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

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!

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 for the bride to walk down the aisle. Kim and her mom both looked at eachother, 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.

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

I finally updated our “Preferred Vendor” page on the website today and thought it would be great to share with our readers. So head on over to our website to check it out!

Another beautiful day and another amazing and adorable couple. I can’t say enough about how cute Kelly & Brian are. Their beautiful wedding really reflected the love and fun personalities that these two have. I had so much fun working with Kelly over the last few months and really enjoyed getting to know her hilarious personality and learning all about her visions for the perfect wedding day. I seriously cracked up at every meeting.

There were a couple tiny issues, but for the most part everything went off without a hitch and all worked out perfectly. Kelly & Brian were all smiles while getting ready, taking pictures and dancing the night away as husband and wife. I am so glad that they chose me to be there and allowed me to share in their special moments. Their friends and family are a blast to be around and really helped make this a memorable event. The only items I had to use from my emergency kit were safety pins, bobby pins, scissors and tylenol! The whole day was laid back and calm and there was very little stress and anxiety. I couldn’t have been happier with how things turned out. The “Old Detroit” theme that the couple chose was perfect. From the photos of old school Detroit celebs, to the old newspaper articles and Detroit landmark table frames… I absolutely loved it and I know the guests did also. Jim Coffman, The Party Doctor, set the mood with some motown cocktail music and a fabulous mix to keep the party going all night.

Thank you so much, Kelly & Brian, for including me in your special day. It was a joy getting to know both of you and I can tell that you are going to have a great life together. I couldn’t imagine either of you finding a better match! I hope you enjoyed your wedding day as much as I did and look forward to hearing about what happens next! Congrats!

Bliss Weddings Package: Pure Simplicity, Ceremony: St. Ambrose Church in Grosse Pointe, Reception: Blossom Heath in Saint Clair Shores, Entertainment: The Party Doctor, Photography: Studio 41, Linens: AECC, Flowers: Viviano’s, Cake: Elite Sweets

I love Sundays. Have I mentioned that before? They are a day to relax, put my feet up, edit photos, blog weddings and get caught up on anything I may have missed during the week. Today is no different. Last night I had the BEST time coordinating Kelly & Bruce’s big day. I had so much fun, that I could barely even function when I woke up this morning. I have been working with Kelly, Bruce & their families for a little over 7 months and provided Month-of coordination & a more.

The gorgeous girls.

Their wedding day began with the girls getting their hair done at V Salon, makeup done by Clinique and some nice down time before the beautiful ceremony. This wedding was so great because everyone was extremely calm. On the day of the rehearsal, the girls all went out for mani’s and cocktails while I headed over to JoAnn’s to pick up some decor for the cocktail tables. I found some great ideas and headed to the rehearsal. The bridal party was laughing the entire time and Rev. Buck was keeping everything fun with his humor. The feeling must have rubbed off on me, because I left feeling calmer than I ever have the night before a wedding.

Saturday morning started off without a hitch. The flowers had been delivered, I met with their photographer and videographer and came up with a game plan that would work for all of us, and the weather was beautiful! Kelly and the bridesmaids all arrive with smiles on their faces and filled with excitement for the days events.

::Sigh:: The ceremony. In one word… romantic. Kelly and Bruce did not stop looking into each others’ eyes and sneaking in little grins. There was even an adorable moment during the ring ceremony that sent them into a little laughter. It was pure perfection from beginning to end.

Table set up.

As soon as the ceremony was over, I headed over to Fox Hills to begin set up for the reception. When I arrived, the cake was in the process of being set up, the chair covers had arrived and my two fabulous assistants were all ready to get started. The evening was shaping up to be as great as the morning.

To summarize the reception, the music was perfect, the food was phenomenal, the drinks were flowing, the dance floor was packed and there was not a sad face in the crowd. Bruce & Kelly did a great job speaking to all of their guests and enjoying every second of their special day.

I stayed all night (making it a 13 hour day) to help with clean up and I am so glad I did. The staff of Fox Hills is amazing. We had the entire place broken down and packed into cars in less than 30 minutes. That has to be some sort of record!

On the ride home, I couldn’t help but be a little sad that their wedding was over. I have had so much fun working with Kelly, Bruce, Kelly’s sister Jessica and her mom, Donna (and everyone else who helped out). I seriously wish I could bring them everywhere with me! Not only are the a genuinely happy family, but they are great for the ego! They must have come up to me at least 25 times that night to say “thank you”. No Smith family…. Thank YOU! Thank you for being so much fun to work with and for being the most calm and together family I have ever been around. I hope your honeymoon was fabulous and that you enjoyed every second of your perfect day.

XOXO, Amanda

Couple: Kelly & Bruce; Colors: Purple & Green; Venues: Fox Hills & FUMC Northville; Photographer: Bruce Szopo; DJ: Andrew from Mike Staff; Cake: Pastry Palace; Transportation: Entertainment Express; Linen Rental: All About Elegance; Flowers: The Little Flower Shoppe; Beauty: V Salon

There are so many amazing venues to hold your ceremony or reception. Below three of my personal local favorites, in no particular order. Each site offers a different atmosphere and mood, but all of them are abolsutely beautiful!

1) Ann Arbor’s University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens

2) Clarkston’s Pine Knob Mansion

4) Royal Oak Music Theater downtown Royal Oak