I have been waiting a long time for this wedding! Not only are Melissa and Todd two amazing people, they are also a TON of fun and have some of the most genuine friends and family I have ever met.

One of the reasons that I was looking forward to their big day, besides the outstanding team of vendors we chose, was the location. If you haven’t been to the Horticultural Gardens on MSU’s campus, you are surely missing out. The arboretum has a few different garden areas, including the Japanese garden where the girls did their finishing touches and the English garden where the cocktails were served. The day was perfectly sunny and a little warm, so we made sure the guests stayed hydrated with bottled water during the ceremony. A must on a hot August day!

The ceremony in the round was the perfect mix of sentiment and celebration. Rev. Kirk Haas officiated, and Melissa’s brother surprised everyone by playing & singing the recessional song. It was incredibly heartwarming.

I loved the personalized ties for the guys and the perfect shade of purple on the bridesmaids! Melissa was STUNNING in the dress she purchased from my favorite bridal salon, Gina’s Bridal. Look at those shoes!

After the ceremony, Alison took Melissa and Todd out for some photos and I am in awe at how beautiful they look!

One of my favorite moments from the day was right before the reception began. I was standing outside of the tent with the happy newlyweds before the grand entrance and turned to look at them. The smiles on their faces and the smitten look in their eyes let me know that the day was a huge success. During the reception the dancefloor was packed! I swear I have never seen so many awesome dance moves. Pretty sure someone pulled out the running man, at least once. :)

I had a lot of favorite moments during the day, but watching Todd and the bridesmaids serenade Melissa was by far the funniest scene all day. The girls choreographed the routine flawlessly and Todd belted out the lyrics to Cover Girl, by New Kids on The Block. Yes, it was the perfect addition to an already entertaining day.

At the end of the night, I was able to just sit for a few minutes and really take in the day. Days like this really remind me why I do what I do. Watching something that we have worked so hard on for so many months, with so much emotion and excitement, and seeing it come together in the most perfect of ways, is rewarding. It all boils down to the people involved. The bride and groom, the mom and dad, the best friend, the vendors… nothing brings people together like a good ole-fashioned wedding. ::Sigh:: I love my job.

Melissa & Todd, You two already know how much I adore you, so I will skip the sappiness. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect match and can’t wait to see where life takes you. I know you will do amazing things together. Thank you for bringing me into your big day plans! XOXO

Make sure to check out the fabulous trailer below, by Owen Video! You will LOVE it.

Melissa + Todd | Wedding Trailer from Andy Owen on Vimeo.

Team of Pros:

• Wedding Planning & Design: Amanda of Bliss Weddings & Events
• Assistant Coordination: Courtney of Bliss Weddings & Events
• Photography: Alison of Bates Photographic, Delia Turner second shooting
• Video: Andy of Owen Video
• DJ: Sara of Platinum Mix Productions
• Officiant: Rev. Kirk Haas Secular Ceremony
• Cake: Family Friend
• Floral: Sebesta Design
• Linens: Bliss Weddings & Events
• Rentals & Venue: MSU Horticultural Gardens, CE Lewis Arboretum

Who doesn’t love options? Well, Michigan has so many that it will make your head spin! Whether you are looking to get married in a barn or tie the knot in a big city, you are sure to find the perfect location for your big day.

Photo Source: Aruna B Photography from the fabulous Bliss Weddings renewal of Anat & Nick at River Birch Lodge

If you are looking for something that screams Michigan wedding, check out the following locations. Keep in mind that these are just a few examples of the thousands of venues the Mitten State has to offer.

Source: Heather J. Photography Cobblestone Farm – Ann Arbor

1. River Birch Lodge, Hartland. When I think of Michigan, I picture places like this. Picture a beautiful lodge, the size of a small mansion, with natural wood and stone. This amazing location is charming, warm and inviting. All things that give a wedding that cozy feeling that Michigan is known for.
2. The Rattlesnake Club, Detroit. If you are looking for something a little more modern, consider this fabulous venue. With world renowned food, a river front view and fantastic customer service, the Rattlesnake is a winning locale.
3. The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island. This place is straight out of a fairy tale! Not only is it located on one of the most amazing islands in the US, it also is one of Michigan’s most popular wedding destinations. It is the perfect mix of nautical, nature and high-end resort.
4. The B.O.B., Grand Rapids. This location is just plain fun in the heart of a great city. The BOB features exposed brick walls and lots of windows.
5. The English Inn, Eaton Rapids. The name says it all. Once you walk onto the property at The English Inn, you are taken to a completely different place. It has the feel of the English countryside and the amenities of a 5 star wedding venue. You can even host your ceremony in the beautiful gardens!
6. Don’t forget the amazing fields and farms, beautiful beaches, plenty of museums, vineyards, orchards and more! This list could go on for ages!

Photo Source: West Park Photo at Comerica Park in Detroit

Photo Source: Abby Rose Photography of Detroit Skyline

If you know your geography, you know that Michigan is a peninsula surrounded by The Great Lakes. But, did you know that Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, is second to Alaska as the state with the most shoreline period, and has over 11,000 lakes and 36,000 miles of streams? That is a lot of water!

Us Michiganders love our lakes and spend as much time in the or on them as possible. A wedding by the water only seems a natural way to start our Married in Michigan series.

Photo Source: Dusty Brown Photography

We are pretty lucky, here in Michigan. Not only do we have all of that water, the beaches of the great lakes are some of the most beautiful in the world. White sand that stretches for miles, clean & fresh water, warm breezes, cute little beach towns… we have it all in the summer time! And, we don’t have to worry about hurricanes and shark attacks! Hosting a beach wedding is the perfect way to treat your guests to something special.

Photo Source: Inner Circle Photography

1. Go barefoot. Treat your guests to the calming feeling of having their toes in the sand, by setting up a shoe storage area and sand rinse near the beginning of the ceremony site!
2. Always have a Plan B. As much as we all dream of perfection on a wedding day, always have a back up plan for rain, heat, and unpredictable Michigan weather.
3. SPF & Shade. If you plan on getting married in the heat of the summer, a beach wedding brings the perfect cooling breeze. The downside is that there is usually direct sunlight and no one wants a sun burn! Provide your guests (and yourself!) with some sunscreen, parasols or some sort of shade where they will be sitting.
4. Hydration. As the summer sun heats up, people need to stay hydrated. Consider serving bottled water and refreshments while your guests wait for the ceremony to begin.
5. Dress lightly. A ball gown and sand just do not mix. If you are getting married in the sand, or near the water, select a dress that flows nicely, is light-weight and allows easy movement. Also, think about your shoes. Those super hot satin pumps won’t mix well with the beautiful Michigan sand. Make sure you let your guests know that they should plan on wearing something beach friendly as well.

Photo Source: Edward John Photography

Waterfront wedding can happen in bustling downtown areas, too!

Photo Source: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Over the next few days, I will be sharing my favorite things about The Mitten State and why YOU should get married here! Check back to see some beautiful inspiration, fantastic resources and some of the most amazing things that make so many people love Michigan!

Source: Chelsea Elizabeth Photography

What a gorgeous couple! When I met Nicole & Travis and Nicole’s mom, I knew that we would have a blast working together. I literally started working with them three days before their wedding day, when they realized that they needed an extra set of hands organizing the last minute details and keep things running smoothly on the big day. (Huge THANK YOU to Sylvia, of Bridal Beauty on Location for the referral!)

Nicole & Travis live out of state and planned their beautiful wedding in Michigan. Specifically at Beacon Hill! This was my second time working at the venue and I have yet to be disappointed. The staff is wonderful and attentive, the food is delicious and the scenery is outstanding. The weather wasn’t the greatest, with huge gusts of wind and lower than normal temperatures, but everything went off without a hitch and it ended up being the perfect day for a wedding.

Watching these two interact with each other and the 28 (!!!) members of the bridal party, including the ring bearers and flower girls, was an absolute joy. Everyone is insanely gorgeous and absolutely hilarious. What a great day!

Below are a few of my favorite shots of the day, taken by Jim Van Luven from Mike Staff Productions. Enjoy!

Team of Pros:

• Coordination: Amanda of Bliss Weddings & Events
• Venue: Beacon Hill Golf Course & Banquet Center
• Photographer: Mike Staff Productions
• Hair & Makeup: Bridal Beauty on Location
• Video: Dark Lake Video
• Officiant: Rev. Mike Fry
• DJ: Eddie Hakim of Happy Hour DJs
• Flowers: Flowers by Amore
• Photobooth: Qwik Picz
• Chocolate Fountain: Maximum Delights

Greening Your Event

Pick an Easy Location

When you’re looking for that perfect setting, keep convenience, and global warming pollution, in mind. Choose a spot that your guests can get to without a Jetstream, and encourage them to leave their limos behind. Help arrange for your guests to carpool to the event, and let them know their public transportation options. 

E-vite Your Guests

Emailing invitations saves paper (and money), especially if you have a long guest list. If a printed invitation is an absolute must for your event, use post-consumer recycled paper — easily available in stores and online — and give a phone number for RSVPs instead of reply cards.For more information on buying paper products, see http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/paper/default.asp.

Serve Local Food (and Feed the Locals)

Look for a restaurant or caterer that uses fresh, local or organic foods. If you’re planning on serving seafood, make sure it’s sustainably caught or farmed and low in mercury. (See our guide to mercury in fish and sustainable seafood recipes for ideas.) Make arrangements with a local food bank to pick up any leftovers at the end of the day. 

Use Reusable or Biodegradable Tableware

Stick to cloth napkins and real tableware to reduce the amount of resources your event consumes and the amount of garbage you’ll need to dispose of at the end of night. Many caterers can provide everything you need for serving, eating and drinking. For a gathering at home, use your own dishes, and borrow more from your friends if you need to.If you have to go for the take-and-toss variety, look for post-consumer recycled content paper napkins and biodegradable plates, cups and utensils made from corn starch or agricultural waste. They’ll degrade in just a couple of months in a commercial composter.

Decorate Naturally

Try using “living” décor such as moss, stones and succulent plants, or organic flowers instead of traditional pesticide-laden bouquets. Send your decorations home with your guests at the end of the night, or reuse them for another event. (Get more green design tips.) 

Dazzle With Energy-Efficient Lighting

A daytime event — held outdoors or in a place with plenty of windows — lets you save big on energy costs and global warming pollution from conventional lighting. For additional lighting, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use only about one-third of the energy that regular light bulbs do. Look for energy efficient bulbs and fixtures marked with the Energy Star label. 

Make Recycling Easy

Don’t rummage through trash bins the next day looking for stuff that shouldn’t have been thrown away. Make recycling easy by setting out clearly labeled recycling bins for items such as bottles, paper and cans. Check http://www.earth911.org/master.asp to find recycling guidelines for your location. 

Offset Your Output

At the end of the day (or evening), your event is still going to produce some global warming pollution. You can help ease the burden by purchasing a renewable energy credit from a green energy company such as Native Energy or the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Each credit represents an investment in 100 percent clean, renewable energy that will offset the global warming pollution produced by your event.You can find more green living tips, including information on green weddings and other special occasions, in our free monthly newsletter, This Green Life. Subscribe now.

One of my favorite parts about our Style Me Pretty shoot, was definitely the absolutely adorable couple that so sweetly offered to model for us. My goal with the shoot was to make it feel as natural as possible, and by using a real life married couple as our bride and groom really hit that goal home. Not only were they super awesome, Allison actually MADE HER DRESS (!!!) the night before the shoot. Crazy, right?

I am so completely in love with the photos from Nicole Ladonne Photography and can’t help but smile every time I see the love in Allison and Seth’s eyes. Please enjoy the warm fuzzies below!

I was beyond thrilled today when I got a crazy phone call from my friend, Robyn, asking me “Did you see it?!” I, in fact, didn’t see it or even know what “it” was!

When I first started getting involved in the virtual wedding world, one of the initial places I visited was Style Me Pretty. Not only is it an unbelievable resource for inspiration, it is also one of the most well put together and most visited wedding sites on the internet. The day I found it, I promised myself that I would make it onto the pages some day. Well, that day has come! I am so happy that the crew selected our recent Flirty at the Fair shoot to grace their beautiful site.

As for the shoot itself, I can’t even put into words how happy I am with the end result. What started as a little spark, grew into a full blown fire of creativity. I knew I wanted to do something sweet, charming and easy to recreate for brides and grooms of any budget. I am lucky enough to work with some of the most inspiring people in the world and a few of my favorites helped create this beautiful shoot at the St. Mary’s Polish Country Fair. I honestly couldn’t have done this without them.

When I get an idea, it is difficult for me not to put it into motion very quickly and moments after the initial idea popped in my head for this shoot, I was on the phone with Robyn (Meant To Be Sent) and Nicole (Nicole Ladonne Photography) trying to figure out how we could make this happen in one week. That is the only time when the carnival would be in town. I knew it was short notice, but these two were on board from the start and helping to come up with ideas and concepts. Within 24 hours, I had Jamie (Jamie Honce Productions), Watkins Flowers, Kerri (Cherry Chip) right along with us. Within 48 hours, I had the little touches ordered from HeyYoYo purchased and a trip planned to one of my favorite eclectic shops, Frank & Me in Clarkston. This was actually going to happen!

The night before the shoot, I called to check in with everyone involved and found out that Nicole and Allison, our model bride, were actually MAKING the little blue dress!!! Apparently they couldn’t find the perfect one, so they decided to literally make it happen. I was in awe of the talent and creativity that oozed from these fabulous people. Between the ahhh-mazing paper from Meant To Be Sent, to the beautiful video by Jamie Honce Productions, this was going to be a real treat.

The day of the shoot was HOT, beautiful, and magical. Watching these details come together was a true joy, especially since none of us had met in person to go over colors and details! This just goes to show that when you ask for the help of a true professional, they will handle it better than you could imagine. I am eternally grateful for the relationships that this industry, and Michigan in general, has blessed me with.

Please head over to Style Me Pretty and see what our hard work created. I would love to hear your comments! Over the next few days, I will be featuring some of my favorite elements from the shoot. I hope you enjoy looking at this as much as I did creating it.

XOXO,

Amanda

Gorgeous Photos, Beautiful Weddings & Marvelous People.

It is Tuesday Shoesday! This is my first time sharing in the love of all things shoe, but I knew I had to when I saw this photo by Kristen Taylor Photography. To see more TS posts, visit  Simply & Forever, Landlocked Bride, Gwyneth Paige, Swatchbook Weddings, Meant to Be Sent, Weddings & Pretty Things, Life in the Super Burbs, Slice of Lime, April Foster Events,  Lauren Kelly Events, Swoon Over It Photography and Bellwether Events!

This wedding is so sweet, I had to share! Visit Rock ‘n Roll Bride for more. These Kelly Moore Photography shots are to die for!

I am in LOVE with this lovely NY wedding, by Josh Goleman Photography, featured on Once Wed.

This real Florida wedding has my heart swooning! The DIY touches are perfect! Featured on my fave With This Ring blog and photos by Studio 222 Photography.

Are you thinking of proposing, or want to hint that you are thinking of being proposed to? (Wink, Wink!) Here are some fab tips from Anti-Bride.

These DIY soda escort cards are to flippin’ cute, I just had to share. Found via Rock My Wedding, originally posted on 100 Layer Cake.

This wedding, featured on Snippet & Ink, it the epitome of Rustic Romance. The photos by Jenn Cress Photography are wonderful!

I am beyond thrilled to be bringing you the first “Real” post of the wedding season and the fact that it is all about one of the most fantastic couples I have had the joy of working with makes it that much better.

Anat is definitely one of those genuinely kind people. She cares, and you know it from the moment you meet her. After working together for nearly a year, I was really looking forward to seeing all of the day’s details come together, but I was sad that I wouldn’t have an excuse to chat with her on a regular basis anymore. Anat & Nick had already been married, but wanted to have the opportunity to share the special occasion with family and friends. So after doing it on their own, they planned a relaxed and beautiful day that would revolve around the ideas of family and friendship.

The day started out like most others, but there was something a little different in the air. On a typical wedding day, there is at least a little anxiousness that greets me. Whether it is a mother looking for her earrings or a best man who got a stain on his shirt… There is always something. This time, friends were gathered downstairs playing a game of scrabble, the guys were kicked back having a drink and the girls were all cozy upstairs getting their hair done. No matter which room I went into, I was greeted with a smile and a completely calm “Hello”. It was unlike any event I have ever done, in the most wonderful sort of way.

The ceremony was the epitome of personality. Everything from having their dog, Sammy, as the ring bearer to having Nick’s brother, Glen, officiate the ceremony, was perfectly executed. Of course, having the event at a place like River Birch Lodge, really lends to the relaxed feel they were looking for. Sammy even let out a little bark at the perfect moment, causing a chuckle to go around the crowd of guests. Anat & Nick’s family and friends are some of the nicest around!

I loved the reception almost as much as the ceremony. Just like the rest of the day, there was no rush to get through the time line. We left a lot of room in the timing for guests to mingle, give a toast, grab a bite to eat and just enjoy the time they spent together. With so many guests from around the world, it was important to Anat & Nick that they all had a chance to really kick back. Everyone pitched in during the hora, the music was perfectly chosen, and the food from A Movable Feast was delicious. Lisa, from Pot & Box, did a wonderful job creating the perfect flowers.

Looking back at the photos, by the amazing Aruna B Photography, I can’t help but smile. No detail was left out of the planning and the love that these two share just blows me away. I feel completely honored to have been involved in such a kind and sweet day.

Planning & Coordination: Amanda Freeman, Bliss Weddings & Events

My little labor of love, Bliss Accessories, has a bunch of brand new items and new pictures! Please support Bliss efforts and visit the Etsy page when you have a minute. I hope you like them! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much!

I am pleased to share that we’ve been featured as an expert in Brides Michigan’s latest issue! We were one of the contributing planners for their article “Creative Ceremony Ideas”! I was quoted in the first and second bullet points. Whenever I am asked to participate in an article or have a wedding featured, I can’t help but get all giddy. Please support Bliss by picking up the latest issue! (And check out page 170!)

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Aletha for sharing the scan of the article and Heather Lee for asking me to participate. :) We’ll be featured in two more magazines in the coming months, so make sure to check back often to see where you can find Bliss!