Michigan Weddings

Before we dive into this beyond beautiful Michigan wedding from Kelly Sweet Photography, I just have to say – prepare for the summer wedding to jump top to your “Favorite Summer Weddings” list. Set on the quaint Mackinac Island, the wedding took full advantage of the charming Michigan setting. The island does not allow cars, so in true Mackinac fashion, the bride planned a wedding centered around horse-drawn carriages and, of course, yellow tandem bicycles. Without even considering that this bride has the genes to be the most gorgeous bride ever, this wedding scores top marks in every one of the pretty categories. Click here to see the rest of this bike-centric affair!

Robbie and I wanted to be married at a place that was truly unique to Michigan, a place where our families from out of town could enjoy a vacation, and experience a place they have never been before.  The first time Robbie and I went to Mackinac Island we knew it was the perfect place for us.  We fell in love with the relaxed life style, surrounded by water with no cars, it was a place we could enjoy the outdoors and truly escape time.

Robbie and I love to bike ride together, and the Island is full of bike shops and bike paths, so we decided to create a bike theme for our wedding.  We really wanted to have fun on our big day and make the most of our time with friends and family. The day of the wedding we did a morning bike ride with all of our guests. We biked around the 8 mile long Island and enjoyed some fresh air before saying “I do.” It was so much fun!

On the day of the wedding, it was great to see all of the details come together. Robbie and I spent countless hours at Michaels Arts and Crafts.  It took a year of tears and smiles and a living room full of scrap paper. We created all of the invitations, save-the-dates, thank you cards, ect. for the big day. We spent a lot of time on the internet looking for ideas and other weddings for inspiration. Robbie’s mom handmade all of the tote bags for the arriving guests and we filled them with trail mix, taffy, and homemade cookies. We printed cards to welcome and thank our guests for coming, and also included an invite for the morning bike ride.

Robbie and I chose wedding colors that we loved to wear, and that would match our outdoor theme. The guys wore brown suits and the girls were in fun yellow summer dresses- my favorite color! I asked the florist to create bouquets that were soft and romantic, full of big white garden roses with a touch of coral. We really tried to keep the theme for our wedding as fun as possible, and we had a blast!

After the ceremony we jumped on a horse and buggy, and popped open a bottle of champaigne. The bridal party followed us on bikes to the downtown salon where we enjoyed a  drink to celebrate. Robbie and I then took the bikes down to the water and spent some time together laughing and playing around before joining the reception. It truly was the most fun we have ever had together. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

Location: Mission Point Resort / Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography, Second Shooter Paul Retherford / Dress: Paloma Blanca / Flowers: Weber’s Floral / Cake: Bella e Dolce / Invitations & Stationary: DIY by Bride / Event Planning & Design: DIY by Bride

Welcome back to another great week here at SMP Destination! We’ve got quite the pretty line up for you this week and it all starts with this gorgeously laid back and locally sustainable Lake Michigan wedding. The local, hand-picked dahlias are to-die-for and I’m loving the bride’s simple and beautiful bouquet. And speaking of simple, how adorable are the flower girl dresses? Bryan and Mae were on hand to capture all the pretty, DIY details. And one of the best parts of this wedding has got to be that the couple married on a Wednesday so they could spend an entire week with forty-five of their closest friends and family. Gotta love it! Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Bryan and Mae…Sarah and Mike live on the West Coast but planned their wedding in Michigan so that they could share the state’s beauty with their friends and family. Mike grew up vacationing in the mitten state every summer and after sharing it with Sarah, they decided to plan their wedding for this lovely little place. These two are some of the sweetest, most kind and most compassionate that anyone will ever meet and we were honored to photograph their day.

Sarah and Mike’s wedding was truly unique. They rented two cottages on the Lake Michigan shore and flew out with 45 of their closest friends and family to not only celebrate their love for one day, but to do so for the entire week. They planned their wedding for Wednesday so that they could enjoy time relaxing with their guests on both ends of the wedding. When we arrived on Wednesday morning to photograph their day, all of the wedding guests were helping to set up for the wedding– making bouquets, arranging place settings, and carrying tables to the beach. There was a strong familial feel to the whole day. Sarah and Mike were married on the beach with waves crashing in the background and partied on the bluff overlooking the water into the night.

Sarah and Mike were very intentional about choosing local vendors who practice sustainability within their work. Their caterer, Marie Catrib’s was a great choice for them, offering a menu of foods that were locally grown in Michigan by small farms that they partner with.

Some great DIY projects– Sarah and friends picked dahlia’s from a local farm on Tuesday and Wednesday morning some family and friends set to work arranging them in gorgeous bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding. The bride, friends and family also made all the bunting, the ring pillow, pie topper and flower girl hair clips.

Wedding Photography: Bryan and Mae / Event Coordinator: Pearls Events / Venue: Ventura Pines Cottage / Caterer: Marie Catrib’s / Pies: Crane’s Orchard Pie Pantry / Band: Matt Sedman Music Inc. / Flowers: Picked from Hamilton Dahlia Farm, arranged by Friends + Family / Wedding Gown: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew

My darling LBBers, you’ll definitely be happy you tuned in on this lovely Autumnal Saturday. Because boy, oh boy, do we have a special wedding for you to enjoy all weekend long. Epic Motion sent over the wedding trailer from this Michigan wedding, and their work had us begging for more. Cue the amazing images, from our favorites over at Jess + Nate Studios, of this fairy tale affair, planned and designed by the fabulous Flourish Event Design. We were all head over heels. And now it’s you’re turn to fall in love. So check out the stunning wedding (and click here for the full image gallery) and then enjoy the fabulous highlights from Epic Motion!

And after that decadent warm up, we’ve got the amazing highlight film from Epic Motion. Enjoy!

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Kendall + John Highlights from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

Nearly a decade ago, our story began.  John and I met in high school through our mutual group of friends.  Even though we were always with the same group of people during the four years of high school it took three years for John to get the courage to ask me on a date (I’m pretty sure this started his procrastination with the other milestones him and I have shared together).  It was completely worth the wait because after our first date to the annual Schultz firework extravaganza, John and I have been together ever since.  John and I have essentially watched and helped each other grow into the people we are today.  We are each other’s person and I’m thankful (even after waiting nearly a decade) that we can now begin a new chapter together.

When John and I started planning our wedding we decided we wanted to go a route that we haven’t seen before.  I am what John describes as old fashion, simple, timeless, and romantic.  We wanted to try to capture as many of those characteristics as possible.  When our wedding planner, Lindsey Nartker, of Flourish Event Design, got hold of what we wanted she immediately suggested The Colony Club in Detroit Michigan.  Once we saw it we were sold.  The antique look of the venue was perfect.  It has all our characteristics tied fabulously into one venue.  Once we determined our venue the rest just fell into place.  We decided to keep with gold, white, and blush pink colors to help keep the wedding soft and elegant.

From the beginning or our wedding day to the end everything was perfect, a fairy tale almost.  The venue was everything we had worked so hard to create.  It was amazing.  We find it difficult to pick our most vivid memory.  If we had to choose just one moment, we both would say our first look!  A time where the world stopped and it was just John and I.  We shared such a special moment right there in the middle of Detroit.  With such awesome photography and videography that one moment will be remembered forever.  By far a day that John and I will remember forever.

Photographer: Jess + Nate Studios / Cinematography: Epic Motion / Venue: The Colony Club / Floral Designer: New Creations Flower Company/ Event Planning & Design: Flourish Event Design / Invitation Designer: Paisley Quill / Cake & Desserts: Pin Wheel Bakery / Wedding Gown Designer: Christos / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Vera Wang

While this wedding isn’t technically in Illinois, it IS a hop across the pond (sort of kind of) and with so many great vendors in close proximity, we thought it would be the perfect spot to showcase all the gorgeous. Plus the lovely couple is from Chicago so we’re making it count people. Photographed by K. Holly Photography, this is one of those weddings that had us at that Lazaro dress, or maybe it was those sassy purple kicks. Whatever the case, it kept us coming back for more and then stopped us dead in our tracks with a breathtaking film by Epic Motion. We saved that little ditty for the end so get comfy, peruse through image after stunning image and check out the gallery for more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Gorgeous, right? And wait until you see it live straight from the lens of Epic Motion. Enjoy the show!

From the Bride…Christopher and I live in Chicago, but we knew we wanted to get married in Michigan.  He is from Michigan and my parents have a cottage near Shelbyville. We chose Bay Pointe Inn because it is beautiful setting for a lakeside wedding. We knew that we wanted to add our own personal touches to the design, and Bay Pointe’s pavilion allowed us to create our dream wedding!  But most importantly, it has a laid back atmosphere!

We believe that our inspirations for our wedding style came from a few different places.  One of the first things we did after we got engaged was look for a photographer.  K. Holly Photography’s portfolio represented the mood we wanted to create for our wedding.  Fun, vintage, with a touch of rustic.  We also knew Chicago was a major component we wanted to represent throughout our wedding.  So our place cards were vintage postcards from Chicago! Our favors were also Garrett’s Popcorn – the BEST popcorn from Chicago! And our table names were streets names of Chicago.  Personal touches like the wedding wish tree, the drink stirrers, and the photo booth were a fun interactive addition to our wedding day!

Our ceremony was amazing.  It was pouring rain a few hours before, and Christopher and I were prepared to get married inside of the the venue’s pavilion.  However, the sky cleared up and we finally saw the sun!  Our first bridesmaid walked down our dog, Jersey. I had both of my parents walk me down because they both have had an huge part in my life. Christopher and I wrote our own personal vows, which was very important to us.

There are a couple memories that stand out to the both of us.  I will always remember when Christopher sang and played the guitar for me in front of our wedding guests.  He played Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, which is one of our favorite songs.  Incredibly romantic and incredibly touching.  Christopher has said he will always remember me walking down the aisle because that was what we wanted – the sun finally came out while I was walking towards him.  We are grateful for our amazing wedding day – it was perfect. But more importantly, we are extremely blessed to have found each other, and I know we will continue to have a life filled with happiness and sunshine!

Wedding Photography: K. Holly Photography / Wedding Videography: Epic Motion / Floral Designer: Modern Day Floral / Invitation Designer: paper + pinafore / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Sweet Cake Designs / Wedding Gown: Lazaro / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro / Photobooth: Magnolia Photobooth / Venue: Bay Pointe Inn

We ventured over to Michigan for this natural barn beauty but, don’t worry, the incredible vendors like Studio Starling and Exquisite Designs are all Chicago-based so you can snag them up for your own Illinois wedding!  When it comes to the details, though, that was all the creative genius of the lovely bride below.  Our hearts sing with delight when we see such fantastic vintage lovelies and DIY details galore.  See them all in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Studio Starling…Ipek and Morgan are the couple every photographer wants to work with, fun, and ready and willing to do anything. The day was partly stormy but everyone was patient and waited out the weather, it paid off. The August humidity went away and the two were married outside with a perfect breeze.We didn’t have to go anywhere to make beautiful images everything was there. Ipek (The bride) did most of the leg work finding all the little treasures and mason jars at flea markets. The books and trinkets as well.

Wedding Photography: Studio Starling / Wedding Cinematography: Documentary Incorporated / Wedding Planning + Flowers: Exquisite Designs / Event Design: The Bride / Ceremony + Reception Location: Mill Creek Barns

Boy oh boy am I squirmin’ in my seat excited to share this Wedding Trailer from the very talented team at Epic Motion with you today. First of all, the wedding, a destination wedding, takes place in my true home state, near my first love – Lake Michigan (or more specifically, because I know you Mitten people will make sure I’ve got this right, Little Traverse Bay). For those of you who have never been, get ready to pack your bags, because the calm of the Great Lakes will be calling to you after this. And before we get into it – for you brides and grooms to be – listen closely to the best man’s words. He spoke some of the most real, and the most true words I’ve ever heard in a wedding speech. Oooh, I can’t wait any longer, it’s time to share!

Photography by Milena Sefferovich Photography.

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Jamie + Michael’s Bay Harbor Yacht Club Wedding from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

From the groom … Jaime and I met a little over 5 years ago.  She was in college and I just moved back from NY.  We lived right next to each other, and I got her number when she was my server.  We dated for only a little while but nothing to serious.  We both moved on in our own directions and kind of lost contact with each other.

Move forward two years, a failed Facebook stocking opportunity (I invited Jamie to a party I was throwing after 2 years of not talking)  and one text (Jaime felt bad that she couldn’t make the party and ivied me to meet her at a bar)  that changed both of our lives and – bam – we were dating.

I can 100% honestly say when I first laid eyes on Jaime, the second time around, I knew that we were going to get married.  On our second date I told her I loved her, and around date four I told her we were going to get married.  I would not suggest this move for any single guys or girls.  But somehow it worked out and March 4, 2009 Jaime said yes under the Golden Gate bridge.

We were going to have the wedding in Tucson and never even considered a destination wedding.  Then we went on a summer trip with Jamie’s family to Michigan.  We went on a morning run from Jamie’s Aunts house and ended up in the Village of Bay Harbor.  They were setting up a wedding on the lawn and we both said “we should get married here.”   When we came back with the idea to Jamie’s Mom (The Wedding Boss) and she loved it.  And everything fell into place from there.

Special touches were the people, who honestly made the wedding so amazing.  We had little things that were important to us, U of A cufflinks, Borrowed very expensive diamond earnings, U of A flag flying the day of the wedding, but it was our family and friends who made this such a special event.

Cinematography: Epic Motion / Photography: Milena Sefferovich Photography / Entertainment: Simone Vitale Band / Venue:  Bay Harbor Yacht Club

Here comes the most adorable, fabulously colorful, detail-filled fête for your Thursday morning! Captured by the oh-so-talented Jen Lynne Photography and styled by could-not-be-lovelier Rhiannon at Hey Gorgeous Events, this party isn’t just pretty…it’s downright GORGEOUS, and guaranteed to put a bit fat grin on your face! Bulldogs in bow ties, ribbon streamers, an escort table worthy of pinning, chandeliers in a barn filled with pie – I could go on and on about all the little details that made my giddy meter go off the charts, but you can see it all for yourself in the full gallery of FABULOUS images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Hey Gorgeous Events…I first met Kelli, a few months prior to her big day, when she was looking for some last-minute help tying in personal touches and managing some logistical details for her wedding. Right away I became completely smitten with not only her appreciation for all the small details that make an event shine, but her love and admiration for her now husband, Brandon. For those few months prior to their August wedding, we had so much fun bringing together everything that would make their wedding feel romantic, relaxed and memorable.

Kelli and Brandon’s big day started out with a laid back and delicious lunch hosted by the mother of the groom in Lakeview, Michigan. The old-style barn and vintage surroundings on the property set the tone perfectly for the couple as they got ready for their first look. After a few formal portraits with the bridal party, Jen of Jen Lynne Photography used the cloudy skies and on and off again weather to her advantage to capture the most dreamy and romantic photos of the soon to be newlyweds.

The bride picked a fresh color palette of fuchsia and tangerine in an effort to celebrate the final days of summer. The pops of color from the bridesmaids dresses and the ranunculus, garden roses and dahlia bouquets looked stunning against the altar of the sanctuary in Grand Rapids’ Fountain Street church. Close to 180 of their closest friends and family watched the two say their vows before helping me orchestrate a surprise – and very exciting – ribbon wand following the ceremony. The ring bearer proudly carried a handmade sign with the phrase “Here Comes The Carlsons!” as the bridal party paraded downtown for more photos and guests headed over the cocktail hour and reception at St. Cecelia’s music center. Once guests arrived at the venue they were greeted with little vignettes, styled perfectly to reflect not only the couple’s fun personalities and loving nature, but also their professional careers; their escort table blended Kelli’s job as a teacher and Brandon’s gig as a bean farmer into one fun display for guests. Everyone absolutely loved finding their pencil flags that directed them to their seats. A top the mantle of the fireplace, was an elementary school chalkboard with a handwritten quote, and clipped onto pieces of twine across the mantle, were hand stamped clothes pegs displaying photos from the couple’s engagement shoot.

Upstairs where dinner was served, sat centerpieces filled with brightly hued, textured blooms that sat within wood boxes the bride white washed herself. The head table’s box was actually constructed out of old barn wood that bride had found at the farm. Tables were named after different types of beans to honor the groom’s work, and in lieu of a traditional guest book, guests were asked to fill out Mad Libs that the couple could reflect back on for years to come. At each place setting was a pack of beans from the family farm, with a label on the back detailing an Italian soup recipe and a label on the front that read “Love Is Souper.” Hanging from the bride and groom’s chairs were their initials, covered in a patterned favored by the bride. Their delicious cake, which was made for them as a gift from a family friend, sat behind them on a cocktail table, adorned with the most perfect sugar flowers created to mimic the flowers in the bridesmaid’s bouquets. Instead of a champagne toast, guests were able to enjoy sparkling cider straight from the town where Kelli and Brandon first said I love you. At the end of the night after hours of dancing, lots of photo booth fun and a late night snack bar comprised of Auntie Anne’s pretzels and dipping sauces, the bride and groom departed with a sparkler send off late into the August night, marking the end of a completely perfect day for two very special people. These photos by Jen truly capture how incredible Kelli and Brandon’s wedding day was.

Wedding Photography: Jen Lynne Photography / Styling, Planning + Coordination: Rhiannon of Hey Gorgeous Events / Reception Location: St. Cecelia’s Music Center / Ceremony Location: Fountain Street Church / Catering: The Gilmore Collection / Beverage Service: Martha’s Vineyard / Florist: Gail Vander Laan Florist / Wedding Cake: Family Friend / Photobooth: Shutterbooth / Entertainment: Moments in Time Disc Jockeys / Chair Covers: Special Occasions West / Stationery: A Pinch of Spice / Wedding Gown: Bridal Elegance / Limo Service: Dadds Limo / Veil: David’s Bridal

I’m totally loving the colorful, fun vibe I’m getting from this whimsical Grand Rapids wedding. The capture the flag escort “cards” and bright orange VW add tons of personality to the festive day. It’s no doubt that Bikini Birdie had a blast capturing all the details of this lakeside fete. And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing all day in the gallery…wanna join?

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Bikini Birdie…Joel and Kelly met at work in the small beach town of Grand Haven, Michigan. They spent their first years together enjoying all of the kayaking, fishing, hiking, bike riding, and beach-bumming that goes with living in Grand Haven.  After their engagement, work and school brought Joel and Kelly to the Rocky Mountains, but they couldn’t imagine getting married at any place but the shore of Lake Michigan, with their families, friends and memories.

Planning a wedding from across the country required Joel and Kelly to focus on what was important to them for their wedding.  Between school and work, they didn’t have time to shop for napkin rings, salt and pepper shakers, and doilies.  They decided to focus on people, venue, and food, everything that makes great weddings memorable.  Getting good people to the wedding was easy: it’s not difficult to round-up a crowd of good friends and family.  Once they walked through Camp Blodgett- a summer camp with beautiful reception hall overlooking Lake Michigan- the venue decision was made.  And that left the food.  Joel and Kelly had enjoyed the creations of Chef Tommy Fitzgerald, a Grand Rapids, Michigan, restaurant owner and extraordinary caterer, at the beach wedding of a friend a few years before.  And they made sure to get a slot on Tommy’s busy summer schedule for their own wedding as soon as they could.

West Michigan weather in May is always a gamble, but things have a way of working out on wedding days.  After seven straight days of rain, the skies cleared, and Kelly and Joel threw the party of the century.  On their wedding day, Kelly and Joel enjoyed the best of West Michigan: great people, great food, crisp spring weather, and a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset.

Wedding Photography: Bikini Birdie / Catering: Tommy Fitzgerald / Venue: Camp Blodgett / Music: Dance Tracks DJ / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: B Salon / Wedding Dress: The Dessy-Group / Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal / Bride’s + Bridesmaid Jewelry: The Creative Fringe / Groom + Groomsmen’s Suits: Macy’s / Table Decorations, Flowers + Escort Flags: The Bride / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Elegance of the Seasons / Chair Covers: Chair Cover Creations / Invitations + Menus: Jeff Kenyon / Bar Service: Seaway Party Store

For anyone that loves stripes, pretty shades of blue, fun florals, fab stationery (made by the bride and groom), adorable handmade flower girl dresses, a boat shoe-wearing groom, a pretty as can be bride and a venue with loads of nautical style – well this wedding by Genevieve Mckeiver Photography is for you. I suppose that basically covers everyone, so I have a good feeling each of your pretty faces on the other side of the screen will just love this adorable affair. There is a lot of sweetness to soak in, so be sure to make your Tuesday that much more fabulous by spending some time in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Rut is from Thailand and I am from Northern Michigan. We meet 9 years ago at a small liberal arts college in Michigan. During our relationship we took many trips “up north” to visit my family, in the process creating many memories together. So, naturally when it came time to choose a location we decided a destination wedding to my hometown of Boyne City, Mich. would be ideal (we now live in Washington, D.C.). It became our mission to give our guests, most of whom traveled from all over the country, an unforgettable Northern Michigan experience.

We choose Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club and Marina–a slice of Northern Michigan heaven–as our venue. Its proximity to Lake Charlevoix, the wall of doors in the club house that opens onto their expansive deck overlooking the marina, and the sandy beach for our ceremony seemed like the perfect setting for our guests to relax, dine, celebrate and soak in the natural beauty of the area. Because Sommerset Pointe was “undiscovered” at the time it fit in our budget and we were able to bring in an outside caterer. After quite a bit of internet searching we came across Blackbird Gardens, Real Food Catering. With Mike Everts, owner, chef and farmer of Blackbird Gardens, we created the menu our dreams, a family style meal that highlighted local, seasonal, and organic foods. (We were so impressed to find out that Mike picked the salad from his garden on the day of our wedding–talk about fresh!) The finishing touch to the menu was the cake my amazingly-talented sister made, consisting of four luscious layers of yellow cake, with buttercream frosting and fresh raspberry and lemon fillings.

The style of the wedding–nautical chic–was inspired by the venue.  The color scheme was shades of blue and neutrals accented by bright punches of colors. To give our guests a glimpse of the wedding style, we designed the stationary ourselves. This also helped us to stay on budget. Each piece of stationary included our compass rose monogram, inspired by the design on the ceiling of the yacht club; several different fonts; and fun, non-traditional language. We continued to save money by making many of the decorations ourselves: the banner, table runners, compass rose overlays, and “guest book” (drawn and painted by my grandma). We left the flowers to a pro, Sydney of Upsy Daisy Floral. She did an amazing job designing the flowers and staying within our budget without sacrificing style! The colors for the flowers used in centerpieces were inspired by the colors in painting that hung over the mantel in the yacht club. The bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and ceremony flowers were designed using the same varieties and textures but in more subtle hues.

Venue: Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club and Marina / Event Coordinator: Heather Chappuies / Florist: Upsy Daisy Floral / Food: Blackbird Gardens / Wedding Cake: Sister of the Bride / Wedding Photography: Genevieve Mckeiver Photography / Transportation: Boyne Bus / Officiant: Brother of the Groom / Music: Sister of the Groom + Brother of the Bride / Hair + Make-up: Solace Spa, Boyne Mountain Resort / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal via To Have and To Hold Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew + Ann Taylor / Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Flower Girls + Ring Bearer: Handmade by Cousin Melissa Helsley / Accessories: Lou Lou Boutiques + J.Crew + Nordstrom / Stationery: Bride and Groom

There aren’t many other venues that scream summer louder or with more heart than a good ol’ rustic barn.  Burlap, hay bales and wooden signs are the key ingredients for a down home wedding but this lovely by Bryan and Mae Photography kicked it up a notch with mismatched vintage napkins, adorable bridsmaids’ dresses and awesome paper goods galore.  See all the fabulous DIY details in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When we started planning our wedding, we knew right away we wanted everyone to walk away thinking “Now THAT was Sarah & TJ”. Not only did we want the day to center around us and our marriage, but also our friends and family. Since we both have large families and have been blessed with many amazing friends throughout our lives, we knew we were going to have to get creative. Ah-hem, as in 375-people-celebrating-with-us creative. Finding a venue that would work for us and fit everyone was the first challenge. Eagles Meadow was perfect- a blank slate that allowed us to literally create from scratch our reception site. Our goal for the reception was for it to be casual, fun and free of schedules or time lines. The picnic tables, open seating, live band and hay bale cocktail tables & couches encouraged everyone to be relaxed.

As for the ceremony, we are lucky enough to know the owner of DH Day- a historic barn in Glen Haven. He graciously allowed us to use the grounds for our ceremony- something he has never allowed before. One of my favorite moments from the entire day happened there. The message of our ceremony focused heavily on the importance our friends and families have on our lives, and at one point our pastor asked us to turn around to see the friends and family that valued us as we value them. Seeing the sheer number of bodies in attendance was overwhelming and emotional for the both of us and completely enforced the fact that all of the time spent on the day was worth it.

DIY was a huge theme and what every little detail was centered around. I designed all of our paper goods (save the date, invitations, programs), we spent 6 months collecting all of the dishes and vases from thrift shops, used biodegradable bamboo silverware, I made the napkins out of vintage bed sheets, the hay bales all came from TJ’s families farm, I made all of the bridesmaids jewelry, shoe flowers and hair flowers, and from start to finish the day was touched by the special people in our lives. My matron of honor did my hair; our good friends played the music at the ceremony; TJ’s company brought and setup the tents, printed the thumbprint guest book, the programs, and the Just Hitched banner; all of the cookies were made by our families and bridesmaids;my bridesmaids and I cut ALL of the flowers ourselves, and my bridesmaid did all of the bouquets; all of the décor came from TJ’s parents farm (lots of it pieces of furniture untouched since the 50’s and 60’s); my uncles did all of the catering; a friend supplied the (surprise) fireworks. One of the most special things was the fact that our band was led by my father’s college roommate, who also played at my parent’s wedding 32 years ago. Talk about coming full circle.

We never put too much pressure on ourselves, and that is why I think we look back on our wedding and feel like it was truly PERFECT.

Wedding Photography: Bryan and Mae Photography / Hair: Style North Salon & Spa / Wedding Dress: Allure via To Have & To Hold Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Tom’s / Floral Design: DIY with Omena U-Cut / Reception Venue: Eagles Meadow / Paper Goods: The Bride, Printed by Britten Banners / Tents: Tent Craft / Band: Mark Martin

Let me start off by saying that I’m absolutely head over heels in love with this wedding. The spring time color palette is so refreshing and gorgeous that I literally want to go to the florist right now and recreate these arrangements so I can stare at them all day long. Captured by Nicole Haley Photography, this wedding is just filled to the brim with the sweetest DIY touches including a super cute sparkler display tied with ribbons in a vintage wooden drawer covered with moss…adorable! And there is so much more to pore over in the gallery.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Derek and I became engaged in Napa after three years together and knew right away we wanted our wedding to be a fun, intimate celebration of our love for each other. We also wanted to make sure it would be unique and reflect the interests we share as a couple. Plans fell into place when Derek’s aunt and uncle offered their lakeside home in South Haven, Michigan as a venue. We hadn’t even thought about this as a possibility, but after failing to find “the” spot elsewhere, it felt perfect. It helped that we had spent many long and happy holiday weekends at their home – which made it feel even more comfortable and sentimental. Plus, their front and backyard gardens are worthy of any magazine (in my book!), which helped to enhance the setting, especially on our wedding day.

Inspired by many Style Me Pretty posts, I wanted to pursue a DIY, rustic garden theme and picked June to allow our 80 guests to take advantage of warm weather at the lake. Though they were a bit unsure of the “rustic” part at first, our families blew us away by chipping in to help us to create the wedding of our dreams. Derek’s aunt and uncle planted their garden in our wedding colors – sage green and lavender, while another crafty uncle built the lovely pillars we used for the ceremony and “B&D” nook for a photo prop. One of my favorite projects was assembling our fan programs. I turned to ETSY for a designer who could customize a layout and had a blast gluing them together and adding ribbons with my mom and aunt. My mom then tapped a co-worker for two old windows I could use for seating assignments and asked another if they might help to create the stands to prop them up.  I bought a vintage-framed chalkboard from another ETSY seller to use for our menu and others to note special things throughout the reception area. We also found an old drawer to fill with flower foam and moss to house sparklers that were tied with matching ribbon and personalized matches, as well as dozens of mason jars we used for centerpiece arrangements and candles. And, to top it off, a family member decorated their convertible for us to use for a proper getaway to the beach nearby for photos.

Derek added his own “special touches” to the planning process. He wanted to pick the menu and chose a pig roast to help make the wedding feel like a big summertime party. He also brewed his own beer, which he named “BD” and selected all of the wine we served, which were our favorites from Napa. He also created the music list we played from our iPod – and the processional song, “The Luckiest,” by Ben Folds.

Wedding Photography: Nicole Haley Photography / Wedding Planner + Coordinator: Elegant Events of West Michigan / Venue: Private Family Residence / Floral Design: The Rose Shop / Entertainment: Classical Guitarist Robert McCloy / Wedding Videography: Bride’s Brother / Bakery + Cake Designer: Maddie’s Fine Food / Caterer: Country Kitchen/CK of St. Joseph’s / Wedding Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas + DearEmma / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm via Volle’s Bridal Boutique / Veil: Teri Huang / Hair Flower: Amie Noel Designs / Hair Style: Kerry Mark Salon / Reception Decor: Bragging Bags

When you hear of a fantastic event featuring prima ballerinas, opera singers, grand pianists, and 12-piece bands, your mind doesn’t automatically jump to a wedding, at least outside of a fairy tale. But that is just some of the entertainment from this fabulous wedding. Set in my old Michigan stompin’ grounds, this affair, captured by Widdis Photography, seems like it should really be set in a magical land, far, far away. It truly is a fairy tale. You won’t want to miss the story below, and you definitely won’t want to miss all the extra magic in the gallery!

From LUCIA|PAUL Design … After their first meeting, Ankur was instantaneously taken with Mayssoun, owner of The Institute of Higher Learning. Even though Mayssoun was smitten with him as well, Ankur was a tutor on her staff, and she was not comfortable dating an employee.  So Ankur did the noble thing and quit… he knew deep down inside he didn’t want to allow this opportunity to pass him by. And thus the perfect love affair began.

Ankur, now a successful Attorney in New York City, and Mayssoun, who recently expanded her company from Ann Arbor to New York, are two of the busiest people you can imagine. Planning their wedding was quite the challenge, given that we only had three months to pull the entire three-day event together.  Even though Mayssoun is Middle Eastern, born in Lebanon, and Ankur is Indian, they didn’t want a traditional Indian or Arabic wedding. Instead, we, along with a crew of talented vendors, created their dream wedding that was inspired by their love for the French style.

The weekend was kicked off by two wedding ceremonies.  The first was a traditional Muslim ceremony held at Mayssoun’s family’s home.  While the ceremony itself was simple, it was rich in cultural and religious tradition for only immediate family members from both sides.  The first ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour at the Rattlesnake Club and a surprise civil ceremony, performed by the Honorable John Corbett O’Meara in front of 150 of their closest friends and family.  The civil ceremony was held in a garden overlooking the Detroit River.  Guests joined Mayssoun, clad in a gorgeous customized Chanel gown carrying a bouquet of lush white Calla Lilies, and Ankur as they were joined as husband and wife.  After the second ceremony, guests were invited inside the Rattlesnake Club for a delectable six-course menu, hand-selected by the bride and the groom.

The following day was the official wedding reception.  Preparations began first thing in the morning with a violinist and master pianist acting as an alarm clock to wake our bride from her slumber.  Throughout the day, Mayssoun and Ankur prepared for the main event, and midway through the day, they had to take a break from “getting ready” to join LUCIA|PAUL DESIGN and the entertainers in an hour-long rehearsal for the evenings festivities.

As guests arrived to The Henry, Dearborn, they entered through a hallway adorned with Boxwoods and custom frames which displayed the escort cards.  Once guests found their card, they proceeded into the cocktail hour where they nibbled on a selection of gourmet hors d’oeuvres and mingled between the custom linens and hundreds of Roses.

Guests were invited into the ballroom and were wowed as an opera singer performed while they found their tables and their seats.  The guests were awed by the experience of the custom Ice Sculptures, custom linens, a Live Event Artist, draping and production lighting, a stage wrapped with four foot tall Boxwood, over 15,000 cream colored roses and thousands of candles made the room completely breathtaking.

At the tables, which were custom built specifically for the wedding, guests were greeted by an eight page booklet, Le Programe Du Soir (The Program of the Evening) that included a poem written by Mayssoun for Ankur, The Men which is a beautiful poem by Khalil Gibran, and a thank you note for the guests from Mayssoun and Ankur

The Bride wore a custom, one of a kind Carolina Herrera Bridal Gown and veil, and a stunning Cartier Diamond necklace and earrings. Mayssoun carried a lush bouquet, which was inspired by a beautiful design that she had found in the pages of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, filled with Phalaenopsis Orchids and a hand dyed braided ribbon that matched the boutonnière that was designed just for Ankur.

Once the guests were seated, the Bride and the Groom entered in the grandest of fashion, called An Operatic Zaffe.  Accompanied by four Prima Ballerinas and a male ballet dancer, they were escorted through the maze of strategically placed tables to the dance floor.  It was a true experience right out of a Degas painting.  Once the Grand Entrance concluded, the Ballerinas joined Mayssoun and Ankur on the dance floor for the first dance… all while accompanied by a 12-piece band, the Opera Singer and a Grand Pianist.  It was truly an event within the event.

Throughout the night and while guests dined on a six-course meal, they were reveled by an array of entertainers, which included Arabic Drummers and DJ, six ballroom dancers, the ballerinas, a 12-piece band, the Opera Singer and a Live Event Artist who painted the scene of the entire wedding.  Once guests completed their six-course meal, including the five-layer, all white meringue wedding cake, they were then invited to enter into the desert room, which donned over seven additional wedding cakes, a grooms cake adorned with chocolate shavings and curls and over 45 feet of table top with additional French inspired pastries and deserts.  Needless to say, no one left the wedding reception hungry.

After dinner and the extensive dessert, the entertainment ramped up rotating between the 12-piece band, the DJ and Arabic drummers.  For an entire two-hour time period, the dance floor was jammed packed with guests.  Mayssoun even took center stage and sang a solo with the band to her beloved Groom…the crowd went wild.

At the conclusion of the six-hour reception, guests were sure to not leave empty handed.  Mayssoun and Ankur presented each couple or guest with a special gift from Tiffany’s as a way to say thank you to all 250 of the guests who helped them celebrate their union.  However, just because the Reception was over didn’t mean the party was.  Guests who still had the energy, were invited to an after-party which included a full bar and afterglow while the DJ spun until 4 am.

The next morning, everyone was invited to a Brunch at Gulio & Son’s, where Mayssoun and Ankur took the time to personally talk with every singe guest and to thank them once again for making their wedding weekend such a memorable one.

The entire weekend and wedding celebration was truly one to remember.

Event Planner and Designer: LUCIA|PAUL DESIGN / Photographer: Widdis Photography / Reception Venue: The Henry, Autograph Collection / Stationery: Cartier / Brides Jewelry: Cartier / Ceremony Gown: Chanel / Reception Gown: Carolina Herrera / Wedding Ceremony: Rattlesnake Club / Videographer: AV7 Weddings / Hair: Figo Salon / Make-up: Jon Liekfelt of Priss Makeup / Opera Singer: Elena Repnikova / Ballerinas: Valentina / Lighting and Draping: The Lighting Guy / Band: Simone Vitale / Custom Linens: Nuage Designs and Gala Linens / DJ: DJ Rumzei / Ballroom Dancers: Fred Astaire / Live Event Artist: K.A. Von Hasenbalg / Rentals: Special Events Rental and Elite Rental / Florist: Bellasario Florist / Cake and Desert Tables: Sweet Dreams / Ice Sculptures: Ice Dreams Sculptures

I’m going to start this happy dance of a wedding off with a quote from the Bride and I know that is so 10th grade English of me but I’m going to do it anyway. ” I wanted my wedding to feel like you walked out of a J. Crew catalog into an Anthropologie catalog and had an intense desire to play croquet.” Perfection and totally sums up this day shot by Julie Harmsen Photography. It’s bright, shiny, and ever so happy despite the rain clouds and there is a whole lot more of it in the gallery.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…My wedding inspiration started where all wedding inspiration should start: on Etsy. I found a ridiculously expensive pair of fabric bird cake toppers and fell in love with love birds. My mom recreated (and outdid) the cake toppers and eventually made 14 more sets to use as centerpieces. From there, the bird theme fell into place – a birdcage for cards, custom love bird invitations (thanks to the fabulous Michelle Lenger), the “yellow bird” specialty drink, bird whistles to whisk us into the night. Basically, it was a giant love bird fest. Let’s just be glad I didn’t discover the perfect feathered encrusted wedding dress that I searched for.

I wanted my wedding to feel like you walked out of a J. Crew catalog into an Anthropologie catalog and had an intense desire to play croquet. Sadly my lawn games were rained out and tornado warnings preempted the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour. But my wedding was absolutely perfect. We laughed and ate s’mores and played in the rain and danced the night away.

My advice to brides: plan the wedding that you absolutely are in love with. Even though my outdoor ceremony was moved into the foyer with standing room only for guests, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would regret it more if I played it safe, listened to my mother, and planned an indoor wedding. Instead we had a wedding that everyone will remember (who starts cocktail hour and announces the soon to be bride and groom before the ceremony?). Plan the wedding of your dreams – and if you’re like me from the hundreds of photos saved off wedding blogs – but be ready for tornadoes and plan B or C…or maybe even D.

Wedding Photography: Julie Harmsen Photography / Florals: Gerri Morgan / Event Planning: Bride and Mother of the Bride / Location: Felt Mansion / Wedding Invitations: Michelle Lenger / Bride’s Shoes: Style & Co. / Wedding Dress: Morilee Madeline Gardner / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: Emily Hayes at Capelli Salon

Oh where to start with this one? How about with the killing me it’s so freaking fabulous venue designed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. Are all of you architecture buffs squealing yet? Now drape it in yellow chandeliers and whimsical bunches of paper lanterns, add some lovely florals whipped up by The Parsonage, and have it all captured by Heather Saunders Photography and I bet all of you wedding lovers are going to be squealing too. We have one fabulous little number on our hands and there is plenty to more to swoon over in the gallery.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride who also happens to be a FABULOUS wedding photographer… As veteran wedding photographers, Tommy and I had a unique perspective when it came to planning our own day.  We had some big advantages, in that we already had established relationships with many of the best vendors in our area – so, we had a good idea of who we wanted to work with, and pretty much had our pick. We also had some pretty strong ideas of what kind of wedding we wanted to have.  While my parents would have loved for us to have a big ballroom wedding with a band, we really wanted our wedding to feel more like a night out at an incredible restaurant.  We opted to forgo a DJ, and instead amassed a collection of handheld vintage radios.  A radio transmitter allowed us to pump an ipod playlist through them, and it was the perfect backdrop for the evening.

Since our wedding was basically a dinner party, the food was really important to us.  We explored the idea of a strolling supper, but decided that since we weren’t doing a dance party, a seated, multi-course dinner would lend a bit more structure to the evening, and be a real treat for our guests.  We interviewed several caterers before deciding to go with Forte Belanger – we wanted to work with a team that could WOW us with an innovative menu, accommodate some vegan friends, and source ingredients sustainably.  They did just that.  People are STILL talking about the amazing food at our wedding.

As soon as we found the Frank Lloyd Wright Palmer House, we knew it was the perfect location.  It’s Ann Arbor’s only Frank Lloyd Wright home, and is beautifully maintained.  It’s only recently been made available as a rental property, and we were actually the first (and possibly only) wedding to be held there.  The property did present some interesting challenges in terms of staging an event – and we took a BIG gamble planning everything outdoors – but we were so lucky to have perfect weather, so it all worked out.

I knew from the begining that I wanted a short, 50’s-style dress, and I kept on coming back to dolly couture.  I was incredibly nervous about ordering a dress sight-unseen online, but I just couldn’t find anything local that compared.  So, I sent along my measurements, and 6 weeks later the dress arrived – and fit perfect right out of the box.

Limiting our guest list to just 60 of our closest friends and family really allowed us to splurge on the things that were important to us.  We hired an incredible team of vendors that we trusted implicitly, and really let them do their thing.  We had a gorgeous invitation suite designed by local letterpress artist Michelle Baker of Elevated Press.  We gave Michelle a lot of creative leeway with our design and she totally NAILED it – the invite actually references the layout of the Palmer House with it’s geometric lines, and we were able to incorporate that triangle theme through much of our design.  We had a local beekeeper friend harvest the cutest little jars of honey for our wedding favors.  This also lent itself to a really cool display that added some visual interest.  The amazing Liz from Parsonage Flowers was so much more than just our florist – she pretty much styled the entire wedding.  During our initial meetings, I showed her some tearsheets of elements that appealed to me.  Tom and I wanted to incorporate a midcentury/vintage feel, but without it becoming a parody of itself.  I knew I wanted yellow to be prominent, and that I loved succulents and ranunculus.  But beyond that, I was clueless about HOW to actually stage a beautiful wedding.  And with the months leading up to our wedding being, well, wedding season – we were so crazy-busy that we really needed someone to go the extra mile in helping pull the design together.  Liz was such a rockstar – sending me mockups of so many incredible ideas, sourcing the coolest vintage furniture pieces from god-knows-where,  hunting for the perfect fabrics, sewing things together – just about every beautiful detail you see is thanks to her.

Of course, as photographers ourselves, choosing a photographer was a little tricky. We are so lucky to call some of the best photographers in the country friends – but in the end, we could only hire one.  There is so much local talent right in southeast Michigan that almost immediately we ruled out flying someone in.  Than it was just a matter of narrowing the field. We wanted to make sure we hired someone who really excelled at shooting the kind of wedding we were having – outdoors, lots of natural light.  We wanted very organic imagery and knew we were less interested in posed photos.  And of course, we wanted someone who was actually excited about the prospect of working with us (shooting for photographers can be tough!!).  We’re so glad we went with Heather, who is not only a amazing photographer, but such a fun person to be around as well.

While our ceremony was fairly secular, it was important to me that we incorporate some Jewish traditions.  Liz fashioned a beautiful ‘chuppah’ out of clustered paper lanterns.  We created our own spin on the ketubah – asking our close friend to create a piece of art for us that we signed just prior to the ceremony.  Tommy also broke the glass.  The ceremony was officiated by our friend’s father, and featured a reading from Tom Robbins’ ‘Still Life with Woodpecker’.  I walked up the aisle to Iron and Wine’s ‘Love and Some Verses’ played acoustically by a friend.

I loved every minute of being a bride! (Well, except for all the stress of planning – but, honestly, that all faded away the minute my wedding day began.)  I will always remember standing with Tom during the ceremony, looking around at how amazing everything was, and bursting into the happiest tears (yep, I blubbered at my wedding!).  After years in the wedding industry, it was such a treat to be on the other side of the wedding experience.  And it’s so true what everyone says – it goes by in a blur (so make sure you hire a great photographer!!).

Wedding Photography: Heather Saunders Photography / Wedding Venue: Palmer House / Wedding Dress: Dolly Couture (Avilla Bay) / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bride’s Hair Flower: Lo Boheme / Groom’s Suit: Vintage / Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Catering: Forte Belanger / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: Elevated Press / Calligraphy: Betsy Dunlap / Floral & Event Design: The Parsonage / Day Of Coordinator: Laura Davis Events / Makeup: Amber Kaczmarek / Hair: Patty Perone of Luigi Bruni Salon / Photo Booth: The Traveling Photo Booth / Tent & Event Rentals: Special Events Rental

We’re traveling to my hometown today – beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. And there’s no better way to visit, than with this University of Michigan Museum of Art wedding stuffed full of all sorts of sweet and quirky details. Like the Penguin Classic hardcovers as centerpieces for the book editor bride? Genius. We were so excited when we got this one from the always fun, always talented Jess + Nate Studios. Ann Arbor is such a cool place to have an artistic, unique wedding. Honestly, it’s a great place to have ANY wedding (I had mine there!). So enjoy this one, and then feast your eyes on more in the gallery!

From the bride … Pat and I were living in Brooklyn when we got engaged, but we wanted to get married in Ann Arbor, where we met and fell in love while students at the University of Michigan. I had been an English major and was working as a book editor; Pat had been an architecture student and was working at a boutique architecture firm. We wanted a location that captured our personalities, that was unique and that had a sense of fun.

When we discovered that we could hold our wedding at the University of Michigan Museum of Art on the school’s campus, we knew we had found our dream location. The museum is beautiful—originally built in 1910, with a brand-new modern wing added in 2009. It pleased Pat’s architectural whimsies and it also tickled my little liberal-arts heart. Plus, our guests could peruse the museum’s collection during our reception!

Reverend Tom Burdette officiated the ceremony, and our talented string quartet provided stunning contemporary music – I walked down the aisle to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” We followed the ceremony with a cocktail reception in the museum’s new wing. Then we laughed and danced the night away while our DJ spun tunes.

The lovely Gwen Kassa from University Flower Shop provided our flowers and created our sweet dahlia centerpieces, in which she used cool red and blue glass vases and gorgeous Penguin clothbound classic books.

Our day-of wedding coordinator was the fabulous Kathy Bishop. She made our day worry-free, even going on a beer run when the supply was low. Our photographers were the absolute geniuses of Jessica Johnston Photography, Nate and Jessica Johnston. Their photographs of our wedding day still leave me speechless. Our wedding day was a dream. It rained, and it didn’t even matter. There truly is nothing like being surrounded by friends and family who love you.

Photography: Jess + Nate Sudios / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Ceremony + Reception Venue: University of Michigan Museum of Art / Officiant: Reverend Tom Burdette / Ceremony Music: Panache Entertainment / Catering: Katherine’s Catering / Bride’s Headpiece: ban.do / Bride’s Shoes: Bloch from Laney’s Place / Jewelry: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew / Floral: Gwen Kassa of University Flower Shop / Day of Coordinator: Kathy Bishop / Entertainment: Lee Walch of Mike Staff Productions

I was dumbfounded when I discovered that this crafty bride created her Michigan wedding, photographed by Kelly Sweet Photography, almost entirely by herself (with a little help from friends and family).  There is a traditional element but, when certain conventional elements didn’t appeal to them, the couple put their own unique spin on things.  I love the paper flowers that the bride handcrafted along with the gold painted branches for a touch of organic opulence in lieu of traditional floral arrangements.  Instead of a cake, the family of the groom baked dozens of yummy cookies in honor of a family tradition.  Check out the full gallery to see even more of this creative and elegant wedding!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I made all of the decorations myself, and no, they were not just forms….I was a very busy girl!  The paper flowers were completely serendipitous. I originally was thinking about making those tissue paper orbs that hang from the ceiling that you see a lot.  I went to Martha Stewart’s website to see how they were made and as I went along, I found that although I wasn’t getting my originally intended result, I thought what I was ending up with would make beautiful flowers if I just tweaked a few things.  So I then went about the task of making what felt about a million simple tissue paper flowers of varying sizes and colors of cream/white/blush (As a side note– whatever they use to wrap purchases in at Anthropologie is the most gorgeous cream tissue paper!) and then embellished them with whatever cuteness I could find at the local craft stores or already had in my craft boxes.  After I had the blooms put together, I made stems and whatnot out of basic floral arranging items, threw in some pipe cleaners and feathers and I had a bouquet.

For the flower containers, I raided both my grandmothers’ cupboards and searched antique shops for old bottles and filled the vessels with sand/rice to keep the flowers upright.  For the candles strewn about, I had my heart set on square candles in shades of cream and ended up finally finding them online.  I embellished the bottoms of some of them with gold adhesive borders intended for scrapbooking.  The table coverings were just burlap I bought wholesale online topped with a few of my grandmother’s vintage handkerchiefs and some doilies found antiquing. The cookie table did have a bit of faux raw silk fabric I found on sale at Hancock Fabric. The branches were almost as labor intensive as the paper flowers since they were all handpicked by my VERY helpful mom and dad from the woods in their backyard and then spray painted gold.  I also included wedding day pictures from both sets of parents, grandparents, and my great grandparents in frames picked up for very little at TJ Maxx and Homegoods.  I bought the DIY type of invitations at Target and my dad helped me print them out, piece of cake.

After searching everywhere for a dress, I actually ended up getting the discontinued sample from the floor for $600 from Fantastic Finds in Lansing.  Shoes were a little tougher since I love me a sky high heel, but Mike and I are the same height and I needed to find something that was a little funky, but would not make me look ridiculous when standing next to him.  I searched high and low at every consignment/antique shop, but couldn’t find anything to fit my boat-sized feet, so I settled for a shoe from Macy’s. Same goes for jewelry. I scoured antique shops for the perfect accessories, but since I wanted over the top AND gold, it was hard to find, so I ended up getting the earrings and one of the rhinestone bracelets at Cherie’s in the Centerpointe Mall in GR.  The dress did originally come with a brooch in the center of the bow, but I wasn’t crazy about it, so I went antiquing yet again and a million shops later, I finally found the perfect piece at the antique shop in Eastown.  I also ended up stacking a bunch of my grandmother’s vintage bracelets and wore my grandfather’s wedding band, along with the original ring Mike used to propose on my right hand.

Instead of a guest book, we asked guests to write a small message to us on fabric quilt squares I had precut, with the intention of making a wedding quilt, however, the fabric pens ran out before everyone got a chance to use them, so that was a bummer.  Since we love to travel, we also asked guests to let us in on their most favorite “must go” place.  I set that little section up with the instructions for that in another picture frame and provided unused vintage postcards originating from either Grand Rapids (my hometown), Pittsburgh (Mike’s hometown), The Netherlands (I’m Dutch) or Italy (He’s Italian) for guests to write on.  Those were surprisingly easy to locate, and I found those for a steal at the antique shop on Wealthy/Charles in GR.  The vintage suitcase I used for displaying the postcards was found at an antique shop in Lake Odessa, MI.

The cookies/pastries were really none of my doing at all!  I knew I wanted one since I’m not crazy about wedding cakes and I thought it was a fun replacement for one. Plus, “The Cookie Table” is a tradition in Mike’s family (his mom’s not sure where it started, or if it’s an Italian or Pittsburgh thing).  I just found different cake pedestals, interesting vintage dishes, turned to the grandmas yet again, and was able to find enough pieces to create a display.  The to-go bags were just handled brown bags I found at Joann Fabric and I stamped them with a cute image and threw some tissue paper in there.  Mike’s mom/aunts/friends starting baking away for about a month before the wedding to create the enormous amount of cookies (his parents had to rent a van to haul the enormous amount of goodies and drove with the AC full blast all the way from Pittsburgh!) I am so grateful they went to all the trouble because I think the cookie table was the most beautiful thing at the wedding. Everything was made with love, nothing store bought and Mike’s mom and extended family were the ones that created the whole look without much help from me and they did a WONDERFUL job.

Wedding Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: The Brayton House / Wedding Reception Location: The Photography Room / Wedding Planning & Design: The Bride / Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo via Fantastic Finds / Bride’s Shoes: Capparos via Macy’s / Bride’s Jewelry: Cheri’s Bridal & Accessories + Vintage / Wedding Dress Broach: Vintage / Wedding Invitations: Target / Frames: TJ Maxx + HomeGoods / Cookies & Pastries: Family of the Groom

Oh my goodness – that dress. Those flowers. The pies. The barn! Everything in this sweet Michigan wedding is completely drool-worthy. I could spend days raving about it all. Flourish Event Design planned this backyard bash to perfection. The soft palette they chose plays against the rustic barn SO beautifully. The invites were designed by the oh-so-talented Elizabeth Grace. And how sweet is it that the groom’s parents got married in this exact same yard 35 years ago? Seriously, raving for days. I’ll let the fabulous pictures from Synechdoche do the talking now, so make sure to check out Lindsey’s blog for more!

There’s much more in the Gallery!

After proposing to me at his family’s cottage on Lake Michigan on the 4th of July, Evan and I were quick to agree on a style and feel for our wedding – an intimate, casual, fun celebration for our closest family and friends. We had recently relocated from Washington, DC to Chicago where Evan was starting his MBA at the University of Chicago and didn’t feel particularly connected to either location. We were toying with the idea of a destination wedding while on a trip home in Ann Arbor when it hit us – a backyard wedding in Michigan.

All the details fell into place. Evan’s parents had been married in that same spot 35 years earlier and the sprawling yard, gorgeous old barn and extended property were perfect for a wedding. We even had the priest who married them and baptized Evan conduct the ceremony. With our planner Lindsey Nartker, we wanted to create an atmosphere that was casual, laid back and fun without overdoing anything. I was inspired by the rustic country feel of peaches, tangerines and plums, and pastoral touches of feathers, wood accents and flower pods.

Evan’s mother gifted me her antique diamond and sapphire bracelet as my ‘something blue’ – a gift that was given to her just days after Evan was born nearly thirty years ago. Elizabeth Grace designed the invitations and adorable pie flags. Many of the little touches throughout the wedding were made or hunted down by us or our families.  I commissioned my father to paint the many welcome signs; family members went antiquing to pick out the vintage vases and milk bottles; and the frames were purchased at a resale shop with new glass added. I loved the look of chalkboards and used them as well.

I really am not a fan of wedding cake, so we pulled together a pie buffet. Evan is a huge University of Michigan football fan so a custom pie topper pulled the look together. Our wedding day was everything we hoped it would be. The rain passed, friends and family gathered, and Evan and I feel so fortunate to have the love and support of everyone for our wedding and new lives together. I think one of the most special moments was our walk around the property after the ceremony with our French Bulldog puppy, Harley. It was so special to reflect on what happened. We could not be happier.

Photography: Synecdoche / Event Design: Flourish Event Design / Event Planning: Flourish Event Design / Flowers: New Creations Flower Company / Ceremony & Reception / Private Location / Invitations: Elizabeth Grace / Dress: Carolina Herrera

This graffiti-inspired photo shoot might be the coolest shoot I’ve ever seen. Flourish Event Design used the unique, rocker vibe of The Royal Oak Music Theater to inspire the design, and man, is it awesome. Vibrant teals, pinks, and purples play against the dark, sexy mood of the theater, and I’m loving it. They had the perfect couple for this shoot. A gorgeous girl and a man with a mohawk fit right into all the crazy fun details. You definitely don’t want to miss the film from Epic Motion.

*Remember, for the best playback on films, press play and then pause. Allow it to load in the background for a minute or so (you can check out the images below!) and then come back to see the whole shoot set in motion!

Royal Oak Music Theatre Style Shoot – Flourish Event Design from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

Pretty awesome, huh? Be sure you watch the film (above) from Epic Motion!

This amazing shoot was inspired by a walk through Royal Oak, MI. When Lindsey spied graffiti on the wall, it sent her mind reeling to create a fresh wedding design that is guaranteed to make hearts leap. Lindsey wanted to create something fresh and different from what we see so often on wedding blogs. While soft, modern romance is beautiful, she wanted to create a more contemporary look with fresh colors and a bit of drama. She selected the Royal Oak Music Theater because of it’s urban vibe and because she knew we would be able to really create something unique there.

Lindsey brought together our all star team of fantastic professionals to make this shoot come alive. Her vision of bringing together an urban graffiti inspired palette with a wedding turned out to be a fabulous juxtaposition of beauty and strength. Vibrant teal and purple mingle with charcoal grey to create a stunning contemporary palette that is visually appealing.  We took advantage of our gorgeous couple, who were up for anything, and explored the theater as well as the the surrounding area.  We had a fantastic time with this real life couple on an amazing photo shoot.

Photography: Jennifer Grant / Cinematography: Epic Motion / Flowers: Hollye Mackler / Event Design: Flourish Event Design / Event Planning: Flourish Event Design / Reception Location: Royal Oak Music Theater / Invitations, Menus, Placecards + Favors: Custom Paper Works / Dress: Le Salon Bridal / Lighting: The Lighting Guy / Hair: Sara Yvette / Makeup: Devawn Testagrossa from Airbrush Michigan

Gun Lake, Michigan. July 24, 2010 ~ Amanda and Ben, a team of oh-so-talented photographers and cinematographers and a group of very surprised wedding guests! From Ryan Koral at Epic Motion and K. Holly Photography …  a totally rip-roaring good time!

From Ryan Koral at Epic Motion …
Loved filming this wedding. Amanda had the best attitude of any bride. Super laid back and was constantly wanting to make sure everyone was having fun. So much so, that since it was taking people a little extra long to get the party going on the dance floor, Amanda and Ben decided to do a little wake-boarding on Gun Lake before the party really got going. Yes. This happened after dinner! ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. You gotta see it to believe it …

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/36043724 601 338]

Amanda + Ben’s Wedding Trailer {wakeboarding included} from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

Ben and I knew from day one we wanted to be married on a lake. We met on a water ski team years ago and have enjoyed many memories on the water together. After Ben proposed on a warm summer night we both started thinking about where would be the perfect place to be married. We heard of Bay Pointe and made an appointment to visit the venue. We checked it out, and feel in love immediately. After many days of browsing through wedding blogs, inspiration magazines and putting my own love for fashion and style into the mix I came up with a design and inspiration for our wedding. I loved every aspect of planning the wedding. Incorporating both our styles and seeing things happen was inspiring. We wanted the wedding to feel warm and relaxed.

The wedding party and the crew all stayed at Bay Pointe Inn the night of the rehearsal dinner. On the morning of the wedding, the guys all went out wakeboarding well the girls got ready. From the start to the end of the day we all had tons of fun together, we laughed, we cried, and we smiled. After the wedding ceremony the wedding party took off on the boat for a while to let the guests find their places in the pavilion where the reception we held. We made our grand entrance, had dinner and listened to some amazing toasts. After diner, Ben and I had our first dance, mingled around and realized it is way to nice out to start dancing. We had no intension to wakeboard in our wedding dress and suit but we thought well why not. Ben found me over in a crowd talking and said hey get your wakeboard. I was like umm what? He said to me, “Oh come on you can do it you won’t even get wet”. My response being, ok but we better not fall. We decided right then and there that in order to get this crowd moving we better put on a show. We quickly let the DJ, photographer and videographer know what was going on and said here we go. We strapped in, we said a quick prayer that we wouldn’t fall and away we went. Sure enough, Ben flipped right over me in my wedding dress and him in his suit. It was amazing! All our family and friends cheered, screamed and smiled. That moment was big. Not only was it amazing, it truly defined are style, inspiration and love for the water and each other. Not only was the wedding everything we hoped for it was just how we wanted to start the rest of our lives together!

To see Epic Motion’s newest project … the Thank-You DVD (that couples are going wild over) … take a look at their blog {here}!

Wednesdays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week solely due to the fact it means one fabulous wedding after another here at Style Me Pretty – so get ready to reconnect with your refresh button today because boy do we have some beauties coming your way. First up is an absolutely adorable, personality filled wedding captured by Bryan and Mae. Let me just put it this way, you know when each member of the bridal party brings along their own tandem bicycle it’s a wedding not to be missed, and of course you won’t have to miss a thing when you check out the gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

Matthew and I are both relatively simple people who enjoy relatively simple things. We love the color purple, we love our friends and family, we love music, and we love bicycles. Lots of bicycles. Inevitably, this became our wedding theme that carried over into everything from invitations to decorations.

We decided against doing a “first look” and waited to see each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle. I will never forget this moment – it was overwhelming in the best way imaginable. We were married at the church I grew up in and were blessed to have my grandpa officiate the ceremony. Our talented friends Kate & Jay played an incredibly heartfelt original song during the service. It was our first time hearing it and I was overwhelmed yet again. Our vintage Schwinn Twinn bicycle built for two was used as our getaway ride after the ceremony. Complete with tin cans and “Just Married” sign. I just hiked up my dress and away we went!

A nearby ski lodge provided the pleasantly casual reception setting we had hoped for. One of my favorite moments of the night came during our photo session with the wedding party. The lodge has a large back deck looking up to one of the steepest hills in the area. Everyone had their own bicycle (us with our tandem) as we hiked up the slope. We paused at the top for a couple photographs and then cruised back down to the bottom. The girls in their dresses and the guys in their rolled up trousers. It was so much fun riding around together in the grassy fields and our guests enjoyed watching from below.The rest of the evening was spent on the dance floor – where the bride and groom should be! We were having so much fun we (almost) didn’t want to leave. Our wedding wasn’t about having everything perfectly in place. But in every other way, it was absolutely perfect.

Photography: Bryan and Mae / Reception Location: Cannonsburg Ski Resort/Flowers: Horrocks Market / Dress: David’s Bridal / DJ: Ryan Shine of Top 5 Entertainment / Cake: Bride’s Aunt / Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal / Groomsmen apparel: JCrew /