tuesday etsy love:: StudioArdent hops boutonnieres

If your groom is a beer-lover, then StudioArdent on Etsy has some really great choices for you! I love these, because they all contain hops, but they are beautiful, subtle and classy. Some have dried florals and moss, some are super simple, and if you want to get fancy, you can customize them with beer caps. What groom wouldn’t love these? They also have some beautiful paper flower bouquets in their shop, so check those out too!

hops boutonniere etsySo what do you think–would you get your groom a hops boutonniere? Are you incorporating his likes, hobbies or personality in other ways?

real wedding :: video :: jill+ryans blue dress barn wedding

We love, love, love seeing our brides & grooms on video! Check out this beautiful trailer from Coastline Studios, of Jill & Ryan’s 2011 wedding at the Blue Dress Barn. Jill was an absolutely gorgeous bride (LOVE her dress!) and she had some amazing details! Stella planner Mary Beth was there on the wedding day to help pull together all of the details and make sure everything looked perfect! From the escort card display to the centerpiece vases collected by family members, I just love the details of this wedding!

Ryan & Jillian’s Trailer from John Pottenger on Vimeo.

November 18, 2011 - 1:51 am Barn Weddings - It was a nice video, Congratulations and best wishes to the newly weds. I love the bride's gown and the wedding venue is pretty cute.

giveaway:: 1 hour planning consultation

This week we’re celebrating our 4th “business birthday” and to celebrate 4 years of planning fabulous weddings, we’re giving away a free 1 hour consultation! Just visit our facebook page, (become a fan by clicking ‘lik’e) and comment before Friday at Noon (EST) and tell us how you would use your time to help you plan! We’ll pick a winner  on Friday at 1:00. So comment now for your chance to pick our brains about anything wedding related–design ideas, room layouts, time lines, ways to personalize your day, vendor issues, budget struggles—you’d be amazed how much we can help you with in an hour! Your consultation can be in-person if you’re local, or via phone for those not in the SW Michigan area, so anyone (any where) is welcome to enter! Comment now and good luck!

Remember, comment on our Facebook page, not here on the blog!!

love letters::what our 2011 brides are saying about Stella

Getting thank you notes from our clients, or reading a sweet online review they wrote seriously puts a huge smile on my face, so we thought we’d share some of our “love letters” here on the blog every once in a while when we receive them! We are so lucky to work with some really amazing brides as they plan their weddings in Southwest Michigan, and we’re so thankful that we’re allowed to be part of their special day!

“Working with Jessica at Stella Event Design was amazing! As a Detroit bride planning a wedding on the other side of the state, it was extremely helpful to receive vendor recommendations that were reliable, within my budget and matched my “vision.” Looking at past event photos, I knew Jessica and her team would come up with something fun, modern and perfect for my theme and venue. I really trusted her judgements and referrals. She was extremely flexible with me since I couldn’t always get there for a face-to-face meeting (or had very short notice!) and answered all emails immediately. She definitely went above and beyond just day-of-coordination and I am very thankful that I had her to help me on the day of the wedding. I literally do not know what I would have done without her. She was very professional and very caring. I never felt like my wedding was just another job to her, or that she was too busy to help me with things. She stayed until the very end of the reception and helped my family load up the cars (very efficiently!). I have nothing but good things to say about her and my experience– VERY highly recommend her and Stella Event Design. You will not regret it!”

-Dawn W. (married 9.24.11 at Willow Harbor Vineyards)

 

“If you are someone who needs guidance, support, creative ideas, organization & much much more, then Jessica is the one for you! She drove our wedding from start to finish (literally finish, she and her team were the last to leave the venue after the reception).

When it came to my wedding I had no idea where to start, even choosing a theme, flowers and location was all over my head. Jessica and her team came to the rescue, and honestly I don’t know how I would have done anything without them. Jessica has personal relationships with so many vendors that no matter what our budget was she had a reliable vendor to offer us. She personally knew florists, dj’s, venue coordinators, officiants. She came up with the most amazing centerpiece displays (that I would have NEVER thought of on my own) and decor for the reception. All our guests were totally blown away at how beautiful everything was.

All my nerves were totally at ease, everyone kept asking me if I was nervous before the wedding and the answer was always “no” because Jessica was ten steps ahead of me. The day of, Jessica was waiting for me at the ceremony…everything looked perfect, everyone was where they were supposed to be. I would recommend Stella Event Design to ANYONE who is looking for an amazing wedding planner and day of coordinator. You will not be disappointed!”

-Lucy B. (married 7.2.11 at The Veranda at the Whitcomb)

real wedding::kate+kyles diy michigan farm wedding

Kate+Kyle’s wedding may have been one of the most hand-crafted affairs we’ve seen all summer. From the beautiful floral arrangements to the hand-lettered chalkboards to the fresh-made blueberry mint lemonade, this lovely bride had her hands in just about every detail of her beautiful Michigan wedding! The adorable hand-painted wooden cake topper…made by the bride! The delicious jars of jam given to guests…she made those, too! Even all of the ceremony flowers were lovingly arranged by the bride and her mother.
Kate+Kyles gorgeous wedding day took place at a friends farm in Three Oaks, Michigan, just outside of Harbor Country, which is an absolutely gorgeous area for a wedding!  Guests arrived and were greeted with homemade blueberry mint lemonade (delicious!) and the couple tied the knot on the lawn, with cocktail hour following in the barn. The bride and her bridesmaids carried adorable paper bouquets that were just adorable (etsy of course). Between the ceremony and the reception guests snapped polaroids of one another and used them to create a guest book for the couple.  The event was casual and intimate with open-seating (check out the adorable sign below) and a delicious tapas-style meal, provided by Cravings Catering in Southwest Michigan.

The delicious cupcakes were crafted by Froehlich’s bakery in Three Oaks and dancing went on for hours thanks to DJ John Correll! Kate+Kyle, we had an amazing time helping you bring together all of your gorgeous details—thank you for letting us be part of your special day and we wish you many more beautiful days to come!

Lovely photos by Belle & Beau

love letters::what our 2011 brides are saying about Stella

We’ve gotten some really nice notes and online reviews from this summers brides, so thought we’d share a few here on the blog every once in a while! We are so lucky to get to work with such fabulous brides planning their weddings here in beautiful Southwest Michigan—a huge thank you again to all of the lovely brides who let us be a part of their planning and their special day!

“When I first told my mom I had hired Jessica, she was a little mad at me. Not because she had anything against Jessica, but wedding planners in general. She had wanted to do all things wedding, including setting up the day of the wedding and tearing down. After the wedding, I asked her how she felt about me hiring Jessica and she said, “I don’t know how we could’ve done it without her.” And that’s not an exaggeration.

We got married at Millcreek Barns in Watervliet, which is very much an a la carte site. For day of services, Jessica received all the deliveries, set up the ceremony site, reception hall, coordinated timing for all the vendors, ordered us more alcohol when we were running low on beer, wine, rum and whiskey at 7 pm, double-sided taped my dress up… etc. etc. etc. Her services were so valuable the day of the wedding so we could actually enjoy our day without stress. I can only imagine the panic that would’ve occurred if she hadn’t been there to solve our alcohol situation, but instead it was handled immediately.

I also hired Jessica for decor for the wedding. I’m a bride with eclectic tastes, I love all colors, all textures, all patterns. Jessica found a way to execute my vision without going overboard and being tacky (which I’m really good at!). I repeatedly received compliments on how beautiful our wedding was. Jessica took my vision (or lack of) and picked out beautiful table linens, put together our floral order, created several handmade touches and made my wedding something I can be proud of.

Why hire Jessica? Many people think a wedding planner is out of their budget. I planned my wedding on 18k and Stella Event Design was a pivotal piece to my wedding I could have never done without. Because I was a budget bride, I gave my decor budget to Jessica, and she kept me on budget. Rather than going over budget on flowers because I fell in love with something, she chose a floral arrangement within my budget. She created handmade touches to make my wedding special without being exorbitant. Everything came in at my budget, which is difficult to do when planning a wedding. My entire family was able to enjoy our wedding as much as my husband and I did, because they got to participate in the fun stuff without all the hard work.  Jessica is friendly, responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, professional. All the things that a wedding planner should be.”

-Katie S. (married 8.19.11 at Millcreek Barns)

 

“Brittany Johnson from Stella Event Design was my knight in shining armor. Only instead of a knight she was the perfect wedding planner, and instead of shining armor she was armed with a plethora of fabulous ideas and infinite patience!

Our intimate beach wedding was put together in a little less than four months with the help of the talented Brittany and her team at Stella Event Design. She was able to offer me plenty of suggestions and options to keep us within our budget and still make it look like we spent a million bucks on the wedding of our dreams.

Not only was Brittany there for me every step (and email) of the way, but she was genuinely excited about our upcoming wedding and you could tell that she cared just as much for our small affair as she did her 300+ wedding the weekend before. We were never put aside or treated any differently even though we weren’t a large event; she made us feel like we were the only wedding she had under her belt. And that really says a lot, because Brittany and Stella Event Design are constantly busy planning gorgeous affairs! :)

She even helped me with ideas for our small dinner reception as well and I feel like I made a true friend who I hope to keep in touch with for months and years to come. I would recommend Stella Event Design and especially Brittany Johnson to anyone who wants a person who genuinely cares about your special day and will make you feel like you are the only client in the world that matters. Our day wouldn’t have been what it was without her help! Thank you so much, Brittany! I’ll always recommend you whenever I have a chance! :)

-Mandy M. (married 7.1.11 at Jean Klock Beach)

 

 

 

real wedding::lucy & matt’s lake michigan wedding

Matt+Lucy have got to be one of the funnest couples I’ve ever come across…and that’s saying a lot, because we are lucky to work with some REALLY fun people! And while we work with a ton of couples from around the country, they also set the record for our MOST long-distance couple to date….when Lucy first contacted me to start her planning, she was living in England—talk about planning long distance! Since she obviously couldn’t meet all of her vendors in person, we helped to connect her with vendors we knew would fit her style, personality and budget, and we helped Lucy create a design plan that reflected their fun-loving personalities. Lucy & Matt tied the knot 4th of July weekend and wanted to get married on the beach—and what a beautiful ceremony it was—there are few places more beautiful than a West Michigan beach in July!lake-michigan-beach-wedding-veranda-at-the-whitcomb-st-josheph-michiganThe reception followed at The Veranda at the Whitcomb, where we hung large paper lanterns overhead. The tables featured light blue geometric table runners, a mixture of vintage glass, filled with flowers in varying shades of blue, pink, yellow and green, and vintage glass votives. It was simple, colorful and gorgeous! Shortly before the wedding Lucy & Matt relocated to Chicago, but for a nod to his home in the UK, the pair featured a cake on their dessert table adorned with the british flag! Lucy+Matt, thank you for letting us be a part of your special day—we had so much fun working with you to make it a beautiful day!

Photos by Belle& Beau

October 6, 2011 - 4:07 pm Lucy - Jessica, you did an AMAZING job and all our friends and family still talk about how beautiful, unique and cool it was! Couldn't have done ANY of it without you!! Thank you again! Lucy & Matt

10 reasons you’ll love the lake shore wedding walk (and free tickets!)

If you’re a regular reader you’ve definitely heard us chattering about the Lake Shore Wedding Walk. It’s a unique (really fun) bridal event that takes place in St. Joseph on Sunday, September 18th from 1-4:00 and we’re proud to both plan the event and participate in it! We would love for all of our readers to come visit us, so use promo code STELLABRIDE for free tickets when you register online! You can find all of the details on this event at www.lakeshoreweddingwalk.com but I PROMISE YOU, you don’t want to miss this event! So go check out the website, buy your tickets, and we hope to see your smiling face there!

Just for fun, here are our 10 THINGS WE THINK YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THE WEDDING WALK!!

1. Local wine tastings. Wine! Enough said:-)

2. Beautiful tables designed by Stella Event Design and our fave local florists

3. Food. Food, Food, Food!

4. We just received this years bridal bags and we think they’re pretty awesome!

5. Hop in a photo booth (with your family & friends) and get snap-happy!

6. Ride the trolley through St. Joseph and fall in love with it (we know you will!)

7. Have we mentioned the wine & food?

8. You can meet with 30+ amazing local vendors who are eager to chat with you!

9. The atmosphere is relaxed, fun and low-pressure!

10. Visit 4 of the areas most beautiful venues!

 

real wedding::a beautiful june wedding at the blue dress barn

Helping Lyndee plan her June 17th nuptials to Aaron was a lot like helping a friend plan her wedding…she was so much fun to work with, and such a sweetheart! Her focus was always on the marriage, and while she wanted a beautiful day, she also wanted it to be focused on bringing together their family and friends and being a true celebration of their union. She and her mom are very close, and she played a big part in the planning—-I love seeing parents who are involved in the wedding plans and ready to help with whatever they can!

I loved the fun, cozy feel of this wedding– A family friend created 6 different runners in blues, yellows, and floral patterns, and we criss-crossed two on each guest table in the barn. A beautiful bouquet of colorful wildflowers topped each table. The colorful cakes (each one a different design and flavor!) were made by the brides step-mother, who did an absolutely fantastic job—they were beautiful and delicious!
Blue-dress-barn-wedding-michigan-barn-wedding-millcreek-barnThe gorgeous bouquets were created by Crystal Springs florist, and I don’t think they could have been more perfect for this country wedding! The bridesmaids looked stunning in their wrap dresses—-each one could twist and tie their dress into a different style, and it was a great way for them to “pick their look!” Thank you Lyndee + Aaron for letting us be a part of your special day—it was special because of the focus you two put on making it a day filled with love—and we enjoyed every minute of it!

All of the beautiful photos are by our new friends at Xpose Photography—they were a ton of fun to work with! Check out the “xtreme photo booth” pics  from the wedding on their blog!

giveaway:: lakeshore wedding walk tickets

Happy Monday! We’re going to help you start your week off right…with a giveaway (who doesn’t love a giveaway!?) We’re excited to host the Lake Shore Wedding Walk again on Sunday, September 18th, and this week only, you can get yourself FREE tickets to this unique event!

You can get your tickets online here—use promo code LSWWVENDOR at checkout and we hope to see you there!

Register Now!

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