Jeannene and Michael's Elopement

When we began to dream about all that Greencrest Manor could become, we had visions of large celebrations filled with the sounds of family and friends gathering together to celebrate one of the happiest occasions. We also could see intimate soirees, from elopements to fetes with close family only, in our mind’s eye. Our constants were always promoting the joy of weddings and events set against the grand backdrop of our estate in Michigan.

While we imagined the weddings and couples we would welcome, we never thought, nor do we think anyone did, about the impact a pandemic might cause. We never imagined how Greencrest Manor would be viewed as a haven for couples scrambling to press pause on original plans and celebrate close to home instead. But, then COVID-19 happened.

One of our constant beliefs over the course of the past number of months has been to say that love is not canceled. It never was, nor do we believe it ever will be. When Jeannene and Michael contacted us to share their original wedding plans had changed, and their new wedding day vision included an intimate elopement shared with their photographer, we were on board right away.

Prior to welcoming Jeannene and Michael to Greencrest Manor, we had the great joy of meeting Jeannene. She’s a local event planner from Ann Arbor through Jeannene Lillie Events, and we had talked together about the beauty of Greencrest Manor for wedding days for her couples. Little did we know, it would be her wedding day we would celebrate first! With her background in mind, it should not come as a surprise that Jeannene had a stunning vision in mind for her day.

J+M arrived the night before their elopement with their photographer, Anna Laero Photography, and they settled in together to enjoy dinner and conversation on property. The next morning, the intimate group shared breakfast before they began prepping for the meaningful moments ahead.

Jeannene wore a one-shoulder floral applique gown by Willow by Watters from BHLDN, and she carried a garden inspired ivory bouquet of blooms and greenery designed by our Modern Day Events Floral & Design team. Her details were captured inside Greencrest Manor, and we had only hoped our soft, feminine color palette would blend wonderfully with our future couples’ details. However, the ways in which Jeannene and Michael’s personal items paired with our interiors is beyond anything we could have dreamed!

Once they were ready, Jeannene and Michael recited their vows to each other with their photographer as their witness before capturing portraits around our gardens and grounds. They could not have enjoyed more beautiful natural Michigan light!

Because every detail and moment was thoughtful and intentional, the newly married couple joined together with Anna for a relaxed, intricate chef guided meal prepared by The Everyday Chef + Wife. The incredible menu included:

Petit Basque cheese ower wrapped in bresaola aged cured beef tenderloin encrusted in black pepper and porcini mushroom shaved thin topped with aged black garlic
Artisan greens salad with goats cheese pecans apples and balsamic dressing
Siphon vacuum ramen table side demo set in a teacup with cascading vegetables and
Soft boiled egg Traditional taste, untraditional method
Strawberry sorbet topped with chocolate liquor
Sous vide Beef tenderloin with citrus cured salmon butter broiled to nish
Shortbread cookie crust vanilla bean tartlet with fresh berries served with fresh buttermilk ice cream

From the moments to the details, Jeannene and Michael embraced romantic, garden inspired style filled with purpose. Though we never thought our first Greencrest Manor wedding would occur during a pandemic, we will forever remember J+M’s day as the brightest light during a season when love has felt even more important.