Holly & Peter’s Royal Park Hotel wedding was so beautiful, and they could not have been more fun to work with! Here is the awesome highlight video from Epic Motion – enjoy!

I was excited to attend the A2Y Chamber year-ender, and delighted to find out that Pinkberry does off-site catering! They had a station there with samples for everyone to try – it was a huge hit! The below FAQ is taken from their website to give you more information about this new venture. They have a storefront at Briarwood Mall, so if you’re interested (or in the mood for frozen yogurt) go check them out!

Does Pinkberry bring a machine to the event? Some stores have the ability to Swirl the Pinkberry Goodness right at your event, so if you are interested just let us know and we’ll determine if we are able to swirl on site and give you additional pricing details.

What is the difference between Full Service and Drop Off? Pinkberry has 2 kinds of Catering Options – Full Service and Drop Off. For both options your Pinkberry is swirled fresh right before your event in the sizes and flavors you choose. We usually bring 6 topping choices – we recommend 3 fruit and 3 dry toppings. For Full Service our Team Members stay at your event to top and present each Pinkberry to your guests just like we do in the store. For Drop-Off, Team Members set-up your Pinkberry and toppings in a designated area and your guests will top their own swirly masterpiece.

How much does it cost to have Pinkberry cater? Services and prices may vary by store. So that we can give you the best information for your event, complete the request form for Full Service or Drop-Off. If you’re not sure what you need yet send us an email at Catering@Pinkberry.com and we’ll help you select the best choices for your event.

How do you keep the Pinkberry cold? We bring the pre-swirled Pinkberry to you in branded, insulated coolers. There is dry ice in the coolers that keep your Pinkberry chilled to the perfect temperature.

What kind of events can Pinkberry cater? We can cater just about any event – Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate Events, School Events, Premieres, Wrap Parties, Craft Services, Employee/Client Appreciation Events, Holiday Parties, Private Dinners. You name it!

What if I don’t live by a Pinkberry? Can Pinkberry still cater my event? Although there are many Pinkberry locations, there may be places that Pinkberry Catering can’t reach yet. We want to ensure that when we Swirl Pinkberry to you that we have maintained the integrity of the product so that you have the one of a kind experience you are used to. If you are too far away from a Pinkberry store, the yogurt may suffer in transport and we only want to deliver uncompromising quality to you.

What do I need to do to get ready for Pinkberry at my event? When we get to your event location we need a 6 foot table or as much table space as you can give us so that we can set up your toppings. If it is a Full Service event we also need a place behind or near the 6 foot table to store our insulated coolers.

How do I know what flavors and toppings to choose for my guests? Start by choosing your favorites and remember to get a variety. If you want to see what’s in stores now, click on the “Products” tab. The Pinkberry Team Member helping with your party will also help to ensure that you have a great mix that everyone will enjoy!

How did the Brides Project get started?

The Brides Project was brought to the Cancer Support Community by an Ann Arbor resident who saw a Brides Project in Canada. The woman asked the manager of the Canadian store if she could bring this idea to the US and the manager gave her the go. She started blogging about the project and soon enough dresses started arriving at her doorsteps. She realized that this was going to be a lot to handle alone so she brought the idea to the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor and they decided to use the idea as a fundraising initiative for CSC.

Who runs the shop?

The Shop is completely run by volunteers and in donated space. I am an intern on the project from the U of M School of Social Work and I help with scheduling and day to day things. We have consultants who have been trained to take the appointments and keep up the shop. We have an in gathering committee that works on prices and the entire inventory. We have a marketing committee that works on both marketing to brides who have already been married to then donate their dresses and also brides-to-be who want to buy a dress from us while supporting the Cancer Support Community. We also have a steering committee that oversees the entire project.

Why should I donate my dress?

You should donate your dress to The Brides Project because not only will it go to some other lucky bride-to-be to wear on her special day but it will also provide support for children and families touched by cancer through the Cancer Support Community. You also get a tax break when you donate your dress. You will also become a part of The Brides Project movement of women helping women! It is an exciting concept and we always want to get more people involved.

What brands do you carry?

We have anywhere from designer to home-made dresses. We have Vera Wang, Justina McCaffrey, Badgley Mischka, etc. We have a wide variety of dresses in all sizes.

What if I need alterations?

We have seamstresses that can meet with you if you need alterations on a dress you find at our shop that you just love. If you find a dress you love but does not fit exactly at your first appointment we will then schedule you a second appointment with a seamstress who can help you figure out how much alterations would cost and how long they would take.

How do I get involved?

There are many ways people can get involved. You can like us on facebook. You can donate your wedding dress. You can volunteer to become a bridal consultant. If you specialize in marketing or sales you can contact us and we get you involved with the right subcommittee. The easiest thing to do to get involved and help the project is to spread the word. Tell your girlfriends and moms and sisters! We want to get the whole community involved!

What are some goals you have for the future?

We hope to have the whole community involved and that brides-to-be think of us when searching for the dress of their dreams.

What is your favorite dress story?

My favorite dress story is one that may not normally get blogged about but really hit home for me. A woman came into the Cancer Support Community a few weeks ago to donate her wedding dress. She was very nice and happy to help us with our project but what was the tear-jerker for me was that two of her family members had just been diagnosed with cancer. Although she was saddened by the news she still wanted to help support the Cancer Support Community by donating her dress to The Brides Project. I think this is one of the major reasons why I love The Brides Project. Although cancer is a very sad and scary thing TBP provides a space where people can still help provide cancer support but in a fun and uplifting atmosphere.

Can I donate other wedding items?

We do not have a lot of space for extra items at this time. We have a few pairs of shoes, some jewelry, and veils but our boutique is getting pretty full.

What is something people are surprised to learn about the Brides Project?

People are normally surprised to find out that The Brides Project is completely run by volunteers and in donated space. It is pretty amazing that we can run a social enterprise with solely volunteers!

JLB Wedding Photography did a fantastic job with Nikky & Emmanuel’s wedding on September 3rd – enjoy the pictures! It was so much fun planning another Nigerian wedding – I am sure you can see why!

Laura & Derek were married at Misty Farm in Ann Arbor, MI back in July. I was so excited to see their pictures on Tracy & Riva’s blog – they did an amazing job with them!
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Anyone planning a wedding can tell you that money adds up no matter what budget you’re on. Sometimes, hiring a wedding videographer either gets forgotten about or not budgeted for at all. Well, Brett from Wedit has come to save the day. I met Brett at a Knot.com function and I was amazed at how simple this idea is!!!

The idea behind WedIt is simple: you rent 5 HD cameras that come in the mail before your wedding. You hand them out to family and friends to capture any and every moment (even the day before and after!). After your wedding, you mail them back in a pre-paid box and they are professionally edited for you. It is also easy to share with anyone!

When you hire a videographer, they don’t usually capture memories from the rehearsal or other activities that happen the days before a wedding. Today, it is easy to share videos on the Internet whether it’s via facebook, google + or email and this is designed exactly for that. WedIt can even put music in the background for you so you can have your songs from the wedding playing while watching all your cherished memories.

They have three different packages that range from $500-$800, depending on how much help you want from the WedIt team to edit your video. This would even be a great supplement to a formal wedding video – capturing your weekend in a more low-key way.

Written by Melanie King – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor

I was contacted by Easy Canvas Prints a while back with an invitation to try their products – and of course I said yes! I used one of my favorite pictures this year, from Jennifer & Kevin’s wedding taken by Jeff of JLB Wedding Photography. It was printed on an 8×10 canvas, and turned out beautifully!

Creating canvas prints for gifts or to adorn the walls of your home is an inexpensive way to continue reliving one of the happiest days of your lives.

As long as you have the rights to your pictures (which you should make sure to have!), you can print them in any format and any way you choose as long as you are not using them for profit (without consent of your photographer, that is).

Easy Canvas Prints

Anna & Chris were married back on May 14th, and I was so excited to see some of the pictures from Wendy Martin Photography – they are beautiful!

Amanda Williams just sent me these pictures from Jenn & Nik’s wedding – so lovely! Congratulations you two!