The Argonne House

Rehearsal Dinner

Castle Farms

Ceremony

Reception

Cocktail Hour

Our Wedding

It all began in Winter 2021. The world as we knew it had ended. Both Carley and I had done the unthinkable, move back in with our parents. Dating seemed impossible. Enter the internet and dating apps. Hinged was a unique dating app in that it didn't rely on photos to connect people, but rather little blurbs about your life that others could comment on. Things weren't going well, but then I found a profile about a passionate, intelligent, ultimate frisbee playing, gorgeous woman named Carley Hitt. We immediately hit it off by talking about how crazy the last year was. Topics ranged from environmental conscientiousness to the absurd "to the moon" GameStop stock. It was time to move from the app and go on a date. One issue though: What if the other person is a crazy internet person? The only solution was a pre-date Zoom interview, obviously. I anxiously passed the pre-evaluation. Next, proving what I put on my resume with an onsite evaluation, a sledding date. While we would sled downhill at high speeds, our lives would only go up from here. I was so nervous that I made snow hearts while we talked on the top of the hill as a blizzard came in. Carley went for the first kiss and the rest is history.

A Winter Romance - A John Oatey Tale

Our Story

Photos

Sisters by chance, friends by choice. Hillary is Carley’s older sister who is best known for love of traveling and vast knowledge of wines. Hillary lives and works in Washington, D.C. with her husband Erik.

Hillary Hitt

Matt was John's college roommate and close friend for many years. 

Matt Graham

Shannon is Carley's childhood friend. The two grew up 5 minutes from each other and solidified their bond over their shared love of High School Musical.

Shannon Kilbride

Gabby is John's friend from their high school days. The two reconnected during Covid playing video games and is also a fellow pet parent to three birds!

Gabby Nytes

Katie is Carley's cousin and great appreciator of all sunsets. Katie is going into her Junior year at Grand Valley State University pursuing her degree in Advertising & PR. 

Katie Decker

Jonathon is one of John's cousins and great lover of all things sports. 

Jonathon Perry

Natalie is Carley's college roommate and weekly trivia teammate. Natalie and Carley met on a college message board over 7 years ago and have been close friends ever since!

Natalie Griffith

Zona is John’s younger sister and fellow cat lover! Zona is a freshman at Kendall College of Art and Design.

Zona Oatey

Payton is Carley's future sister-in-law! Payton and Carley have bonded over their love of Disney movies and all things Halloween.

Payton Cooper

Nolan is Carley's older brother and fellow pet dad to his adorable dog, Boomer. Carley and John are both thrilled to celebrate Nolan's own nuptials next summer!

Nolan Hitt

Wedding Party

Q + A

We have 3 King and 12 Oueen rooms reserved on both the first and second floor. *IMPORTANT* This location does not have an elevator so if you are in need of one please reach out to the hotel to request a first floor room. These rooms become released from the discounted rate on 12/08/2023, please book your room before hand!

AmericInn by Wyndham Charlevoix

Pointes North Inn offers condo style rooms in one or two bedroom options with a two-night minimum stay. This would be a good option if you are travelling with family or a group. To get the discounted rate you will need to pick from available rooms on their website then call them with the room information and they will apply the discount. Our discount is listed under Hitt/Oatey Wedding Party.

Pointes North Inn

Charlevoix Inn and Suites

Travel

This is beautiful scenic and calm river raft tour through the Jordan River. It is a great way to see the beauty of winter in Michigan and learn a little about the natural area!

Jordan Valley Outfitters

Boyne Mountain has great ski and snowboarding slopes for all skill levels. Plus the resort has a snow tubing hill, a fun shopping village, plenty of good restaurants, and a water park! p.s. a Michigan mountain is more of a very large hill if you are not from the Midwest.

Boyne Mountain Resort

One of the best things to do in Charlevoix is to tour the famous 26 "Mushroom Houses"! The houses were built by a local Charlevoix architect who drew inspiration from natural elements and constructed these stone houses to reflect those elements. We highly recommend this if you have time, it's so unique!

Mushroom House Tours

Lost Cellars is a great place to cozy up for a wine tasting and charcuterie board. You'll find plenty of local wineries in Northern Michigan and if wine tasting is your vibe I encourage you to try one out!

Lost Cellars

Not only is Castel Farms our wedding venue but it is also a Historical Site with guided and walking tours through it's property. Take time to learn about the history of how the castle and the property came to be what it is today! There is also a winery at Castle Farms called 1918 Cellars that offers wine and cider tastings. It is a great spot to sit and enjoy all the beauty of the castle.

John + Caroline

John + Caroline

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