Star Crossfit athlete Julie Foucher married the love her life, Daniel Urcuyo, at Sojourn Lakeside Resort in Gaylord. The setting proved to be the perfect spot for the fitness-loving couple’s Northern Michigan wedding.
From morning yoga by the lake to the bridesmaids’ custom leather shoes by Reebok, each detail reflected the relaxed, fun nature of Julie and Dani.
This article was originally published in the 2016 issue of MyNorth Wedding.
All photography: The Compass Points Here, Courtney Michalik
Julie Foucher and Daniel Urcuyo met during their freshman year at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It’s funny, the first time I met Dani he pulled up the CrossFit website, and I said it looked interesting. We started getting to know each other better and both ended up going to the local CrossFit affiliate.” Six years later, Dani proposed after Julie placed 3rd at the 2014 CrossFit Games in San Diego.
Beyond knowing that they wanted to be married in Northern Michigan, the couple didn’t have any specific pre-existing vision for their wedding until they started planning. “We just wanted everyone to have a really fun time,” Julie says.
They decided to turn their August 22 wedding into a weekend getaway at Sojourn Lakeside Resort in Gaylord. Tucked among the pines along the sandy shores of Dixon Lake, the rustic resort surrounded by lush gardens offered them a chance to reconnect with family and friends. Sojourn rents to only one group at a time, so the wedding party had the grounds and facility to themselves. The resort also proved tailored to this outdoorsy, fitness-centric couple.
The wedding weekend began on Friday night with a big welcome barbeque. Friends and family celebrated Dani and Julie’s German and Polish backgrounds with brats, kielbasa, and sauerkraut. On the Saturday morning before the wedding, everyone gathered outside for a workout, paddle boarding, and yoga by the lake before breakfast. “It was a cool way for people to spend time together and get to know each other outside of just a reception,” Julie says.
Father Don Geyman married Julie and Daniel Saturday afternoon at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord. The bride wore a sweetheart gown from Mimi’s Bridal Boutique in Ann Arbor. Bliss Salon in Gaylord did her hair and makeup. “The dress I found was actually the first one I tried on,” Julie says. “I went shopping on my birthday, which is the day after Christmas, with my mom, my sister and my sister-in-law. I thought this is it. It’s got lace and some sparkles, but it’s really simple. I think it went well with being outdoors and Up North. I’m not a fancy person, so it fit me really well.”
Instead of heels, Julie wore a comfortable pair of Toms during the ceremony, in part because she had torn her Achilles tendon in May at the CrossFit Central Regionals and was still healing. “I was actually okay with [flats] because I don’t really like wearing heels anyway,” Julie says. “It was cool to be able to walk down the aisle without limping and to dance and be on my feet all night.”
The bridesmaids and groomsmen also received comfy footwear—a pair of CrossFit Nanossage—post-workout lounge shoes inscribed with Dani+Julie that were gifts from the bride and groom. “Reebok is one of my sponsors as a CrossFit athlete, and they’re such a cool group of people,” Julie says. “When I knew we were getting married, I reached out to them and asked if they could do something special for our wedding party. Those are my favorite type of shoes that they make.”
After the ceremony, everyone returned to Sojourn for a cocktail hour on the patio, enjoying the couple’s signature Mojitos along with bacon-wrapped scallops, stuffed mushroom caps and spinach artichoke dip catered by BJ’s Catering in Gaylord. Afterward, a buffet-style dinner was served in Sojourn’s Great Hall, where guests enjoyed prime rib, chicken, sweet potatoes, grilled vegetables, and salad. After dinner, guests moved outside and enjoyed the Northern Michigan summer evening under the glow of twinkling lights on the lakeside patio.
Find more inspiration in the MyNorth wedding directory.
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