What a Wonderful Wedding Season!

You may have noticed a lack of blogging from the Events North office the past two weeks. We apologize profusely, but we were knee-deep in wedding season (in Meaghan's case, literally- her side of the office was almost consumed by boxes full of decor, crafting, gifts...the Fedex employees now know her by name).

We adore all of the clients we work with and these two couples were no exception. Jackie & Drew and Ashley & David were simply a blast to work with. From the moment we met them to the final hug goodbye- there was never a dull moment. Plus, they are some lovely looking couples- we cannot wait to share their wedding photos as soon as we receive them!

Not only have our brides and grooms been great the past two weekends- all of the vendors we worked with have been nothing short of fantastic. Because of that, we would like to use this week's blog post to give a shout out to all of the exceptional individuals and companies we had the chance to work with at these two weddings. We'll start out with Jackie & Drew's wedding, since that was the first of the two so that just makes the most sense.

Jackie and Drew held their rehearsal dinner at the fabulous Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery. Channing and her staff not only turned over the room in record time, they were the perfect example of what a hospitable staff should be. Grandview Catering provided the rehearsal dinner spread, which was (as usual) mouth-wateringly delicious. I'm still dreaming about their pulled pork and vegetable skewers.

The wedding took place at Snow Moon Ranch. If you haven't visited, I highly recommend it. Not only is Juliet, the owner, completely wonderful- the view from the ceremony site is outstanding, the rustic barn setting is perfection...and it's a llama farm. Way too fun, we know.

This was the backdrop at the Snow Moon Ranch. Northern Michigan at its finest!

Jackie and Drew could not have chosen a better assortment of vendors. We had such a wonderful time working with all of them both pre-event and on-site. Catering was provided by Epicure Catering. Cammie and her entire staff simply blew us away. Not only were the meals exceptional, their presentation was great and their professionalism on-site was extremely impressive. They even provided late-night sweet potato fries and black bean burger sliders- what's not to love!?

The cake for the evening was created by Aunt B's Cakes. It was truly a work of art (and the guests mentioned more than a few times that it was absolutely delicious). Aunt B's even created pine cones out of chocolate- incredible. We know.  While we're on the subject of works of art, we cannot forget to mention Derek and his crew at the Floral Underground for their unbelievable centerpieces and floral designs. The Floral Underground always surpasses any expectations we have, but these centerpieces were outstanding. No centerpiece was the same- we really do not know how Derek's creative brain works, but he nails his floral designs every time.

The reception entertainment for the evening was provided by Dan at 2Bays DJs, who had the wedding guests out on the dance floor from the first song all the way until the very last one. 2Bays DJs is one of our favorite Northern Michigan DJ companies- we know that when they're on site, the dancing portion of the night is bound to be successful.

Now, on to Ashley and David's wedding.

The rehearsal dinner took place at Red Ginger, which absolutely never disappoints. Red Ginger's staff is just as excellent as the pot stickers they serve...which are the best I have ever had, so that's saying something.

Ashley and David's ceremony and reception took place at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. We get almost overly excited to plan events at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa- especially when we get the chance to work with the lovely Rachelle. Rachelle always goes above and beyond to make sure that no details go unnoticed and that the bride and groom are beyond satisfied. Plus, she's just a joy to work with- which can really be said for the entire resort staff. They made sure that the wedding was absolutely perfect and we cannot wait to work with them again!

An overview of Ashley and David's romantic reception at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Aren't those candles just gorgeous!?

The Floral Underground provided the floral design for this wedding as well. The combination of hundreds of candles (there had to be at least 100 on the head table alone) and fabulous fall-colored centerpieces completed the decor. Photography was provided by the wonderful Harrison Studio from Grand Rapids. This was our first time working with Laura and Ben and we really hope that we get the chance to do so again soon!

Bayshore Strings did a lovely job with the ceremony music- even in the 40 degree weather! The DJ for the evening was Urban Kris, who we really cannot say enough great things about. Kris kept the party going all night long and made sure that everyone had a fantastic time. He was professional, personable and just did an overall great job!

A few other vendors that we simply cannot forget to mention:

- Sperry Tents provided a stunning sail-cloth tent for Jackie and Drew's reception. The tent was so well-taken care of and Dan and his staff were so helpful and great to work with!
- Distinctive Rentals provided gorgeous chivari chairs for both weddings, making the reception picture-perfect.
-Special Events Rentals set-up all of the lighting for Ashley and David's reception (including a few remote-controlled LED globes, which were a huge hit during the dancing-portion of the evening). Their expertise and quality rentals helped set the "candle-light romantic" tone the couple was striving for.
-American Rentals provided all of the tables and ceremony chairs for Jackie and Drew's wedding. As usual, they were able to accommodate all of our needs and handled rental deliver and pick-up with ease.
- The Homestead Resort hosted a gorgeous brunch for Jackie and Drew- their entire staff was extremely attentive and the breakfast spread was enjoyed by everyone in attendance!
- Our linens for both events were provided by the always wonderful Cloth Connection.
- Blockhouse Design exceeded our expectations again with all of the graphic design for printed materials for both weddings. We really just do not have the adjectives to describe what a sensational job Erin at Blockhouse does every.single.time. She just... gets it. We love it.
- Rebecca Kinnee Photography was on-site during Jackie and Drew's wedding to capture some photos of guests with Llamas, as well as to snap a few detail shots for us to share with you! She always does an excellent job and is great to work with!
- Kara Purtell did the photography for Jackie and Drew's wedding and was lovely to work with!
- Pavlova European Spa & Salon was on site for both weddings to provide their hair and make-up services. Pavlova always does an outstanding job- we highly recommend their services!
- Wendy Hutchingson with Weddings Your Way officiated Ashley and David's wedding and did a superb job adding in the couple's personal touches and making sure the ceremony fit their requests exactly.
- Paul from Mackinaw Trolley Company made sure Ashley & David's bridal party had a blast on their trolley ride. Despite the rain, Paul made sure that no one left the trolley feeling they'd had anything less than a great time!
- Celtic Transportation made sure that guests were able to get from the Homestead to Snow Moon Ranch and back again for Jackie and Drew's wedding and also provided transportation from Grand Traverse Resort and Spa to Red Ginger for Ashley and David's Rehearsal Dinner. Noreen is so easy to work with and all of their drivers were very personable!


Clearly, we have an extreme appreciation for people who are passionate and who excel at what they do. Make sure to check out the vendors listed above in this post- you won't be sorry!

Thank you to everyone mentioned for making us love what we do!