Stella Event Design::Michigan Wedding & Event Planner »

Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of seeing another of our full-service weddings come to fruition this summer as we watched Justin+Lisa tied the knot in St. Joseph! Lisa had a beautiful and unique vision, and I was so happy with how it all turned out! Like many couples we work with, Lisa+Justin originally contemplated having a destination wedding in Mexico, but wanted to be surrounded by many of their family and friends who would not be able to travel, so opted to have their destination wedding in Southwest Michigan!

From the beautiful coral garden roses and pearlized shell napkin rings (hand crafted by the bride) to the oversized paper lanterns, elegant silver chiavari chairs and gorgeous La Tavola linens, I loved how this wedding reflected the brides Caribbean beach-chic syle.

Due to scattered showers, we moved the beach ceremony inside to the Krasl Art Center, which was stunning with a mahogany chuppah draped in white fabric and a gorgeous orchid & crystal chandelier by Beikmann Associates Floral! At the reception, Drop35 kept people dancing all night long as guests enjoyed the beautiful evening weather at the Veranda at the Whitcomb—an open-air, lake-view venue in downtown St. Joseph!

All of these gorgeous photos were captured by St. Joseph wedding photographer Ben Pancoast. We had a stellar group of vendos working on this wedding and also have to say thank you to CK Catering, ‘Lil Fox bartending, Davone Simon (cake), Pro Show lighting and All Star Productions video!

Lisa+Justin, thank you for letting us help you plan a beautiful destination wedding in SW Michigan and many wishes for years and years of happiness!

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!

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

I love that Southwest Michigan has some amazing wedding venues. From barns to vineyards to elegant historical buildings, the lake shore area has a lot to offer to brides looking to plan an amazing Michigan wedding. However, just a word to the wise that these venues fill up fast. If you’re a 2010 bride, now is the time to secure that dream venue! So get out there, make some visits, and find that special place that will make your wedding day everything you’ve hoped for!

If you need some help finding your perfect Michigan wedding venue, feel free to contact us, we love to help brides and grooms find wedding location in St. Joseph, New Buffalo, Saugatuck, South Haven, Holland, Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Muskegon, Leeland, and beyond!

**Blue Dress Barn Photo By Monika Caban Photo, Heritage Center by Stella Event Design, Veranda @ The Whitcomb by Zdanis Photography, MillCreek by Stella Event Design

(lvl photography, claire+chris 5/08)

This picture caused quite a stir at the bridal expo and at least 20 couples asked me about this venue, so I thought I would post some information to point everyone in the right direction…

Barker Hall is part of Trinity Church and is located in Michigan City, Indiana. It’s an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue complete with a balcony on one end (where this picture was taken from) and a stage with a beautiful tapestry backdrop at the other. It’s beyond ideal if you’re planning on live music and their in-house catering is fabulous!

Check out the Barker Hall website here!

I absolutely adore the quaint chapel on Morris Farms where Megan+Scott hosted their October nuptials! The building had so much charm and character, and it was absolutely adorable! Plus, there was an old fashioned school house on the same grounds that was a great spot for some unique post-wedding pics with the bride and groom!

Don’t forget to investigate your ceremony location, reception venue, or local area to locate some fun and unique places to snap some post-wedding pics! Grab your fiance and make a date day of exploring fun photo locations, and you’ll save a ton of time on your wedding day and have some amazing photos!

*Photos by Chad Bosma

(Mill Creek Barns, opening May 2009)

Last weekend I had the chance to stop by Mill Creek barns, the new venue from the owners of the Blue Dress Barn. It was just as lovely as I thought it would be, even though it’s not fully completed just yet. I shot a little video with my Flip Video, so I’ll post that soon (that is, if I get the courage to hear my voice broadcast over the internet!) It has all of the beautiful details I expected, and I can’t wait to post pictures of the inside when it’s completed.

(outdoor ceremony location nestled between the barn and the woods)

There’s a beautiful ceremony area, TONS of natural light in the dance hall, and too much charm to mention. There’s also tons of opportunities to utilize the outdoor beauty including several french doors in the dance hall, several patios and bonfires to cozy up to at the end of the night.  Definitely look into Mill Creek if you’re seeking a beautiful venue with rustic elegance. It is so far from a cookie cutter hall, I guarantee you’ll love it! It’s opening in May of 2009, and I’m excited to have a couple tying the knot there on the 16th! I’ll update as our planning goes along, and as it nears completion you can expect more lovely pictures!