ourmichiganwedding.com

There's always so much riding on the wedding dress. So much pressure to look great. It can be overwhelming, because you can have a hard time looking for the right dress. I tried on several dresses before buying one. The first place that I went to was David's Bridal. They have an amazing range of sizes. I think they even go up to size 22 or 24. They have all sorts of designs that are flattering on many types of bodies. Prices can be decent. The most expensive dress I tried on was roughly 600 bucks, the cheapest 99 bucks.

There are a couple things that get to me though. The fabric and quality of the sewing. Some of these dresses can photograph pretty well, but in person, you get what you pay for. Some of the dresses are made out of polyester, and can almost have a bluish tinge to it, because it's so white. I personally, prefer a creamier color like Ivory, that has a little more depth to it when taking pictures.

Another thing, the sales lady can be a little overbearing. She was nice by all means, but after a few weeks, she kept calling me every couple weeks and trying to push their dresses. Also, look out for the quality of the dresses. Make sure you get one that hasn't been tried on by hundreds of brides.

I ended getting my dress in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's a store called Traditions. It's more higher end than David's Bridal, but they had a great sample sale, and couldn't resist. The sales people, seamstress, and everyone there has been wonderful and so helpful. I cannot say one negative thing about the place. The dress is by LeeAnn Belter, she's known for her understated, elegant designs. The dress is also made out of silk, and made in Canada. I try to support those dressmakers working out of North America. Dresses made in China have come a long way over the past ten years, and the quality is pretty good. But I want to support North American made products.

For those girls finding the right dress, take your time, and take people with you who are honest and helpful. And have fun! There are so many designs out there, take advantage of trying it on!

 

I tried on my dress, and boy, it did not look right. I had the dress tailored about 2 months ago, and when I put it on two weeks ago, it was like an overstuffed dumpling. I have been eating out a lot and not exercising. I forced myself to not eat out AT ALL for like 8 days in a row, exercised every day, and lost about 4 lbs. The dress now feels a bit better, and I didn't starve myself or change my diet drastically. Also no alcohol. That's just empty calories.

The
The Ritz-Carlton, Dearborn is one of the classier joints around Southeast Michigan. According to what I've heard (a price quote my brother received in early 2007) the basic price per person at the Ritz is around $150 per person. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more. The Ritz can easily accommodate 400 guests.

I've attended two or three weddings at the Ritz and, although nice, weddings at the Ritz aren't particularly memorable as a guest. I readily confuse memories of the Ritz with the Troy Marriott. Being on the host end of the wedding however is probably easier because service at the Ritz is impeccable. Having been to a buffet-style Indian wedding and a regular plated-dinner wedding I can say that the food at all stages are great. I think the Indian buffet food comes from your choice of approved caterers while regular food comes from the hotel.

I've seen two memorable food items at the Ritz. First was the martini bar where the server poured through an ice luge to chill the drink. Second was the Coldstone Creamery-style ice cream bar. If you don't know what that Coldstone Creamery is, think of a Dairy Queen flurry but a server uses spatulas to fold your choice of toppings (M&Ms, cookie crumbs, etc.) into ice cream on a chilled stone slab. The stone slab reduces melting.

I'm sure options and extras add up fast but if you want a high-class hotel wedding reception in the metro Detroit area the Ritz fill fit the bill.

According to its website Cranbrook allows photography but you must arrange it through one of their approved photographers or approved in writing by the Cranbrook administrators. I think Cranbrook would be a great place to have wedding photos or engagement photos.

Cranbrook Photography

It wouldn't be so special for me personally because I went to middle school and high school there. I never felt a great loyalty towards the school and I know if I do anything there, Cranbrook boosters will be hitting me up for money for the rest of my life. In fact, they already do hit me up for money all the time.

Cranbrook has beautiful grounds and I have heard they do opulent weddings. If the weddings are anything like the events we had during school I would say yes, that is the case. I am sure they have draconian policies and restrictions. Why I went to school at Cranbrook for middle school and high school (6-12). They are highly protective of the grounds and the building interiors. Don't count on being able to pee in the bushes.

http://www.cranbrook.edu/about/venue/

At the suggestion of a previous satisfied customer, we found videographer Alan Lockwood. He is based out of Waterford, Michigan. Since we're getting video from referral we didn't do much research into the packages that other videographers offer. However, our friend is still quite pleased with the results of her wedding video.

http://www.lockwoodmediaonline.com/weddings/

Read reminiscence of Waterford, Michigan

Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Hills allows photography on their grounds. They have some fairly stringent guidelines on what you cannot do. For example, you are not allowed to go inside the buildings at all. Not even to use the bathroom.

If you want full details, download the PDF I received from the Meadow Brook offices.

Meadow Brook Photo Shoot Guidelines

• $250 for 2.5 hours. Wedding or engagement photos.
• $1,250 for 4 hours.
• $2,500 for 8 hours.

The Henry Ford Museum or Greenfield Village in Dearborn would be super cool places to have a wedding because everybody has been to a hotel wedding. When do you get to go to a museum for a wedding? It would have been especially cool because many of our out of town guests have not been to Michigan more than once or twice, if ever. It would be wedding and vacation entertainment rolled into one convenient package!

You could have the gathering at the museum, Greenfield Village or Lovett Hall. After doing a quick cost comparison for the museum average cost would have roughly the same per person (~$120/pp) including some of the additional fees such as admission ($10-20/pp) for admission into the museum. This would include premium drinks, appetizer setups, dessert, and mid-range entrees. They have interesting museum and Michigan-specific twists like afterglow Coney Dog Bar or Faygo Float Station. Coney Dogs are chili dogs named after the numerous Coney Island restaurants in Southeast Michigan. I don't know why they are all called Coney Islands. Faygo is a Detroit-based soft drink company. Their more unique flavors are Red-pop or Rock and Rye.

I hoped we could figure out a way to do our wedding here but it fell short in a few aspects. First, it is not a hotel. I know our friends would be doing some drinking. I think being at the museum would jeopardize general public safety afterwards because they would either have to drive to a hotel or drive back home. At least having the wedding in a hotel would stop a few of the people from driving. Second, since it is a museum there is less time flexibility. Third, they do not list a vegetarian option in their menus. I know we will have a fair amount of vegetarian guests.

If you're looking for a place to take wedding photos it might be tricky but I would consider taking photos here.

Links:

• Weddings at the Henry Ford
  • Greenfield Village
  • Lovett Hall
  • Menus
  • Desserts & Afterglow
• Faygo: Website // Wikipedia
• Coney Island: Wikipedia and some favorites
  • National Coney Island
  • Senate Coney Island

Michigan Wedding Slavin is a great big list of wedding type stuff around Southeast Michigan. I am not sure if there is any regional bias or if it leans towards Christian American weddings. Nevertheless it has a lot of information packed into a website.

This is a huge list of banquet halls and other facilities as presented by a local DJ in the Southeastern Michigan area. It is a great starting resource just to know what is out there.

http://www.madmanmike.com/halls_banquet_facilities.html