Setting the Mood
Water-themed weddings
Published in the May/June, 2007 issue of On The Water.
By Jaye Alderson
A wedding day is one of the most special days in a person's life. For a water lover, bringing that element into the wedding can make the day even more special.
There's a serenity that comes with water that adds to the ceremony or pictures," said photographer Melody Wollangk, who owns Limelite Studios in Oshkosh with her husband, Jason Toney.
She said many people in the area have scheduled photographs and ceremonies along Lake Winnebago at Menominee Park in Oshkosh, along Green Lake at the Heidel House or some churches near Green lake that are located right on the water. Some have the weddings outdoors, some cruise on the lake before having dinner at the resort and some simply have their pictures taken with a water background.
"Those are typically the summer weddings, and people who are looking for that beautiful view overlooking the water," Wollangk said.
She has also photographed a "fabulous" wedding which was held at North Shore Golf Course near High Cliff, which also is on the water.
One couple even drove top Oshkosh from Appleton to have their pictures taken on the water, the returned to Appleton.
City parks are accessible to anyone, and state parks require the standard entrance fee, Wollangk said. Arrangements must be made ahead of time with other facilities.
Wollangk said outdoor photography shots take some extra consideration because a bright, sunny day could cause harsh reflections from the water or the bride's white dress, people in the photographs could be squinting against the sun and breezes could affect people's clothing and hair.
"Those beautiful sunny days that brides love are not necessarily the best for the photographer," Wollangk said. "Being near the water lends a little bit of a natural issue and some lighting constraints, depending on the time of day."
She said couples wanting to have water shots for their wedding should know ahead of time exactly where they're going to be for the shots and make sure there are no obstacles such as rocks or dips.
Many couples choose to actually be on the water for the ceremony. Debbie Ryf, co-owner of the Fin-n-Feather restaurant and showboat in Winneconne, said they host about 20 to 30 weddings a year on the showboat which cruises the Wolf River.
She said this year already is very busy with three weddings scheduled in May. Typically, she said, the cruise weddings start up in June.
She said the boat is Coast Guard-approved to accommodate 149 passengers, but they prefer to limit the count to 120. Brunch, lunch and dinner cruises are available. Because most cruises last between two and four hours, more than one wedding could be booked on the same day.
"They can hold the ceremony on the top of the boat or down below inside," she said. "They can make it casual or as up-scale as they want to. They can customize it to fit their needs. Some hold tropical-themed weddings, some are cute like a beach party, some are to the nines, with full linens and chair covers."
She said many people don't want to be married inside a building, and a park, garden or wedding cruise offer beautiful alternatives.
"You can't have a better backdrop than nature for your wedding and pictures," she said. "
the boats and activity, gorgeous sunsets, breeze flowing through your hair. The idea of being able to go on a boat or a cruise is very calming."
Even for people who are married indoors in a church, a reception at the Fin-n-Feather offers the same beautiful water views, Ryf said. An upstairs banquet hall is lined with windows that overlook the river and is complete with a full-service bar and restrooms for the hall.
"All the windows face the river, and it's very gorgeous," said Ryf.
Many people decorate the hall, including those who feature nautical themes, but Ryf said the beautiful water setting makes a lot of decorating unnecessary.
"In our hall, especially, you're drawn into the outside by the windows," she said. "We always say the river is our second Main Street. I always tell people when they decorate in our hall that generally less is more."
Another resort that hosts a number of weddings each year is the Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor. The resort is on the bluff overlooking the Bay of Green Bay.
Jeff Larson, director of marketing and sales, said they host about 35 destination weddings a year, with most of the couples coming from out of the area such as Milwaukee, Chicago and even Florida.
"Most have some history with the county, loving Door County," Larson said. "They grew up here, parents or grandparents grew up here, or vacationing to Northeast Wisconsin. There's usually a connection."
"It also has a quiet charm. It's not going to Las Vegas. The couples that we get
want the quiet, the natural beauty, and certainly the memories.
"Beautiful sunsets over the water are also a factor, and most weddings are scheduled later in the afternoon for that reason," Larson said.
"There are all kinds of ties with the water, and people have done it in all types of ways," Larson said. The resort hosts actual wedding ceremonies, rehearsal dinners, receptions and photograph sessions.
"Regardless of what the event is, it's related to the surroundings," Larson said. We have an open terrace. That has a beautiful view of the Bay of Green Bay. On a nice summer day, you get the sailboats out there, and I don't think there's a more picturesque view."
He said one couple were married in the Village of Ephraim, right across from the water, took pictures on the pier there, and continued on to hold their reception at the Landmark.
A sales manager at the resort, Gina Hartl, was proposed to in a park on the water in Door County. She and her husband, Rick, were married in Fish Creek and they were taken to Egg Harbor via sailboat for the reception at the Landmark.
The water ambiance was very important to both of them, Gina Hartl said. Her husband is a life-long sailor and races regularly. The sailboat in which they traveled to their reception is owned by their good friend Peder Nelson, who operates Sail Door County out of Sister Bay.
"They're friends and have been bonded forever through sailing," Hartl said. "The water is so much a part of what we do and love. It's beautiful. It's freeing for us. We love the feeling of being out there."
Larson said he believes the beauty of a water setting adds to a day that is magical for couples.
"So much of it is almost like a fairy tale, so I guess it combines that natural beauty and excitement of the day into a photogenic, memorable setting," Larson said. "I think many young ladies grow up to want that fairy tale, princess-type of wedding and reception, and certainly the water setting gives that unique, personable and memorable type of setting."
Meredith Bieri, owner of Meredith's We Planet in Appleton, said there are numerous ways couples can incorporate a water theme into their wedding.
To start off, invitations can be a message in a bottle with a little sand and an invitation on a scroll inside the bottle.
If the couple chooses to hold their wedding outdoors to accommodate the water, she said it is important to have an indoor backup plan in case of inclement weather. If the weather will be very hot, some couples also have provided bottles of water which can be personalized for each of their guests. Others have printed the wedding programs on fans that can be used by the guests to cool themselves off.
She said beach themes tend to use more muted colors, such as light blues reflecting skies and oceans, browns and taupes. A tropical-themed wedding uses brighter colors and flowers such as birds of paradise and antheriums.
Outdoor weddings affect the choice of flowers, Bieri said.
"Some flowers don't take to heat very well," she said. "You won't want a lily in the middle of July outside!"
She said there is a wide variety of beach dιcor available, so decorating can be individualized. It can include flowers or small pails of sand and shells hanging on the ends of chair rows; table decorations with sand and shells; and beach-themed frames to show off pictures.
Wollangk said couples choose a water setting for many different reasons. Some like the setting simply for its beauty. Some connect emotionally with childhood memories, such as parks where they once played. Others have favorite family locations.
"Some people come from boating families, and having water in the background is just part of life," she said.
And some couples may be from a situation where families belong to different churches or the bridal couple may not belong to any church.
"Having an outdoor location might take the place of those alter images," Wollangk said. "Everyone can connect with nature."
