Stella Event Design::Michigan Wedding & Event Planner »

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Even later that day, I got an email from bride Kelly, confirming a centerpiece proposal I had sent—-so we are all set on that, and I will get to hit the floor running this week to get decor ordered! I love it when weekends are uber-productive! Plus, it was fun to get to see & talk to so many of my clients this weekend—I am so lucky to get to work with such a sweet and fun group of brides in 08/09, and I count myself truly lucky to have such a great group of clients!

(photo courtesy Ben Pancoast Photography)

A lot of people {whom I blog stalk} are celebrating one year anniversaries–congrats Aletha & Emilie! So all of the recent blog-talk of anniversaries this weekend made me think about 1 year anniversary traditions. Mainly, why am I going to be eating year old cake in a few months? So, I did a little investigating, and here is the explanation I found…

It used to be common occasion that by the time a couple’s first anniversary rolled around, they were also welcoming their first child. So, instead of shelling out the extra cash for a bright and shiny new cake for the baby’s christening, they served the leftover wedding cake. The wedding cake was made larger than needed, and the extra was served at the christening party! I don’t know about you, but I feel like the baby got the short end of the stick on this one!

To be completely honest, I have no intention of eating old cake, but we will be having our top tier re-created to enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but when I saw these adorable cake toppers by Lily Tsai at Elegan Handcraft, I couldn’t believe I didn’t have one for myself! Each topper is made by hand, and you can’t believe the detail on them–it’s absolutely incredible–each individually crafted flower, jewel, and you can even see the stitching!

Better yet, you can have a custom topper crafted to look like you and your fiance! I love this idea! Check out some of the custom pieces…

I actually came to the site to check out some of the amazing jewelry, but the cake toppers are what kept me there to check it all out! Visit the site—there are so many more fantastic toppers to check out, and the jewelry and handbags are just icing on the cake topper!

(all photos via Elegana HandCraft!)

(Top left, Top Right, Left Center, Right Center, Bottom Left, Bottom Right)

I love beach weddings—they’re some of my favorites to plan, and they are always so special and unique–not to mention BEAUTIFUL! For all of my beach wedding gals, here is a little inspiration for you as you prepare for your time to shine!

I have been an absolute Etsy fiend this week! I’m absolutely loving these beautiful clay flowers created by Etsy artist PetalByPetal. They look so real! These would be beautiful to incorporate into your cake design, or to use for decor—no wilting! Check out the PetalByPetal store for more beautiful creations. You can also request custom pieces to match your wedding motif!

*all images via PetalByPetal

(Citybird via With This Ring)

The always wonderful blog With This Ring never fails to delight me with fun finds! Check out today’s post on fun chicago-inspired finds to incorporate into your guest bags, favors, or as gifts! I have lots of Chicago brides who plan destination weddings with me in Southwest Michigan, and I think these would all be wonderful ways to incorporate a little bit of Chicago love into your beach side nuptials!

BUT, the city-inspired fun isn’t just for the Chicago gals! Etsy seller Citybird is located in Detroit, Michigan and offers a TON of fun Detroit-inspired items like this vintage detroit map journal! Please excuse me while I shop!

(via Citybird)

I am in love head over heels in love with this cake! Taken by the always wonderful Jen of JK Photography, I saw this cake pic earlier this week, and haven’t been able to take my eyes off of it! It has such a subtle vintage beauty, and is dramatic, while so simple. Love it!

(all images via Green Carat)

I am absolutely in love with Green Carat (also known as Green Karat)! The site offers rings and other jewelry pieces made from recycled gold, titanium, and gem stones. They have a ton of information on how mining and other jewelry practices impact the environment (and people involved with it) and how you can help.  Also, I love that each of their pieces is so unique, and each offers a short snippet of information about its meaning. They have an especially fabulous selection of men’s rings, if you’re looking for something a little different for your wedding bands!

Also, check out the Green Carat Registry. No, you’re not registering for jewelry…well, not exactly! You can setup a registry that will let your friends and family donate their old gold jewelry (think dad’s old high school ring and mom’s gold necklace) which will be used to make YOUR custom wedding jewelry! Also, the donations are used to offset the cost of your pieces. Such a great idea, and a fabulous way to keep a part of your friends and family with you! If you’re not in the market for a new ring, pass this along–I love finding companies that have a sense of responsibility, and produce unique products!

Personally, I’d have to get the Binary ring (on the right, 3rd down) which actually spells out your own message in binary (computer language)—for my computer loving, website programming hubby!

Earlier this week I posted about the fabulous custom runners available at {Fairytale Runners} Now, for those of you DIY gals out there who can’t (or just don’t want to) spend $200+ on a custom runner, here is the step by step for making your own! People assume this is difficult, but it’s SO easy!

Supplies:

• Aisle runner (size and width depend on your preference) but for these directions it should be a sheer material. Available for $29.99-$49.99 at stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, JoAnne Fabric
• A poster printer or access to Kinkos, Staples, or a local printer (we used a family member who blew it up at work for us!)
• Paint (pick a color, any color! to coordinate with your wedding palette)
• Brushes (a variety of sizes depending on your design)
• Fabric Tape or Paper weights
• Time (2+ hours depending on the complexity of your design)

First, Decide what you want to put on your aisle runner. For ours, we did a very simple monogram, which we had also used on our invites. Also, head down to your local craft store, and pick out the perfect paint color. The color tends to look much different on your fabric, so I suggest buying a variety of colors in your hue to try on a scrap of fabric (and at $1-$4 a bottle, it’s sure to be a worth while purchase!)

Using a poster printer (or heading down to your local kinkos or staples), blow your image up to fit on the aisle runner, with at least 6 inches of white space on each side. The size will vary, depending on the width of aisle runner you purchase.

Be sure to measure the aisle at your church or ceremony location, to determine where the design should be placed on your aisle runner.

Next, it’s time to start tracing….lay your aisle runner on top of your print out, and secure it with fabric tape, or paper weights. I suggest you use a large hard surface such as a large table or your floor, but I used the coffee table in my living room, so it’s personal choice! Use a fabric pen (or permanent gel pen) in a color that will blend in with your paint (ie. don’t trace with blue if you’re painting in yellow!)

(above) This is the worst picture in the world, but if you squint, this is what your aisle runner should look like after tracing–Now, it’s time for painting…the fun stuff!

Depending on your design, you’ll need to buy a variety of brushes to meet your needs. I had to use some very tiny brushes to fill in the delicate tails on my “J.” Squirt some paint on a plate (the palette of champions) and get going!

Keep painting (I painted for about 2 hours for this simple design)….. If you’re using multiple colors, make sure to paint in layers, painting each color, and letting it dry before moving on to the next colored section. Your finished product should look like this….

Ta Da! For the cost of a runner, plus $10-$20, and a few hours of your time, you can add a custom touch to your aisle! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, or email me at jessica {at} Stellaeventdesign {dot} com! Happy Painting!

As a wedding coordinator, I’m often asked by family and friends, “What if something happens at the wedding? or “What if something goes wrong? Aren’t you worried the bride and groom will blame you? Or be angry?” My simple reply: “Something will happen at the wedding, and they will be happy I’m there to handle it!”

Couples who enlist the services of a planner {either for full planning or day-of} often do so because they are realistically aware of the fact that there are many things that they will be unable to control on their wedding day: the weather, unexpected illnesses, lost guests, forgotten items, incorrect linens, vendor mishaps, etc. As a wedding coordinator we also cannot prevent all of those situations, but we are able to trouble shoot them, so that even though there may be an “issue,” the birde and groom can still go on enjoying their day. The trick is not to expect that there will be no problems, but to relax in the knowledge that you have put a team in place to ensure that any situations will be handled, and that you can go on to enjoy the day!

I, on many occasions, have helped brides and grooms to trouble shoot their wedding “issues.” I have often been the runner-of-errands, making runs from the reception to fetch forgotten cake servers, a missing guest book, or a more comfortable pair of shoes. I’m a giver-of-directions, opener of locked buildings {when the venue doesn’t do it themselves} and a finder-of-the-bestman’s-tie. When the bakery delivers a sheet cake far too small to feed the group, I’m off to the bakery to pick something up!

Here are some more real-wedding examples from other coordinators {who were nice enough to share their stories!}:

April{Blu.Sky.Designs} Check out her blog for a real-wedding example of how mother nature sometimes has her own plans!

Emilie{Chere Amie} Read about how one MOB was MIA for the wedding due to an unexpected illness!

Melissa{Masterpiece Weddings} Melissa shares her stories of a Florist Faux Pas and a ‘Maids Jewelry Fix

Emilie also shared this great story with me:

“Once, the bride and groom forgot to mention to me that they had decided to get a shuttle for six of their spanish-only speaking guests. The shuttle got lost, and these out of town guests missed the wedding (by about 45 minutes). The bride was quite upset, but this gave us the opporunity to take 15 minutes out of cocktails to have a short, private ceremony for the missing guests … in spanish! The bride and groom were TOTAL troopers, and the day was a success because they went with the flow!”

I love that story! What a special moment they had, because someone was there to offer a solution to a not-so-great situation! If you’re tying the knot soon, one of the most important things you can do to ensure a great day, is to have realistic expectations. Picture perfect would be ideal {who wouldn’t love that!?} But it’s not realistic. Remember what the day is all about—remember the person, the love, and the commitment you’ve joined with friends and family to celebrate. And, whether it’s a professional coordinator, a family member, trusted friend, or mistress of ceremonies—make sure you have someone in place to take care of any issues, so you can sit back and enjoy your day–you’ll be glad you did {and you probably won’t hear about any of those little wedding “issues” until after it’s all said and done} which is exactly how it should be!

Do you have any wedding “issues” you experienced {or helped to trouble shoot?}