Walked Down the Aisle When Lauren walked down the aisle at her wedding with 14 attendants, and 250 guests, her brother escorted her down her once in a lifetime entrance. Although her father sat in the first row, he’d never been a big part of her life, nor a very positive force in her life.   Despite the “shoulds” she’d been subjected to and which you can read your own emphasis into, (“He’s your FATHER!  He should walk you down the aisle,”) Lauren decided to forego tradition. Instead she picked the person who’d been by her side, comforted and laughed… Read More »

Contemporary Twists on Traditions You’ve heard that every couple should have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? Well, The Knot Magazine, Michigan — Fall, 2019, has a fun article about new twists on traditions. And I’m all in! Couples don’t HAVE to stick with the super traditional any longer. Creating your own twists on traditions can make your wedding truly one of a kind from start to finish. A bride’s gown doesn’t have to be a ballgown. I’m not a fan of too sexy, but some brides are all about sexy, and as long as grandma won’t faint,… Read More »

Are you looking for a professional Officiant? Or do you have a Friendiant?  Here are some minuses — and pluses of the latter! First of all, let me cut to the chase. Don’t make this event — your wedding ceremony — TOO CASUAL. As a culture, a society, we’re definitely moving into a time of challenging norms and reinventing roles. But there are some norms that deserve preserving (wow a rhyme!) One of them is the brevity (and yes, of course, the joy) of the event. By the way, a Friendiant is a friend or family member who’s been asked… Read More »

Decisions, decisions. Weddings are full of decisions that you must make. Color themes. Who will read the readings? What budget item can I override? Do I really want to marry this person or should I change my mind??? Where can I send Uncle Joe to stay overnight with? The Difference Whether you make your decision based on inspiration or motivate can put you on an entirely different path quickly. There IS a difference between being motivated to make a decision and being inspired to go one way or the other. Being motivated comes via your head self-talk, that is in… Read More »

Northern Michigan is a splash of spectacular reds, neon oranges, greens and sunny carmel colors in the Fall. Seen against the backdrop of our beautiful blue waters, you have a gorgeous natural setting for your wedding.  Late September, October and early November has an entirely different feel than spring or summer. The crisp, chill brings out a playful energy. Bundling up is still fun, which it won’t be by February. The colder air gets us walking closer together. An evening bonfire is good for the soul AND body. If you are wondering what season to get married in, consider have… Read More »

  Have you ever taken a personality test? If so you may have used one of the most popular ones, the Myers Briggs personality inventory tool. There are 16 distinctive personality types. At one time this questionnaire seemed to pop up all over the place. The free test is designed to help us understand the people we are in relationship with as well as one’s self. My parents took the Myers Briggs test at a couples’ workshop some 20 years ago (has it been THAT long ago?). Through the results, they had a lot of aha’s and “oh that’s why… Read More »

The Sand Ceremony Often a couple wants to emphasize the uniqueness and commitment of their coming together. With this mind, the Sand Ceremony is a simple and meaningful addition to a wedding celebration. The blending of two colors of sand into one has not lost its meaning and relevance in the modern nor traditional wedding. When weddings are held indoors, such as in a church building, the Candle Lighting ceremony has a lot of meaning. Lighting one central candle with two smaller individual candles symbolizes the light within the couple making one brighter light. The brighter light is what strengthens… Read More »

  Your wedding guest list… You have some decisions to make about who will witness your commitment to each other and who won’t. It seems choosing your favorite friends and family, including them on your wedding guest list should be easy enough, right? But until you’ve started to put that list together yourself, it is hard to understand all that goes into deciding who makes the cut and who doesn’t. Here are some tips on how to make the decisions that must be made in putting your wedding guest list together.  First Things First The foundation of all other tips… Read More »