Stella Event Design :: Michigan Wedding & Event Planner »

Back in March, we were contacted by BRIDES magazine to share our ideas on planning an intimate and unique wedding reception hosted at an art gallery, on a budget of $10,000. It was a lot of fun to brainstorm and design, as we’d never planned a wedding in an art gallery! Then, of all things, a few months after we turned in our ideas to the magazine (and just before the story actually came out) we were approached by a fun & funky couple, who wanted to plan an intimate wedding reception at our local Krasl Art Gallery! Enter Caitlin+Nate and their fun and fabulous wedding 4th of July weekend…

All of their lovely photos were captured by Genevieve McKeiver Photogaphy, and you can visit her blog to see many more!

Megan+ Will’s beautiful wood rings were made by a Chicago artisan, and Megan’s was set with Moissanite, a diamond alternative. After learning that Megan & Will had spent 2 years in Africa, I wasn’t surprised that they had opted for a conflict-free diamond alternative. You can also find eco-friendly conflict-free rings at greenkarat.com!

When Megan and I met for her first consultation she told me that she wanted her wedding to be more like a fun, family gathering than a traditional wedding reception. They wanted people to have time to enjoy and interact with one another, visit with them, and have a great time. So, after the ceremony, while the couple took photos around the beautiful property of Mill Creek Barns, we set out lawn games for the guests to enjoy: croquet, bocce ball, corn hole/bag toss and my favorite–super size Jenga! People enjoyed the games both before and after dinner and it was a fun way for everyone to enjoy the beautiful day! Giving guests a little extra entertainment during cocktail hour also allowed them to enjoy their photos without worrying about getting back too quickly! After a delicious meal by CK Catering, a beautiful (and yummy) cake by Cocoa Bean, guests enjoyed dancing, a colorful candy bar, and at dusk, we fired up the bonfire for guests to enjoy some s’mores! All photos were captured by photographer Ben Pancoast!

Megan+Will tied the knot on Sunday, June 27th at Mill Creek Barns. When we arrived to setup at noon we were quickly greeted by an onslaught of rain that lasted for at least an hour. But by the time the bride arrived, the groomsmen were getting dressed, and the final touches were getting put on, the skies cleared and gave way to a beautiful clear sky for their 3:00 ceremony! I love those kind of days!

Megan chose a 50′s garden party as the inspiration for her wedding design, and it was a great fit with the venue, and a fun change of pace from traditional wedding decor! The color combo of Red & Turquoise was just fabulous, and all of the little details she incorporated really tied the whole design together! When you choose to do something very stylistic for your wedding (such as an era-inspired wedding) you really have to go for it, and Megan went all out, from the clothing and flower choices to the accessories, centerpieces and fabrics, and it was stunning.

One thing that made this wedding so special was the fact that the bride and her family and friends were extremely involved in the planning, as well as the creation of many of the DIY Details. See all of the details of the DIY loveliness below!

DIY DETAILS

The Dress::Megan bought her dress on Ebay and added her personal flair with some custom alterations. As you can see, it was absolutely beautiful and very unique.

The Flowers::Megan made a stop at A New Leaf in Chicago, before heading to Michigan, and created her bridesmaids bouquets out of vintage carnations, zinnias, hypericum berries and artichoke. Her bouquet was a beautiful combo of lambs ear, peonies and hydrangea.

Centerpieces:: The beautiful paper flowers were made by the brides mom and a slew of her friends recruited to help! They were placed in vintage soda bottles, and milk glass vases that Megan had collected, and we incorporated vintage broaches, necklaces and candy dishes amongst the tables!

Escort flags:: I loved these, and of course, they were hand-crafted by the bride! Very unique, colorful, and a perfect complement to the colorful candy buffet!

I’ll be honest, I pretty much loved everything about this wedding, and when it came down to sharing photos from Ben Pancoast Photography, it was hard to choose! So look for Part 2 later today!

On Tuesday we shared a sneak peak of Jessica+Justin’s St. Joseph wedding, and today we’ve got a ton of beautiful photos to share from the talented ladies at Jennifer Mayo Studios! I absolutely loved these bridesmaids dresses, and the bright color combo used in the flowers and centerpieces, created by Beikmann Associates—it was such a fun & lively color combo and it perfectly reflected this fun couple! And look at those beautiful sparkling waters of Lake Michigan! You just can’t beat a ceremony on the lake, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous as these 2 tied the knot with Rev. Bonnie Corondan!

At a recent wedding I attended in the Grand Rapids area I was introduced to something I had never seen before at the reception. As we entered the reception area two pianos were set up facing each other. There was no DJ or even a band, but  instead the bride and groom opted for dueling pianos! At first I was a little skeptical, thinking to myself  ‘piano music all night? I don’t know…’, but after I listened for a while and realized how amazing the pianists were I completely changed my mind.

They played some great classic songs with some fast and some slow. On top of their impressive piano skills their vocal skills were amazing as well! They had everyone on their feet all night! Also, on certain numbers a few guests joined in, playing the drums, saxophone and even at one point a trumpet! It was such a creative and fun element of entertainment to have at the reception. If you’re thinking of a great way to liven up your wedding reception, I highly suggest a dueling piano musical experience. Check out local venues, bars, and restaurants for potential entertainment as well as online for local pianists and you (and your guests) will be glad you did!

Posted by: Kelsey (Event Assistant)

Last Saturday we had our first wedding in lovely Saugatuck, and Tessa+Brian couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day for a beach wedding! They shared an intimate ceremony on Oval Beach with family and friends before heading over to Restaurant Toulouse in downtown Saugatuck where tables were covered in lovely royal blue satin linens and covered in lush centerpieces of pale blue hydrangeas and yellow mini callas, and warm candlelight!

A jazz quartet played throughout the night, and wait til you see the cake—it is one of my all-time favorites and it was an absolute work of art! We can’t wait to share more photos from their photographer, Duneland Photos!

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

The Venue:: Saugatuck holds special memories for Tess+Brian and Restaurant Toulouse was a beautiful backdrop for their wedding. They have a gorgeous outdoor veranda where guests enjoyed cocktail hour, and their dining area has a beautiful fireplace and a warm and intimate atmosphere that was perfect for this intimate celebration!

Thanks Tess+Brian for letting us join you on your special day, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Saugatuck!

Stella Event Design services:: Day-of Coordination+Decor Design

Wedding Coordinators:: Jessica Pennington & Brittany Johnson

Let me take you back to Saturday, June 19th. It was an incredibly beautiful weekend, and we had the pleasure of coordinating not one, but two fabulous beach weddings in St. Joseph! As you can imagine, both of our teams were very busy throughout the day ensuring that things went smoothly, so capturing our own snapshots was a futile cause.  We were so extremely excited to see the beauty above, by Jennifer Mayo Studios! Just a sneak peek, but fabulous nonetheless! After a beautiful beach ceremony, Jessica & Justin celebrated at The Veranda at the Whitcomb with an amazing meal by CK Catering, a rockin band (The Point’n Fingers Band), and so many wonderful family and friends!

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

The Favors::Jess+Justin embraced the idea of a beach wedding and chose a fun, tropical-inspired color palette of green, pink and orange. Their favors were drinks Koozees that said “thanks for spending the day with ‘Team J’” and they were adorable!

Table Numbers:: ‘Team J’ met at a Tom Petty concert, so each of their tables was named after a Tom Petty song, and was accompanied by the song lyrics. It was pretty impressive considering they had almost 20 tables, and it was such a cute and personal touch!

Jess+Justin, you were both so much fun to work with—thanks for letting us be a part of your wonderful wedding!

Stella Event Design services:: Basic Planning

Coordinated by:: Jessica Pennington & Brittany Johnson

It’s hard to believe that it’s already July…and it’s also hard to believe we’ve planned 7 weddings in the last 2 months, and have yet to blog about any of them! We’ve been patiently waiting for a sneak peek of some of the photos (because let’s face it, we love to share beautiful photos to show off beautiful weddings), and now that they’re starting to roll in from the fabulous photographers we’ve had the pleasure of working with, we’ll be posting “sneak peeks” from some of our May & June weddings this week. I’m so excited to share some of the details of these fabulous events!

First up, is a lovely beach wedding photographed by Haylee Dixon Photography. Jenny+Spencer had a beautiful ceremony on Lake Michigan on June 19th, and we had the privilege of providing day-of coordination services to help them to relax and enjoy their wedding day.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

An evening affair:: Jenny+Spencer changed things up by opting for an evening ceremony on the beach, and I have to say I love the beach in the evening—the beach empties out around dinnertime and with cooler temps, it’s more comfortable for guests! The ceremony was followed by a reception of delicious h’ors doeuvres and dancing at the Heritage Center.

Stella Event Design services:: Day-of Coordination

Coordinated by:: Mary Beth George