Northern Michigan Weddings at Bay Harbor

For destination brides looking to capture the scenic beauty of northern Michigan, look no further than Bay Harbor. Perfectly situated between Charlevoix and Petoskey, along the Lake Michigan shoreline, Bay Harbor offers world-class accommodations and some of the most luxurious wedding facilities in all of Michigan.

With breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, Bay Harbor Lake, and the Village, Bay Harbor’s Observation Platform provides the perfect panoramic backdrop for your big day. And if you’re dreaming of a romantic beachfront ceremony, Bay Harbor provides several options, including the Marina Lawn Panel and Sunset Beach, for a picturesque lakeshore setting.

For indoor celebrations, Bay Harbor Resort & Marina’s Conference Center is the ideal location for a wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, or post-wedding brunch. The front room of the Conference Center is anchored by a large bay window, overlooking magnificent Bay Harbor, and, from the lobby and grand hallway, guests will be amazed by magnificent views of shimmering blue water.

Bay Harbor embodies the natural beauty, and the crisp, clean elegance of high-end nautical society. Quaint area shops, world-renowned golf courses, beautifully appointed ballrooms, and of course, majestic views of Lake Michigan make Bay Harbor the perfect destination for your northern Michigan wedding.

Michigan Gift Baskets for Out-of-Town Wedding Guests

Personalized gift baskets are a fantastic way to treat your out-of-town wedding guests to a taste of your favorite local products. Nowhere is this wedding trend more popular than in the Great Lakes State, with plenty of delicious Michigan products to fill your gift basket.

For just a few ideas, consider Vernors Ginger Ale, Faygo Pop, Leelanau Cellars Wine, Bell’s Beer, Mackinac Island Fudge, Better Made Potato Chips, Chocolate-Covered Cherries, Maple Syrup, and maybe even a Bob Seger CD.

With so many Michigan goodies to choose from, there’s no better way to welcome your out-of-town wedding guests, while showing off your Michigan pride.

Michigan: Royal Park Hotel Weddings

Detroit area brides will absolutely love the four-star, four-diamond Royal Park Hotel, a luxury reception venue sure to impress for your romantic wedding. And with two versatile size ballrooms, The Royal Park Hotel can accommodate a guest list of nearly any size.

Located in idyllic Rochester, Michigan, the Royal Park Hotel is situated on the banks of Paint Creek, and is within easy walking distance to the boutiques of Rochester’s bustling downtown. With 143 uniquely designed guest rooms and suites, and two perfectly appointed reception ballrooms, the hotel’s décor features quarter-sawn cherry, marble, and slate, giving this modern facility the feel of an elegant English manor house.

For intimate weddings of 200 or less, The Royal Park Hotel’s Conservatory or “Crystal Palace” features a private garden and fountain, a Murano chandelier, and a two-story open Belgian glass ceiling, providing views of the stars in an alfresco setting. The Conservatory is also a fantastic choice for showers, rehearsal dinners, and cocktail-hour receptions.

Accommodating up to 1200 guests, The Royal Grand Ballroom is perfect for larger guest lists, adorned with handcrafted chandeliers, an Italian marble gallery, and fifteen-foot ceilings. This larger reception room is spacious yet intimate, for the biggest of big days.

The Royal Park Hotel’s understated elegance and old-world attention to detail make this Detroit gem an ideal choice for a luxurious, classically beautiful wedding reception.

It's All In The Details

Exceptional Events was featured July 18th on Style Me Pretty.

The photographs in the feature are taken from one of our most recent weddings, and include Moroccan lanterns for soft lighting, and thin, sparkling butterflies, adding an elegant, delicate touch to the table and seating decorations.

With over 15,000 impressions a day, Style Me Pretty is one of the top national sites for wedding advice. To keep up with the latest in wedding trends, be sure to visit their blog regularly – we’ll see you there.

Stand By Your Man With Groom's Cakes

Groom’s cakes are fast becoming one of the hottest trends in weddings, and serving these custom-designed sweets is a fantastic way to showcase your groom’s personality.

Once a uniquely Southern tradition, Groom’s Cakes are now fashionable all around the country. Groom’s Cakes can be served after the rehearsal dinner or they can occupy their own table at the reception. Flavors tend to lean toward chocolate or fruit to contrast the generally white wedding cake, but can also be made to suit the groom’s taste.

Popular Groom's Cake designs are often lighthearted, like college mascots, favorite sports teams, hobbies, and professions. The cake themes are usually kept secret until serving to surprise your groom and pay homage to the masculine side of your wedding.

This Comerica Park Groom’s Cake comes from one of Exceptional Events' recent weddings - Go Tigers!



Cake Design by Kim Sperl of Bella e Dolce

Amuse Wedding Guests With ShutterBooth

At Exceptional Events we’re always on the lookout for those little uncommon touches that make weddings stylish and unique – and sometimes, even humorous. For some added flair, include ShutterBooth at your celebration – their photos will have your guests talking for years to come.

Available throughout Michigan, ShutterBooth produces old-time photo booth pictures using modern technology. Your guests will love the novelty of posing behind the curtain and hamming it up for the camera, and ShutterBooth’s online photo gallery is a fun way to look back at your wedding shenanigans.

ShutterBooth photos are a great memento for guests to take home, and the pictures will provide you with a lasting memory of the true “personalities” at your wedding reception.

At past events, ShutterBooth has been a joy to work with, and following our most recent collaboration, ShutterBooth had this to say -

"We have had the pleasure of working with Exceptional Events and their creativity and attention to detail is remarkable. We have been so impressed by the quality of service and professionalism each member of the Exceptional Events team exhibits. Their name says it all, 'Exceptional.'" The feeling is mutual, which is why we recommend ShutterBooth.

Visit ShutterBooth online for print packages, custom table settings, save-the-dates, keychains, and other options, or call 1.888.780.8837 for more information.

My Wedding Detroit - Your Exceptional Event

Exceptional Events is proud to be featured on My Wedding Detroit, southeast Michigan’s local My Wedding destination.

Our presence on My Wedding Detroit has grown tremendously in recent months. In addition to our online brochure and our various wedding-planning banners, we now occupy the #1 position on My Wedding Detroit's homepage.

My Wedding Detroit is a fantastic starting point for newly engaged couples, offering vendor lists, wedding advice, and free couples websites. Through our well-established relationship with their site, we’re happy to continue making wedding dreams come true for Michigan brides.

Ad Sneak Preview

Exceptional Events is proud to present blog readers with a sneak preview of our upcoming ad design, to be prominently featured in Metro Detroit Bride, Brides: Michigan, and The Knot.

With the summer wedding season in full swing, we’re more excited than ever to provide the best possible planning service for Michigan brides, and as our reputation as the premier wedding planning company in Michigan continues to grow, so does our presence in local and national wedding publications.

You can check us out on news stands starting July 16th in Metro Detroit Bride, but for now, enjoy this sneak preview of our ad design.

Signature Wedding Cocktails

Impress your wedding guests by serving signature cocktails. These trendy, personalized drinks are a great way to add your own unique style to the menu.

Recently, pomegranate cocktails have grown in popularity thanks to the pomegranate’s vibrant ruby color, its sweet, tart flavor, and the fruit's symbolic association with eternity and devotion.

For a simple pomegranate cosmopolitan, try variations of this easy recipe -

• 1/4 Oz Lime Juice
• 1 1/4 Oz Vodka
• 1/4 Oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
• 1/4 oz Pomegranate Juice

Combine ingredients, shake well over ice, then strain and serve in a chilled martini glasses, garnishing with a twist of lime.

For Large Guest Lists - Westin Book Cadillac

At Exceptional Events, we absolutely love the excitement of planning and orchestrating large-scale celebrations, so we’re always on the lookout for venues capable of housing our most elaborate events. Well, we’ve found one - the newly renovated Westin Book Cadillac Hotel is the ideal choice for the grandest of Detroit weddings.

Perfectly situated at 243 State Street, this Italian-renaissance-style hotel is a member of the National Registry of Historic Buildings, and provides spectacular views of the city and easy travel to the immediate downtown area. Built in 1924, the Westin Book Cadillac is rich in Detroit history, and recent renovations have brought the hotel back to its former grandeur, while adding state-of-the-art technology.

As part of their $180 million renovation project, Westin Book Cadillac put considerable effort toward designing Detroit’s premier meeting and event venues, providing accommodations unmatched in the downtown area, and bringing modern sophistication and style to this Detroit landmark. For guest lists of up to 1,000, The Westin Book Cadillac now boasts 39,000 square feet of beautifully-appointed event spaces, including two historic ballrooms and a third contemporary ballroom. Smaller spaces are also available for more intimate celebrations.

For receptions on any scale, the Westin Book Cadillac houses a world-class Executive Chef and expert culinary team. Additionally, for the convenience of your guests, hotel amenities include, attached parking with valet, in-room spa treatment, three restaurants, and all the features you would expect from Westin® signature service.

If your wedding demands the biggest and best Detroit has to offer, look no further than the Westin Book Cadillac. As always, Exceptional Events will work closely with the reception venue to design the wedding of your dreams.