A Black Star Farms wedding already has so much to love, but Allison and Cole made theirs feel completely their own. With just 38 of their closest people, colorful florals, a vineyard ceremony, private vows and one long dinner table, their wedding felt intimate in the very best way.

There was so much thought put into this day, but it never felt overly formal. Instead, everyone seemed completely comfortable and genuinely happy to be there. It felt like one big celebration with the people Allison and Cole love most.

And for me, this wedding was extra special long before the day even arrived.

From One Wedding to the Next

One of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer is getting to see familiar faces again.

My connection to Allison and Cole actually started a few weddings ago with Margaret and Jakob. Jakob is brothers with Jaxon, which eventually led me to photographing Madison and Jaxon’s wedding earlier this year. Madison and Jaxon are some of Allison and Cole’s best friends, which then led me here.

Getting to photograph weddings within the same group of friends and family is something I don’t take for granted. By the time Allison and Cole’s wedding arrived, I already knew quite a few of the people there. It makes an already special job even more fun when I get to come back, catch up with everyone and continue documenting different chapters for people I’ve gotten to know along the way.

Madison even grabbed my camera at the end of the night to take a photo of me with Allison and Cole, so she absolutely gets photo credit for that one.

Allison and Cole’s Mission Point Lighthouse Engagement Session

Before their wedding, I photographed Allison and Cole’s engagement session at Mission Point Lighthouse on Old Mission Peninsula, just outside Traverse City, in fall 2025.

As a Northern Michigan and Traverse City wedding photographer, I always love getting to photograph couples in locations that are meaningful to them. Mission Point Lighthouse was such a beautiful setting for their fall engagement session, and we had so much fun together that evening.

One detail I especially loved was hearing about their first date at Short’s Brewing Company. What could have been a simple first date turned into them staying and talking for hours. They’ve been together ever since.

We even found a way to incorporate Short’s into their engagement session, which made those photos feel that much more personal to them.

Then, almost a year later, it was finally time for their wedding.

An Intimate Black Star Farms Wedding in Suttons Bay

Allison and Cole chose Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay for their Northern Michigan wedding. Set on the Leelanau Peninsula just north of Traverse City, the property has vineyards, rolling hills, an Inn and several different indoor and outdoor spaces. It gave us so much variety without ever having to leave the property.

Their vision was classic, elegant, timeless and colorful.

The color palette included rust, terracotta, mauve, sage, olive, mustard and black. Natalie from Leelanau Plant Company brought everything together with the florals, and they were SO beautiful.

With only 38 guests, Allison and Cole were also able to create a wedding that felt incredibly personal. Their reception was held on Black Star Farms’ covered patio, with everyone gathered around one long table.

It was one of my favorite parts of their entire day.

There wasn’t that feeling of guests being spread across a huge reception space. Everyone was together. Everyone knew each other. People talked, laughed, cried during speeches and celebrated right alongside Allison and Cole.

It felt less like attending an event and more like being invited into one really beautiful dinner party with family and friends.

Getting Ready at Black Star Farms

Allison spent the morning getting ready at Black Star Farms with some of her favorite people.

Team Hair + Beauty was there for hair and makeup, and I loved getting to work with them again. The morning was relaxed, fun and gave us plenty of time for photographs before everything really got started.

Wedding Details and Colorful Fall Florals

Allison had all of her details ready for me when I arrived, which meant I could spend some extra time styling and photographing everything.

This is one of those little things that makes such a difference on a wedding morning. Having the invitation suite, rings, jewelry, shoes, perfume and other meaningful pieces together gives me the time to be creative instead of searching for everything as the morning moves along.

Natalie from Leelanau Plant Company also brought me extra loose florals specifically to use for the detail photographs.

As a photographer, I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate when a florist does this. They were gorgeous, worked perfectly with Allison and Cole’s color palette and gave me so much to work with. Natalie was also genuinely such a joy to be around and work alongside throughout the day.

Cole’s Morning on the Water

While Allison got ready at Black Star Farms, Cole spent the morning at a nearby Airbnb on the water.

He got ready with his dad, which gave us some really meaningful photographs of the two of them together before heading over to Black Star Farms.

Later, both Allison and Cole made a little extra room in their timeline for their parents.

First Looks With Their Parents

Before seeing each other, Allison shared a first look with her parents, while Cole had a first look with his parents.

And there were tears.

I love when couples choose to include moments like these because wedding days aren’t only about the couple. They’re also a huge day for the parents and families who have loved them through every season that brought them here.

Giving their parents a few quiet minutes with them before the ceremony made those reactions even more meaningful.

Then it was finally time for Allison and Cole to see each other.

A First Look and Private Wedding Vows

Allison and Cole chose to have a first look followed by private vows before their ceremony.

Their first look was beautiful, but what I loved most was that afterward, they had actual time together.

I stayed back with a longer lens while they read their vows so that the moment could really belong to them. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could see the tears.

Why I Love Private Vows on a Wedding Day

A first look is absolutely not something every couple has to do. There is something incredibly special about waiting until the ceremony to see each other too.

However, if you’re already drawn to the idea of a first look, pairing it with private vows can make it even more meaningful.

Instead of trying to squeeze everything into a few minutes, you can see each other, talk, take in the fact that you’re actually getting married and say the things you may not want to say in front of an entire ceremony full of people.

For Allison and Cole, it gave them this really beautiful pocket of time together before the rest of the day unfolded.

Afterward, we stayed around the property for portraits before everyone headed toward the vineyard for the ceremony.

A Vineyard Ceremony at Black Star Farms

One of the best parts of a Black Star Farms wedding is the vineyard ceremony site.

Black Star Farms sits on a 160-acre winery estate on the Leelanau Peninsula, and the vineyard ceremony space takes full advantage of those rolling Northern Michigan views. The property also has a small view toward West Grand Traverse Bay from the vineyard site.

We took a golf cart up to the ceremony, where florals framed the arbor and guests were beginning to arrive.

Even the area where the wedding party waited was tucked between the vineyard rows. It kept everyone hidden before they walked down the aisle while giving us such a beautiful backdrop for photographs.

And then came one of my favorite parts.

The Sweetest Flower Girl

Instead of having a traditional flower girl, Allison and Cole asked Allison’s grandmother to take on the role.

Watching her walk down the aisle tossing petals was adorable, but it was also such a meaningful way to include her in the ceremony.

It fit this wedding perfectly. With only 38 guests, nearly every part of the day felt connected to someone they loved.

Their ring bearer was another perfect example.

A Surprise Ring Bearer

There was no designated ring bearer waiting at the end of the aisle.

Instead, Meghan, their coordinator at Black Star Farms, hid the rings underneath a random guest’s chair before the ceremony.

When it was time for the rings, everyone was told to look underneath their seats. Whoever found them officially became the ring bearer and got to bring the rings forward.

It was unexpected, fun and such a cute way to include their guests in the ceremony.

After Allison and Cole officially became husband and wife, they walked back down the aisle together. Cole reached for Allison’s hand and kissed it as they walked.

It was such a tiny, unscripted moment, but one of those photographs that says so much without needing anything else.

Vineyard Wedding Photos in Northern Michigan

After the ceremony, we stayed near the vineyard for family photographs before giving Allison and Cole some time for portraits together.

Between the vineyard rows, rolling property and the scenery around Black Star Farms, there were so many places to photograph without having to build travel time into their wedding day.

I also flew my drone for couple’s portraits for the first time, which gave us an entirely different view of the two of them surrounded by the vineyard.

Then, instead of disappearing for photographs for the rest of cocktail hour, Allison and Cole actually got to go enjoy it.

An Actual Hour at Cocktail Hour

This is something I loved about their timeline.

Allison and Cole had almost an entire hour to simply be at their own cocktail hour.

They got to hug people, talk with their guests, have a drink and actually enjoy the celebration they had spent so much time planning. Meanwhile, I was able to photograph all of those interactions as they happened.

Those candid photographs matter just as much as the portraits.

When you have only 38 people at your wedding, every single person is there for a reason. Making time to actually be with them was one of the things that made Allison and Cole’s wedding feel so personal.

Dinner Around One Long Table

When dinner began, everyone gathered on the covered patio around one long table.

Black Star Farms describes the covered patio as a private outdoor space overlooking its terraced vineyard and surrounding forest, and it was such a beautiful fit for a celebration this size.

There were colorful florals running through the space, dinner, speeches, plenty of tears and so much laughter.

This was probably when I felt the intimacy of the day the most.

There weren’t separate corners of the reception or dozens of tables dividing everyone into groups. Their closest people were sitting together, sharing dinner and celebrating the same two people.

It was simple in the best possible way.

First Dances, Cigars and the End of the Night

After dinner, Allison and Cole shared their first dances outside beside the patio.

Everyone gathered around them rather than watching from across a huge ballroom. That closeness carried through the entire evening.

Later, Cole brought out cigars, which gave everyone another excuse to hang around outside, talk and enjoy the property.

By the time I was supposed to leave, I genuinely didn’t want to.

It had been one of those wedding days where everyone was so enjoyable to be around that the hours went by unbelievably fast.

Meghan from Black Star Farms was wonderful throughout the entire day, too. Having a coordinator who knows the property and keeps everything moving smoothly makes such a difference, and I loved getting to work alongside her.

Allison and Cole’s Wedding on Digital and Film

One thing I was especially excited about for Allison and Cole’s wedding was having both digital and film photography throughout the day!

My second photographer, Kristin Ebel, photographed film alongside me, and I absolutely love how the images turned out. Kristin is such a talented photographer, and she was genuinely so much fun to work with. I’m so grateful I got to spend the day photographing alongside her!

The film photographs add another beautiful perspective to their wedding gallery, and I love how they complement the digital images. There is something so special about having those moments documented in both formats, and I’m so excited to share them here!

An Intimate Wedding at Black Star Farms

One of the things I loved most about Allison and Cole’s wedding was how much time they actually got to spend with their people.

With just 38 guests, they were able to enjoy cocktail hour, share dinner around one long table, and spend the evening celebrating with everyone they love. Nothing felt rushed, and there was so much room for those little moments that made the day special.

If you’re dreaming of an intimate Northern Michigan wedding, I hope their day gives you a little inspiration for what your own celebration could look like. Whether it’s a smaller guest list, private vows, or a dinner that feels more like a gathering with your favorite people, there are so many ways to make your wedding personal to you.

Allison & Cole’s Black Star Farms Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Leah Rohde Photography

Second Photographer + Film: Kristin Ebel

Venue + Catering: Black Star Farms

Venue Coordinator: Meghan Moerdyk

Florals: Leelanau Plant Company

Hair + Makeup: Team Hair + Beauty

Wedding Dress: Jenna in White

Wedding Cake: Sugar Me Sweet

Northern Michigan Wedding Photographer

Allison and Cole, thank you so much for having me be part of your wedding day! From our engagement session at Mission Point Lighthouse to your beautiful celebration at Black Star Farms, it has been such a joy getting to know you both. And getting to see so many familiar faces made the day even more special. I truly didn’t want to leave!

If you’re planning a wedding at Black Star Farms or somewhere else in Northern Michigan, I’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up! You can learn more about my approach as a Northern Michigan wedding photographer, and when you’re ready, reach out to me here. I’d love to be part of it!

More Northern Michigan Wedding Inspiration

Loved seeing Allison and Cole’s Black Star Farms wedding? You might also love AJ and Delaney’s wedding at Bay View Weddings at Gallagher Farms! Another beautiful Northern Michigan celebration with plenty of inspiration for your own wedding day.