I loved working with Lindsey to create a beautiful design concept for their wedding at The Veranda at the Whitcomb. We used a beautiful navy shantung linen, with lots of crisp white flowers and stationery, and pops of powdery light blue and silver. Lindsey loves photography, so we decided to create a subtle theme using frames, and incorporated them in several places: Behind the dessert table we hung frames that incorporated cute signs with the couples name, cupcake flavors, and their wedding date. The signs coordinated with their other stationery pieces, and it was a great way to create a backdrop for their dessert table, and also let guests know what types of cupcake flavors the couple was offering from Mimi’s Cupcakes! On the escort card table, we had a focal piece created with a large picture frame that was surrounded by florals…the rest of the table featured various photo frames holding the escort cards. It was adorable! Crystal Springs Florist brought all of Lindsey’s floral dreams to life, and they did an amazing job executing the designs. The tables featured three different centerpieces…a cluster of tiered clear vases featuring white roses, fluffy hydrangeas and lots of candlelight; tall trumpet vases filled with giant white calla lilies and a lower centerpiece that was packed with white blooms. It made for a clean and modern look on the tables that was perfect for this couples style. Overhead, the crew at Mod Event Ligting hung our gorgeous white lanterns that were illuminated with incandescent light. I absolutely love this look– it gives the Veranda such a soft, romantic glow!
If you’re looking for a special send-off at the end of the night, there isn’t anything much better along the lake shore than some late-night sparklers! It does take a little coordinating with 150+ people lighting them, but it makes for a fun and exciting send-off! We’ll be posting soon about how to coordinate the perfect sparkler send-off, in case you’re interested in making this happen at your upcoming wedding. You can view even more photos from this wedding on our Facebook page!

Lindsey+Kevin, we can’t tell you how much we loved helping you to plan your beautiful Michigan wedding at The Veranda. We wish you many, many happy years and many more amazing celebrations!

And our brides agree too…here are 2 sweet love letters from 2011 brides who worked with Brittany and Mary Beth:

Brittany Johnson from Stella Event Design was my knight in shining armor. Only instead of a knight she was the perfect wedding planner, and instead of shining armor she was armed with a plethora of fabulous ideas and infinite patience! Our intimate beach wedding was put together in a little less than four months with the help of the talented Brittany and her team at Stella Event Design. She was able to offer me plenty of suggestions and options to keep us within our budget and still make it look like we spent a million bucks on the wedding of our dreams.

Not only was Brittany there for me every step (and email) of the way, but she was genuinely excited about our upcoming wedding and you could tell that she cared just as much for our small affair as she did her 300+ wedding the weekend before. We were never put aside or treated any differently even though we weren’t a large event; she made us feel like we were the only wedding she had under her belt. And that really says a lot, because Brittany and Stella Event Design are constantly busy planning gorgeous affairs!

She even helped me with ideas for our small dinner reception as well and I feel like I made a true friend who I hope to keep in touch with for months and years to come. I would recommend Stella Event Design and especially Brittany Johnson to anyone who wants a person who genuinely cares about your special day and will make you feel like you are the only client in the world that matters. Our day wouldn’t have been what it was without her help! Thank you so much, Brittany! I’ll always recommend you whenever I have a chance!   

-Mandy W. (2011 bride)

Our planner was Mary Beth, who was AMAZING!! Mary Beth is extremely sweet, kind, and made us feel at ease. Each meeting we had with her was wonderful, and she executed our vision to perfection. Our day ran as scheduled and without flaw because of her, and there is no way we could have had such a beautiful, stress-free wedding without all of her help. From schlepping loads of decorations, cupcakes, etc to the barn and spending hours setting everything up exactly as we discussed (and even better!) to making sure our other vendors were right on point, Mary Beth and her assistant Lexie were the best! Stella Events is the best, and we would definitely say this service was money well spent!!!

-Jill H. (2011 bride)

Who We’re Looking For :: We are seeking junior & senior level students pursuing a degree in a related field (hospitality & tourism, public relations, communications, etc.), who are excited about learning the ins-and-outs of event planning. Weddings can be a stressful and emotionally charged time for a bride & groom and their families—the ideal candidate is hard-working, friendly, calm under pressure, and a great communicator! Most of our events are located in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor/Harbor Country area, which is approximately 45 minutes from Kalamazoo, 70 minutes from Grand Rapids, and 45 minutes from South Bend. You must be able to travel to Southwest Michigan for events on weekends.

What You’ll Do :: Event Assistants will assist with all day-of wedding tasks including: setting up decor at ceremony and reception sites, assisting vendors with deliveries (ie. cake, flowers, linens, rentals), assisting with ceremony management, assisting vendors as needed throughout the day, ensuring time lines are being followed, trouble shooting problems that arise, communicating with vendors & bridal parties, ensuring accuracy of layouts, and much more.  Event Assistants are always working alongside an experienced Event Planner or Coordinator who is there to direct & teach you! Some assistants will also have the opportunity to work in our office on a weekly basis. You will have the opportunity to assist us with various projects including: assisting with the design and execution of photo shoots, collaborating on design projects, contacting vendors, sitting in on client meetings, learning to create timelines, room layouts and other logistical pieces, and a variety of other tasks that go into the planning of our events. We highly recommend office hours to those who are available, and desire a well-rounded learning experience!

What You’ll Get :: This is an unpaid internship and must apply towards college credit. You will walk away from this internship with hands-on experience in event planning & execution unlike anything you can learn in a classroom. This internship puts you in the action, working with real clients, professional vendors and beautiful locations throughout West Michigan.

When You’ll Work :: Weddings are scheduled primarily on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Interns will be scheduled to work for a 10-12 week period (approximately May 15-August 15 or August 1-October 15) and will be scheduled to assist with weddings most weekends.  We know summers include family obligations and the occasional vacations, so we are happy to take schedules into consideration if given proper notice at start of season.

How to Apply :: If you’re interested in joining the Stella Event Design Team for our 2012 season, please email your cover letter and resume (.pdf format, please) to intern@stellaeventdesign.com. We will be accepting applications through February and will be conducting interviews in February and March! If you have additional questions, please email intern@stellaeventdesign.com (no phone calls, please).

I (Jessica) have had the pleasure of serving on the founding board for the Michigan Chapter and assisting as PR & Media chair for the last year or so.  The last two weeks, leading up to the launch of our chapter, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with newspapers, radio stations and even got to make my first on-camera appearance (nerve-wracking!) on Fox 17, to share the news about Wish Upon a Wedding and the launch of the Michigan chapter. Last week we got to see everything come to fruition as the Launch Party took place at The Crofoot in Detroit, and we officially launched the Michigan chapter.

Wish Upon A Wedding Michigan Board Members

The launch party took place on Tuesday, so Brittany, Kayla and myself hit the road to Pontiac and took part in a very exciting night that was filled with amazing event professionals, a gorgeous venue, incredible band, lots of information about the organization and getting people involved, and lots of Pure Michigan inspired goodness! We were so thrilled to get to be a part of such an amazing organization and such an exciting night. Now that the Michigan chapter has launched, we will officially begin taking applications and start to grant wishes.

Jessica, Kayla & Brittany at the launch party

You can find more info on the organization at www.wishuponawedding.org, including ways you can be involved, how businesses can sign up to become wish granters and you can watch videos of some of the wishes that have already been granted around the country (grab some tissues, you’ll need them!)

See more photos of the launch party here! All photos are courtesy of JLB Wedding who was the official photographer of the night and did a fantastic job!

SUBMIT A QUESTION

On the blog you can….

• Read all of our posts by clicking on the ‘BLOG’ link in the pink menu bar. we blog several times a week about real weddings we’ve planned, inspiration ideas, our favorite Etsy Finds (every Tuesday), planning tips, and more!
• Looking for posts on a specific topic? Click the ‘FAVORITES’ link in the pink menu bar, and you can see all of our posts by category, like Real Weddings, Beach Weddings, or specific venues.
• See REAL WEDDINGS by clicking the link in our pink menu bar! You can check out all of the weddings we’ve worked on…from vintage to modern, there’s lots of inspiration to be found!
• Learn more about Stella Event Design and what we’re all about by visiting the ABOUT page!
• If you’re newly engaged, check out all of our “Planning Tips” posts to help you get started! Some of our favorites are below:
  • The 5 W’s of Wedding Planning
  • The Reality of a Backyard Wedding
  • Bridal Parties: What Size is Right for You?
  • Getting Your Groom Involved in Planning
  • Easing the Wedding Clutter

  

Make your bags eco friendly by encouraging guests to reuse them. Add a little tag suggesting that guests recycle them by filling them with their favorite potpourri–they can leave them in their car, or pop them in a drawer and refill them whenever they like–they would make the perfect sachet! These would also be great to set out at on a candy buffet table, so guests can scoop themselves a bag to-go!

2011 has been a fabulous year at Stella Event Design! Here are just a few things that made 2011 one of our best years yet:

• We were thrilled to help plan, design and coordinate 33 Michigan weddings for amazing couples from all over the country. Thank you to each and every bride+groom that let us be a part of their special day!
• Planning the 2nd Annual Lake Shore Wedding Walk–the areas most unique bridal event–was a ton of fun and continues to get better and better each year! Thank you to all the venues & vendors who support this event, and all the brides & grooms who stopped by to visit!
• We designed a beach-inspired photo shoot for InFrame Bride Magazine that took us up onto a dune (literally!) You can check it out on the blog this week!
• Jessica got the opportunity to assist an amazing non-profit organization—Wish Upon a Wedding–as PR & Media chair for the new Michigan chapter, which is officially launching on January 17, 2012!
• We had 2 events featured on WeddingChicks.com: Brittany’s ‘Garden tea party inspired’ photo shoot with Bradley James Photography and Katie+Jack’s fuschia+turquoise wedding designed by Jessica at Millcreek Barns
• We contributed to the April 2011 issue of BRIDES Magazine’s “Party in the USA” feature, talking about what makes Midwest weddings (and especially those on the Michigan shore) so special! (p. 268)
• We had another amazing group of interns this summer & fall…a huge thank you to Kayla, Blair, Lexie and Stephanie for helping to make our busiest season yet run so smoothly!

A huge thank you to all of the venues and vendors that made our jobs a lot easier! We have amazing local wedding vendors in Southwest Michigan and we can’t say how much we appreciate all of our favorite vendors that bend over backwards to make our couples’ days amazing! We’ve got tons of great stuff coming up for 2012, so keep checking back (or subscribe above) and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for exclusive planning tips, giveaways and photo galleries!

Truth:: I often hear brides say that they “don’t need an outside planner” because their venue has an on-site coordinator, and unfortunately, some brides find out too late that this is just not the case. The on-site coordinator is there to manage the services being provided by the reception hall, and the services they will provide are very different from those that a professional wedding planner will provide.  A good on-site coordinator will assist you with items setting up your tables and chairs, place settings and linens (if provided by the venue) and opening the building for vendor deliveries (depending on your venue). Don’t get me wrong—they are super helpful, but as part of the venue, they are there to help with very specific tasks.

Unlike an actual wedding planner or day-of coordinator, your on-site venue coordinator will not call your vendors to verify anything the week before the wedding, find you vendors that meet your budget (though they may give you a pre-made list), call your bakery with your final numbers, or help you to trouble shoot difficult issues with vendors on your wedding day.  Don’t get me wrong, on-site coordinators are great, but it’s important to understand what they will and won’t do for you, so you can be properly prepared for your big day!

More Posts in This Blog Series:

• WHAT does a professional wedding planner do?
• WHO needs a wedding planner?
• WHEN should I Reach out For Help?
• WHY you should hire a professional

We used a huge collection of milk glass, vintage bottles and silver pieces to create an eclectic mix of centerpieces. A huge thanks to Crystal Springs Florist for pulling it all together! Another detail we just loved was the cake topper! The bride and groom both love owls and their cake topper was two owls in a nest – so cute! The burlap runners added a nice touch of texture to the tables while still keeping the tables bright and clean looking–simplicity was definitely the key to this one!  A huge thanks to the girls at 430 Studios  for capturing the beautiful details of the day.