This week I had a snow day at work due to a snowstorm, went on a dinner and a movie date, and celebrated Megan's 21st birthday. I used cards from the Cut & Paste mini kit and the 5th and Frolic kit as well as some alphabet stickers from my stash.
Hotel for Guests
We knew that we’d need a hotel for us, our families, and friends
to stay at the weekend of the wedding, since the wedding venue we selected is
not in the hometown of either one of our families. At the bridal show, there were a couple of
different hotels from the Howell area for us to talk to. We decided to use the Baymont Inn andSuites. We loved that we could book a
block of rooms without having to put any of our own money down to reserve them
and if the entire block didn’t get booked, they’d simply release them. The hotel also offered a shuttle service that
could take guests to the downtown area for the ceremony and back to the hotel
at the end of the night after the reception ended. The hotel is conveniently located next to the
outlet mall, which allowed our out of town guests a fun activity to do on
Sunday after the wedding party on Saturday night. (We even ended up heading
over the outlet mall on Sunday to pick up a few things for our honeymoon!)
Again, the bridal show was an awesome resource for us to meet with many vendors
in just a few hours and I’d really recommend that engaged couples planning
their wedding check out a bridal show.
Project Life: Week 1
My first week of Project Life! I included pictures from New Year's Eve on the left and the right side is mostly photos from The Winter Classic game at that University of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. I used design A page protectors and cards from the Project Life Holiday Edition mini kit and the Cut & Paste Edition mini kit. The Hello 2014 card is a free printable from Ever So Scrumptiously.
The Cake
There were a couple of different bakeries at the bridal show
that had yummy samples of cake for us to try.
The bakeries also had books showing off some of their cake designs for
us to browse. I knew that we wanted a
simple cake without a lot of decoration, so choosing a baker was about taste
and, of course, price! We found a baker whose prices were about $.50 less per
slice than the other bakers at the show and the cake was great; more moist than
the other samples we tried. Our baker,
Gwen from Gwen’s Cake Decorating, runs the business side of her company out of
her home in Saline, MI and rents a commercial kitchen for baking and decorating
the cakes. This is how her prices can be
lower than the other bakeries that have a retail storefront.
A little while after the show, we went to her home in Saline
for the cake tasting and hung out with her and her cute cats while we selected
three cake flavors for our tiered cake – vanilla with Bavarian cream filling
and fresh strawberries, chocolate with chocolate buttercream, and carrot with
cream cheese filling. As I mentioned, we
wanted something simple. So for the
outside of the cake, we asked her to just use tasty buttercream instead of
adding fondant and sugar flowers. We brought along a unique item we wanted to
use as a cake topper, Mario and Princess Peach toys, a nod to Ryan’s love of
video games.
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| Cake by Gwen's Cake Decorating. Photo by Heather Kanillopoolos. |
Meeting our DJ
I told you that I’d be back with the wedding recaps to share
the vendors that we met at the bridal show. When I last left off, my fiancé and
I were at a bridal show at a banquet hall that also did catering, but we had
already selected our caterer. There were
quite a few photographers at the show as well, but we also had already picked
out an awesome photographer.
There were two DJs at the bridal show. The first DJ that we
talked to was very flashy with what looked like brand new DJ equipment and
lights, but they explained that we wouldn’t get to meet the actual DJ that
would be assigned our wedding until the day of the wedding. I wanted to make sure that the DJ had a feel for our personalities, so this idea of not meeting the DJ ahead of time really turned me off.
The other DJ at the bridal show was actually company that our
wedding venue had recommended, Mobile
Rhythm Entertainment. Now their DJ
set-up was not as flashy as the other company’s set-up. But because of the recommendation from our
venue and the fact that we’d be working with the owner, Joe, directly – we choose
Mobile Rhythm to be our DJ for the big day.
There were a few more check marks on our list that we crossed
off our list at the bridal show that I’ll tell you about in upcoming posts.
Project Life Title Page
This is my first year using the Project Life pocket scrapbooking system. My plan is to include both the pocket pages and traditional 12x12 layouts into one album. I'm using a Becky Higgins' Project Life Kraft Edition binder in Jade.
The title page uses a Becky Higgins' design-A page protector, the 5th and Frolic core kit (exclusive to Michaels) and the 2014 woodgrain numbers are a digital download from eversoscrumptiously.wordpress.com.
Megan's 21st Birthday
Saturday Megan was having a Decades themed party at her house in celebration of her 21st birthday. Ryan wore a Black Sabbath t-shirt and said he was from the 70s, and I donned stringy hair, black eyeliner, a flannel shirt, and distressed blue jeans as a grunge girl from the 90s. Other decades represented were the 20s, 60s, 80s and the future.
Megan and her roommate served vanilla pudding shots with Horchata and a dip they lovingly referred to as "crack dip" made with sour cream, ranch mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon. They held a few games of beer pong in the basement and someone brought out Megan's punching bag for a few rounds.
Ryan and I ended up staying the night, sleeping on the couches in her living room, and the next morning we met up with a few people at a little diner near her house. On the way out I spotted the funniest sign from a guy looking for a band.
Megan and her roommate served vanilla pudding shots with Horchata and a dip they lovingly referred to as "crack dip" made with sour cream, ranch mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon. They held a few games of beer pong in the basement and someone brought out Megan's punching bag for a few rounds.
Ryan and I ended up staying the night, sleeping on the couches in her living room, and the next morning we met up with a few people at a little diner near her house. On the way out I spotted the funniest sign from a guy looking for a band.
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Dinner and a Movie
On Friday night, Ryan and decided that we'd go out for dinner and movie. At first we tried to use a gift card that we got for Christmas for Applebee's, but their wait for a table was running 30 minutes which would have made us late for the movie. So we tried out Logan's Roadhouse instead. We were seated right away. I had a pink pear margarita and a filet. Ryan had two big beers and a burger that had a piece of fried cheese on it.We watched A Wolf on Wall Street at the theater by our house that has these awesome reclining seats. It was a pretty over the top, entertaining movie but a little long (with a run time of almost 3 hours!)
Polar Vortex
Ryan texted me the term "Polar Vortex" to explain the freakishly cold weather that we were experiencing - with the windchill it was -35°! News reports were saying that this is cold enough that any exposed skin can get frostbite within 10 minutes. I tried my best to stay indoors all of Tuesday and Wednesday except to drive to work and back.
Snow Day
I woke up on Monday with almost a foot of snow to shovel. I got myself up around 7:00am hoping that I could get an early start on shoveling, but realized that it was still dark and sunrise wasn't until a little after 8:00am. So I hopped back in bed and went out after sunrise to shovel. I shoveled the driveway until my legs were numb, but I still wasn't done. When I came inside, I realized that I had been shoveling for over an hour. I was already late for work and hadn't even gotten dressed yet. I called my boss and she let me know that she didn't expect me to come into work. It was a snow day! Ryan ended up finishing up the shoveling in the driveway and I went out later to do the sidewalk and front porch.
Broken Furnace
We woke up on Saturday morning to a cold house. The furnace had been making a weird whistling sound earlier in the week but I ignored it, hoping that it would just go away if I didn't acknowledge it. I put Ryan in charge of finding someone to come out to take a look at our furnace, while I emailed the landlord. The first company that Ryan called said they were booking appointments for Tuesday. We couldn't wait 4 days! Luckily, the next company said they could come out that day. It ended up that our motor had died and need to be replaced. The cost was just over $410. The landlord agreed that we could deduct the amount we paid for the repair from February's rent.
Winter Classic
New Year's day was the Winter Classic at the Big House. We woke up early, put on our long underwear and warm coats and headed out to Ann Arbor. The drive took twice the normal amount of time it normally would have because of all the snow. Ryan's brother ended up driving separately so he could go straight home after the game. We parked at the Briarwood mall and we were excited to see that they had shuttles we could take, but they were already sold out. So we walked the 1.8 miles (although it felt like a much longer walk) to the stadium. Upon arrival, we were a bit confused about where our seats were located, but we found some that seemed close enough. (I'm pretty sure someone else had taken our and we took theirs.) The game was cold, but fun! The Red Wings ended up losing to Toronto in a shootout.
Again, because of the snow it took what seemed like forever for us to get home. Ryan listened to the Rose Bowl in the car on the way home and was bummed that he had forgotten to set the DVR. We ended up not making it back home until after the game was already over - but Michigan State beat Stanford!
Happy New Year!
Ryan and I spent New Year's Eve "gaming in the New Year" with some friends at their house. We hung out in our PJ's, played video games, ate pizza and did the whole champagne toast thing at midnight. I like how now that we're in our 30's, we feel comfortable to just hang out for occasions like this instead of feeling pressured to dress up and go out to a restaurant or club. Ryan's younger brother, Chris, decided to come along with us since we were going to the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor the following day. Hopefully, he didn't feel like he was missing out by not partying it up on New Year's.
2014 Goals
I never did make it through all of my wedding recaps in 2013 but with 2014 here, I want to start fresh. (I may go back and recap the rest of my planning and the big day itself later this year as I have time. But am not going to pressure myself to get them all done.)
I have decided to start journaling this year and do Becky Higgins' Project Life. I've been into scrapbooking since college but have always just done layouts for special events. Project Life (PL) is a system to help keep track of the everyday moments. I might throw in a traditional layout or two throughout my album to document special events where I have a lot of pictures, but I hope to do at least one PL page per week even if all I did that week was the normal routine.
I like the idea of Ali Edward's One Little Word, but I'm having a hard time picking just one word. In 2014, I want to be present in the moment but yet document my everyday life. I recently read an e-book called Creating Your Personal Life Plan and in the book the author refers to "perfect moments". What is a "perfect moment"? It's "an experience with others when time stands still. It is a time full of the present, when the past is left behind and the future is set aside. It is a special time of focused attention and heightened awareness." I want to fill my schedule with these moments this year - saying yes to friends' invitations instead of declining, going out for dinner and a movie instead of staying in and watching Netflix, and traveling more.
I have decided to start journaling this year and do Becky Higgins' Project Life. I've been into scrapbooking since college but have always just done layouts for special events. Project Life (PL) is a system to help keep track of the everyday moments. I might throw in a traditional layout or two throughout my album to document special events where I have a lot of pictures, but I hope to do at least one PL page per week even if all I did that week was the normal routine.
Attending a Bridal Show
My fiance's aunt and uncle happen to live in the same town where we're hosting our wedding. So when they saw an ad for an upcoming bridal show in the area, they were sure to let us know. I was surprised when my fiance suggested that we head out to the bridal show, but it ended up being a really great resource for us.
The show was held at a banquet hall that also does off-site catering. This banquet hall happened to be one of the approved vendors from our venue's list - but we had already selected our caterer!
We ended up meeting vendors that would ultimately become OUR DJ, cake baker, and hotel at the bridal show. More on the rest of our vendors to come! The bridal show ended up being a great resource for us and I would highly recommend them to any couple planning their wedding.
The show was held at a banquet hall that also does off-site catering. This banquet hall happened to be one of the approved vendors from our venue's list - but we had already selected our caterer!
We ended up meeting vendors that would ultimately become OUR DJ, cake baker, and hotel at the bridal show. More on the rest of our vendors to come! The bridal show ended up being a great resource for us and I would highly recommend them to any couple planning their wedding.
Selecting a Caterer
Selecting our caterer was a relatively easy part of wedding planning for us. Our venue has three 'preferred' caterers that we can choose from and I requested menus and pricing from all three. When I called one caterer in particular, Joe Suminski from Gerard's Catering, I was overwhelmed by the passion he had for his dishes! I think we spend a good 20 minutes on the phone while he went over some of the dishes on his menu.
My fiance and I met with Joe for a tasting at a wedding reception being held at the Opera House soon after that. He set-up a table for us in the back to try some of the extras from the buffet line. It was nice to be able to take a peek through the door at how our venue was set-up. At one point, the bride even came into the back room and I felt a bit intrusive eating her food back there. But she commented that she had done the same thing at someone else's wedding, so she understood.
We tried two appetizers - brushetta and veggie crescent squares. Then we each had a Michigan salad with dried cherries and pinenuts. The main course was apricot-lime grilled chicken breast, roast beef with a side of horseradish, roasted potatoes, and green beans almondine. (Sorry there's no photos of the yummy food for you to look at!) We were impressed! We just found ourselves a caterer for the wedding!
My fiance and I met with Joe for a tasting at a wedding reception being held at the Opera House soon after that. He set-up a table for us in the back to try some of the extras from the buffet line. It was nice to be able to take a peek through the door at how our venue was set-up. At one point, the bride even came into the back room and I felt a bit intrusive eating her food back there. But she commented that she had done the same thing at someone else's wedding, so she understood.
We tried two appetizers - brushetta and veggie crescent squares. Then we each had a Michigan salad with dried cherries and pinenuts. The main course was apricot-lime grilled chicken breast, roast beef with a side of horseradish, roasted potatoes, and green beans almondine. (Sorry there's no photos of the yummy food for you to look at!) We were impressed! We just found ourselves a caterer for the wedding!
Using Pinterest for Wedding Planning
Even before we were engaged, I started a wedding board on Pinterest for all the great ideas and images that I came across online. So when we finally got engaged I already had a lot of inspiration!
Now that I'm in the midst of planning, I've branched out from that original board to create separate boards. I've got one for beauty, another for bridesmaids dresses, and also stationary, centerpieces, etc.
Not only do I pin from websites and blogs (love using the Pin It! tool on my bookmarks bar) but I also browse the wedding category right on Pinterest or use the search bar to find exactly what I'm looking for!
It's also been great to look back on things I've pinned in the past to see how my wedding vision has evolved and changed over time. If you remember back to my Wedding Inspiration blog post from before we got engaged, I had pinned inspiration for more of a rustic barn wedding. Now that wedding is leaning towards more of a modern vintage vibe.
How have you been using Pinterest for wedding planning?
Now that I'm in the midst of planning, I've branched out from that original board to create separate boards. I've got one for beauty, another for bridesmaids dresses, and also stationary, centerpieces, etc.
Not only do I pin from websites and blogs (love using the Pin It! tool on my bookmarks bar) but I also browse the wedding category right on Pinterest or use the search bar to find exactly what I'm looking for!
It's also been great to look back on things I've pinned in the past to see how my wedding vision has evolved and changed over time. If you remember back to my Wedding Inspiration blog post from before we got engaged, I had pinned inspiration for more of a rustic barn wedding. Now that wedding is leaning towards more of a modern vintage vibe.
How have you been using Pinterest for wedding planning?
Choosing a Photographer
After selecting a reception venue, the next task on everyone's to-do list is choosing a photographer, right? Well - it was for me. I wanted to make sure that the photographer I selected would be available and would have plenty of time to get some great engagement photos.
I knew I wanted clear, well-lit photos without all the trendy 'vintage' filters or strange camera angles that I've seen from some photographers. While the vintage Instagram-look is in style right now, I think it'll make your photos look dated, as in "that's so early 2010's". And the crooked camera angles are a bit too contemporary for my taste. What I learned my search is that what I was looking for is called a photo journalistic style.
I was finding that many of the photographers that I found in the metro-Detroit area were quite a bit over my modest budget, so I started looking a bit further west closer to the reception venue.When I moved my search into the Lansing area, I found two contenders. After looking at a few of their full client galleries showing all the photos they shot on the wedding day and compared pricing, I decided that my top pick was Heather Kanillopoolos (formerly of Infiniti Photography.)
My fiance and I traveled to Lansing to meet with Heather of Infiniti Photography at a coffee shop. She was very sweet in person and we ended up chatting for several hours! We signed the contract that day!
I knew I wanted clear, well-lit photos without all the trendy 'vintage' filters or strange camera angles that I've seen from some photographers. While the vintage Instagram-look is in style right now, I think it'll make your photos look dated, as in "that's so early 2010's". And the crooked camera angles are a bit too contemporary for my taste. What I learned my search is that what I was looking for is called a photo journalistic style.
I was finding that many of the photographers that I found in the metro-Detroit area were quite a bit over my modest budget, so I started looking a bit further west closer to the reception venue.When I moved my search into the Lansing area, I found two contenders. After looking at a few of their full client galleries showing all the photos they shot on the wedding day and compared pricing, I decided that my top pick was Heather Kanillopoolos (formerly of Infiniti Photography.)
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| Image © Infiniti Photography |
Finding a Venue - Part 2
Now that a rustic barn venue was out, we needed to take things in a new direction. I knew I didn't want a traditional banquet hall... but we needed something that fit within our budget.
We thought about Indian Springs Metropark in White Lake.
But after receiving the wedding menu from the only caterer allowed in the venue, we realized it wasn't exactly what we wanted.
We looked at GrandLoft in Grand Ledge.
GrandLoft was getting closer to what we wanted, but we decided on the Opera House in Howell.
Our reception will be on the main level with exposed brick walls and wooden floors. But upstairs is the original theatre! I can't wait to take bridal party photos up here!
We thought about Indian Springs Metropark in White Lake.
We looked at GrandLoft in Grand Ledge.
It's a gorgeous vintage building right in the heart of downtown Howell, which is halfway between where we live and where my fiance's family will be coming from...
Finding a Venue - Part 1
After seeing all the gorgeous rustic weddings out there on the wedding blogs, I thought I wanted that for myself.
Greenmead Park in Livonia,
and Tollgate Farms in Novi.
My fiance and I even went and looked at Woldumar Nature Center in Lansing.
But even though all the barn that I've come across have looked so beautiful, we realized it just wasn't us...
Did anyone else come across this in their venue search? Was the wedding you imagined not the wedding that fit you?
I looked into places like Misty Farms in Ann Arbor,
Greenmead Park in Livonia,
Did anyone else come across this in their venue search? Was the wedding you imagined not the wedding that fit you?
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