Haver/Musallam Wedding April 16, 2011

Bethany Haver and Shafiq (Chuck) Musallam were married April 16^th, 2011 at the beautiful Oak Arbor Church in Rochester, MI. This church features beautiful floor to ceiling windows framed with oak that set the perfect atmosphere as Bethany walked down the aisle to live acoustic guitar played by her extremely talented cousin. The ceremony was beautiful and the bride looked absolutely gorgeous!

The party then moved over to Cherry Creek Golf Club in Shelby Township where Bethany’s vision of Tiffany’s came to life through the beautiful design and décor created by her Aunt Jennifer. Bethany chose Tiffany blue with accents of chocolate

brown and red to really make her centerpieces of roses, pink hydrangeas, and carnations pop.

Alternating tables featured unique vases of white feathers and curly willow branches accented with crystals and tea light candles for a beautiful glow. This reception was truly the picture of elegance.

The reception opened with a special live performance of “At Last” sung by Bethany’s cousin. I was thrilled to be working with Mid-Michigan DJ’s again and the dance floor was packed from the start of the night. The bride and groom and their guests danced to traditional Arabic music

and everyone loved it! There was even a traditional chair dance where Bethany was carried around the dance floor while seated in a chair. It was such a unique experience to witness these two families come together and embrace one another’s culture.

Bethany and Chuck were so wonderful to work with and I wish them every happiness in their life together.

-Amanda Hardcastle

Detroit Area Event Planner

Photos by Nicole Haley Photography

Collins/Hritzak Wedding July 2, 2011

Alyssa Collins and Justin Hritzak were married on July 2 at the Stonebridge Golf Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Despite the 90 plus degrees weather, Alyssa stayed calm and cool and was absolutely gorgeous!!

Her color scheme of turquoise and chocolate

was beautiful against the background of the green foliage and accented with kissing balls lining the aisle and flowers of hydrangeas and roses by Ellen Bauer. My

assistant, Amanda Collins, and I had to come up with a quick way to keep Alyssa "hidden" from Justin and the guests as the rest of the wedding party made their way down the lawn and the only place to do that was behind the dumpster!!! She was a good sport about it and our little ruse worked!

Tim Hampton was their officiant and also sang during their wine ceremony which was in place of the traditional unity candle. The ornate box had a bottle of wine, 2 glasses and they each placed a letter to each other that they will read on their 5th wedding anniversary.

The reception dinner was excellent, having music by Mid-Michigan DJs. Amy Wilson, friend of the family, made their wedding cake and Colleen Anderson decked out the dining room with elegance. The happy couple honeymooned in Antigua at Sandals.

-Deborah Carlson

Vice President/Event Planner

Phelan/Murphy Wedding June 11, 2011

Jenny and Matt were an awesome couple to work with! They are both originally from the Jackson area, but have moved to Washington D.C., so our planning was primarily done through emails and texts and a few face to face consultations when they were in town for bridal showers and holidays.

Jenny had a vision and stayed true to it from beginning to end, but was a great student as well, as she was open to listening to suggestions and alternatives. This bride was ALL about the details!!

The happy couple was married at the Congregational Church in downtown Jackson and then guests walked across the street to Daryl's Downtown patio for cocktail hour that served signature drinks. Guests were entertained with the musical talents of Steve Tucker who later entertained all of us during the reception with his band, ACT III. The couple was sent off with sparklers. It was truly magical!From the lace detailing

the cake (designed by Cakes by K. Renee out of

Brooklyn, MI) to the table runners and chair ties

decorated by our newest team member, Heather Case, to even personalized

straws for the drinks at the bar. Everything had a purpose and a place. It was

immaculate! Oh, and did I mention the flowers!? Flowers with a capital F!!! They were gorgeous peonies and roses in various colors of pink.

The Murphys then jetset off to St. Lucia for their honeymoon! They are already new parents to a doggie named, Andi! Congrats Matt and Jenny!!

Theisen/Sattler Wedding June 4, 2011

This wedding was such a fantastic event! I have known Lindsay since our Apparel and Textile Design classes at Michigan State University and I have known Eric for 8 years now. So it is safe to say that this wedding was personal to me, making it one of the most special weddings I've ever had the pleasure to coordinate.

Lindsay and Eric wanted a country chic vibe that focused on the details. After searching the entire State of Michigan for the perfect venue, they found River Birch

Estates in Hartland, MI.

This estate has rustic decor but with all the modern luxuries. Lindsay stuck with the theme for her decorations and used farm fresh centerpiece flowers, handmade table runners, and a cake by Sinfully Divine Cakes that speaks for itself!

The bride and groom exchanged vows outside on the brick paver raised patio in front of 80

guests. Cocktail hour and dinner directly followed the nuptials provided by Famous Daves. That's right, ribs, chicken, cornbread, baked potatoes...it was fun food and tasted amazing!

The newlyweds danced to Thompson Square's, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?" which truly made me tear up and get goosebumps. Lindsay and Eric are such fun and wonderful people and when you put the two of them together, a whole room lights up.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Sattler!

Comiskey/Lee Wedding September 19, 2009

This wedding was near and dear to my heart. Erika and Greg have been clients of mine for over a year and when their wedding date finally approached, I have to say I was a little sad. It's the nature of the business though, that at some point you have to let your clients go!

Erika and Greg had their ceremony and reception at Kensington Court in Ann Arbor, MI. The main word I can think of when I look at the big picture of this wedding is, "lavish." There were tons and tons of flowers, the venue was classic and beautiful, the cake was regal and very tall, and the bride...simply gorgeous!

Because Erika was a client for so long, she got to book all my favorite vendors. John Rogers Photography, Sinfully Divine Cakes, Designs by Judy for flowers, and MidMichigan DJ's. These are my power players, and boy did they ever show up!! John never ceases to amaze me how he can take hundreds of photos and never really get in your way, to the point you forget he's even snapping photos. Sinfully Divine Cakes outdid themselves with a 4 tier cake adorned with pearl accents and piping. Designs by Judy had a gorgeous garland that wrapped around the pergola, not to mention the great centerpieces that the bride handpicked herself. MidMichigan DJ's did the music for both the ceremony and reception and once they started the party up, I don't think I saw the dancefloor empty once!

To add to the occassion, I was joined by our new Western Michigan Director, Kelly Houseworth, who was like my right arm, and my own husband, Andrew Hughes officiated the service. I was so proud of both of them!

Above all the pomp and circumstance, I loved watching this couple interact. They have that "thing" that a lot of people search for all of their lives. They are truly best friends and soul mates. They compliment each other so well, and I wish them the very best in their marriage!

Eldred/Handy Wedding September 6, 2009

Kristine and Matt were a great couple to work with! They live in Virginia and had their wedding in Jackson, so like a lot of our brides, we worked with them from a distance, but I think it's just another testament to thanking technology for making communication easy! Through emails and phonecalls, we were able to help them coordinate a perfect day!

And a perfect day it was! The ceremony was held at the Rotunda at Ella Sharp Park over the Labor Day weekend. It was warm and sunny and absolutely gorgeous for the couple! Because the Rotunda is round, the couple requested to say their vows in the center of the structure and the guests were sat in a circle around them. It was unique and intimate!

The reception took place at Arbor Hills Golf Club. Kristine created most of the decorations herself and it was gorgeous! The colors were chocolate and a mossy green. It looked fresh and classy. The food was fantastic, and the cake....the CAKE was AMAZING! I've had my fair share of cake, but I've never had peach cake until this wedding. It was very yummy and looked great too. It was provided by Cakes by K. Renee out of Clark Lake, MI.

We wish the couple well and hope their life as a new married couple is going well back in Virginia!

Happy Planning!

It is true, by far wedding trends and planning are being heavily influenced by the state of the economy. But don't let that get you down. There are so many ways to have your dream wedding on any budget. The silver lining is that this challenges and inspires couples to use creativity in all aspects of  their planning, from decor to the guest list. Thus, making their wedding more intimate and personal. Ultimately, that it is what it is all about anyway!

By far, the most memorable part of any wedding celebration are all the personal touches added by the bride and groom. From writing your own vows,  decorating with pictures and other personal items, to making your own centerpieces. The economy has lead to a shift in the Do It Yourself attitude. All the small details have so much meaning and at no additional cost.

 Start researching and gathering your ideas early on. Keep everything together. I encourage brides to use a multi divided folder with pockets. Label each tab with a wedding category, (flowers, photography, colors watches, etc.) Bring it everywhere. It is so helpful to have pictures and color swatches to go by in your meetings. Being organized is key to saving money on your wedding. Disorganization can cost you extra money and time. And time we all know is even more valuable than money.

To learn more about wedding planning assistance visit us at www.leaveittousplanning.com. I also encourage you to check out Nina Callaway's 5 Reasons to Still Get Married in a Struggling Economy at http://weddings.about.com/od/bridesandgrooms/a/ReasonstoMarry.htm

Happy Planning!

Kelly Houseworth