Blog

Cathy & Eric were married at Leslie Science Center in Ann Arbor on August 14th. It was an absolute pleasure working with them; they are some of the most organized people I have met and made my job very easy to do on the wedding day! They did their part to make is as eco-friendly a wedding as possible as well, going far beyond what I have seen done in the past!

Ushers greeted guests as they entered the Science Center, encouraging them to take tours of the venue prior to finding their seats. Cathy and Eric walked themselves down the aisle to Canon in D, played by the lovely Dulcimer player pictured below. The hammered dulcimer was extensively used during the Middle Ages in England, France, Italy, Germany, Holland and Spain.

During the ceremony, the couple followed Quaker as well as Native American traditions. They had friends call in the seven Native American directions (spirits of the North, South, East, West, Earth, Sky and Soul). They had a period of silence during the ceremony at which time family and friends shared stories about the couple for everyone to reflect upon. They also signed a marriage certificate that was later signed by every guest at the wedding - since it takes not two people but a community to make every marriage work.

Some of the green initiatives taken by Cathy and Eric include: printing on banana paper, driving from the ceremony to the reception in an electric car, using pine cones to hold the place cards, having friends provide flowers picked from their garden,powering the reception with a solar powered generator, donating leftover food to local farms, recycling bottles, cans and cardboard from the wedding, and hosting their ceremony and reception at venues that give back to the sustainability of their community.

The reception took place at Delhi Metropark located in Dexter, MI. Rentals were brought in from A-1 Party Rentals and the food was provided by Simply Scrumptious Catering. Their photographer was Bob Goodman, and a representative from the Ann Arbor News was also present for an upcoming story.

It was an incredibly humid day, and several guests took advantage of the nearby river - including Cathy! She wore her grandmother’s dress, which her great-grandmother (most likely) made for a 1934 wedding at which her grandmother was Maid of Honor. It fit like a glove and looked brand new - just gorgeous!

They also brought in a Contra Band and a Caller to get guests to the dance floor. The caller taught each individual dance just before the music for that dance began. “During this introductory “walk-through” period, participants learn the dance by walking through the steps and formations, following the caller’s instructions. The caller gives the instructions orally, and sometimes augments them with demonstrations of steps by experienced dancers in the group.” Wikipedia

Congratulations on a beautiful wedding day Cathy and Eric, we are honored to have been a part of it!