Something Old

In honor of the upcoming premiere of the movie "Something Borrowed" (which I am dying to see...) I have decided to do a series of posts on the wedding traditions of "Something Old, Something New, Something  Borrowed & Something Blue."

Your "Something Old" could be as simple as your mother or grandmother's engagement ring...

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Using part of your mother or grandmother's wedding dress to wrap your bouquet in...

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...or using your father or grandfather's bible for your ceremony

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What was your "Something Old?"

 

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com

Happy Easter!

 Love these color palettes inspired by Easter...hope you are inspired!

photos courtesy of design seeds

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

A Family of Four!

Hi everyone!

So Rylie has been with us for a little over a week now and we are slowly adjusting to life as a family of FOUR!!!  It still feels so weird to type that and think that way...

Anyhow, Rylie loves to sleep and eat and gained 2 ounces in her first four days of life!  Go Rylie! 

I am pretty much back to work, although still a little slower to respond to emails than normal...so thank you all for your patience!

Here is a peek at our little cutie...

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Photo Booths

Photo Booths are a very fun accessory for any wedding!  It's a fun and interactive way to get your guests involved and keep them entertained all night.  The Photo Booths come with a person to manage them throughout the evening and you can even select to have your guest book made of all the Photo Booth pictures - it's such a fun way to remember the day.   Some great companies here in Michigan are:


Shutter Booth


Rock the Booth


MI Photo Booth


Last year at one of our weddings Lyndsay and I snuck into the Photo Booth and took this picture:

Notice that the couples logo that is printed on the bottom of the photo print out - what a great memory for your guests!

http://www.blogger.com/goog_43708781
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Rehearsal Dinner in Downtown Ann Arbor | The Original Cottage Inn

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A few weeks ago I did a post on Vinology as a fabulous option for a rehearsal dinner in downtown Ann Arbor.  Another great option, and one that is a little more casual, yet very unique to Ann Arbor, is the Original Cottage Inn. 

Located right in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor's State Street shopping are, Cottage Inn offers a great Italian menu and a low-key, laid back atmosphere.  It is also right next door to First Congregational Church, and across the street from St. Mary's, making it very convenient for you and your guests to walk on over after the rehearsal.

There are two main areas where your rehearsal dinner could be held, either upstairs on the top level in a banquet room, or downstairs in the basement (where the UM hockey team celebrates and eats post game).  We used the banquet room upstairs for the celebration of my daugher's baptism and the basement for my mom's surprise 50th birthday party. 

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courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Welcome to the world Rylie...

Today is one of the most memorable days of my life.  Today we will welcome another daughter, Rylie Ann McDonald.  While this pregnancy has not been easy, and I have anxiously been waiting for almost 40 weeks to meet this little bean, I have been graciously surrounded by amazing friends and family who have supported me through it all.  THANK YOU!

There have been times when I felt as though I couldn't do it anymore.  I couldn't be a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend & business owner all at the same time.  I cannot lie and say the past 40 weeks have not been trying at times - in fact...all the time. 

But this year I have been blessed to meet some absolutely AMAZING people in this industry who aren't afraid to share their struggles with me and who are a constant encouragement to me.  You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This is the last post I will write where I will be a mom to one daughter...after 8 a.m. today I will have two precious beans to love on. 

Here is one last picture of our sweet family of three...soon to be family of four :)  You can see pics of sweet Rylie on my facebook page...she will debut on the blog a little bit later!

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Elements of Surprise

Every wedding should have an element of surprise for the guests...something they are not expecting.  Whether that is your entrance into the reception choreographed to outrageous music, or a surprise visit from your favorite college mascot, there are some really fun and unique ways to set your wedding apart from the others:

Signature cocktail anyone?

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 Coffee lover?  Why not treat your guests to a latte or cappucino bar complete with a barista?

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*a great local resource for an espresso bar is "La 'Perfertto Cappuccino" out of Hartland, Michigan*
248-889-7993 or laperfetto@earthlink.net

If I was to get married again I would have an ice cream truck...YUM!

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courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/



Green & Eco-Friendly Dessert

By green & eco-friendly dessert, I mean companies who take pride in using the most fresh and local ingredients available to them.  As a small business owner I take pride in working with and promoting fellow small business owners within the Ann Arbor community.  We have some amazing talent, and I am proud to work alongside them! 

Sweet Heather Anne

Heather's tagline is "lovely cakes made with local ingredients" and that truly says it all.  Heather is one of the sweetest, talented, and sincere people I have ever met.  She takes great pride in her work and her business, and is such an inspiration! 

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Domestic Arts (Custom Cakes & Sweet Things)

Tanya Luz, owner of Domestic Arts, is one amazing person.  I met her recently at a networking event, and then shortly after found out one of my clients was (unexpectedly) doing a cake consultation with her!  I couldn't have been happier ; one unique thing about Tanya and her business is she uses her own home grown eggs from chickens that she raises on her property.  Tanya's customer service is out of this world, my clients walked away from the consultation feeling like family, and also with way more cupcakes than they knew what to do with!  Good thing I am 9 months pregnant and happily indulged in their leftovers :)

Gwen's Cake Decorating and Etc.

I had the pleasure of working with Gwen on Jessica & Brian's wedding last year at the Dearborn Inn.  Gwen works out of Saline, Michigan and her cakes are wonderful!  All night the guests kept complimenting the cakes and asking who the baker was!

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Michelle Vincent of "Let Them Eat Cake"

Michelle is relatively new to the cake business and has turned a hobby of hers into some beautiful and breathtaking creations.  She is from the small town of Manchester, and makes everything from scratch, every time.  She did a gluten-free cake last summer for one of our clients, and hit it spot on...gluten-free cherry chip, and none of the guests even knew it was gluten-free!  So if any of you out there are looking for an out of this world gluten-free cake...Michelle is your gal - you can contact her at redm57@aol.com

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Green & Eco-Friendly Wedding Venues

Ann Arbor is so blessed with some amazing barns and outdoor locations full of beautiful landscaping, flowers, and overall aesthetics.  Sometimes the impact statement of your wedding already exists - you just have to find it. 

All of these places also have an indoor component, and they allow you to bring in your own vendors so you can choose what tables, linens, flowers, food, etc. is chosen for your green and eco-friendly weddding.  I think these pictures really speak for themselves, and I must say...the photographers who took these pictures are without a doubt at the top of my list of not only amazing photographers, but amazing people...Amy Carroll, Abby Rose & A Girl In Love (Melissa Squires).

Misty Farms

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Cobblestone Farms



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Matthei Botanical Gardens

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courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Green & Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors & Details

In lieu of traditional favors you could donate money to charity in the names of each of your guests, or you could give each of them a recycled tote bag, such as the one below from Dream Green Weddings:

How about letting each guest indulge in a jar of your favorite homemade jam?

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We also love the idea of reusing your mother and grandmothers vintage china, old pictures and family heirlooms.

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/



Green & Eco-Friendly Decor

This post needs no explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.

The company Dedon is very environmentally conscious from it's products to it's factories.  You can read all about their devotion to ecology here. 

Now, who wants to use these!?

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/