Great Oaks Country Club Spring Wedding | Larry and Julia

Weddings

Julia and Larry’s spring time wedding at Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester, Michigan was a long time coming. I first met these two when I photographed Larry’s surprise marriage proposal to Julia in downtown Plymouth and soon after, they lined up their wedding date just under 2 years later. Julia and Larry, their friends and family (me included), were all waiting for this day to finally arrive and it couldn’t have been better. What was supposed to be a rainy day ended up just fine, with clouds in the sky (perfect for photos!) and perfect temperatures. The rain held off until late in the evening when everyone was dancing the night away and hardly noticed a storm had rolled in. 

Julia and Larry met online and as Julia confessed, their relationship “started with the thought that this was not going to go anywhere.” But after each date, that obviously changed and rather than going nowhere, they built a life together and celebrated their love story with their friends and family with a timeless black, white and pink wedding at Great Oaks Country Club. 

Larry and Julia both got ready at the venue before doing a first-look where they then exchanged personal vows they had written for one another. Then, we jumped on golf carts for photos around the golf course before meeting up with their wedding party. 

After wedding party photos, they had asked their families to arrive a bit early and so we finished all of their immediate and extended family photos prior to the ceremony. When we were planning their wedding day timeline, Julia and Larry both wanted to include some time for the two of them to eat dinner, take a break and hangout together with no agenda after their ceremony. So, we laid out their day to take all of their portraits before the ceremony, freeing up time for them to sneak away for a moment while their guests were enjoying cocktail hour. 

In jewish tradition, the signing of the Ketubah is an important ritual that takes place before the actual ceremony. With only their wedding party, immediate family and rabbi, Julia and Larry signed the Ketubah in the clubhouse boardroom before their ceremony with their guests began. I loved the way Julia’s long cathedral veil looked in front of their beautiful chuppah that was draped with fabric. It all felt so dreamy and romantic in the photos. 

After the ceremony, Larry and Julia snuck away to eat dinner while their guests headed to the ballroom for cocktail hour. But, before their grand entrance, we still snuck out for a few more photos now that they’re married! The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking and dancing, as it should be and their dance floor was full all night.

Julia and Larry’s spring time wedding at Rochester’s Great Oaks Country Club was a calm, smooth and oh so fun day. Julia is a born planner and with the help of the Red Coat Ladies wedding planning, every last detail of the day was thought out. And with everything happening in one location, from getting ready through the dance floor, it made for a calm, stress-free, well-paced wedding day. It’s important to think through the timeline of your wedding day and allow more time than you think you’ll need for just about everything. This way, you’re not rushed and can be fully present to every moment of the wedding day. To get an idea of how to structure your wedding day, check out these sample wedding day timelines. 

Dream Team