The Great Lakes are our single greatest identity marker as the State of Michigan. We are inspired by them, recreate on them, live on them, and in the most utilitarian sense rely on them for power, drinking water, fishing opportunities, transportation, and more. As a destination wedding and event planner, I’ve realized that people come back to our state to celebrate and re-create their favorite, most cherished, and most vivid memories growing up. The Great Lakes are home for them and they want to share their beauty and uniqueness with people from all over the world. In the events industry, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that in hosting those events, our impact and footprint is not detrimental to the long term health of our Great Lakes ecosystem. Marriage and social celebrations in the broadest sense are about honoring traditions and creating legacies, and there is no greater legacy than being able to leave clean air and water for generations to come.