Brooke + Lyle | Fortitude Farms Wedding
Oh goodness, where to start for this one?! If you've never been to a Michigan flower farm in the early fall, I'd make it a priority for next year! I've been lucky enough to capture two flower farm weddings at Fortitude Farms this season, and as a Detroit wedding photographer, let me tell you how much fun it was to get to work with all the colors and textures at this venue!
Brooke and Lyle (and friends) got ready on site in the bridal suite and groom cabin. Brooke preferred I focus on her detail shots while she enjoyed time petting the cats on site. Lyle had a dozen groomsmen (and groomswomen) who were all helping him prep for the day.
The ceremony was held out near the flowers in an open field. The pathway for guests to walk to the ceremony after welcome lemonade was through tall yellow grass. It was a treat to see people emerge at the site, excited for the surprise hiding behind the breezy wall. Once everyone was seated, the bride walked with her dad through the yellow maze, and stepped out to see her smiling groom at the bottom of the aisle.
The reception was under a tent with flowers hand-picked from the farm itself decorating the tables. Grand entrances were followed by cake cutting, seven toasts, and then dinner. The two danced under the stars for their first dances, and guests joined on the open-air dance floor late into the night.
Let's do our breakdown!
Wow Factors
Lauren is the owner and also on-site coordinator. She is so fun, on top of things, and easy to work with
Florals come from the farm itself so there's one less vendor to worry about
You can bring in your own catering
Large parking lot
ADA-friendly - they have a golf cart to escort guests who have a hard time walking on grass. The rest of the venue has ramps to get to/from different areas
The Lansing airport isn't far for anyone traveling in
Great variety of flowers and spots for photos
Things to Consider
Noise - they're pretty strict about the volume and what can be played. No inappropriate songs were tolerated due to neighbors. This became an issue for the first wedding I shot there - they asked the DJ not to play anything with cuss words or any inappropriate language. The groom was upset because this was not something mentioned before their wedding day at any point. The second wedding I shot here, the bride and groom were able to ask about this and adjust accordingly. Just something to note. It got a little contentious at times.
It can be chilly in the evenings so be sure to let guests know to bring something warm
The main ceremony site faces the sun for your guests and one half of the wedding party. The secondary wedding site also faces into the sun. Make sure you hire a photographer who knows how to shoot in bright sunlight!
The rain plan is to have everything under the tent or inside the main lodge, and without the fields, having a wedding here if it rains does limit you on photo locations.
Simone Arora is a Detroit-based editorial wedding photographer who specializes in capturing personality-rich photos. She has been photographing people since she was in middle school, and weddings since 2021.
When she's not photographing and editing weddings or engagements, she's usually hiking, cooking, planning her next trip, or yelling at someone driving slowly in the left lane.
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