Day of Coordinator:: Elements of Elegance Event Planning

Floral Designer:: Elements of Elegance Floral

Photographer:: Mitch Ranger Photography

DJ:: Moments In Time

Ceremony & Reception Venue:: Private Residence, Montague, Michigan

Jason and Mandy chose to rent an amazing private residence to host their destination wedding in Montague, MI. They wanted their wedding to have a laid back ambiance and to feel more like an intimate party than a formal wedding. Choosing a location that was beach-side helped them achieve this feel for both them and their 90 guests.

Rachel and Patti of Elements of Elegance arrived early in the afternoon to begin the setup of the guest tables, decor, and flowers. The couple had an understated and elegant nautical theme, with navy and white striped table linens, bamboo plates, white votive candles and tealights, and simple white hydrangea centerpieces.

For the personal flowers, the bride’s bouquet included stunning white David Austin Garden Roses paired with coral and white sweetheart roses, white dendrobium orchids, wheat, and fiddle ferns. Mandy also included a brooch from her grandmother as well as her late father’s wedding band in her bouquet, so that she had both of them close to her on her wedding day.

The couple chose to have their ceremony on the boardwalk leading to the lake, with their guests watching from the patio on the back of the house. As the ceremony began at 6pm, just as the sun was beginning to set, this location gave the ceremony a gorgeous backdrop.

When the ceremony came to a close, guests enjoyed hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails while enjoying the delicious smells coming from their own personal Grill Master who was busy preparing their main dinner entree. The dinner reception was held under lighted tents, with blue and white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The ambiance was perfect and you could even faintly hear the waves crashing in the background while the bride and groom and their bridal party gave their toasts. Shortly thereafter, dinner was served, their photographer, Mitch Ranger, set up a slideshow with some pictures taken earlier in the day, and the bride & groom had their first dance. The dance floor opened up afterward, and was soon full of Mandy and Jason’s friends and family. Their photographer also set up a photobooth for their guests to have pictures taken, and this was quite a hit!

Mandy and Jason were wonderful to work with, and we loved helping to make sure their day went perfectly. The love they have for each other is apparent, and they are a gracious, sweet couple. We wish them years of happiness! Mandy and Jason, thank you for letting Elements of Elegance be part of your wedding day!

If you were ever to come to my home for any formal holiday, you might think I was a bit over the top on the table settings.  I absolutely love getting out my Fine China, Glassware, Flatware, and Linen Napkins to impress my guests with my table expertise!  Needless to say I get so excited when we have a client that wants us to help them design a formal table setting for their wedding day celebration.  What does formal  verses informal really mean?

When you look at the illustration above the “informal” looks pretty formal considering how we set the table for our everyday meals.  And quite honestly when guest arrive to the table and see this setting, they would know that they were at a celebratory meal.  But when you look at the “formal” table setting, you are more than likely blown away on all the parts and pieces that go into the design.  You have your wine glasses for both red and white, additional fork for cake, a desert and soup spoon, and additional plates for bread and salad.  But what I love about this formal look is how it makes the meal just a little more special than your average evening meal.

But as much as I love formal settings, I also know that this look does not fit every wedding design.  If I had a client with a more of a rustic and easy going feel, then this look would defiantly not be on the tables.  But it does fit perfectly with an evening wedding with a formal ballroom reception following.

Happy Planning

Illustration Courtesy of Settle Weekly

I have to admit I haven’t yet gotten into the Christmas Spirit for some reason.  We even bought a fresh tree for our family room that is not decorated, which would be completely unheard of in past years.  So instead of sitting here wandering what will put me in the mood I decided to look for Christmas Inspiration and blog about it.  I have to say my ultimate wedding palette would be a winter wonderland.  I adore the crisp colors white and silver of the season.  Plus the snow has such a romantic feeling about it. I love how each snow flake is unique just like a couples love for each other. But I also find the deep red and gold colors to be irresistible.  So what’s there not to love about this time of year?  Happy Planning!

Day of Coordination :: Elements of Elegance Event Planning

Floral Design:: Elements of Elegance Floral

Ceremony Venue:: St. Alphonsus

Reception Venue:: Grand Rapids Public Musuem

Photographer:: Ryan Prins

DJ:: Complete Music

Linens:: Special Occasions

I can still remember meeting with this sweet couple the very first time and I knew I was going to love them!  They both resided in Lansing and had no family ties to Grand Rapids, but decided GR was where they wanted to spend their wedding day.  Mandi and Kevin really wanted a setting that was unique and would have their guest talking for years.  Well the Grand Rapids Public Museum gave them that perfect spot!  The idea of having their sweetheart table underneath the giant whale and their guest riding on the carousal all evening fit their wedding style to a tee.  It was an honor to be part of their wedding!  Congrats again Kevin and Mandi.

When you look up Unity Candle on Wikipedia you will find the following definition.

“The lighting of a unity candle is a relatively recent addition to the traditional wedding ceremony, most popular in the United States. The unity candle ceremony uses two taper candles with a large pillar candle (called the “unity candle”) in the center. At the beginning of the wedding ceremony, a representative from each family (usually the mothers of the bride and groom) light the two taper candles. Later in the ceremony (usually after the formal vows), the bride and groom use the two taper candles to light the large pillar (unity) candle together.

It is sometimes performed to symbolize the joining together of the two families, and their love for the bride and the groom, into one united family that loves the new husband and wife. More often it is to symbolize the union of two individuals, becoming one in commitment. The popular explanation is that the taper candles are lit by representatives from each family to symbolize the love and allegiance that each family has for either the bride or the groom.”

As the definition states, it does symbolize the joining of two families, but to me it means so much more.  I love the feelings that it provokes from the heart not only to the couple and their parents, but also the guest that are able to witness it.  I also love when the couple gets creative in their ideas for the unity ceremony.  The days of the candles are still here but many are going a different route all together.

This year I have multiple couples that are still doing the traditional Unity candle but putting a spin on it by incorporating a ceremony where the couple presents the parents with roses to symbolize the acceptance of each other’s families into their marriage.

Another twist on the unity candle is the sand ceremony in which couples blend two different color sands together.  The idea behind this is once the sand is blended you are not able to separate the colors so your bond together for life.

The Wine Ceremony is also very popular with today’s couple.  This ceremony can be preformed multiple different ways.  Some choose to have family members blend a white and red wine into a Wine Decanter and then the groom serves the couple.  Others choose to have family members pour two glasses of wine and then the couple shares a drink out of each glass.

But if you are willing to think outside of the box a bit you might consider these other ideas.  In the Indian culture the bride and groom perform the Salt Ceremony where they pass a handful of salt back and forth three times.  And then the bride performs the same ritual with the groom’s family to accept them as her own family.  In Eastern European countries the couple circles the Church Alter three times which symbolizes the first three steps they make as husband and wife.  And sometimes couples decide to break bread and feed it to each other and their family members.

So whatever you decide to do, it’s really them meaning behind the tradition, the blending of two lives and the commitment of becoming a family.  Happy Planning!