Couture Accessories Trunk Show

My friend, Karen Sherman of Crowning Glory, asked me to be a part of a unique trunk show for couture bridal accessories, and I'm excited to share the details.

We’re bringing in Liv Hart, of Enchanted Atelier in Washington, D.C., for an exclusive trunk show at the Royal Park Hotel on Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26. Liv is a highly-sought designer whose designs have been featured in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, InStyle Weddings and TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”, just to name a few.

The trunk show, called The Enchanting Bridal Weekend, is by appointment only, and we are only opening this up to two dozen brides. In addition to the couture bridal accessories – hair pieces, jewelry, etc. – brides will have the opportunity to have your hair and makeup done, to help you better envision your wedding day look. We will also be featuring a custom shoe designer if you are looking for something truly unique.

The event is complimentary but an appointment is required. The Enchanting Bridal Weekend runs from 3:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 25, and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26. Please RSVP to Karen Sherman at Crowning Glory at CrowningGloryLTD@aol.com to schedule your appointment. The Royal Park Hotel is located at 600 E. University Drive, Rochester and directions can be found here.

Please join us and be a part of this special experience!
 

Real Wedding: Lisa & Jim

I love Lisa & Jim. They reminded me a lot of me and my husband - they had divided Michigan & Michigan State loyalties, they wanted their wedding to be a day-long celebration, and they just couldn't wait to be married. Did I mention that Lisa is a die-hard Wolverine and Jim is a die-hard Spartan? Clearly I was the right planner for this couple. (Go Green!)

Lisa & Jim chose bright, bold colors of orange, pink and green to give their wedding an energetic, happy feel. I don't think they stopped smiling and laughing the entire day, and their guests packed the dance floor until the very end of the night.

Check out the wedding trailer from the very talented Lee Thomas Films.

Lisa + James: a Royal Park Hotel Wedding from Lee Thomas on Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of Advantage Photo



Lisa's uncle, a competitor in a Food Network Challenge, created a special fruit display for the wedding.

The reception featured a "Battle of the Fight Songs", where guests would drop dollar bills into the jars to get the DJ to play their school fight song. The proceeds benefited a charity committed to fighting cancer.

The Team
Wedding Planner: Laura Davis Events
Ceremony & Reception: Royal Park Hotel
Florist: Blossoms
Chair Covers: Affordable Elegance Chair Covers & Linens
Photographer: Advantage Photography
Videograper: Lee Thomas Films
String Trio: La Corda Ensemble
Cake: Cake Nouveau

Get to Know...Forte Belanger

Company: Forte Belanger
Website: www.fortebelanger.com

Tell us about yourself and your company.

We are a leading special event design and catering firm, based in Troy, known for delivering precision service, inventive solutions, and creative cuisine. Our rich heritage and forward-thinking culture have allowed us to set the standard in Michigan for industry leadership, innovation, and excellence.

How did you get started?
Our story began over twenty years ago when John and Karen Forte, two experienced and passionate restaurateurs of 15 years, decided to pursue the off-premises catering market. Their vision for delivering remarkable events propelled the emerging catering company into an award-winning leader – all the while sustaining the personal, genuine, boutique-style service that is Forte Belanger’s hallmark. Today, Forte Belanger remains an agile team of culinary explorers, creative planners, and dedicated service directors.

What’s the best part about your job?
Creating remarkable experiences and bringing people of all walks of life together to break bread. We bring the fine dining experience to the guests! Seeing the guests laughing, smiling and truly enjoying themselves among friends, family and co-workers is extremely rewarding.

What sets you apart from others in your industry?
Assuring clients peace of mind and memorable brand impact is the core promise we strive to deliver each and every day. Businesses, organizations, and event planners select Forte Belanger time after time because of our precision service, inventive solutions, and creative cuisine – the total expertise that sets us apart from all others in the marketplace and allows us to stage truly remarkable events.

• Precision Service - Every detail taken care of with exceptional forethought, consideration, enthusiasm, and grace. From simple floral designs to customized event logistics, we achieve your vision with clarity and accuracy.
• Inventive Solutions - Imaginative, original, and collaborative ideas drawn from a passion to create memorable experiences and one-of-a-kind events.
• Creative Cuisine - Artistic, fresh, globally inspired epicurean adventures set with elegance and designed for the senses. From small plates to custom buffet stations, our gourmet fare is unrivaled.

Do you have any hidden talents?
People don’t realize our eye for design and how large of a role it plays in EVERY event we do. From the “décor” on tabletops to the precise placement of salad dressing on each plate to floral arrangements…people eat with their eyes first, which makes design extremely important in everything we do. We also have a keen eye for logistics on site and how people move about a space… we feel this is a huge talent! We know what works and what doesn’t…from set up timing, to event floor plans – we have 25 years of expertise making sure the event experience is smooth from start to finish.

  

  

  

  

Photos courtesy of Forte Belanger

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day and gets to be with the ones who mean the most to you. I'll be spending my Valentine's Day with the 4 loves of my life - my husband, Mike; my sons, Shaun and Jeffrey; and my daughter, Emily.

In the News: 944 Magazine

Whenever a bride hires us to plan her wedding, we know that she's placing her trust in us, something my team and I take seriously. But when that bride also works in the wedding industry, we feel especially honored. I was so excited when Abby & Tommy - of the super-talented Abby Rose Photo - asked me to coordinate their big day. Having photographed hundreds of weddings over the years, they didn't want something traditional, instead opting for an intimate, dinner-party reception at the Palmer House, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home nestled in Ann Arbor. With an all-star cast of vendors, it came as no surprise that 944 Magazine featured Abby & Tommy's celebration in their weddings issue.

The Team
Wedding Planner: Laura Davis Events
Venue: The Frank Lloyd Wright Palmer House
Caterer: Forte Belanger
Photographer: Heather Saunders Photography
Florist: Parsonage Events
Rentals: Special Events Rental
Stationery: Elevated Press
Calligraphy: Betsy Dunlap
Photo Booth: Traveling Photo Booth
Valet: Kerby's Kurb Service
Dress: Dolly Couture
Hair: Luigi Bruni Salon
Makeup: Amber Kaczmarek

Get to Know...Chair Covers & Linens

Company: Chair Covers & Linens
Contact: Todd Lloyd
Website: www.linenhero.com

Tell us about yourself and your company.
LinenHero.com was born from my passion for both the event industry and working for myself. I grew up in a small town in the center of the state. The company grew very quickly from the very beginning. We are one of the largest linen rental companies in the country but we still have that small company feel. With offices and employees in quite a few states, we are able to supply linens and chair covers for any event large or small. No other company in Michigan comes close to the selection the Linen Heroes provide. We are constantly striving to do what we do better.

Photo by Arising Images

How did you get started?
I started Chair Covers & Linens over 15 years ago as an outgrowth of the flower shop I owned. At the time there wasn’t a company in the US that specialized in chair covers. We decided early on to focus on one thing and do it really well, and we’ve stayed to true to that original goal. I took a risk and I’ve never looked back.

Photo by Special Moments Photography

What’s the best part about your job?
Hmmm, great question! I think there are a couple of best parts about my job. First, I get to work side by side with my sister, Rachel Torok, and Brennan Donovan, two of the hardest working, smartest, honest, and ethical people I know. Second, I get to plan parties for a living – in life it doesn’t get any better than that. I only deal with the periods of joy in people’s lives.

Photo by Special Moments Photography

What sets you apart from others in your industry?
Lots of things set us apart from others in our industry: selection, size, # of employees, delivery resources, pricing, value, quality, attitude, enthusiasm, smiles, and lastly the desire to be a part of creating the event of your dreams.

Photo by Arising Images

Do you have any hidden talents?
Yup! I can fly a plane and I’m really good at jumping out from behind a rack of linen to scare my 6-year-old niece.

Photo by Parker Photographic

Get to Know...Zingerman's Bakehouse

Company: Zingerman's Bakehouse
Contact: Ally Hurst
Website: www.zingermansbakehouse.com

Tell us about yourself and your company.
Hi, I’m Ally Hurst from Zingerman’s Bakehouse. We specialize in made-from-scratch cakes using high-quality ingredients like freshly-cracked eggs, Belgian chocolate, as well as real butter & vanilla. We even make our own fondant (tastes just like the inside of an Oreo Cookie!). We offer free consultations that include a custom-cake designing session, as well as samples of our most popular cake flavors. Think rich chocolate cake with a ribbon of chocolate ganache or maybe you’ll be a fan of our dense and delicious buttermilk cake with raspberry butter cream.

How did you get started?
Zingerman’s Bakehouse was started as a companion business to Zingerman’s Deli. Our founders, Paul Saginaw & Ari Weinsweig, traveled around the country eating delicious artisan breads, but couldn’t find that same caliber of baking here in Michigan. So, they asked their friend, Frank Carollo, to start a bakehouse. That was 18 years ago and since then, we have added taste-tempting pastries and mouth-watering cakes to our repertoire.

What’s the best part about your job?
You mean besides eating cake? In all seriousness, I love my job because I have the opportunity to sell our delicious cakes (and feel really good about it since our standards are so high) to some pretty amazing people. All of the creative ideas, the enthusiasm and level of trust our customers show us is extremely gratifying.

What sets you apart from others in your industry?
Our ingredients! We are very particular about what we put into our baked goods. We use Mexican Vanilla Bean, Belgian Chocolate, Michigan Maple Syrup & Honey, Butter that’s 82% butterfat (better taste, better texture), Agra Montagna Preserves, and the list goes on and on. Additionally, as I mentioned before, we use actual butter in our butter cream and offer fresh fondant.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Well, it’s not so much hidden as it is an option people don’t think about, but our cakes travel. We commonly hit the road to deliver cakes in the Metro Detroit area and have gone as far as Chicago, Toledo & Fort Wayne (where we delivered a 5-tiered wedding cake and 3-tiered groom’s cake).