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real wedding sneak peek::tessa+brian’s saugatuck wedding

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

bogel

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

Real Weddings, Southwest Michigan

by Jessica Pennington

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real wedding sneak peek::jessica+justin tie the knot on Lake Michigan

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

beach_wedding_shadowland_ballroom_carouselLet 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

Beach Weddings, Real Weddings, Southwest Michigan

by Jessica Pennington

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real wedding sneak peek::a southwest michigan beach wedding

Monday, July 5, 2010

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.
michigan_beach_wedding

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

Beach Weddings, Heritage Center, Real Weddings

by Jessica Pennington

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1st annual LAKE SHORE WEDDING WALK

Monday, June 7, 2010

I am so excited to officially announce a unique new event that you will not want to miss! The Lake Shore Wedding Walk & Dream Wedding Giveaway is taking place on Sunday, September 19, 2010 in St. Joseph, Michigan, and it is a MUST for couples interested in tying the knot along the lake shore! Hosted in 4 unique and beautiful venues along St. Josephs beautiful coast, brides will be greeted by full tablescapes and decor, live musicians, delicious food samples, and all of the top-notch vendors you need to make your lake shore wedding a reality! Flip through photography portfolios, chat with a wedding planner, listen to live musicians for your ceremony, and participate in any of the interactive events taking place throughout the day: local wine tastings, runway-style fashion shows, ballroom dance classes, and wedding planning workshops!

lakeshore-wedding-walk-michigan-weddings

What to Expect:: Check in begins at 12:45 at any of the 4 locations. Brides and grooms will be given a “Wedding Walk Passport” that will lead you through your day—hop on a trolley or walk to your first venue and chat with local vendors, sip local wine samples, check out beautiful dresses at the fashion shows, and sit in on a planning workshop with a local wedding planner! Each venue offers brides a unique opportunity to prepare for their wedding! At 5:00, head over to the Veranda at the Whitcomb where you’ll turn in your passport for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid Dream Wedding!!

Learn More:: For all of the details on this fun & unique event, visit lakeshoreweddingwalk.com for a current list of participating vendors, information on the venues, and more details on the Dream Wedding Giveaway! Information will continue to be added, so check back often and we hope to see you there!!

Become a Fan:: Become a fan on Facebook For all of the most up-to-date info on the Wedding Walk & Dream Wedding Giveaway! We’ll be having some fun giveaways prior to the event—don’t miss out!

A huge thanks to JM Studios for the creation of our beautiful header and use of her photos, and a shout out to The Veranda @ The Whitcomb and CK Catering, who are joining us in hosting this one-of-a-kind event! And be sure to look for the amazing spread coming out in WeddingDay magazine next week, featuring a fun map of the Wedding Walk route through St. Joe!

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by Jessica Pennington

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alternative guest book ideas

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Guestbook

A guest book is a great way for family and friends to share best wishes with you and congratulate you on your special day.  Usually filled with quotes of wisdom, loving words, and fun stories about, having a guest book is a great way to remember those who shared the wonderful moments with you on your wedding day!

As I was looking through pictures of some past Stella weddings, I saw a photo of a frame with the couple’s photo and a pen provided for people to write on the mat around the couples engagement photo. It was such a cute way to have all the people’s loving words in one place and could easily be hung somewhere for everyone to see. This got me thinking about other possible ideas for alternatives to the  traditional guest book.

  • ceramic cups, bowls, plates or vases that can be signed by guests and then later used by the couple
  • individual cards and envelopes that guest could write private messages in and stick them in a decorated basket or box for them to read later
  • signing a bottle of wine that will be drank at the wedding in a silver pen to keep the memory of that night
  • having a blank paged book and having either a photo booth or a Polaroid camera for them to take a picture and then write something next to the picture like a scrapbook style guest book
  • creating a paint by numbers canvas and invite guests to each paint a small section creating a unique wedding memento
  • supplying an old type writer and having guests type lovely words and contact information on note cards

These are just some of many ideas that you can take into consideration when planning a fun and creative way for guests to give their love, share fun stories, or congratulate the bride and groom!

Photo Sources (clockwise from top left) 1, 2, 3, 4

Posted by::Kelsey (event assistant)

Inspiration

by kelsey

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June 4, 2010 - 9:13 am Andre Blais - Cool ideas! A few other neat alternatives I've seen are metal frames that guests can sign with an etching pen, and books made from engagement sessions with blank pages for guests to sign.

detail your hair

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

HairPieceAll

I love that brides are opting to ditch the traditional veil, and are choosing alternate pieces that reflect their style. You can still look chic and stylish and still look like a bride without the bulk of a veil. Opt for a decorative hair accessory that compliments your wedding style and location. These looks can range from vintage & classic to modern & chic.

There are many options for sprucing up your hair on your big day. You can use flowers–real or fake, big or small–for that extra bit of detail. Ribbon, feathers, headbands, and jewels or pearls can also do the trick. Simply pin these accents alongside a fabulous up-do to emphasize its shape. Display a dramatic flower over one ear for a more exotic and beachside look. A hair accent is the perfect option for a wedding on the lake, as the traditional veil can quickly turn into a picture nightmare when paired with a gust of wind!

Still one for tradition and not quite ready to ditch the veil all together? Simply add a modern twist. Couple your veil with an accessory—a great looking clip to attach the veil or small, enhanced bobby pins to hold your hair for a hint of pizazz. Bring a little color into your white wedding with a small pop of color through these accessories, or keep it monochromatic white for a more classic look.

Don’t feel like you are obligated to wear the standard veil—look into alternate hair accessories that really make your personality shine, and give you confidence in walking down that aisle with an amazing look!

Photo Source

Posted by:: Gina (event assistant)

Inspiration

by gina

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June 15, 2010 - 11:25 pm Lisa - These designs are very pretty!

welcome::brittany johnson, event planner

Monday, May 24, 2010

grand-rapids-michigan-wedding-plannerThere have been so many changes going on around here lately, and I am so excited to be able to officially announce some of them this week! First up is a team addition that we are absolutely thrilled about!

Brittany Johnson first joined us as an event assistant in the Spring of 2009, and after graduating from Taylor University, Brittany is now officially joining the team as a full time Event Planner. Brittany is a perfect fit—she’s one of the kindest, most caring people you will ever meet, she goes above and beyond in absolutely everything she does, and she has a true excitement and passion for helping people to plan amazing events—she is going to be an amazing asset to our brides & grooms!

Brittany will be based out of Grand Rapids and will be planning & coordinating weddings in both Southwest Michigan and the Grand Rapids, Holland and Grand Haven areas! She’ll be available for consultations in both Grand Rapids and St. Joseph and brides interested in wedding planning services in the Grand Rapids, Holland, Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Muskegon areas can contact Brittany directly at Brittany@stellaeventdesign.com! Next week we’ll be posting a full bio and a fun Q+A with Brittany—stay tuned!

Welcome, Brittany—we are so extremely excited to have you as part of the Stella Event Design team!

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by Jessica Pennington

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don’t run out on roses

Thursday, May 20, 2010

BouquetAll

Think a rose bouquet is an overused cliche? Absolutely not! Classic red or white roses are always a hit, but if you want something that stands out, try spicing up your basic rose bouquet by choosing vibrant colors, mixing varying styles (like beautiful garden roses & spray roses) or partnering it with small accents or details.

When it comes to colors, your choices are virtually endless and you can easily match roses to your wedding color palette. With varying types of roses, you can keep your bouquet monochromatic while still incorporating different sizes, textures and hues.

Keep some leaves attached to the roses to add a touch of nature into your ceremony, or go sleek and modern without them.  Don’t be afraid to use roses in your bouquet because you think that they are too common—but instead, think of creative and unique ways to personalize this versatile flower.

More unique and fabulous rose bouquets

Posted by:: Gina (event assistant)

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by gina

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find your something blue on etsy

Thursday, May 13, 2010

something_blue

If you’re in the market for your “something blue” for you or your bridesmaids, then there is no better place to find fun, unique, and handmade pieces than at the stores of etsy. Yes, I’m a huge etsy fan, I’ll admit it!  The thing I love most about etsy is that not only is there an abundance of beautiful items to browse through, but there are items for every style and every price range.

Remember, when it comes to your wedding, you will have many events leading up to your big day that will be special, and worthy of some memorable new outfits & accessories—engagement parties, showers, bachelorette parties, engagement photos…

I think the glass chickadee pendant (above center) would be absolutely perfect for a garden party style bridal shower, and I imagine it paired with a ruffled white sundress with some some strappy silver sandales. The necklace (far left) is bold and elegant—perfect for a rehearsal dinner or bachelorette outing! And if you’re looking for a simple yet personal gift for your bridesmaids, consider one of these monogrammed wax seal pendants (far right) available in a variety of colors!

vintage broaches & sating roses-$142, chickadee glass pendant-$32,  turquoise wax seal pendant-$30,

Inspiration

by Jessica Pennington

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will you say goodbye to the infamous white dress?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

wedding dress-color copy

Who says you need to wear white on your wedding day? Some brides are saying no to the traditional white wedding gown and are saying yes to bold and unique color! Dresses come in all different styles and all different colors, so if you’d like to step outside the norm and add some unique flair to your wedding, consider adding a bold pop of color to your wedding day attire.

Or, if you’d like to incorporate color, but not in such a bold way, then pastels, lighter shades, and accent pieces are also a great way to express your individual style. Your wedding dress will be front and center in most photos and is a unique part of you and your wedding. so express yourself and your unique style by opting to rock a not-so-white frock!

Still a little too much for your taste? Add a touch of color by finding a fabulous pair of colored shoes, pairing bold colored accessories with a traditional white gown, or opting for a colored sash!

Photo Source

Posted by:: Kelsey (event assistant)

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by kelsey

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