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stella weddings::kate+mitch in st. joseph 6.27.09

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What can I say, this was a fun wedding! Kate+Mitch booked our day of & design services almost 18 months ago, so I’ve had a lot of time to get to know this awesome couple and their family, which makes a wedding all the more special to be a part of. Kate chose an elegant color palette of sage & brown and incorporated small details throughout every aspect of the ceremony and reception. The ceremony was held at Shadowland Pavilion on Silver Beach and the decorations there were simple and clean with white chairs, an arch made by the groom, and a small aisle formed by tin buckets of hydrangeas. Guests were provided with cold water for the hot day, and their programs were fans which is always appreciated by guests at an outdoor ceremony!

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Kate and her mom ordered bulk flowers of hydrangeas, hypericum berries and lemon leaves and we created simple centerpieces for all of the tables which were accented by small damask overlays in brown and sage. I love doing floral arrangements when we get the chance, and we’ve gotten to do several weddings this summer so far! The bouquets for the gals were created by Beikmann Associates and they were absolutely beautiful! Kate & Mitch offered Mojitos as their signature drink and used the lime theme in several other places including 2 large glass vases of limes at the bar, and limes used to display their escort cards! The beautiful wedding cake was created by Dee’s Specialty Cakes, and it was delicious as always! Dee’s also created the sailing inspired groom’s cake (I especially liked the sign Kate made to go next to it that said, “Mitch, will you be my first mate?” Too cute). Each table was named after a landmark location in Chicago that was special to the couple, and table numbers had a picture of each location. They also incorporated their love for the windy city (where they both live) by capping off the night to “Sweet Home Chicago.”

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Throughout the day, beautiful moments were captured by Jen of JK Photography and her 2nd shooter, Dustin Francis. To see all of the amazing pictures from the day, check out Jen’s blog! She’s always got fabulous eye candy to check out, so if you haven’t tied the knot yet, it’s a great place for inspiration!

The  dance floor was packed all night and everyone kept dancing thanks to the band, Drop35. They did a wonderful job of keeping guests on the dance floor, and the whole place was packed right until midnight! At the end of the night we passed out sparklers so that guests could light their way out! Kate & Mitch, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your day, and for being so much fun to work with—have a great time on your honeymoon in Florida!

THE TEAM

Day-of Coordination & Design Services:: Stella Event Design

Ceremony:: Shadowland Pavilion

Reception:: Heritage Center

Florist:: Beikmann Associates

Wedding Cake & Grooms Cake:: Dee’s Specialty Cakes

Entertainment:: Drop35

Photography:: JK Photography

Bar Service:: With A Twist (Sue Luther)

Chair Covers:: Stella Event Design

Catering:: Brann’s

stella weddings::mitch+kate at the heritage center & shadowland pavilion

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Here’s just a quick sneak peek at the fabulous wedding of Mitch+Kate on Saturday! This couple is just too sweet (and fun) and I have way too much to say about this wedding, so that needs to be a whole post of its own! Look for a photo preview soon from Jen at JK Photography and stay tuned tomorrow for all of the details on their sage and brown wedding with so many amazing details and personal touches—loved it!

Check out the full post on their wedding details & pics here!

*photos by JK Photography

stella weddings::yana+brannon video trailer

I love all things pretty. And fast. I am one of the least patient people ever born (or so my husband says) so I am always beyond thrilled when I get a sneak peek of one of our weddings earlier than I expected! Check out the trailer of Yana+Brannon’s wedding (just last week at the Heritage Center and Shadowland Pavilion) created by Aaron of Captured Productions! I LOVE IT! The video speaks for itself, but I can’t say enough how wonderful Aaron and his crew are to work with, both before and during the wedding, and what an amazing way to have your wedding day preserved!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a re-cap of Kate+Mitch’s wedding on Saturday!! We had a blast with this one, and I can’t wait to share all about it!

curtain call::captured in high def

Curtain Call (part 1) from All Star Productions on Vimeo.

In May, we did the first Curtain Call photo shoot! Three great photographers: Leda, Justin & Ben hit the streets, beaches and alleys of Southwest Michigan with a newlywed couple (literally, one week married!) to capture some amazing shots you just couldn’t do on your wedding day. Kim Owen & her son Jordan of All Star Productions came along to capture the fun, and the video they created is amazing & completely sums up this fun experience!

We have a Curtain Call Marathon coming up on August 30th, so if this is something you’re interested in, contact me at jessica@stellaeventdesign.com. The cost is $200 and includes a professional hair stylist, photos in 2 amazing locations and all of your digital negatives (ie. you get a cd of your pictures and print what you want, when you want!)

Kim has another video still in the works to capture the rest of our day, so stay tuned!

June 29, 2009 - 12:25 pm Tess - what is that song?!! love it!

stella weddings::a sneak peek of stefanie+jim from carlos ortiz

Check out a slideshow of Stefanie+Jim’s June 13th wedding, courtesy of their wonderful photographer Carlos Ortiz. Carlos was wonderful to work with, and really captured the spirit of this couple—he’s located in Chicago, but obviously travels, so if you’re currently searching for a photographer for your 2010 wedding in Michigan (or Chicago), check him out!

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It rained all morning, until about an hour before the ceremony, but Stefanie and her bridesmaids didn’t let it keep them down, or from capturing some really cute pictures! Who says you have to have clear skies to have a beautiful and fun wedding day—-just roll with it and it will be amazing, I promise!

stella weddings::a sneak peek of yana+brannon at the heritage center

Sunday we got to work with a great group of vendors to pull together Yana & Brannon’s wedding in St. Joseph! This is one of 5 full service weddings this summer and we’ve been working with them since October to put together a chic & swanky event for them! While we wait for the pro pics from the awesome Cindy Corstange of The Open Shutter, here is a sneak peek of the reception (tables are pre-centerpieces!) None of my ceremony pics did the beautiful venue justice, so I’ll wait for pro pics to show that one off & we’ll share all of the details of the day!

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(all photos by Intern Brittany, Stella Event Design)

THE TEAM

Full Service Event Planning::Stella Event Design

Ceremony::Shadowland Pavilion, St. Joseph

Reception::The Heritage, St. Joseph

Photography::The Open Shutter (Cindy Corstange)

Videography::Captured Productions

Catering::Bistro at the Boulevard, St. Joseph

Bar Service::With A Twist (Sue Luther)

Ceremony draping, Custom lighting & Linens::MichaelAngelo’s

Band::Me & The Boys

Stationery::La Stellina Studio (Tara Berghuis), Grand Rapids

Flowers::Bloomie’s

June 25, 2009 - 11:29 pm Aaron-CP Wedding Films - Wow!..what a beautiful day it was. Thank you for not only creating a beautiful backdrop for their wedding movie, but keeping the day flowing beautifully. I can't wait to share their trailer on our blog this weekend. I can't wait to work with you again.

yana+brannon::engagement pics with cindy corstange

yanabrannepicEngagement pics of our awesome Sunday couple (yes, they’re tying the knot in THREE DAYS!) are up on The Open Shutter website. Their photographer Cindy Corstange is fabulous and I can’t wait to see the photos she captures of their amazing wedding—-it’s going to be unlike anything we’ve done to date! Love her pink shoes—a taste of what’s to come on their wedding day!

vendor q+a::melissa gregersen photography

Yesterday we shared a look at the beautiful photography of Melissa Gregersen, and today we’d like to share a little about the photographer!

Q: How did you get into photography?
A: When I got my wedding photos and didn’t like them. That was 7 years ago on June 15th. I was so sad, they were “technically” ok, but no emotion, no feelings, no FUN! I was so bummed. I remember thinking…I can’t believe this guy calls this wedding photography. I chose him purely for the price and boy did I get what I paid for.   I NEVER want one of my brides to feel that way when I photograph their weddings…never ever!

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: For my weddings, I strive for candid, yet when I have “my” time with the couple, I look for gorgeous light, elegance, and mix in lots of  fun. =

Q: What is your favorite moment of a wedding or your favorite moment to capture?
A: I LOVE photographing the bride and groom if they choose to see each other before the wedding. Those expressions can sometimes bring tears to my eyes..so full of emotions! Love that!!

Q: Any personal tips or tricks for brides?
A: Pick your wedding photographer for their photos, style, and quality…but also pick them for their personality. You will be with your photographer from start to finish of your wedding day, so make sure you like them. =)

Q: What is your favorite wedding “trend” of the moment?
A: I love the colors that I see at weddings now. I love how brides are breaking out of the “normal” traditions and truly making their weddings unique to themselves.

Q: What do you do when you’re not shooting weddings?
A: I have worked 10 years doing physical therapy, it’s a very rewarding job to know you are truly helping people recover and heal. I am married to a wonderful man, Jaymem and we have an adorable 3 year old daughter, Norah. I work very hard to perfect my photography skills. I am never satisfied with where I am at…I am always learning! I just love my job as a photographer. It is ME!

Q: Where can brides find your (beautiful) new studio?
A: Downtown Kalamazoo at the Rose Street Market building. 303 Rose Street!

vendor meet-up::melissa gregersen photography

A few weeks ago I came across Melissa Gregersen on Facebook. I was completely enthralled with her new studio space which she decked out in all of my favorite colors,  so I checked out her website and loved that, too! A few weeks later I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa at the Kalamazoo MWEP meeting, and today I get to introduce her to all of you lovely readers! Check out some of her beautiful work below, and stay tuned tomorrow morning for a Q+A with Melissa!

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stella weddings::stefanie+jim at weko beach & santaniello’s

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(The ceremony at Weko Beach—the water is so calm it almost looks like sky!)

Saturday we had the pleasure of helping Stefanie & Jim tie the knot on beautiful Weko Beach in Bridgman. The day started off with rain, and while it poured down, Brittany and I set up at the reception hall. Stefanie created many of the details and decor herself, and is a crafty Do-it-yourselfer—she did a wonderful job of making her wedding unique and fun, which is a reflection of her, because she is one fun girl!

At 1:00 when we headed to the beach to setup for the ceremony, the rain was still coming down, so we confirmed our contingency plans to setup at the community center at the beach if necessary. At 2:30 the clouds rain broke and we hurried to set everything up on the beach before the 3:30 arrival of guests! Chairs were provided by Taylor Rental, ceremony arrangements and personal flowers were created by Beikmann Associates Floral, and music was all hand selected by the bride & played via a battery-operated sounds system we secured through Taylor Rental (perfect for beach weddings, the sound is great!)

When Stefanie and the girls arrived on the shuttle they were so excited to see we could actually do it on the beach—Stefanie really had her heart set on a beach ceremony, so we were thrilled we could make it happen! The rain held out for a beautiful and personal ceremony, and the processional song that played as they left was Ever, Ever After by Carried Udnerwood (from the Enchanted soundtrack) which I just loved!

At Santaniello’s Stefanie & Jim and their guests enjoyed an Italian family-style dinner that was delicious! The bride and her dad danced to Forever Young (and did a little freestyle dancing at the end which was great), the bride and groom danced to Jason Mraz, “I’m yours,” and the bridal party got everyone out on the floor with their rendition of “Apache, jump on it,” which was so fun! Pizza was brought out as a late night snack gor guests and Tim Sewcyck with Music Unlimited kept the dancing going all night long, and at midnight everyone was sad to go!

Thank you so much Stefanie and Jim (and Stef’s mom Kathy) for working with us over the last 8 months and being so much fun! Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day! We were so busy contending with the weather and back-up plans that we didn’t get a  lot of good pictures, but we’ll post more when the professional pics are available from their photographer, Carlos Ortiz!

THE TEAM

Stella Event Design::Basic Planning Services

Ceremony::Weko Beach, Bridgman

Reception::Santaniello’s Restaurant, Stevensville

Photography::Carlos Ortiz, Chicago

Florist::Beikmann Associates Floral, Niles

DJ::Music Unlimited, Riverside

Cake::Dee’s Specialty Cakes

Transportation::Royal Excursion, South Bend