James and Jennifer were recently married at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, Michigan. I love all the DIY details Jennifer bride created - and the use of color is amazing! I'm also in love with her short frock, hot pink shoes and sassy veil. I love a bride who uses her own ideas and Jennifer didn't miss a detail!
To see even more images from this gorgeous day, check out Dan's post here.
[all photos copyright Dan Stewart Photography]
A year and a half ago, I sat down with Jessica & Dana from Vita Dolce Chocolates over a glass of sangria at The B.O.B. one Sunday. Chatting with these ladies about their premium chocolate treats was about the best way I could think to spend that afternoon.
A few months later, they asked if I'd be willing to help style their chocolates for a shoot with Daniel J. Pesta. Um, let me think - of COURSE I WOULD!!!! I ended up stopping by my grandmother's house right after the shoot and sharing a bit of the goodies with her, and I will tell you she has NOT stopped talking about them.
Today, I'm anxiously awaiting 70 favors to show up on my doorstop for a Ladies Luncheon my grandmother is hosting on Tuesday. I am not going to lie when I think they might be the very best favors you could ever spoil your guests with and I'm very excited to set each one at their place setting.
If you're looking for a unique and amazing! favor, get in touch with Jessica or Dana at Vita Dolce Chocolates for some amazing, custom wedding favors.
We did a Q&A in March of 2009 if you're interested in learning more about them & Vita Dolce Chocolates.
[photos by Amy Wenzel & Daniel J. Pesta]
You may remember Liz & Chris from their adorable engagement session I shared a while back. On Saturday, August 28th, they tied the knot here in West Michigan. I had the honor of working with them as a consultant, helping them find the perfect, private beach location to hold their wedding ceremony, and also worked out a few other details while Liz & Chris planned their big day.
They hired an amazing team of vendors, including Stems Event Design who created all of the lovely flowers, plus supplied the linens, and of course, Ben & Laura of Harrison Studio who captured their special day forever. And personally, I am absolutely in LOVE with Liz's blush pink Vera Wang gown.
They were graced with gorgeous weather for their outdoor ceremony in Holland, and then everyone headed into Grand Rapids for a reception at EVE at The B.O.B.
Best wishes to our very fun couple, Liz & Chris!
The details...
The Couple | Liz & Chris, 8.28.10
Pearls Events Consultant | Aletha
Photographer | Harrison Studio
Ceremony | Ventura Pines Cottage
Reception | EVE at The B.O.B.
Catering | Gilmore Collection
Flowers & Linens | Stems Event Design
Cake | Cascade Confection
Bridal Gown | Vera Wang
Dionne at The Shooting Gallery loved the idea of doing a concept shoot with a lot of jewel tones. While looking for inspiration, Dionne, along with Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, found small artist's paint tubes with the color printed on them. The idea of doing each table based on a paint color formed the shoot.
Since each table would be a different color, Misty of Bells and Bliss designed the tables to be all-black. Each table was set with the appropriate paint color with small plates and each had a different menu. Hollye Mackler Designs designed a centerpiece to coordinate with each table.
Flat 151 in downtown Detroit was the perfect location for this shoot. The space is reminiscent of a flat in New York City and the blank canvas walls allowed the shoot to take on that modern art museum look.
Tifany of Gourmet Invitations wanted the invitation to be modern and unique and the acrylic palettes were a perfect shape. The design, with a large date monogram and modern fonts engraved into the acrylic with a laser, was perfect to pull the whole look together.
The placecards, also designed by Tifany, were tiny hand painted artist canvases. Another fun detail was the guest book, which were thumbprint drawings of each guest! Paint brush pens and multi-colored stamp pads with a custom guest book made for a fun guest book alternative.
The bride and groom were no traditional caouple! The bride wore a beautiful red dress and the groom donned a sexy black tuxedo. The gorgeous bouquet with sleek, red orchids complimented the bride's attire perfectly. And I LOVE the red feathers for eyelash accents - how fun is that?!
The Details...
Event Designer | Bells and Bliss
Photographer | The Shooting Gallery
Invitations & Stationery | Gourmet Invitations
Florist | Hollye Mackler Designs
Rentals - furniture, linens, china & chandelier | Special Events Rental
Venue | Flat 151
Hair | Vanity Hair Salon
Makeup | Elizabeth’s Head to Toe
Bride's Gown | Vintage
Groom's Tuxedo | Wesner’s Tuxedo
If you're an avid reader of wedding magazines, blogs and websites, you've most likely seen some amazing outdoor weddings featured across the country. However I can imagine, as a bride, it's sad to find out that a majority of the awesome, outdoor locations are privately owned and do not rent out their space.
Let me introduce you to Sunrise Landing Motel & Resort.
Located 22 miles North of Traverse City and 3 miles South of Northport, Michigan on M-22, Sunrise Landing is situated on West Grand Traverse Bay and has 150 feet of beautiful beach. It's an ideal location for the couple looking for that magical place to hold her lakeside, tented reception in Michigan's warmer months.
Rachel & Dan recently had their summer wedding at Sunrise Landing. From the gorgeous ceremony site overlooking the bay, to the adorable decor the bride designed all herself, what a fun day their guests will remember for years to come - even WITH all the rain!
Thanks to Dan Stewart Photography for sending these images over of Rachel & Dan's big day. To see even more images of the gorgeous property, visit Dan's post here.
Today I'm sharing a post that I wrote two years ago documenting my own experience in finding just the right wedding dress, using just the right lace. It was a tough search, and when the search came up null, I started getting the idea to have it custom made.
While searching for bridal fabrics, I found the perfect alençon lace at Baltazor Fabrics. I came across this company when I was searching for my own wedding lace in 2006. Our local fabric shops had run-of-the-mill lace available, but I was looking for high quality, which I couldn't find locally. I ended up choosing Michelle's Rose in ivory and it was perfect for my lace jacket that I wore over my taffeta gown.
There are numerous seamstresses in Grand Rapids and a few that I highly recommend. If you're looking for a custom gown, get in touch with me - don't give up on your dream dress!
[photos copyright Jen Kroll Photography]
When Cheryl and I spoke a year ago, I knew their wedding day was going to be full of details, a lovely ceremony & photo booth craziness all night long. Cheryl & James own and run ShutterBooth Chicago and knew exactly how they wanted their wedding day to flow. I couldn't wait to see everything unfold at Gull Lake Country Club on August 21st!
We arrived to set up in the morning and were greeted by PERFECT weather for an outdoor ceremony & cocktail hour on the patio. We were also greeted by a U-Haul full of wedding decor! No, no, I am not kidding! Christina & Stephanie spent hours setting up the ceremony & reception sites while I was downtown at the Kalamazoo Radisson assisting with the couple's First Look and personal flowers distribution.
After the wedding party loaded their party bus, I was off to make sure everything looked just as Cheryl and James' had imagined, and I was thrilled that our team, plus the staff at Gull Lake Country Club, had set up almost everything by the time I returned. And it was simply lovely!
The outdoor ceremony was gorgeous, followed by a cocktail hour while the couple had their photos taken by Amy Carroll. Dinner was served plate-style in the dining room, and all of the tables were just gorgeous - I loved the navy blue and pink combination used throughout. After dinner, Nate from Style Matters DJ kept the dance floor packed, and of course the ShutterBooth had a line the entire night. It was a night their guests will soon not forget!
Congratulations to Cheryl & James! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your wedding weekend.
The details...
The Couple | Cheryl & James, 8.21.10
Pearls Events Coordinators | Aletha, Stephanie & Christina
Photographer | Amy Carroll Photography
Videographer | Ben Mahoney Productions
Ceremony & Reception Venue | Gull Lake Country Club
Invitations | Erickson Design
Personal Flowers | Stems Event Design
Reception Flowers | Green Garden Productions
Linens | BBJ Linen
Disc Jockey | Style Matters DJ - Nate
Cake | Cascade Confections
Bridal Gown | Vera Wang
Hair & Makeup | Pure Salon - Angela
Favors | Garrett Popcorn
Guest Experiences | ShutterBooth Chicago
Transportation | Dadd's Limo
