Michigan Wine Company

Welcome Party

Emerson Lounge

Wedding Day

Cocktail Hour + Appetizers

Wedding Ceremony

Dinner Party

Our Wedding

The Night Before @ Michigan Wine Co. 

6781  124th Ave  •   Fennville, MI 

<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/FdxHzsF67NnGXyR39" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MAP</a> Attire Inspiration for Ladies:Think Ralph Lauren Western Wear + Napa Valley•Cowgirl, but make it winery•Flowy dresses, skirts, or elevated denim•Hats and statement pieces Attire Inspiration for Men:Think Dumb &amp; Dumber in Aspen (not pastel suits) + Elevated Bonfire •Boots, dark denim or tailored trousers•Button-downs (patterned, flannel, denim), sport coats, bolo ties, belts

Wedding Ceremony @ Emerson Lounge

6357  63rd St  •   Saugatuck, MI

<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/GJPuT9d9WBciGTdE9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MAP</a> Attire Inspiration for Ladies:• Mid-Length dress• Dressy skirt + blouse• Tailored jumpsuit• Structured sundress (no beach fabrics) Attire Inspiration for Men:• Suit or blazer + dress pants (tie optional)• Sport coat + chinos• Crisp button-down Colors: navy, royal blue, browns, darker greens, darker yellows, tan, muted seasonal tones.

Venues & Attire

Q + A

<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/cjgV9stCCCMyN2vq7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MAP</a> Our guests receive a discounted rate at the Residence Inn Holland. You can book using the link below or call and mention the “Bobay Middleton Wedding” to receive the special rate. There are also plenty of nearby hotels and charming Airbnb options throughout the area if you’d prefer something different. Reservation Link: <a href="https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1772461799586&amp;key=GRP&amp;app=resvlink&amp;_branch_match_id=1552723334489847429&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MtNLCrKzC8p0UvOz9UvSi3OyczLtgdK2ALZZSCOWmaKraG5uZGJmaG5paWphZladmqlrXtQgFpdUWpaKlB3Xnp8UlF%2BeXFqka1rSnoqAIS4%2FDReAAAA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Residence Inn - Middleton Wedding</a> Residence Inn631 Garden Ridge Dr, Holland, MI 49423Phone: 616-393-9600Email: <a href="mailto:Kate@elitehospitalitymi.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kate@elitehospitalitymi.com</a>

Residence Inn by Marriott  -  Holland

Feel free to book your own Airbnb, VRBO, local Bed & Breakfast - look in towns of Saugatuck, Holland, Fennville, Douglas

Emerson Lounge is 1 hour away from this airportMichigan Wine Company is 1 hour and 8 minutes away from this airport

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport

Michigan Wine Company is 44 minutes away from this airport Emerson Lounge is 37 minutes away from this airport

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Travel

We were in the same rooms more times than either of us can count. Same concerts, same sporting events, same everything — two people moving through the same city and somehow never crossing paths directly. In hindsight, it feels less like coincidence and more like bad timing that finally ran out. Two weeks before we met, we were both at the same restaurant, in separate parties, grabbing dinner and drinks before heading to the Embassy Theater for a Broadway show. It was just one of many near run-ins we'd eventually piece together — and probably the moment the countdown hit zero. But before getting too far, I would like to step back about 12 months: I had recently started working at an engineering firm in downtown Fort Wayne. I started walking a lot — lunch breaks, after work, just me and whatever was on my mind that day. Getting acquainted with a new part of the city, enjoying the time to myself. I didn't know it then, but I was getting to know the streets that would eventually become the backdrop of our entire story. The sidewalks we'd bike on together, some days passing right by the apartment we hadn't yet signed for — and eventually, the neighborhood we'd buy a house in. The blocks that would hold our first kiss. The place we'd call home. When fate ran its course and we officially met, we quickly found out we worked just blocks from one another. I found the courage to ask her to join me on the lunch walks I'd been taking alone. We'd leave our offices at the same time and walk toward each other, usually meeting somewhere around Pint &amp; Slice. I'll never forget seeing her from three blocks away — big smile, waving the second she spotted me, always in one of her many pairs of Ray-Bans. Those walks became the highlight of my day, each one turning up some new thing we had in common.Our first date was at Bistro Nota, a few blocks from both our offices. No awkward silences, no forced icebreaker questions — just easy conversation, like two people who had already known each other for a while. A few days later she asked if I would be interested in seeing The Wood Brothers with her. I hesitated — $90 is a lot for a band you've never really listened to. I told her I was already a fan, which was not entirely true. I spent that afternoon on Spotify getting up to speed and committed to the bit. It was $90 well spent. Something clicked that night that didn't need much analysis. For the next six months, I doubt we spent more than two or three days apart. From there, our new life together began to take shape. More lunch walks. I'd bring dinner to her place most nights (shoutout to Chung King). We picked up pickleball. The concert count climbed steadily — currently sitting at 56 shows in three and a half years, which is either impressive or irresponsible, possibly both. We could have put a kid through college. Eventually we signed our first lease. You really get to know someone in an 800 square foot apartment. We leaned into downtown life pretty quickly - walking to dinner, to work, to Thirsty Thursdays at Parkview Field, to whatever else caught our attention that week. Annie welcomed my twelve-year-old pug, who she quickly nicknamed Binky on account of the tongue that permanently hung out of his mouth like a pacifier. The fourth resident of the apartment was her cat Ashley, who wanted nothing to do with anyone until she decided she wanted everything to do with me. To this day she refuses to sleep anywhere but my right side. There's also much more to this story than just Annie and me. I first met the Bobay and Verstynen families over Thanksgiving weekend of 2022. I was naturally nervous — but it didn't last. Almost immediately, I could see why Annie was who she was. It felt like a perfect fit from the jump, and the welcome I received from day one is something I won't ever take lightly.One moment from that weekend that has stuck out: Annie invited me to the family's annual Black Friday bowling outing, and on the way to the alley I watched her dad pull a Bob Dylan handkerchief out of his pocket. As probably the world's biggest thirty-something Dylan fan, I nudged Annie, tried to keep my composure. The more I got to know the family, it was clear that every single member of that family carried some version of the spark that drew me to Annie in the first place. After three years of lake weekends, 30A vacations, and birthday dinners, I still can't find the right words for what an honor it is to be joining this family. Beyond everything that drew us together early on, we also found a shared love of golf —I hit the jackpot there. How many girls would get excited over spotting Brandt Snedeker on the streets of Dublin, Ohio?? My appreciation for the game had been growing for years, but something shifted after seeing it through Annie's eyes. She approaches golf in a similar way she approaches her Catholic faith — with real reverence for the tradition, the etiquette, the history of it all. Being around that gave me a much deeper appreciation, for the sport and for the value of tradition in general. Golf has handed us some genuinely meaningful moments — following a player's journey toward a title, getting out on the course ourselves, and the thoughts of how proud Annie’s grandfather would be seeing her play. All of that, I think, is what led us to last June.A brisk morning at Muirfield Village. Dublin, Ohio. One of the most beautiful pieces of golf real estate on the planet. I asked Annie to marry me there, surrounded by everything we love. She said yes — though it's worth noting she did not display quite the same level of emotion she had when Rory won his first Masters a few weeks earlier. We spent the rest of the morning walking the course, it was a true glimpse of heaven. At one point I was watching a favorite golfer chip onto the 13th green, and I glanced back over my shoulder to find Annie photographing her ring against the Muirfield backdrop — completely in her own world, a new kind of spark in her eye that I won't forget. Later that afternoon, we watched Scottie Scheffler win his second consecutive Memorial Tournament championship. It was the kind of day that doesn't feel real while it's happening. Muirfield Village will hold a permanent place in our story now — a place we'll return to every first week of June to celebrate what started there. Just as downtown Fort Wayne will always hold that place, too. Where I used to walk alone. Where I first saw her smile from three blocks away. Where we built something, block by block, that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Our Story - Commentary from the Groom

Photos

Dress Code

Wedding Party

This&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;main&nbsp;beach&nbsp;in&nbsp;town&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;most&nbsp;happening&nbsp;place&nbsp;to&nbsp;soak&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;sun.&nbsp;Even&nbsp;voted&nbsp;Top&nbsp;5&nbsp;Beaches&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;USA&nbsp;by&nbsp;MTV!Parking:&nbsp;Free!&nbsp;

Oval Beach

A&nbsp;large&nbsp;sand&nbsp;dune&nbsp;that&nbsp;rises&nbsp;about&nbsp;200&nbsp;feet&nbsp;above&nbsp;the&nbsp;Kalamazoo&nbsp;River&nbsp;valley.&nbsp;Not&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;faint&nbsp;of&nbsp;heart&nbsp;-&nbsp;climb&nbsp;the&nbsp;303&nbsp;wooden&nbsp;steps&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;observation&nbsp;deck&nbsp;on&nbsp;top&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Mt.&nbsp;Baldhead&nbsp;dune.&nbsp;Once&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;top,&nbsp;the&nbsp;observation&nbsp;deck&nbsp;offers&nbsp;panoramic&nbsp;views&nbsp;of&nbsp;Kalamazoo&nbsp;River&nbsp;valley&nbsp;and&nbsp;glimpses&nbsp;of&nbsp;Lake&nbsp;Michigan.Hiked&nbsp;It,&nbsp;Liked&nbsp;It&nbsp;(those&nbsp;stairs&nbsp;tho!)&nbsp;by:&nbsp;Craig&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;AdamParking:&nbsp;Free!

Mount Baldhead Park

Stretching&nbsp;along&nbsp;the&nbsp;rolling&nbsp;dunes&nbsp;north&nbsp;of&nbsp;Oval&nbsp;Beach,&nbsp;this&nbsp;sandy&nbsp;trail&nbsp;takes&nbsp;you&nbsp;through&nbsp;a&nbsp;173-acre&nbsp;protected&nbsp;natural&nbsp;area&nbsp;boasting&nbsp;unspoiled&nbsp;dunes,&nbsp;the&nbsp;remnants&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;historic&nbsp;Fishtown&nbsp;pier,&nbsp;delicate&nbsp;wetlands,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Kalamazoo&nbsp;River&nbsp;channel,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;long,&nbsp;peaceful&nbsp;strip&nbsp;of&nbsp;Lake&nbsp;Michigan.&nbsp;Parking:&nbsp;Free!

Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area

Grab&nbsp;a&nbsp;cup&nbsp;of&nbsp;coffee,&nbsp;cold&nbsp;brew&nbsp;(on&nbsp;tap!),&nbsp;tea,&nbsp;or&nbsp;lemonade&nbsp;at&nbsp;our&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;cafe&nbsp;in&nbsp;town!&nbsp;They&nbsp;also&nbsp;have&nbsp;killer&nbsp;smoothies,&nbsp;pastries,&nbsp;and&nbsp;breakfast&nbsp;sammies!&nbsp;Honorable&nbsp;Menu&nbsp;Mentions:Nitro&nbsp;Cold&nbsp;BrewTree&nbsp;Hugger&nbsp;Crafted&nbsp;Cold&nbsp;BrewUncommon&nbsp;Lemonade&nbsp;(lavender&nbsp;+&nbsp;blueberry)Michigan&nbsp;CiderChaider&nbsp;(it&nbsp;is&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;what&nbsp;you&nbsp;think&nbsp;it&nbsp;is)Mount&nbsp;Baldy&nbsp;Club

Uncommon Coffee Roasters, llc

A&nbsp;relaxed&nbsp;and&nbsp;easy&nbsp;waterfront&nbsp;bar&nbsp;with&nbsp;$3&nbsp;Hamms&nbsp;on&nbsp;draft&nbsp;and&nbsp;great&nbsp;food/snacks!You&nbsp;can&nbsp;also&nbsp;rent&nbsp;Retro&nbsp;Boats&nbsp;that&nbsp;look&nbsp;like&nbsp;old&nbsp;cars&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Boat&nbsp;House.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Old Boat House

Waterfront&nbsp;open&nbsp;air&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;and&nbsp;bar

The BARge

Large&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;and&nbsp;bar&nbsp;with&nbsp;indoor&nbsp;and&nbsp;outdoor&nbsp;seating&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;town&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;marina.&nbsp;Great&nbsp;place&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;a&nbsp;drink&nbsp;or&nbsp;food.

The Butler

Comfort&nbsp;food&nbsp;with&nbsp;river&nbsp;views.A&nbsp;crowd&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;and&nbsp;Saugatuck&nbsp;staple.

The Southerner

If&nbsp;you&nbsp;need&nbsp;last&nbsp;minute&nbsp;Western&nbsp;wear&nbsp;this&nbsp;spot&nbsp;may&nbsp;come&nbsp;in&nbsp;handy!&nbsp;

Santa Fe Trading Co

Our&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;bar&nbsp;and&nbsp;grille!&nbsp;Kind&nbsp;of&nbsp;small,&nbsp;but&nbsp;worth&nbsp;the&nbsp;wait.And&nbsp;you&nbsp;might&nbsp;see&nbsp;some&nbsp;familiar&nbsp;names&nbsp;on&nbsp;their&nbsp;marquee!&nbsp;

Phil's Bar & Grille

Our&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;dive&nbsp;bar!&nbsp;CASH&nbsp;ONLY!!&nbsp;Live&nbsp;music&nbsp;on&nbsp;Saturday&#39;s,&nbsp;KENO,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Fosters&nbsp;on&nbsp;tap.&nbsp;Lots&nbsp;of&nbsp;HOOSIERS&nbsp;welcome&nbsp;signs&nbsp;too!&nbsp;

Annie & Adam

Annie & Adam

Q + A

Are kids allowed?

How far away is Saugatuck?

Is there a time change?

Do I have to follow the "theme" for the welcome party attire?

Is the ceremony outdoors?

Is the reception indoors?

Will there be a DJ and dance floor?

Will there be a mini-golf course?