Real Wedding 2010 | Eileen & David

Eileen came prepared with beautiful design ideas and David dreamed up the out-of-this-world dinner menu before stepping foot in my office last Fall. And on May 22nd, the entire day went as planned - casual, intimate and with all the gorgeous details in place.

Guests sipped champagne upon arrival and gathered on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan to witness Eileen & David's wedding vows. This couple is a fun team, and helping them find the perfect Lake Michigan venue & vendors for their May 22nd wedding was just what we did.

Amy, Mary & Megan were on-site to ensure things went smoothly, so this is the first peek I am getting at all the gorgeous details, designed by the bride, and carried out by Natalie at Stems Event Design. I absolutely love the Tiffany blue linens and the lush floral arrangements with peonies, garden roses and ivy. The little bird nests, with the chocolate eggs inside, add just the right look for the garden-inspired affair overlooking West Michigan's most beautiful body of water, Lake Michigan.

The Details...
The Couple | Eileen & David, 5.22.10
Pearls Events Coordinators | Amy, Mary & Megan
Photographer | Lotus Photographic
Ceremony & Reception Venue | Ventura Pines Cottage
Event Designer - Flowers & Linens | Stems Event Design
Cake | Eileen, the bride
Caterer & Bar Services | Martha's Vineyards
Rentals - Tent, Chairs, Tables | A-1 Rent All

Vintage Getaway Cars at Weddings

With the recent trend for vintage-inspired weddings, what better way to leave your ceremony than in a vintage getaway car?! All of these cars have made an appearance on this blog in some way or another, but today I wanted to show you what a fun addition this can be to your big day.

My favorite is the VW Beetle from Betsy & Jeff's wedding, and yes, that is me on my wedding in the green Excalibur (with the terribly last minute Just Married sign...)! I love the color & fun photos old cars can add to a detail-filled wedding!

[sources 1, 2, 3 & 4, 5]

Yellow & Ivory Wedding Inspiration

There has been a recent trend to style a photo shoot with the intention of getting published on popular wedding blogs. I haven't jumped on the bandwagon for the fact that photo shoots are expensive, time consuming, and a ton of work! Kate and I styled a photo shoot last fall for our portfolio, however, it was never published anywhere except here.

Yesterday I was approached about a project which is going to require some new images. Last night, I sat down and wrote some words down which I wanted to capture in this shoot. And this morning, while looking for floral inspiration, I came across the drop-dead-gorgeous wedding of Helen & Mike on California florist's on the JL Designs blog.

This real wedding is similar in style to what I was dreaming up, however, if you know me, you know I love bold color. There will be a lot of pink & yellow showing up in our shoot! I've had an obsession with blush pink & buttery yellow for a couple of months now, so the pink lemonade shoot is going to happen!

Details from Helen & Mike's Wedding
Coordination & Design - Beth Helmstetter

Photography- Mary Jane
Flowers - JL Designs

Calligraphy & Stationery - Laura Hooper
Linens - La Tavola

Wedding Cakes - A Thing of the Past?

With the popularity of Amy Atlas-style sweet tables, wedding cakes may be taking a backseat to sweets for the first time, well, ever. Honestly, I cannot see wedding cake becoming a thing of the past. However, with couples personalizing their weddings more than ever, I am seeing couples skip a traditional wedding cake in lieu of something they love more - whether that is ice cream, pie, cookies, candy or something more unique.

These three modern, wedding cakes have all been featured on this blog over the past three years for one reason or another, and I still love the look of each one. If I were to get married in 2010, I'd order the same exact cake I did in 2007 - I loved our simple cake, and I've come to realize I'm more traditional than modern by a long shot!

What about you...are you having a traditional cake? Sweet table? Serving Grandma's homemade apple pies? I'd love to know what 2010-2011-2012 brides are planning on serving their guests!

Love It! | Lemonade Stands at Weddings

West Michigan is experiencing the first heat wave of 2010 and cool beverages have been on my mind since Sunday afternoon. If you will be getting married outside, I love the idea of serving your guests a tasty beverage upon arrival. Providing lemonade, cucumber water, or another refreshing concoction is a great way to start the day's celebrations.

[sources 1, 2, 3]

Pearls Events Favorite | Clear Tents

In June 2008, I blogged about clear tents. Since then, I've had a lot of people find this blog because they found the top, left image in a Google search. I wanted to blog about clear tents once again, because with many lakeside weddings planned each summer, I know Michigan brides are looking for options to achieve this unique look.

Imagine dancing under the stars, hearing the waves roll onto the shores of Lake Michigan... it makes me excited for our first outdoor weddings of 2010, happening tomorrow at Ventura Pines Cottage. If you are looking for a clear tent in Michigan, we can help you find the perfect one for your event!

(sources, clockwise from top left 1, 2, 3, 4)

Tipping Your Wedding Vendors

It's wedding season and this week has been a whirlwind of last minute tasks, confirmations & phone calls for our clients as we prepare for three Pearls Events' weddings. In the past few weeks, I've had a few different people ask me about tipping their wedding vendors. I had the discussion with fellow planner Lindsey Narkter on our way to Washington, D.C. this spring, and she had a great response, which I want to share today.

Lindsey advises tipping anyone who provides a service, just like you would tip your hair stylist or waitress. I agree with her, but want to stress many wedding vendors are self employed and do not expect a tip at the end of the evening. The best compliment I can ever receive is a personal recommendation from the client to a potential client, although, I've never said no to cash...

Back in April 2008, I shared a couple of great posts written by Liene Stevens for Elizabeth Anne Designs, and today I'd like to share them once again for anyone wondering who to tip on their wedding day.

• The Etiquette of Tipping

• Tipping Your Vendors, Part One

• Tipping Your Vendors, Part Two

Love Bird Wedding

Yesterday, while searching for birds and wedding inspiration, I came across this adorable wedding planned by Heather of Amorology Weddings and photographed by Sara France on the old Joyful Weddings & Events Blog from 2008. I love all the bird details, especially the nest, and am in LOVE with the flowers, vintage-inspired dress, and cake.

With birds being a huge trend, I love that this 2008 wedding seems to be ahead of the curve! Check out Joyful Weddings & Events NEW blog, which is chock full of great wedding inspiration for all of you brides-to-be out there.

[images copyright Sara France via Joyful Weddings & Events]

Giveaway | Winner

Last week Monday, I finally got my act together to take a photo of all the GRunveiled goodies that have been sitting in my office since March. Today, although a little later than promised, I finally picked a random winner.

Congrats to KATY of TRIPPING DOWN THE AISLE for winning the goodies. Katy, please send me an email (aletha @ pearlsevents . com) with WINNER in the subject line. I need your mailing address to send you the goods!

Thank you to all of you who participated with this little giveaway - reading about what you each love about SPRING made my week! Every single comment made me smile.

Real Wedding 2010 | Cambodian Wedding in Florida

In March I had the opportunity to assist the Masterpiece Weddings team in Florida. Melissa and I have known each other for, what seems like years, and finally met in person at Eventology 2009. When she asked if I'd be up to assisting her as she coordinated the wedding of Lisa and Edgar in Ocala, I could not wait until my mid-winter Florida trip rolled around.

Words cannot describe the Cambodian wedding ceremony at the couple's Ocala home, however, I will tell you there was tons of family, various outfit changes, singing, drum playing and loads of food & fun going on the entire day. Melissa and I were there to make sure the bride got out the door in time for her American ceremony at the Golden Ocala and, since we were there, we watched the day unfold with all of their family.

It was amazing.

This is just a TINY overview of their day. To see more of this gorgeous wedding, check out Lindsey's blog (Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV) for a ton more photos. The outfits were out of this world, and the accessories were unbelievable! I loved reading all about the different ceremonies on the program the bride put together, and it was awesome to be a part of such a grand day!

A HUGE thank you to the entire Masterpiece Weddings team for letting me learn from you!

The Details...
The Couple | Lisa & Edgar, 3.20.10
Photography | Pure: Photography by Lindsey Tropf
Wedding Planner | Masterpiece Weddings
Venue | Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club
Videographer | CollabCreation Films
Flowers | Unforgettable Events

Pearls Events Favorite | Vintage Stamps

In March of 2008, I blogged about using vintage stamps on your wedding invitations. I really love this idea! I realize it would take a ton of time to accumulate old stamps, but I hear eBay has great sellers who specialize in just this thing.

If you are considering this fun project for your wedding invitations, or even save-the-dates, check out this FAQ page on US postage stamps.

[red envelope via Mrs Tulip; blue image via Martha Stewart)

Carnival Inspiration

Growing up in West Michigan meant waiting for the carnival to stop by each little town throughout summer. I hail from Marne, home of the oldest fair in the United States - yes, that's our only claim to fame. Besides the carnival, we also enjoyed tractor pulls, farm animals, delicious fried food, and the beer tent (when I was out of college, obviously). I still drag Greg along to the Berlin Fair each summer to get an elephant ear, and peek at the baby animals. Greg knows I am in a land of nostalgia, so he doesn't put up a big fight.

Lately, I've been seeing engagement sessions at carnivals and I LOVE all of the color, plus the fun, carefree photos. Yesterday I spotted some adorable carnival wedding invitations from Heidi at Zenadia Designs I wanted to share, so I'm posting everything I've been seeing lately as my tribute to West Michigan carnivals!

Mindy Leigh captured one of the earliest West Michigan carnivals in Holland, Michigan during Tulip Time last week.

Engagement photos recently captured by Lisa Kae Photography

Adorable carnival inspired wedding invitations

Modern Gray & Yellow Wedding Inspiration

This wedding and all of the fun details caught my eye this morning on my search for succulents. I realize if you're a blog reader, you most likely have seen this around the blogosphere already, however if you're newly engaged, this gray and yellow wedding is sure to knock your socks off.

With the sleek combination of pale gray, saturated yellow and tons of texture, this modern wedding is one of my current favorites.

[all photos copyright Erin Hearts Court via anthimeria]