Of the Land Wedding Day in Battle Creek MI

Some wedding days feel less like a production and more like a gathering of the people who matter most. Allie and Max Tennant’s Of the Land wedding in Battle Creek, Michigan was exactly that: playful, sentimental, deeply rooted in their faith, and filled with thoughtful details that made their wedding day unmistakably theirs.

With around 100 friends and family members traveling from all over the world to celebrate with them, Allie and Max cared deeply about one thing: having meaningful time with the people they love most.

And every part of their wedding reflected that priority.

A University of Michigan Love Story That Began With Trumpets

There was something wonderfully fitting about the music woven throughout Allie and Max’s wedding day.

The two met because they were both trumpet players in the University of Michigan marching band. So music wasn’t simply background decoration for their wedding—it was part of their story.

Max composed all of the music for their wedding ceremony, which was performed by a brass quartet. Hearing music written by the groom become part of the soundtrack to the moment he married the woman he met through their shared love of music was such a meaningful detail.

Their outdoor wedding ceremony was also intentionally centered on God. The ceremony wasn’t simply a celebration of their relationship; it was a beautiful reflection of their faith and the foundation they are building their marriage upon.

They Chose to Wait for Their First Look

Allie and Max decided not to do a first look before the ceremony, choosing instead to see each other for the first time as Allie walked down the aisle.

And their reactions were everything. Huge smiles. Pure excitement. The kind of expressions that happen when two people have been waiting all day to finally see each other. After all the anticipation, planning, and travel that had gone into bringing their loved ones together, the aisle became the perfect place for that first glimpse.

As a wedding photographer, these are the moments I love most: the ones that don’t need to be directed because the emotion is already there.

A Rainy Of the Land Wedding Day

The weather added its own unexpected chapter to Allie and Max’s wedding day. The rain held off perfectly through their outdoor ceremony, giving everyone the chance to experience their meaningful celebration outside.

After the ceremony, we quickly worked through family portraits and bridal party photos before the rain became too heavy. We had less portrait time than originally planned, but wedding days don’t have to go exactly according to the original timeline to be beautiful. Sometimes you simply make the most of what the day gives you.

When the rain finally settled in, Allie and Max took cover during cocktail hour and had some quiet time together. They chatted while looking out over the reception area, watching the rain fall around them. It was an unplanned pause in the middle of a very full wedding day—and a beautiful opportunity for them to simply be together. No posing. No rushing. Just newlyweds enjoying a quiet moment.

When the Rain Stopped, We Took Their Wedding Portraits

And then, almost perfectly, the rain let up.

So we went back outside for their couple portraits.

This is one of the reasons I always encourage my couples not to let weather dictate how they feel about their wedding photographs. A rainy forecast doesn’t automatically mean rainy wedding photos. Sometimes the weather shifts. Sometimes the clouds create beautiful atmosphere. And sometimes you simply need to wait.

For Allie and Max, the rain gave us just enough of a pause to step back outside and create some beautiful portraits together. More importantly, they never lost their joy. They were still giddy. Still smiling. Still completely thrilled to be married.

A Wedding Reception Filled With Personal Details

The Of the Land wedding reception space, the greenhouse, was thoughtfully decorated without feeling overly formal.

Bud vases added simple touches of flowers throughout the space, while a collection of their favorite books brought something personal and unmistakably them to the tables.

Guests could also play yard games and board games throughout the evening, creating plenty of opportunities for people to relax and spend time together.

But one of my favorite reception details was inspired by Allie and Max’s love of travel.

Of the Land Wedding Tables Inspired by Their Travels Around the World

Each reception table represented a country or place Allie and Max had visited together.

At each table, guests found a photograph of the couple from that destination, along with facts about the location and a marriage tradition from that part of the world.

It was such a thoughtful way to incorporate their shared adventures into their wedding day.

Rather than simply giving each table a number, they turned their seating chart into a collection of memories.

And it gave their guests another way to learn about the places and experiences that have shaped Allie and Max’s relationship.

A Sound of Music First Dance

The first dances were another beautiful reflection of the couple’s personalities.

Allie and Max learned and performed the Laendler from The Sound of Music, one of Allie’s favorite pieces. It was playful, charming, and completely unexpected—and exactly the sort of personal detail that made their wedding feel like their wedding.

Then Allie shared a father-daughter dance with her dad, Bart, to “O Magnum Mysterium.” The song was especially meaningful because it is one of Allie’s favorite pieces she has ever played, and it is also one of Bart’s favorites.

These moments weren’t simply wedding traditions. They were pieces of their actual lives and relationships brought into the celebration.

A Wedding Centered on Family, Friends, and Meaningful Time Together

If there was one thing that stood out to me throughout Allie and Max’s wedding day, it was how much they valued their people.

Allie kept saying that she couldn’t believe everyone was actually going to show up.

And then they did.

Friends and family came from all over the world to celebrate their marriage, and Allie and Max genuinely treasured the opportunity to spend time with them. They didn’t want to rush through their reception without getting to talk to the people who had traveled so far. They wanted to hug them, laugh with them, hear about their lives, and simply enjoy having everyone they loved gathered together in one place.

That is one of the things I believe makes a wedding day so meaningful. Your wedding photographs aren’t ultimately about proving that everything looked perfect.

They’re about remembering who was there.

The faces of the people who traveled across the country—or across the world—to celebrate you. The people you may never again have all together in one room. The people whose laughter, hugs, tears, and presence made the day what it was.

That is what I want to preserve for my couples.

Not just what their wedding looked like, but how it felt to be surrounded by their favorite people.

Ending the Wedding Night With Ice Cream

And because this wedding already had everything from brass quartet music to international travel stories to a choreographed Sound of Music dance, it only made sense to finish the night with an ice cream cart from Sweet Escape & Treats. Guests gathered for ice cream and one more chance to spend quality time together before the celebration came to an end. It was the perfect ending to a wedding day that was never about putting on a show.

It was about faith, family, friendship, adventure, and being fully present with the people they love.

Allie and Max created a wedding that felt like them. And even when the rain changed the timeline, they kept choosing joy. They kept choosing each other. They kept choosing their people. And they created the kind of wedding day that will be remembered not because every detail went according to plan, but because it was meaningful, personal, and completely theirs.

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Planning Your Own Of the Land Wedding in Battle Creek, Michigan?

If you’re planning an Of the Land wedding and want your photography to focus on more than just beautiful portraits, I’d love to tell the story of your day through the people, relationships, and little moments that make it uniquely yours.

My approach is centered around getting to know you before your wedding, building a timeline around what matters most to you, and watching for the moments nobody staged.

Because years from now, I want you to remember more than what your wedding looked like.

I want you to remember who was there and how it felt to have them all in one place.

To see more of my work, click here! To book your dream day, click here!

Vendors involved in their day:
Venue: Of the Land
Photography: Mariah Kasten Photo
Dress: Pierre’s Bridal
Ice Cream Truck: Sweet Escape & Treats