Hotel in Petoskey. For those flying into Traverse City you do have the option of using the Indian Trails bus which has a daily pick up at 7:00PM in Traverse City headed to Petoskey for an 8:40PM drop off across from the Courtyard Marriott. This bus also departs from Petoskey once daily at 8:35AM and drops off at 10AM in Traverse City. Please see more scheduling information here: <a href="https://www.indiantrails.com/bus-routes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.indiantrails.com/bus-routes</a> There will be parking available at Stafford's Perry Hotel for guests of the hotel. Day of Ceremony Shuttle Bus We will have a 28 person shuttle bus operating on Saturday June 22 to bring people TO and FROM Stafford's Perry Hotel. The bus will be operating from 1:00 PM to 2:30 AM and will make the following stops in a circuit: 1. Stafford's Perry hotel2. Hampton Inn / Apple Tree Inn / Days Inn3. Odawa Casino Hotel / Michigan Inn &amp; Lodge4. Courtyard by Marriott5. Holiday Inn Express

Travel & Accommodations

Schedule of Events

Joshua Long

Jonathan Long

Brian Allen

Mitchell Scheppler

Eric Scheppler

Gregory Scheppler

Alexa Scheppler

Whitney Wu

Timothy Hitchner

Alberto Latorre

Daniel Holmes

Shannon Sexton

Aaron Day

Jill Harris

Christian Gouin-Davis

Breann Janvier

Matt Walker

Reed Wilkinson

Anna Beatty

Our Party People

Registry

The Historic Petoskey Gaslight District has been a shopping area for more than 100 years. This district is bursting with independent shops, boutiques, and galleries. Downtown Petoskey also features great views of Little Traverse Bay, fine dining, and streets lined with historic gas lights. Make sure that you have time to wander around town, exploring shops and restaurants and taking in the views. Below you'll find a few of our favorite shops and restaurants in the gaslight district.

Petoskey's Historic Gaslight District

One of Mike &amp; Jacob’s favorite boutiques in Petoskey! If you love cooking or just generally spend a lot of time in your kitchen; this is the place for you. It’s impossible to walk out of here empty handed!

Cutler's

City Park Grill is one of Petoskey’s oldest buildings and was originally constructed in 1875. McCarty Hall, as it was then known, was a males-only billiard parlor that offered cigars and “intoxicating beverages.”The storied history includes tales of prohibition and underground tunnels, of Ernest Hemingway, and ghost sightings. This was said to be one of young Ernest's local haunts where he was known to play billiards. During his first 22 years, Hemingway and his family family arrived by train in Harbor Springs where they transferred to a "dummy train" that carried them to the Petoskey area. Later in life after being seriously injured during World War I, Hemingway had returned to the Petoskey area where he spent time recuperating and honing his writing talents. See if you can find the statue of Hemingway in Pennsylvania Park next door!

City Park Grill

The Petoskey Stone is Michigan's state stone and features a hexagonal fossil pattern. Of course you can buy polished Petoskey stones at shops in the gaslight district, but if you'd like to find one for yourself the best place to do so is Petoskey State Park beach, just a 10 min drive from Stafford's Perry Hotel. Check out more details about Petoskey Stones <a href="https://petoskeyarea.com/media/petoskey-stone/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HERE</a>!

Hunting for Petoskey Stones

This modern American restaurant serves an eclectic menu with fresh ingredients. This has been one of Mike &amp; Jacob's favorites when visiting Petoskey. They also make a mean martini - if you want to order it Jacob's style: Ketel One, Dry, Twist of Lemon.

Pour Kitchen & Bar

Need a quick glass of wine in between your boutique hopping in the gaslight district? Stop by into Chandler's and be sure to grab a seat on their intimate outdoor patio.

Chandler's

Stop in for a beer and be sure to try the Tomato Basil Quinoa soup. One of our favorites!

Beards Brewery

Catch some rays in the back lot beer garden and hang out for awhile. There are a number of food trucks to choose from but Happy's Taco Shop is DEFINITELY our favorite. You might even have a celebrity sighting (the wedding couple)!

The Back Lot Beer Garden

This trolley, with its vintage appeal, offers a fun and unique way to explore downtown Petoskey and the surrounding area. &amp; guess what? It's free!

Downtown Petoskey Trolley

This museum preserves the local history of the Petoskey area. It is located in the former Pere Marquette train station which is itself housed in a historic building that was constructed in the late 19th century, making it a piece of living history in the community.

Little Traverse Historical Museum

Go for a tour at Lavender Hill Farm only a 15 min drive from Stafford's Perry Hotel. On their tours, you will learn about lavender plants, honeybees, their historic barn, growing and harvesting of lavender, and the essential oil and distillation process. Lavender Hill Farms also has a storefront in the gaslight district called The Town Shop at 318 E Lake St.

Lavender Hill Farm

If you want to spend some time in nature while you're in the area, you should head to Petoskey State Park! The park is situated on Little Traverse Bay, is home to 1 mile of beautiful beach along Lake Michigan, and two modern campgrounds and trails. The park is located just 3 miles northeast of Petoskey and 6 miles south of Harbor Springs If you're looking to do some hiking, check out The Old Baldy Trail, a half-mile loop to the top of Old Baldy Dune, popular for its scenic views. A slightly longer hike, the Portage Trail, is a 1-mile, out-and-back trail through a wooded dune area.

Petoskey State Park

Gypsy Farms has a beautiful location in Petoskey where their famous spirits are distilled in a historic equestrian barn. Have a drink, play some yard games, and be sure to grab a bottle of Gypsy Vodka as a souvenir.

Gypsy Distillery

One of Mike &amp; Jacob's favorite beaches in Northern Michigan and one that inspired them to hold their wedding festivities in this beautiful area is Good Hart Beach. This is an isolated gem tucked behind St. Ignatius Church about a 37 min drive from Petoskey. The drive out to Good Hart is absolutely stunning and the beach itself is a MUST SEE while you're in the area. Follow your maps app to the address provided, park in the church parking lot, and take the dirt path behind the church and down the wooden staircase. At the bottom you'll find one of the most beautiful, scenic, and quiet stretches of beach in the area. Check out the Good Hart General store on your way in for some snacks and drinks on the beach.

Good Hart Beach

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is a great place to do some boutique shopping in Traverse City. Although this is about 1 hr 30 min drive from Stafford's Perry Hotel, if you're flying in or out of the Traverse City Airport we'd definitely recommend that you check it out. If you're into the more spooky activities, you can schedule a tour of the tunnels underneath the building. This is particularly interesting because this complex used to be the Traverse City State (Psychiatric) Hospital and was active from 1881 to 1989. It retains many of the more creepy aesthetics that one might find in a psychiatric facility of the 19th century.

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

Food & Activities in the Area

Questions & Answers

Michael &amp; Jacob had their engagement photos taken on The Amalfi Coast in the towns of Amalfi and Ravello. Photos by <a href="https://www.andreagallucci.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrea Galluci Photography</a>

Engagement Photos