I feel so overwhelmingly blessed to be surrounded by some of the kindest people in the wedding industry! It seems like everyone is updating their websites and blogs lately and we are fortunate enough to be featured as a preferred vendor by so many of our favorite people. I am beyond thankful for all of the kind words and support. These companies are the best. Thank you all! (Some of them have us listed as Your Bliss Weddings… which happens ALL THE TIME! Must be because of our website link, but that doesn’t matter to us. We are just thrilled to be mentioned!)

Castle Video Productions: Not only did Kristyn give us a lovely shout out on her favorite wedding planners page, she updated her beautiful website with a new layout, colors and gorgeous logo. Go check it out!

The Shooting Gallery: Dionne is a beautiful person, inside and out, and her photography doesn’t disappoint. Her style is gorgeous, the website is wonderful and her company is well known for quality design and above and beyond customer service. One of my favorites for sure.

Rondo Sting Quartet: Beautiful Music, Beautiful people. If you are looking for a fabulous musical addition to your wedidng day, head on over to their site. (and tell them we say hi!)

So In Love Invitations: We love Kristy and are so grateful that she is offering a very special deal to Bliss clients! You have to head on over to her site to find out what it is. ;)

Music Box Productions: We just got word that Bliss is featured as one of Music Box’s favorite vendors. We can’t wait to see their new website when it launches! Everyone at MB is a blast to work with. You will love them as much as I do, I am sure of it.

Plush Paper Creations: Who doesn’t love pretty paper products? I am, of course, head over hells for Kathleen and her gorgeous work and it is really sweet of her to include us on her links page. After at least a dozen Bliss couples have worked with and have given her a thumbs up, we know you will enjoy anything she creates for you.

Nicole Ladonne Photography: It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Nicole and her beautiful photography. I have been behind her camera and in front of the lens on more than one occasion and always leave with a smile on my face.While you are checking out her blog and site, make sure to take a look at her recent mini-sessions for Melinda & Jason! They were a Bliss couple back in 2007 who are expecting their first little munchkin very soon!

Jason Aten Photography: I haven’t known Jason for long, but I am thrilled that we had the chance to meet. He is a very sweet person with a talented eye. His photography captures peoples’ moments beautifully, be it weddings or every day life. Love him and his work!

Wed Michigan Blog: What could be better than having everything related to Michigan Weddings all in one place? Informative and easy to read.

K Holly Photography: Kristen is literally one of the sweetest people I have ever met and her photography is beautiful. I just wish we were closer, so I could see her more often!

Jamie Honce Productions: Talk about gorgeous work! It doesn’t matter if you know the people in his videos or not, you will probably need some tissues when you watch them. Heart warming, touching, and beautiful videography.

Croft & Campbell Photography: All I can really say is that Greg and Jen are seriously a blast to be around. I love their work, I love their style and I love them!

Riverbirch Lodge: (aka The Palmer Estates) By far one of the best venues in the area and one of my favorite places to work with. Laura and the rest of the RB crew in Hartland are fantastic and I am pleased as punch to be one of their preferred vendors.

I feel so lucky to be one of the featured vendors over on Wedding Chicks. WC is such a wonderful resource for planning, details and vendor suggestions!

Please check back as we update and add to this list. There are so many people that haven’t told us that we are listed, so we are excited to see who else has listed us as one of their favorite Michigan Wedding and Event Planners! If we missed your link to us, let me know and I will add you right away!

Talk about gorgeous! Every detail of Joanna & Tom’s wedding was right on point. The colors, the weather, the ridiculously beautiful people and the unmistakable love that these lovebirds shared. It was such a wonderful day and I was overjoyed that I was able to be a part of it all. Check out these beautiful photos by Kara Purtell. (Who is a blast to work with, by the way!)

Look at that church! The ceremony was at St. Scholastica in Detroit. I would HIGHLY recommend this place if you are looking for a church. Deux Adore did a wonderful job with the make-up, too. The flowers were done by HB Originals and lasted the entire night.

All of the beautiful paper products were done by Plush Paper Creations, one of my absolute favorite people to work with.

This was the second wedding we did with a bagpiper this year. Such a fun addition to the festivities!

I just love how sweet Joanna & Tom are. Both totally down to earth, relaxed and completely in the moment. Swoon!

Yes, they are ON THE FIELD at Comerica Park. How awesome is that? The guys even ran the bases, even though they weren’t supposed to! ;)

Laurel Manor was the perfect setting for their large reception and has one of the most helpful staff around!  Pair that with the classy linens from Sposa Seating and you have a winning combination. Those adorable pictures of their pooch were taken by Mod 4. If you have pets, you should definitely look them up. The band that night was Nightline, and all I can say is WOW! They kept that dance floor packed all night. The wedding cake was done by Sweet Dreams Bakery. I wish I would have had a chance to try a piece, it looked beautiful.

This video of the day was created by Tri-foot Productions. The music is beautiful and the perfect match to the details of the day. Love it!

Tri-Foot Trailer: Joanna & Tom’s Wedding Day from Tri-Foot Productions on Vimeo.

Deanna & Cass are two amazingly smart, totally relaxed, and ridiculously adorable people. I don’t think I have ever seen a husband-to-be as excited and affectionate as Cass! There were so many personal details to the day and I was blown away by the love and support of their beautiful families. Enough chitter chatter, take a look at the wonderful moments captured by Lemus Photography! Huge thanks to Amy & Jorge for sharing these photos with us.

We start with my favorite moment of the day! Deanna taking a sneak peek of all of the commotion before the ceremony. Ironically one of the most peaceful photos I have ever seen. :)

Just look at the beautiful newlyweds! (And that beautiful dress!)

The ceremony, held at the Shrine Chapel at St. Mary’s in Orchard Lake, was absolutely beautiful and the reception was the epitome of class at Orchard Lake Country Club.

Deanna is timeless, and who doesn’t LOVE a birdcage veil bride?

The flowers were supplied by Bridgette O’Brien of One Of A Kind Botanical Design and they were some of the most creative I’d seen all year. Can you believe the peacock feathers were Cass’ idea?

Check out the wonderful video created by Days To Remember Media

Deanna and Cass’ Preview from Lee Higginbottom on Vimeo.

Deanna & Cass, Thank you for asking me to be a part of your special day. It was such a joy getting to you and I know that there are many big, amazing things to come for you both. Congratulations and best wishes! XOXO

The Wedding Day dream team: Planning by Bliss Weddings & Events, Photography by Lemus Photography, Ceremony at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Shrine Chapel, Reception at Orchard Lake Country Club, Videography by Days To Remember Media, Flowers by One of a Kind Botanical Design, Music by Tim Hewitt Group, Bagpiper by Bob Droppleman, Cake by Buttercream Bakeshop, Ceremony Music by Go 4 Baroque

There are so many times when people ask me what I think makes a wedding perfect. Lisa & Matt’s big day was the perfect example of this…

So, please enjoy my version of Lisa & Matt’s “Recipe for a Perfect Day”, with the help of the AMAZING Amber Hunt Photography. Seriously, Amber is a true talent. Just look at these pictures!

First, you mix the many faces of a beautiful bride.

The anticipation of a handsome groom.

A few amazingly fun friends.

A dash of moments that take your breath away.

Romance & Commitment.

A handful of gorgeous details.

Celebration by the truck load.

And a whole lot of love that will last a lifetime.

There are so many things that I could say about how amazing Lisa & Matt are, or how completely wonderful their family and friends are, but it would take me a decade to list it all out. I am so lucky to have been able to enjoy their wedding day with them and I know that their’s it the type of love that will last forever. Thank you for being some of the best clients I have ever known, Lisa & Matt!

The Wedding Day Team: Bliss Weddings & Events, Immanuel United Methodist Church, Mac & Ray’s Harbor, Amber Hunt Photography, Two Penny Productions (I can’t wait to share the video!), Gina’s Bridal, Sposa Seating, Patrick James Productions, Viviano Flowers, Bocci Salon, Plush Paper Creations

Back in late 2008, we created a series called “A Year of Colors”. This series was filled with fun and fresh color ideas, themes and other fabulous tips. Click on the months below to see the details!

I took this photo at the recent rainy day Bliss wedding of Lisa & Matt. They were lucky enough to get all of the colors of a rainbow on their wedding day!

Well, 2009 is right around the corner and to celebrate, we created an entire year of inspiration boards for your big day. Take a look at all of the months and let us know what you think! Did we miss a color or theme that you’d like to see? Let us know! Your’s may be chosen as one of our future inspiration boards.

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

With our season winding down and so many newly engaged couples hitting the blogs to learn the ins and outs of the wedding world, I thought it would be great to revisit some of our favorite posts this week.

Just for fun, a a little something to pretty up this post, a sneak peak of Dawn & Rocky’s wedding from the uber talented Kristen Taylor Photography.

Today, I would LOVE to share some of the posts that other bloggers have created about what I do. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about me, my company and everything that we love to do. Get ready for lots of links! :)

The always fabulous, WedMichigan blog, recently did a feature about our brand new Etsy store! She also created a fun post about our company and a Real Wedding Feature about my very own Michigan wedding.

Lienne Stevens, the brilliant mind behind Think Splendid, a blog dedicated to social media and the wedding industry, featured us in her “Meet The Planner” series.

The fabulous Aletha Vandermaas, of Pearls Events, has been sweet enough to talk about us on more than one occasion. The first is published on the MWEP (Michigan Wedding & Event Professionals) blog. MWEP is a group of wedding and event pros spread out across the state of Michigan. If you are looking for a great vendor to add to your wedding day team, this is a great place to check.

Aletha also created a few other posts featuring us on the Pearls Events Blog.

Here are a few more of our many features and posts:

Feature on Jason Aten Photography Blog

Feature in Brides Michigan Magazine

I don’t even know where to start. Erin & Grant are two of those people that come into your life and make everything just a little bit better. Erin was by far one of the most organized and beautiful brides I have ever worked with and when you mix that with the expertise of the staff at The Ritz Carlton Dearborn, you find beautiful results. Every little detail was covered from start to finish. The fabulous flowers & decor were provided by Emerald City Designs, beautiful photography by Mod4, Wayne from Rock Out Entertainment kept the dance floor moving all night and every person involved made this a memorable and unique event.

Erin made a beautiful bride. I almost teared up a little when I walked into her hotel suite that morning. With a little help from Brides On Location, everyone looked amazing. Rev Kirk Haas performed a heartfelt ceremony and Four Season String Quartet provided a wonderful soundtrack.

Erin & Grant – I want to wish you all of the best. Anyone who knows you can vouch for the fact that you are two of the most adorable and sweet people. You really are the perfect match! I am so lucky to have been involved in your perfect day! XOXO

To see more photos, please visit the radtastic Mod4′s blog post. Don’t forget to check out their other awesome photography, too. Enjoy!

I love how vintage this looks. So awesome!

This next one gets me every time I look at it.

This is the perfect photo to wrap up everything about the day!

You may remember Anne from the post she created 3 days before her big day!

Anne & Aaron are a fantastic couple who are surrounded by some of the most amazing family and friends I have ever seen! I had a really great time working with them and I am sad that it is over. I always looked forward to our meetings because I knew that we’d have a blast. Anne is quite possibly the most upbeat and happy bride we’ve ever had and I just know that her and Aaron will have a very long and exciting marriage. Just look at those smiles! Congrats you two!

Event Coordination by Bliss Weddings & Events, Photography by CMH imaging, Venue: Polo Fields.

Amee & Matt are a fantastic couple. I honestly couldn’t imagine a more perfect fit! The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith spent the start of their wedding month by tying the knot in beautiful Hawaii and then headed out on an amazing honeymoon to Tahiti and Bora Bora. I had to admit that I was just a little jealous of the amazing travel plans! We wrapped up the celebrations with a wonderful at home reception at the always inspiring Royal Oak Music Theatre. I had a great time working with these two to create the at-home reception of their dreams. It was a long process, but the end result was fantastic!

Side Note: They may be the kissiest couple I have ever seen in photos. Love it!

Full Service Event Planning & Rentals provided by Bliss Weddings & Events, Photography by Bates Photographic & Design, Location: Royal Oak Music Theatre, Flowers by Watkins Flowers, DJ: Sara G. with Platinum Mix Productions, Cake by Wedding Cake Art & Design Center, Favors by Shutterbooth, Catering by 2 Unique, Makeup and Hair by Whitney James (contact me for details)

Bates Photographic & Design

Bates Photographic & Design

Bates Photographic & Design

See more photos here…

The Wedding of Kim & Rich

Kim & Rich are two of the most adorable people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They are so sweet and down to earth, with really lead to a beautiful and relaxed day. Check out how gorgeous Kim is!

As a wedding planner, you never know how things will come together until you see everything on the actual wedding day. I was blown away by how well everyone worked together during set up. The Penna’s staff was very helpful, The Lighting Guy had already begun hanging all of the drapery and the linens from The Linen Closet had all arrived. I looked around during this just-starting-set-up phase and knew everything was going to be just as we imagined. We had the opportunity to work with some of our favorite vendors and even had a chance to meet some new ones that we hope to work with again in the future.

The first time I saw Kim on her wedding day, she was posing for some photos with Kristen Taylor in front of a giant window. I literally began to tear up. She looked amazing! Her hair, makeup, THE DRESS! It was perfect. While we tried to hide Kim from Rich (which is difficult when navigating the labrynth of halls and rooms at Meadowbrook!), I realized that the relaxing morning was going to lead to an even more relaxing ceremony. Everyone looked great in their dresses and tuxes, Rich was calm as he waited with his guys, and all of the girls were doing their last minute lipstick checks. As everyone lined up for the processional, filled with excitement, you could see that the sun was shining and there was a perfect breeze sweeping across the grounds. My favorite moment of every wedding we do is the moment before I open the doors to the ceremony, and watch the couple catch a glance. Kim and her mom both looked at each other, took a deep breath and smiled from ear to ear. The ceremony was beyond beautiful. Every so often, you could see the wind take hold of Kim’s veil and gently sweep it behind her and the look in Rich’s eyes said it all.

The reception was one of the most beautiful and intimate that I have done. Family and friends were there to celebrate, and there was no mistaking that! The blue uplighting created a very unique feel against the draping and the candy buffet was filled with nostalgic and delicious candies. They also chose to do custom Jones soda in the perfect shade of Berry Blue. The food was delicious, the music was rockin’ and the dance floor was packed for most of the night! By seeing all of this, combined with the opportunity to meet their friends and family, you could really get a sense of exactly who Kim & Rich are.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It was so great to get to know you and be there for such a monumental occasion. I just know that you two are the perfect match and can’t wait to see what the future brings for you. Congratulations!

To see more pictures, visit Kristen Taylor Photography’s blog.

Vendors: Wedding planning by Bliss Weddings & Events, Ceremony by Meadowbrook Hall in the Pegasus Garden, Reception by Penna’s of Sterling, Flowers by Viviano Flower Shop, Linens and Rentals by The Linen Closet and Candlelite Chair Covers, Lighting by The Lighting Guy, Ceremony Music by Kimberly Becker, Cake by Christine’s Cakes, Reception Music by Music Box Productions, Day-of Beauty by Bianchi’s Salon, Photography by Kristen Taylor Photography, Video by Brandon Rowell, Transportation by Luxury Limo.

So, as most of you know, the pre-season craziness has begun! This is one of my favorite times of the year. We are wrapping up all of our Spring & Summer weddings, getting everything prepped for a crazy fun season and filling up our calendars with lots of fun meetings!

Two weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to attend Eventology: The Science of a Wedding Business in Indianapolis. I have one word to explain this event. Fantastic! Not only did I learn a lot, I came home with a whole new outlook on Bliss. It was a little strange (in a VERY good way!) to finally meet some of the wonderful wedding planners and vendors that I have been speaking to for years through various social media outlets. I can’t even explain how great it felt to finally put a face to their names. The magnificent speakers (Lienne, Saundra, & Terrica) really knocked it out of the park and Katasha did a fabulous job pulling it all together. Bill from Fabulous Events and Deborah from A Bride’s Choice Florist did an amazing job decorating for the luncheon. I can’t wait for next year! Below are some photos from the outstanding JK Photography. Thanks Jen! (Click on them to see them larger.)

Click HERE to see more photos.