outdoor garden style bridal shower

this past saturday we had the pleasure of assisting one of our previous clients in planning a co-ed bridal shower for her & her new husbands friends.  the skies looked threatening all day, so thank goodness the shower was under a pavilion at a nearby park.  of course i forgot to take pictures of half the detail items (ugh) but here are a few that i managed to sneak in during the day!

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
www.petalsplanningco.com

weddings at planterra

i met with one of our 2012 brides today at her wedding venue....planterra.  planterra is located in west bloomfield near 14 mile & drake and is a stunning venue for a wedding.  it is an indoor conservatory and retail store that is full of amazing things from old vintage birdcages to rare pencil cacti.  


planterra is not air conditioned and therefore has the best temperature control from september through may, making it an ideal location for a winter wedding.  the space can accommodate up to 200 guests and the floor plan options are endless.  the facility has bathrooms and a bridal suite on site.

you may contact shane at planterra for pricing information - spliska@planterra.com

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

www.petalsplanningco.com

bridal shower gift

i am a huge fan of buying gifts off registries.  it's a safe bet - you know your gift is wanted and will be used.  however, every once in a while something comes along that you can't register for, but is one of the most amazing gifts (and something I wouldn't mind myself).  my dearest friend stacy who owns The Gown Shop turned me on to this specific item and i die.  behold:

the coolest thing about this item is that 1) you can get any state you want, and 2) you can have the heart put in any city.   how amazing!?  click here for the link to this awesomeness on etsy - seriously, awesome.

to all my friends and clients getting married - you will likely see this cutting board live and in person...perhaps in the form of a gift (especially if you are attending a bridal shower at Misty Farms on August 28, 2011)  *wink wink*

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Dessert Table by Domestic Arts

We celebrated my daughter's 2nd birthday party on Sunday and boy did we have fun!  She wore her pink princess party dress with a cupcake on it and boy did she look cute (but I'm not biased or anything) ;)


Tanya from Domestic Arts (custom cakes & sweet things) made Kennedy's birthday cake & cupcakes to go along with it.  Think strawberry cheesecake, lemon, chocolate, and my favorite...coconut mango!!!


One (of the many) things I love about Tanya is that she has chickens on her property and uses her own eggs in all of her baking creations - so eco-friendly!


Tanya completely exceeded my expectations - I gave her creative freedom with just a basic theme and look what she did...


Tanya - I cannot thank you enough!!!!! <3 <3 <3

courtney@petalsplanningco.com
www.petalsplanningco.com

Misty Farms

Quite a few people contact me to ask how much it costs to have a wedding at Misty Farms...between property rental and additional rental items...it all depends...

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...on how many rental items you need, including tables, chairs, linens, tent, plus any additional extras (such as clean up).  In addition, they are always making improvements to the Misty Farm property, such as the installation of two new gorgeous copper bars in both barns.

Contact Kelly Frutig at Misty Farms for more detailed information:


kelly@mistyfarmevents.com
734-355-3543

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

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

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/

Green & Eco-Friendly Save-the-Dates

One of the more popular and creative ways to be green during the wedding planning process is to send out a video or an e-card save-the-date in lieu of the traditional magnet or paper product.  
Here are some neat save-the-date videos:


Lex & Loren - Engagement/Save the date! from Brinton Films on Vimeo.


Elyana & Khairul (Save The Date) - by CST 2.0 from cstproduction on Vimeo.

We have yet to come across a local couple who has also used a video as their wedding invitation - how cool would that be!?  Do you know of anyone who has done this?  If so, please share!!!

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

Green & Eco-Friendly Engagement Rings & Wedding Bands

First of all, what girl doesn't love diamonds?  We all dream of the perfect engagement ring, one that represents us and all that we are.  We found this amazing company called ila&i.  They are based out of Houston, Texas and make beautiful, beautiful, beautiful jewelry!!!  So how do they fall into the green and eco-friendly category?  Here's how:

"At ila & i, we believe that some of the most astounding and beautiful design is found in our natural surroundings. Much of our inspiration comes from what we see and feel around us, so to us designing should be approached holistically. We cannot ignore our responsibility to preserve the beauty around us. To accomplish this we’ve set off on a better foot. Here is a growing list of what we are doing:"

"1.  ila&i's jewelry is made from recycled & reclaimed precious metal. Recycled & reclaimed metal means no new mines were dug to create our pieces."

"2. We make every effort to use human-friendly stones in our pieces. Both Ila and I personally handpick our diamonds and colored stones. We source directly from the cutting factories, so we know where our diamonds and precious stones originate."

"3. Made In U.S.A: Everything from our jewelry to our website is designed and created at ila&i. This is about keeping a level of quality in our design and quality in our relationship with our growing ila&i family."

"4. ila&i strives to be as digital as possible. Our entire manufacturing and accounting is managed digitally. That’s really the nerd in us. Thank you Google!"

"5. Our printers are stocked with 100% recycled paper, all of our packaging is first reused then recycled, and our plastic and metals are all recycled."

Aren't these beautiful????  They also make hairpins, necklaces and earrings!  Check out their to die for website at http://ilaandi.com :)
 
courtney@petalsplanningco.com
http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Green & Eco-Friendly Wedding Planning Series - Wedding Dresses!

There is a big movement, especially here in Ann Arbor, to use not only local, but eco-friendly and "green" resources when possible.   We have FABULOUS local vendors that I could spend days writing about, but we wanted to search the nation to see what other amazing resources were out there for you brides!  From your wedding dress to your rings, invitations, flowers, wedding favors...the list goes on....there are amazing resources that you need to know about.  This is the first post (in a series of posts) about green & eco-friendly wedding planning where we explore each detail of your wedding, one at a time. 

First topic - your WEDDING DRESS!! :)  For all you local gals, you must check out The Gown Shop Ann Arbor - Designer Amy Kuschel was just featured in the Spring 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings.  Stacy Fork, owner of The Gown Shop Ann Abor, has created the most beautiful space and her customer service is top notch.  Click here to read more about Stacy and her amazing store.


But what else is out there?  Well, we found designer Morgan Boszilkov, based out of Atlanta, Georgia and owner of Natural Bridals.   Mogans collection represents an eco-friendly alternative to a designer wedding gown made with traditional material.
Morgan's designs are inspired by her travels in Europe and Asia and by everything in nature. She has boundless creative energy and enthusiasm for bringing an eco-friendly option to the modern bride.  She is commited to social and environmental responsibility and contributes 5% of her profits to organizations that support the environment - how greatt is that?  Here are a few of her gowns:

Carmen

Charlotte

Louisa

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

Got Milk Glass?

We LOVE milk glass incorporated into wedding decor for many reasons; it is versatile, fun, and comes in all shapes and sizes from vases, cups, saucers, and glasses to cake stands.  It looks amazing with any color and you can use milk glass as the main focus for your centerpieces, as the theme for your overall wedding, or as compliments to your other decor.  It is easy, inexpensive, and looks absolutely beautiful!  Milk glass is so versatile, it can be used for vintage wedding decor, modern wedding decor, and anything in between!  If you are looking for milk glass in Ann Arbor try the ReUse Center at 2420 South Industrial Highway. 

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

Your Wedding Website

 You're engaged!!!!  Now what? 


You've started compiling your guest list, searching out the perfect ceremony and reception venues, and researching photographers, dj's/bands, florists, etc.  Have you also started to think about putting together a wedding website?

With most everyone having access to the internet, and social media sites such as facebook and twitter allowing you to easily share information to 1,000 of your closest friends, more and more couples are relying on their wedding websites to manage their guest list and RSVP's - a much more eco-friendly option!  Even Prince William and Kate...errrr, I mean Catherine...Middleton have a website!


The most common sites to use to host your wedding website are:  The Knot, My Wedding, Wedding Wire, Wedding Paper Divas, and E-Wedding.  Of course there are a TON of places that will host your website for you - these three are just the ones I have seen used the most.


Wedding websites are helpful for keeping guests up to date on accommodations, directions, and sharing news about the bridal party, gift registry, and even keeping track of RSVP's.  BEWARE:  creating a wedding website does take time.  A recent bride told me worked on it for over 2 months, just doing a little bit at a time until all the bigger details were arranged.  Her wedding takes place in Ann Arbor on home football Saturday so she needed to get the word out that hotels book up fast and to encourage her guests to reserve a room ASAP. 

Another advantage of a wedding website is it cuts down the number of phone calls, emails, and questions guests will have about your wedding day - and that will save you a lot of time!  (and stress) :)


While the time it takes to get an website up and running can be a little tedious, it is SO worth it in the long run!  And if you need help...ask a friend, family member or your wedding planner! :)

Photo Credit

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

Introducing....CONCOURSE HALL!

It makes my day when I find a new wedding ceremony and/or reception venue in Ann Arbor.  It seems like there can never be enough spaces for all of our wonderful brides, grooms, their friends and families.  My good friend Donnie from The Produce Station (a FABULOUS caterer) pointed me in the direction of Concourse Hall.  Located right off I-94 just past the intersection of State Street & Ellsworth, it is a big, open, blank slate of space waiting to be decorated just the way you want!

Here are the details:

- parking available right on-site for 88 cars
- Seats 160 people with room for dancing
- includes 20 sixty inch round tables & 160 navy blue plastic chairs
- use of kitchen area and all dishes, pitchers, silverware, mugs, glasses in the kitchen
- coat closet (coat check is separate and would have to brought in from outside)
- loft area perfect for pictures, cocktail hour, lounge area, or extra reception area
- includes stage, piano and sound system ($25 extra for podium and $150 extra for tech to run sound system)
- PRICE: 
**you will want to rent the space for the full day for a wedding reception to allow ample time for set up!**

              Fridays: 8 am - whenever = $700
                           5 pm - whenever = $450

          Saturdays: 8 am - whenever = $800
                           5 pm - whenever = $500

           Sundays:   8 am - whenever = $400
                           5 pm - whenever = $200

**you are reading correctly - there is no specific end time...you can use the space until as LATE as you want!**



View from the loft area

table and chairs that are included with price of facility rental

the stage



 gretchen, the owner, highly encourages recycling...which I LOVE!!!!

What I love about this space is that it is a blank slate.  You can bring in any lighting, draping, tables, linens, decor that you want and make this space your own :)

Feel free to call or email me with any questions you have about the space!  They also have an online calendar you can check for availability at http://www.aactmad.org/ - contact at Concourse Hall is Gretchen Preston - gretchen.preston@gretchenshouse.com

 

courtney@petalsplanningco.com

http://www.petalsplanningco.com/

Homemade Soap

My good friend Holly of Sweet Pea Floral Design makes homemade soaps that she sells on Etsy.  Her soaps are all organic, smell absolutely heavenly, and are made with love <3.  They make great bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts (the rosemary lemon mint if GREAT for shaving), wedding favors, valentines day gifts (hint, hint), or gifts for any other special occassion!  The soaps are $4.50/each or 5 for $20.  Enjoy!

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