When I arrived at Brighid’s home to photograph the getting ready portion of the day, the Beatles were blasting, an adorable toddler was dancing with her little plastic guitar, and I saw this hanging in the hall. I knew it was going to be a great day…and it was!!
I am totally obsessed with this dress.
Love this photo!!!!
Stunning, simply stunning!
I mean come on, do I need to tell you how happy this photo makes me?
This one too 🙂
Great photo by
Carol of the handsome men.
Love!!
From the Bride…
‘Hair and make up- Fuga Italian Escape Salon and Spa: I’ve been going here for years and knew that I could trust them to make me beauteous. Really, though, I wanted things to be kept simple and as natural as possible, and they succeeded in every way. I could not have been happier with the way I looked. They’re the best.
Church-Our Lady of Perpetual Help : The church was by far the easiest choice to make. I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help from K-8, and I have always been astounded by its beauty. I also have wonderful memories there that couldn’t be recreated any other place. Not to mention that my grandparents, parents, and sister got married there as well. It was the best choice as well–what a magical walk down the aisle.
Venue-Michigan Shores Club: Choosing our venue was the second easiest part of our planning. Chris and I knew right away (I might have known before he even proposed) that Michigan Shores Club was going to be the perfect place for our wedding reception. My grandparents, parents, and sister all had their receptions there. Michigan Shores Club was the best choice for us not only because it is absolutely stunning but also because the staff made everything about our reception effortless. John and Irene are amazing people. They made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible. The food was definitely something to write home about as well. We still have people raving about how delicious the meal tasted. MSC went above and beyond our expectations.
Dress-Ultimate Bride–Monique Lhuillier: My mom and I went to Ultimate Bride for my dress, where my sister had been successful a couple of years prior, and they did not disappoint. Ultimate Bride made us feel comfortable right from the get go–even when making an appointment and validating parking. My consultant was Stephanie, and she was fabulous. She took everything I said into consideration, but she also helped me to look a little bit out of my comfort zone (without being pushy), and thank goodness she did. She showed me a dress that I had already said no to based on online photos, and she asked me to try it. Needless to say, that was the one. It fit everything I wished for: fitted, lace, open back, fun accessories, etc. I also cannot say enough about Maria and Nami from the alterations department. Maria and Nami are miracle workers. Seriously. My dress fit like a glove. It honestly looked like it was made just for me when they were finished. They did such a beautiful job. Ultimate Bride made what could be a very stressful piece of the wedding planning puzzle effortless and, for that, I am forever grateful. Also, the dress. No words. I’ve honestly contemplated wearing it around the house on several occasions. I have never felt so glamorous. There’s not enough I can say about how perfect this dress was for me and how beautiful I felt in it.
Shoes-Michael by Michael Kors: I didn’t want to break the bank on shoes, but I knew I needed to find a comfortable pair if I was going to be tearing up the dance floor all night. I headed into the Michael Kors store on a whim with my sister, and we were immediately greeted by an incredibly warm, friendly sales woman who wanted nothing more than to help me find “the shoes.” They had the perfect pair of peep-toe, platforms that were just flashy enough to compliment my dress without being over-the-top, and they were definitely affordable. They were pretty comfortable, too. I lasted quite a long time on them–including a one and a half hour cocktail hour at which I was walking around and standing the entire time. They also made it through quite a lot of dancing. I won’t lie though…I changed into flats later on. Brides-to-be I suggest always having a back up pair of shoes you know you can go to for comfort. It’s well worth it.
Tux-Formally Modern Tuxedo: They had a lot of variety at great prices. Their tuxes were fitted, sharp, and classic. I have to say my hubby looked pretty darn good. The staff there was really helpful and laid back. They even let my brother return the tuxes a day later (free of charge) so that we could spend some time with my family the next day instead of racing to return all of the tuxes. They made it really easy for out-of-town groomsmen, too. They told them exactly how to get measured and then they could enter all of their info online. We had a lot of groomsmen who were out-of-towners, so it was great. Going with Formally Modern Tuxedo was well worth it. Chris’s input is, “I agree.” That says it all.
Flowers-Morning Glory Flower Shop: Barb and her staff had created beautiful bouquets and flower arrangements for not only my sister’s wedding but also a great friend of mine’s wedding. Morning Glory Flower Shop was incredibly helpful when discussing flower options (especially because I wasn’t really quite sure what I wanted). They were realistic about costs and availability as well. My flowers were very simple, and I did not do centerpieces, but they delivered on everything. I did bouquets and a card table centerpiece, and I loved all of the arrangements. They were exactly what I had hoped they would be and more. They added so much while still being simple and classic. They were delivered to the church as well, which was great–one less thing to worry about. If I needed floral arrangements in the future, I’d go back to Morning Glory Flower Shop in a heart beat.
DJ-Style Matters DJ, Inc.: Go with these guys if you want to have a great night with a ton of dancing. They are easy-going, fun, intelligent DJs who know how to keep you and your guests out on the dance floor. They are also incredibly professional. Spencer always responded to any issues/concerns I had promptly, and he made me feel confident in my choice of DJ. The dance floor was always full, and I had to be dragged off the floor to leave when the night was over. Working with Style Matters was a great experience, and I highly suggest them if music is something that’s really important to you but you want something a little different than typical music you hear at weddings.
Cupcakes-Three Tarts Bakery: We went with cupcakes as our centerpieces instead of flowers, and we were not disappointed. Not only did our cupcakes look beautiful but they also tasted incredible. Honestly, I could have kept eating cupcakes for days. They also made a small cake for Chris and I, which was to die for. Three Tarts was easy to work with, and they took my ideas into consideration and created a great alternative to the typical flower centerpieces. If you’re looking for a delicious cake or cupcakes you’ll hear about long after the wedding, head over to Three Tarts.
My favorite wedding related purchase-Angel Eyes Photography: All brides have heard at least a million times that the day goes by in a blink of an eye and that could not be more accurate. That’s why booking a confident, intelligent, fun, crazy, quirky photographer was one of the most important things to me. Now, Hilda may be reading this and thinking, “she’s being a bit premature in saying I was her favorite wedding related purchase because she hasn’t even seen all of the photos,” but, that’s the great thing about Hilda–I never have had a doubt in my mind when it comes to her or her photography. Hilda is amazing. Chris and I are maybe two of the most awkward people ever (ask our families), and Hilda, somehow, got beyond all of that, and she made us feel incredibly at ease, and we had so much fun with her! Carol, her assistant for our wedding, was also a trip. I think we laughed more with them than we could have ever expected. As I’m writing this, I’m actually missing them. Angel Eyes Photography was by far my best wedding related purchase. I know that the photos will be breathtaking, and I will have such fond memories of a day that really is a blur.
My favorite wedding moment: It’s going to be a cheesy, totally cliche moment, but I can’t help it. When I began walking down the aisle, I kind of lost my bearings a little bit. No, I didn’t fall (thank goodness), but I kind of got caught up in looking at everyone around me, and I almost, for a slight, nanosecond, forgot where the most important person of the day was standing. Then I kicked myself in the arse and reminded myself of what was going on. At that moment, I looked up (instead of from side to side in a totally overwhelmed manner) and saw Chris. He was looking right back at me with a huge smile on his face, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. At that moment, I knew all was right in the world for me and that happier and happier days were lying ahead of us. Another close second–seeing my dad right before walking down the aisle (he hadn’t seen me all done up yet). One of very few moments I had tears in my eyes.
Something I wish I would have done differently: Nada. I can’t change the past, can I? And I truly have no regrets. What will be will be, and what was was. I loved everything about our day.
Advice for brides-to-be: Relax. Listen to all of the people who tell you that nothing can be perfect and that things will go wrong, and you won’t be able to change them. I actually listened (much to my mom’s and sister’s surprise), and I was present in every moment of the day and evening, and I can honestly say I enjoyed every single moment. I am not the relaxed type. I’m completely type A. I knew, though, that day I needed to relax and enjoy everything, and I did. I couldn’t be happier. Don’t worry about all the little things–or the big things. All you should worry about is enjoying yourself and being present for all of the love that will fill your special day.
Be sure to click “Like” on
Facebook and leave your comments below 🙂
