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Vici hired me back in January to help her feel more organized and prepared for her wedding day. She pretty much knew what she wanted, but wasn’t quite sure how to pull everything together in the end and definitely didn’t want to stress about it on her wedding day! Their ceremony and reception were both held at Genesis in Ann Arbor, which is a great location for those wanting to bring in their own caterer (keeps costs lower than a “traditional” reception venue as well).

Their photographer was Andy Pauquette, who was very nice to work with and got some great shots! I am looking forward to seeing all of them! It was very easy to coordinate various aspects of the day with him, which always makes for great flow! The caterer, Food Art, came into the picture late in the game after a bad experience with another company, and they were definitely a better choice! The food was presented on platters rather than chafing dishes, which added some elegance to the already phenomenal meal.

Unfortunately, the ceremony did not go off without a hitch… It decided to storm exactly during the hour at which they were to marry, and everything had to be moved inside at the last minute. It turned out beutifully, but when a couple is hoping for an outdoor ceremony it is just so sad to have to change plans! One of their readings was from a song that has a lot of meaning to Vici and Guy, ending with the words “and now every morning there’s a cup of coffee, and I wear your ring”. I was so teary eyed in the end, it was just perfect.

It was very important to Vici to be able to make her own centerpieces from flowers she ordered at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. Personally, I do not recommend trying to do this, as the typical result is a lot of stress and some dissapointment. Not the case for this wedding! Vici’s flowers were so beautiful and she did not seem the least bit stressed about her task. I picked up the flowers from Guy’s house that morning, and proceeded to the liquor store to grab their alcohol as well. Good thing I have a large vehicle! It was packed to the brim with centerpieces, hanging pots, card box, candles, lanterns, alcohol, shepards hooks, gifts for Guy’s close friends, and I am sure several other items that I am not thinking of at this moment!

Their band, with lead singer Laith al Saadi, was wonderful. They could play pretty much anything, and if they couldn’t play it, Vici had it picked out on her iPod for set breaks. They definitely kept the party going! At the end of the night, I packed everything up into their cars so they could enjoy saying thank you’s and goodbye’s to friends. Congratulations Vici and Guy, it was a beautiful wedding and I wish you both the best of happiness in your future together!

Michelle and Chad were so much fun to work with, always had smiles on their faces and a great attitude toward the entire planning process. Their wedding and reception took place at the River Birch Lodge in Hartland, which is one of my new favorite places to do weddings - it is beautiful! My assistants and I arrived at 2pm to start setup, which consisted of moving furniture around, setting rental furniture and centerpieces up, helping the caterer figure out logistics of their setup, assembling the ceremony chairs and sand ceremony candle on the patio, place favors, cone petals, napkins and bathroom towels, and work out final kinks with the DJ regarding sound during the ceremony.

The ceremony itself took place on the patio in the back, right below a waterfall! Chairs were originally supposed to be set up on the grass, but we moved them up to the patio due to the ground being quite wet from all the thunderstorms last week! All 70 chairs fit, and for larger weddings there is room for many, many more on the grass right below this area as well which is nice. Their officiant was Brian Tuttle, who did a wonderful job as well.

Logistically, it was a bit of a challenge. Michelle walked down some stone steps to get to her now husband Chad, which was quite a feat in heels, a wedding gown, and carrying a bouquet! It went off perfectly, she met her father at the bottom of the steps and cracked a joke when she got to the top! The DJ was also a bit tough - power outside is not plentiful, so cords were needed to bring sound up to the patio area for setup. I would recommend musicians for outside ceremonies here - just a lot less to have to worry about!

The “getting ready” room at River Birch is the largest bathroom I have ever personally been in, and it looks out to the ceremony below, which could not get any more magnificent for pictures! I had to take one of my own, how great is the view! There is also a deck overlooking the back, which worked out well for some guests who arrived a bit later than start time… This is also where the group shot was taken, which we helped organize (I had to tell the bar to shut down service so guests would cooperate with lining up!) so that the festivitiecould begin!

The cocktail room was very open and airy, leading out onto the deck where the bar was and on the other side to the dance floor. My assistants and I set up the tables, which were rented from Your Event Party Rental, as well as the centerpieces which Michelle and her mom made themselves! Linens, bouquets and candle decor were provided by Enchanting Creations, and it all was very nicely done. I tried to get pictures of the candlescapes in the fireplace, but my camera is just not good enough for that…

Michelle made a flip-flop tree for her female guests to be comfortable for the dancing portion of the evening, a genius idea! They were almost gone before the first dance. The grand entrance and cake cutting were done following the group shot after the ceremony, in which the bridal party walked down from upstairs to the absolutely delectable dessert table on the main floor. It was a bit hard to hear the DJ from up there, but everything flowed perfectly! It was also a lot easier for Michelle to walk once Chad and I tied her bustle!

Dinner was catered by Big Rock Chop House Catering, and I would work with them again in a heart beat! Jason Peltier and his staff were so helpful with everything throughout the evening, and the food tasted amazing (I got some tips on how to cook a filet)! Their photographer was Keely Howland, I am excited to see the shots she has!

Guests were meant to grab their favors as they entered River Birch Lodge, but most remained on the table during the ceremony. My assistants and I handed them out after the ceremony, and they were a huge hit! An itinerary was tucked inside of the satin wine bottle holders, as well as a fan and some other surprises. At the end of the night (which was much later than anticipated!) Michelle and Chad had a shuttle service drive guests back to their hotel or homes to prevent anyone from getting into an accident.

I stayed until 1am packing up all their things (which more than filled an SUV!) and tearing down some of the rental equipment - the rest was taken care of the next day. For future weddings here, I will definitely be suggesting some form of trolly for the rental chairs - they were a huge amount of work to carry up the grass hill and into the garage after the ceremony! Overall, it was a very fun wedding and guests were all impressed with the location and the festivities.

Congratulations Michelle and Chad, it was an absolute pleasure to work with you!

I am proud to announce that I have now achieved Consultant level status as well as the designation of Professional Bridal Consultant through the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC)! This involved passing 5 exams and a final, submitting responses to various essay type questions, providing letters of recommendation from past brides and sending in my promotional and business materials to the Association. There are 5 “levels” in ABC, and Professional Bridal Consultant is the third level - so I am very excited! I can now be searched for through the Association website, take on “official” apprentices, use the ABC logo, and attend additional seminars provided by ABC for further education. Thank you to all my past brides and grooms who got me to this point in my career, and to all my future couples who will take me even further!