Happy First Wedding Anniversary to ME!

Hearts and Flowers in Dexter Michigan exceeded my expectations in every way




Amazing cupcakes from Cake Nouveau in Ann Arbor




The STUNNING Dearborn Inn where we tied the knot!



After having a child I feel as though my memory is slightly less stellar than it was before, however, December 13th 2008 will never escape my memory. That is the day I became Mrs. Courtney McDonald. Our wedding was planned in seven weeks, mostly thanks to the help of my mom and sister, and my fiance at the time was living in Virginia. It was a very stressful time to say the least.



My husbands family is from Dearborn, Northville, and Plymouth and my family is from Ann Arbor. I searched high and low for venues with nothing particular in mind. Availability was a huge factor given my seven week deadline, and price played a large role in my decision as well. December is wedding "off season" so I was able to get great value having my wedding in the middle of winter. Lisa, at the Dearborn Inn http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dtwdi-the-dearborn-inn-a-marriott-hotel/ was amazing! She negotiated all types of rates for me and was able to work with me on such short notice. We had the wedding in one ballroom, a cocktail hour in the hallway while the reception was being set up, and the reception in a completely different ballroom.



I knew from the beginning that I did not want a traditional cake, I wanted cupcakes. Cake Nouveau in Ann Arbor had supplied cupcakes for a few corporate functions I attended, so I made a beeline straight there for my wedding cupcakes. Courtney, the owner of Cake Nouveau, was amazing and was able to squeeze my order in amid the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season. Thanks Courtney! My wedding colors were navy and gold (not Michigan colors and certainly not Notre Dame colors). Courtney and her team did an amazing job at translating my vision into reality. http://www.cakenouveau.com/



Our wedding party was small, three people on each side. The girls found their dresses at Ann Taylor on clearance and were able to get them for under $100 each (I think it was closer to $60!!!). The guys wore suits already hanging in their closets.



My flowers were from Hearts and Flowers in Dexter Michigan. Those ladies are INCREDIBLE! They had wonderful suggestions and were more than willing to work with our budget. They were professional, fun, and full of wonderful ideas. They were on time with the bouquets and centerpieces the day of the wedding and therefore eased some of my stress.



Chair cover express supplied the chair covers for my big day and they were great as well. Very easy to work with, professional, and most importantly on schedule the day of my wedding :) http://www.chaircoverexpress.com/



Katy Baty was the soloist at my wedding and she was absolutely INCREDIBLE!



Daniel Long was the DJ and he was out of this world!



My hair and the bridesmaids hair was done by Carla Agius of Little Shop of Haircuts out of Hamburg Michigan - thanks Carla!



Most of all, a HUGE thank you to the Dearborn Inn. Their staff was AMAZING and took care of every little detail including taking care of the gifts at the end of the reception, saving the leftover cupcakes for us to enjoy the next morning at brunch, keeping the bar open for the bridal party during dinner, and overall making our experience absolutely FANTASTIC! Words cannot express how much I appreciate all of their staff.

A huge thank you to:

Doug & Laurel
Allan
Trish
Katie
Amb
Tony
Joe
John

...and of course to my wonderful hubby!