All of us unmarried gals over here at IBT are taking notes on this stunner on our wedding blog today. We’ve ooo’ed and ahhh’ed at this elegant Michigan wedding and know you’ll do the same. The
cascading floral arrangements, the bride’s Paloma Blanca gown, and the incredible food display are just a few of our favorite things. The gorgeous bride dotes on her new husband as she writes this beautiful description of their day. And if this doesn’t strike your tear glands, their
wedding video will!
Brad and I wanted our wedding to be relaxed and casual with a touch of elegance and sophistication. Throughout the whole wedding planning process, Brad and I stayed very true to ourselves. Our wedding was going to be what we wanted, not what was expected.
I married my best friend, my favorite person in the world! My favorite memory from our wedding was the first time I saw Brad as I was walking down the aisle at the church – as my dad said, I was a little teary but full of love. We chose not to do a first look before the ceremony and I’m so glad we didn’t because that moment we shared seeing each other for the first time before we said our vows was so special – I know I will remember that feeling forever. I also loved our first dance as husband and wife. Brad calls me his “Apple” – we danced to Amos Lee “Sweet Pea”. I will forever hear that song and remember how I felt in that moment. Loving Brad is so easy – I love his generosity, his compassion, his drive, his gentleness, his strength but most of all, I love the way he loves me – his love is unlike any other feeling I have ever felt before. I feel so blessed and so proud to be Brad’s wife.
Our ceremony was held at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church. St. Paul on the Lake, built in 1834, is statuesque and breathtakingly gorgeous. The front doors open up to a beautiful backdrop of Lake St. Clair. We decided to keep the church décor very simple, only having seeded eucalyptus tied with ivory ribbon on the pews. We really wanted our guests to be as in “awe” of the church’s beauty as we are every Sunday.
We wanted a traditional Catholic ceremony, an outdoor reception with good food & band, a small bridal party, and an elegant atmosphere with a casual feel. Our reception was held on the Bowling Green at the Country Club of Detroit. We really relied on the natural beauty of our venue and flowers for the decor/theme of our wedding. Kate and her team at New Creations Flower Co. were able to bring my dream vision to a reality. I wanted bright pops of color and lots of greens to incorporate the outdoor setting of our reception space. Kate used the complete spectrum of colors from red to ivory showcased with garden roses, tulips, ranunculus, hydrangeas, anemones, and eucalyptus to create the most insanely beautiful head table I have ever seen! One of my favorite little details was the flower crown she created that matched my bouquet to wear during our reception.
My dress was the second dress I ever tried on. The combination of the lace bodice and the silk organza skirt with the lace trim was just beautiful to me, classic and whimsy. I paired the gown with a lace trim veil for the ceremony and flower crown for our reception which was a complete reflection of my personality and “so me” as I heard often throughout the wedding night. Our wedding day was lovely and romantic, casual and elegant, held in an outdoor setting full of lush florals and greenery. My dress was a perfect complement to our wedding day atmosphere; I have never felt so beautiful.
Our cocktail hour was hosted outside on the terrace at the club. Our signature drink (Brad’s favorite) was a John Daly that was passed with a cute gold and white striped straw during cocktail hour. We had working food stations set up for dinner on the Bowling Green to create a “cocktail party” vibe. Our menu was custom created by the amazingly talented Master Certified Chef, Brian Beland. Food was a big importance for our wedding day. I come from a strong Italian heritage and we planned to honeymoon in Italy, so we decided our menu should have an Italian theme. Brian surpassed all of our expectations with a beautifully crafted Italian menu with modern and rustic twists from Grilled Peach and Arugula Flat-bread Pizza, Lobster Risotto, to Balsamic Braised Short Ribs with Charred Onion, Kale, and Tomatoes. The Antipasti Station was a seemingly endless array of pure deliciousness. For dessert, we opted out of the traditional wedding cake and had “Mini Indulgences” were served in petite mason jars so that guests could have a few bites of many different seasonally crafted desserts.
Since personal touches were so critical to our day, we wanted to include a hint of DIY in all of the décor elements. Whether it was a vendor from Etsy or created with love by myself, all of the “pretty little touches” were uniquely special and hand-picked by Brad and I. I collected unique frames throughout our engagement and printed out all of my favorite love quotes (over 60 of them!) to frame and to put around the reception. I also made the moss-covered table numbers – I am still so proud of them! The chair signs were a custom made listing on Etsy to bring in the Italian rustic feel: “avere” & “tenere” translate to “to have” & “to hold” in Italian. These romantic little details combined with the natural beauty of the greens and floral arrangements gave off the ‘casual elegance’ that we had been dreaming of. Our guest books were coffee table books that represented our favorite passions – mine being high fashion, Brad’s being architecture design and real estate.
At the end of the night, my new husband and I took a moment alone together to reflect on our picture-perfect day. The sky was moon-lit, the weather was perfect, the bistro lights were glowing, and the Motown music was jamming! I will never forget that feeling I had on September 6, 2014, looking out at our friends and family that had gathered from near and far to join us to celebrate the love we have for one another. I love our love, we really are the lucky ones!
Vendors
Floral Design: New Creations Flower Company
Photography: Durling Photography
Welcome, Dinner Menu & Bar Signs: Etsy, Chalkit2me
Lighting: Top That! Event
“B” “E” Moss Letters: Etsy, Hawthornehill
Wedding Dress Shop: Elizabeth’s Bridal Manor
Getting Ready Shortie Sets & Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar
Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca
Maid Of Honor Dress: Zimmermann
Rings: NYJ Chicago
Band: The Saints Of Soul
Table Numbers: Bride DIY
Signage: Etsy, Pugandpaper
Bouquet Ribbons: Etsy, Oatmeallacedesign
Handkerchiefs: Etsy, ThePolkaDottedBee
Chair Signs: Etsy, SugarAndChicShop
Videography: Blue Racer Productions
Bride’s Earings: Kate Spade
Bride’s Bracelet: Jenny Packham
Wow, this is beautiful!! I love all the large floral arrangements! Thanks for including the bride’s story, so beautiful!
Beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple
seriously…this is stunning!