Website Seedling

I've got a lot to add to it still of course, but finally something has been started.

Thanks SO much to everyone for your support thus far; it means a lot!

Bookmark me and keep the referrals coming! I am so touched that others believe in my abilities and potential enough to recommend me to others!

http://www.abeautifuldayeventsmi.com/

If that does not work yet (it may not be pointing my domain name to to proper domain yet) try this:

http://www.abeautifuldayevents.vpweb.com/

Shelby & Kevin

Ceremony Location: MSU Alumni Chapel

Reception Location: University Club, East Lansing

Wedding Colors: Purple & Green

# Guests: 140

Emergency Kit Items Used: Tape, Pins, lots of Kleenex!

This one was a special one to me because not only are Shelby & Kevin clients, but also friends. I had been on-board to do Shelby's wedding months ago, but in the meantime we became wedding planning friends and then friends "in real life". My husband Dan and I were invited to this wedding as guests, so I readily put him to work for me that day instead of bringing an assistant. I am not sure how much he enjoyed that, but he had no choice in the matter :-)

The day started out bright and early, and we had lost power at home so we started off to East Lansing a bit earlier than planned, dog and all. The reception location, University Club, has Candlewood Suites attached which is where we were to stay that night. I have to give them major thanks for being so accomodating once I told them our situation (no power) and allowing us to check in so much earlier than usual with no additional charges. They also gave me a discounted pet rate.

Dan and I arrived to the MSU Alumni Chapel just as Horrock's was delivering the flowers, so I checked all of those and started pinning bouts on the guys. It is a pretty ceremony location, and as I understand, only MSU alumni (ahem, both Shelby & Kevin are very proud Spartans!) and a select few others are able to use this church. The gorgeous bride arrived a little while later and in good spirits. As she and the girls were getting dressed and ready, my "assistant husband" and I got to attaching pew bows and setting out the other decor/accessories (unity candle, initial letters to hang from the church doors, garland, guest book, programs, rose petals).

The ceremony site coordinator, Sarah, was professional and ran things exactly as needed. In many cases with ceremony sites, intervention by an additional coordinator is not neccessary. As always, I am on-hand and available to step in where needed, but my purpose is not to step on toes. I provided Kleenex for our tearful bride pre-ceremony, fluffed her dress, and off she went. The ceremony started on time and was tearful but very pretty. Upon exit, I had guests take handfuls of fresh flower petals. The bride and groom made their exit as we all tossed the purple rose petals. I cannot wait to see those photos. I am a huge fan of exiting with the rose petals; I really love the photos that result from this.

After cleaning everything out of the church and getting the couple off in their limo, we then headed to the reception site. We were greeted by Janice at University Club and began the setup as discussed. Shelby had a candy buffet, purple uplighting, and 8 miniature angel food cakes with sugar flowers on top of a glass cake stand as her centerpieces. The initial letters we used at the church were attached to the head table. Also, we placed another great floor monogram from Right On The Walls to the dance floor.

Instead of a memory table, two place settings were set with an empty plate and a red rose in memory of Kevin's father and brother who are no longer with us. A very thoughtful touch. We could not find the two red roses anywhere (as it turns out, someone forgot to bring them) so I sent my dear husband out to get some roses. He was a trooper for me that day!!

The University Club staff (Janice and Tricia) were a HUGE help and so very accomodating to anything we needed. It is much appreciated when reception site staff works with the coordinator rather than against them and I could not have asked for more cooperation. They were terrific.

Everything ran smoothly and as planned. There was a minor emergency regarding the music, but luckily we got that problem solved quickly as well. Many thanks to the guest with the IPod!

After the rounds of special dances and some candy buffet refills, I was able to relax and enjoy the party as a guest for a couple of hours. Moonlighting :) Later came pack-up time and we got that done in a flash with a little help from a couple friends and family. Totally not neccessary, but so very appreciated!

Shelby & Kevin, thanks a million for giving me this opportunity to be a part of your day, for welcoming us also as guests, and special thanks to Shelby for all these month as a friend who sincerely cares about people. You are truly one of a kind. Have a WONDERFUL honeymoon in Europe!

* Photographer Samantha Vanderlist of Shutter Sam (http://www.shuttersam.com/); DJ Sean Bouchard of Complete Music DJ's; cake by Roma Bakery * (Update ~ Some pro photos can be seen here)

The happy groom with a wedding gift....

Kristin & Christopher

Ceremony Location: St Aidan Catholic Church

Reception Location: Dearborn Inn

Colors: Hot pink, light pink, black, silver

# Guests: 140

Emergency Kit Items Used: 2 Advil :)

Well what more can I say here ~ Kris and Chris are a gorgeous couple and soooooo nice. The day was sunny and bright for the most part, and by the time it rained, the reception was already in full swing so no worries!

Emerald City was working hard when I arrived and I must say, they really do a beautiful job. EC had provided and set up full-length table linen, chargers, floral centerpieces complete with scattered gems for some sparkle, table numbers, head table swag, pink uplighting, and a full pink rose on each place setting. I was just in the same ballroom at Dearborn Inn two weeks prior and it looked completely different! The uplighting really adds to the atmosphere and makes me wish I'd done some at my own!

Kris had a large floor monogram (http://www.rightonthewalls.com/) that nearly gave me a heart attack, but luckily one of the kind Emerald City workers helped me get it down there. Thanks so much guys!! She also had a framed seating chart done by Kristie at So In Love Invitations, a photo guest book, the photo card box (http://www.theperfectcardbox.com/) some really pretty DIY blinged-out toasting flutes for the bridal party (on top of some GORGEOUS Swarovski ones for the bride & groom), and place cards with cute little logos I believe she also had Kristie do. These logos determined what plate each guest was to have for dinner and they were so cute. I overheard quite a few people, including the DI wait staff, commenting on them.

Again, the Dearborn Inn staff was thorough and professional as always. They don't miss a beat. Everything ran smoothly and on time. The only minor snag of the evening was in regards to the hired cocktail hour pianist; hopefully the company who was to provide them will compensate and resolve the issue as needed.

Thanks to Kris's mom, she was a real doll ~ and also to Ed and Adrienne from Memories of Yesterday Video (http://www.memoriesofyesterdayvideo.com/), it was SO nice working with then, they were terrific and SO nice to talk to! Families and vendors like them are part of the reason I LOVE doing this! Also part of the "team" that night were Matt Candela (another great DJ from Mike Staff Productions) and photographer Jason Samkowiak (some pro photos now located here). Thank you, thank you, thank you! The lovely bride and groom seemed SUPER happy with everyone.

Congratulations Kris & Chris, have FUN FUN FUN at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica!! I wish I could sneak in your suitcases! ;-)

Jane & Craig

Ceremony & Reception Location: Dearborn Inn

Wedding Color: Clover Green

Guests: 140

Emergency Kit Items Used: Clear nail polish, on myself, I ran my nylons!!

Some pro photo peeks located here.

Jane & Craig were set to get married outdoors on the Dearborn Inn grounds by the gazebo, and she was worried about rain. What a beautiful day it turned out to be, no rain at all! Dearborn Inn has beautiful grounds and gardens, and a terrific area for photos with all of the replica homes that surround the gazebo area. For the ceremony, we set up shepherd's hooks down the aisle, and hung Jane's DIY pommanders from them. I had a bit of trouble getting some in to the ground in some areas, they just wouldn't budge. But, after some rearranging, I finally got them to line up fairly well, though some just refused to go in to the ground any further. I guess I am a little nutty about things lining up just right sometimes!

Jane had a very extensive candy buffet, lots of containers! This took a majority of the time to set up and I was glad we had plenty of time. Jane had made it very easy by putting the candy she wanted in each container IN the actual container, but bagged so it would not fly loose and spill in the storage boxes. Ladies, if you do this, it's SO HELPFUL and makes the candy buffet set-up so much easier for me (much appreciated!), but you might want to pack some extra stuffing material to be used later when it's time to pack the containers back up. I had re-bagged the candy at the end of the night but was lacking stuffing material to put inside the containers later...because, of course, the candy stock was significantly depleted through the night :-)

People seemed to have a blast with the candy buffet though, the candy cigarettes were snatched up quickly! "Retro" candy seems to bring back a memory of childhood in some, and it's fun to watch people enjoying something so much.

Also for the decor, Jane had purchased some thundersticks at the last minute, an idea she had gotten that very week from another bride. To be quite honest, I wasn't exactly sure what "thundersticks" were!! Ah, those noise-makers that are popular at sports events, got it! (I am not a huge sports event attendee, obviously!) A set of thundersticks were criss-crossed on each guest chair and a little note of directions for them was placed on each place setting. Upon bride and groom arrival, the guests made lots of noise! Very neat idea, I can see this becoming a very popular trend when others catch on.

Dearborn Inn really has their ducks in a row when it comes to hospitality. There was a banquet captain in the room all night and also the booking manager was there until around 10:00 p.m. In a case like this, I prefer to allow them to do what they do best while still remain on-hand "just in case", but DI truly needed no "babysitting". They coordinated all of the events of the night as needed and my assistance at the reception was limited / not as neccessary. My time after dinner was filled by replenishing the candy buffet and watching guests enjoy their evening. A coney hot dog station was rolled out in the bar area later which people seemed very excited about.

The other vendors of the night had great personalities and were easy to talk to: Rafael of Memories Forever, Kris of Kreativ Imaging and his really sweet assistant, and Ron of Disc Jockey Productions.

Jane & Craig, I hope you are having a wonderful time in Jamaica at Sandals Dunn's River! This is the same resort we went to in April and we didn't want to come home! Congratulations!

Current Bookings/Unavailable Dates

I know, I know....I need to get a website started :-) This is all in the works; I just didn't expect things to happen so quickly here!!

Thanks so much for your patience!

I am currently booked or unavailable on the following dates:

5-22-09 (Fri)
5-24-09 (Sun)
6-6-09 (Sat)
6-13-09 (Sat)
6-20-09 (Sat)
6-27-09 (Sat)
7-10-09 (Fri)
7-17-09 (Fri)
8-8-09 (Sat)
8-9-09 (Sun)
8-21-09 (Fri)
8-22-09 (Sat)
9-13-09 (Sun)
9-19-09 (Sat)
10-10-09 (Sat)
4-17-10 (Sat)

I will try to keep this updated and get a website up and running real soon!

Reception Package!

While I can certainly assist at your wedding ceremony if needed, many ceremony sites provide a coordinator on-site as part of their contract to you. Also consider your ceremony time, which could possibly overlap with the time needed for me to set up items at your reception site. Please also consider the 10-hour package and that it will probably take about 30 minutes to an hour after your reception ends for me to pack things up, depending on what items need to be put away. Additional time is absolutely an option as well.

With the reception package, I will arrive at your reception venue early (time all depends on how extensive the set up is, and what time the venue will allow vendor entry) to set things up. I will make sure your vendors have arrived as specified in your contract with them. I will light all candles and walk through the reception room to make sure everything has been done as you have specified.

I will handle many other assorted situations as they arise, and try to solve any minor issues within my power. You will likely not know about some of these issues until after your wedding night, as this is your day and I will do my best to make it as stress-free as possible for you!

Here is an example of what the reception package includes.

• Initial meeting consultation, plus one additional meeting to finalize
• 10 Consecutive hours of service on wedding day*
• Unlimited phone & email communication from date of contract
• Contact vendors to confirm any details as needed
• Assist with wedding day time line
• Manage vendor decor and setup at reception site
• Set up basic items (table numbers, place cards, cake knives, etc)
• Coordinate entertainment & announcements/events during the reception
• Distribute any balances or tips to vendors
• Take down/pack up any personal or rented items used at reception
• Ensure event is running as close to time line as possible
• Provide Bridal emergency kit (lint roller, sewing kit, etc)

* More hours available at additional charge

** Centerpieces or extensive decor may require more time and therefore may be subject to additional charge

Stephanie & Daniel

Ceremony: White House Wedding Chapel
Reception: Crank's Catering
Colors: Hot Pink & Black
Guests: 175

Saftey Pins Used: 2

Stephanie had expressed a need for limited assistance the day of her wedding, lighting all of her candles (and boy were there a lot of them!!), making sure vendors arrived, and also packing up at the end of the night.

Stephanie did not need any help with the venue setup of her wedding decor/accessories and the ceremony site had its own coordinator. She and her bridesmaids had set up all of the favors, centerpieces, etc, the Friday prior to the wedding.

I arrived at Crank's around 4:00 p.m. just go look around and get a feel for things. I was pleased at the clothing I had chosen that day, I had un-knowingly matched Stephanie's wedding colors! Since I came in to this late in the game for her, I was not able to visit the site ahead of time, but it really wasn't neccessary since the assistance needed was limited. As mentioned, she had been in there the day before the wedding to set up her table decor. I found a water glass missing here, a napkin there, a knife turned the wrong way here....no major mistakes, easily corrected. I also made sure the 2nd head table was more centered as Stephanie had requested, and fixed the flower petals and centerpiece on it after the staff had moved the table. What I didn't remove before the table move had shifted gotten a little messed up.

As the guests arrived, I greeted them in the lobby by the place card table, encouraged them to write a message for the couple's "wishing bowl", let them know where the coat room and restrooms were. Since Stephanie had nice chair covers on her chairs, I think it's nice to encourage guests to hang their coats in the coat room instead of on top of the chair covers.

The bridal party arrived as scheduled and were announced and the night began as it should. Stephanie and Daniel were a fairly low-maintenance couple. I approached them a few times to get them drinks (at my wedding after talking to so many people, I was hot and parched, and wished someone would have thought to grab us some drinks occasionally!). Later on there were some family birthdays to celebrate which Stephanie had her baker to make 2 extra small cakes for, stored back in the kitchen. I coordinated with the staff and DJ to bring the cakes out and announce the surprise. I had birthday candles in my "emergency kit" but Crank's had these neat sparkler-like candles they could provide, so we used those instead.

Later on in the night, the hallway to the bathroom was pitch black when it had been lit earlier, so I asked the staff to check on that. Turns out both light bulbs had blown. The ladies room had a stopped up toilet and one stall had run out of paper, and I asked the staff to correct that too. Other than that, no major problems or disasters happened. I was mistaken for banquet staff a few times which is understandable. But, I had spoken with some of the staff members ahead of time to let them know that I was there to help, and absolutely not to step on their toes or make unreasonable demands. I am not a big fan of people on a power trip myself! We all should have one common goal, which is the satisfaction of the couple who just got married!

I was very glad to have been able to be there with Tyson from Rock The Booth. RTB did the photo booth for my own reception just a week prior. It was fun seeing the booth in action and the guests having such a good time with it. It was also nice to have a familiar friendly face to chat with through the night during down times. The DJ Kerry from Mike Staff Productions was great to talk to as well.

Congratulations Stephanie & Daniel!