Green Weddings in Michigan

When it comes to eco-friendly weddings, Michigan brides have the world at their fingertips. With the largest fresh water coastline in the world, and a seemingly unlimited supply of locally grown products, Michigan’s natural splendor provides plenty of opportunity for the environmentally conscious bride to show her true color - green!

Exceptional Events will help brides select the absolute best green products and environmentally responsible wedding vendors - from organic flowers and centerpieces to recycled invitations, your guests will be amazed at just how elegant a green wedding can be.

We’ll also work with you to select cuisine from top local farmers, like Michigan-grown apples and cherries, and organic wines, coffees, and cheeses. Even wedding fashion can be environmentally friendly - have your groomsmen and bridesmaids wear an outfit they’ll use beyond your wedding, and for the yourself, consider a vintage dress or a gown designed with the environment in mind.

When the party ends, your eco-friendly wedding can have a life of its own - recycling after the reception, arranging carpools for guests, and a honeymoon at an eco-resort are all great ways to do your part to help our planet. And giving trees as wedding favors is a fantastic way to save the environment, while giving your guests a lasting memory of your big day.

Michigan Wedding Dresses

Dresses - they are a changing, and Metro Detroit brides are on the cutting edge of trends in modern wedding gowns. Michigan’s diverse styles and beautifully varied seasons often call for more than one dress design during the course of the evening.

And while a classically elegant wedding gown will always be a hit, there’s no reason you can’t change it up, even midway through your big day. Many Michigan brides are opting to change dresses between the ceremony and reception, allowing you to wear a luxurious princess gown to the ceremony, and a sleeker dress to the reception.

Other brides are opting for convertible wedding dresses, with detachable bottom skirts. These convertible wedding dresses offer a quick and easy way to change into something shorter for dancing at the reception, while retaining the style of your gown.

For a sampling of hot wedding dresses this season, visit Brides.com, and check out naturalbridals.com to view convertible dresses from Morgan Boszilkov.

Whatever style dress you choose - or should you choose more than one style - Exceptional Events will help you find your favorite designer and select your dream gown, ensuring your dress is uniquely you, no matter how many you wear.

*Photo courtesy of Jessica-Johnston Photography

Michigan Fall Weddings

Michigan brides are blessed with some of the country’s most beautiful autumn colors and delicious local harvests, perfect for integrating seasonal style into your fall wedding.

Brides can use the cool, crisp weather and fall atmosphere to their advantage in a variety of ways, like holding a ceremony or reception in an old barn, at a vineyard, or in an orchard.

Michigan brides can also include local products, like apple cider, as well as trendy seasonal wedding favors, like caramel apples or maple syrup, adding personal flavor and a touch of your community.

Fall is the perfect time to include some of Exceptional Events’ favorite wedding elements - dramatic crystal chandeliers and fall inspired floral arrangements are both ideal matches for historic settings with wood grain accents or a rustic fireplace.

Most important for Michigan’s fall brides - we’ll make sure your wedding matches your personal style. Traditionally lighter summer colors and glamorous ballrooms will still be a hit, as long as the wedding matches your season of love.


*Photo courtesy of Arising Image

Michigan Wedding Chandeliers

To add a classic symbol of elegance to your Michigan wedding reception, Exceptional Events recommends decorating with chandeliers.

Chandeliers provide an iconic sense of glamor to any space. Whereas in the past, chandeliers were only used for ballroom weddings, now brides can transform any space, indoors or out, by hanging chandeliers throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.

Even for outdoor celebrations, in a tent or old barn, chandeliers add a touch of fabulosity to any event. There is simply nothing more gorgeous than a grouping of chandeliers in a rustic setting - the contrast is so interesting and spellbinding.

Exceptional Events will help Michigan brides select the absolute perfect chandeliers, working closely with Michigan wedding rental services, like Special Events Rental to ensure your chandeliers sparkle as brightly as your wedding.

Click on the image below for a few neat ideas!

Michigan Winter Weddings

The Michigan summer is winding down, but that doesn’t mean the whirlwind wedding season will slow as well. As fall and winter rapidly approach, so does a new season of possibility, bursting with fresh, elegant designs and limitless opportunity to capture the delicate sparkle of perhaps Michigan’s most beautiful time of year.

As the ground is blanketed by snow and the festive holiday spirit encompasses the region, winter brides can choose from a variety of unique themes to capture Michigan’s intrinsic beauty, like color schemes, including deep blues, warm reds, and shimmering silvers and whites, to mirror the natural colors of the seasons.

Winter also lends itself to formal, black-tie ballroom affairs or casual, fireside receptions, adding a cozy charm and sophistication that will set your wedding apart from all the others. The inclusion of seasonal dining options and warm drinks, like cocoa and spiced wine, is another great way to take advantage of the colder weather.

Whether winter is your favorite of all the seasons, or your busy calendar requires the flexible scheduling options a winter wedding provides, Exceptional Events will capture Michigan’s snowy glow. Working with the best service purveyors in the area, we’ll design a magical winter wedding, ensuring your big day is the hit of the season.

* Photos Courtesy of Arising Images

Area Attraction Lists for Out-of-Town Guests

Two weeks ago Exceptional Events suggested giving personalized Michigan gift baskets to your out-of-town wedding guests. Another nice consideration for guests unfamiliar with your wedding city is a list of your favorite local attractions - restaurants and bars, parks and museums, shops, and even walks or drives.

Your guests will appreciate suggestions for activities to occupy their free time before and after your wedding, and the personalized touch will show them you want to make their trip as special as your big day.

Be sure to include descriptions for why you chose each attraction - maybe it was the place you first met, a favorite date spot, or your decadent late night coffee shop - and don’t forget to include a map.

A personalized itinerary for you out-of-town guests can be the perfect addition to a local gift basket, and with Michigan’s natural beauty and cultural attractions, your guests will remember your wedding as the complete getaway celebration.

Make Your Wedding "Pop"

It wasn’t so long ago that wedding reception candy buffets were all the rage, but for brides really looking to stay ahead of the curve, consider going with a popcorn bar, the trendy alternative wedding treat.

Popcorn is a fun parting gift for your guests, and provides a healthy alternative to sugary candy. For an interactive experience, go with a variety of gourmet flavors, including butter, cheese, and carmel corn, giving your guests the option to mix and match their flavors.

Presenting the various popcorn flavors in glass jars is a great way to give your buffet a classic feel, and Exceptional Events recommends a personalized message on each take-home jar or bag - a memorable way to give thanks to all your guests.

Exceptional Events and Comerica Park - A Winning Team

For baseball fanatics and fans of the city of Detroit, Comerica Park is the perfect venue for hosting weddings, parties, or corporate events - sure to make your celebration stand out from all the rest.

Comerica Park can accommodate events from 50 to 40,000, and your guests will love the novelty of Comerica Park’s carousel, ferris wheel, and musical water fountain, not to mention the diamond itself, with packages for private tours, custom scoreboard messages, mascot appearances.

Comerica Park offers a wide variety of options, from luxurious dining halls, to more casual bars and private stadium seating, including the Tiger Club, Tiger Den, Chevrolet Champions Club, The Beer Hall, The Cigar Bar, The Brushfire Grill, and the Witherell Bar.

For catering, choose from a variety of gourmet, fine-dining options, or get creative and go with the “Bases Loaded” themed buffet, featuring beer-steamed hot dogs and nachos with cheese sauce, for an authentic ballpark dining experience - always a crowd pleaser, and a lighthearted touch to make your event memorable.

Whatever the theme of your celebration, Exceptional Events will work with Comerica Park to cover all the bases, making sure your next party is a resounding hit.

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.

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.

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.

Submerged Floral Centerpieces

To dress up table settings and decorations, consider choosing submerged floral centerpieces for your reception. By submerging flowers or leaves in clear glass vases, the flowers are accentuated and magnified as the light refracts through the water. These trendy centerpieces brighten any room and help bring out the natural hues of the flowers, creating incredibly vibrant color schemes – and since this floral option is new to the scene, adding another up-and-coming element to your reception will be sure to impress your guests, ensuring your wedding will be talked about for years to come.

Upward Trends in Lighting

Make your reception pop, and wow your guests with up-lighting, a technique used to dress up your reception, creating mood and atmospheres within your space by focusing light from the floor upward.

This new trend in lighting is prefect for adding dimension, color, and unique alcoves to your wedding. Shining light upward from the floor brings neutral colored surfaces to life and creates vertical streams of light and shadow that add height to your environment, accentuating support columns and brightening otherwise dark corners in the room.

By adding color to up-lighting, often referred to as ambient lighting, you can easily heighten the mood, tying the room together by matching wedding colors and floral arrangement, providing the allusion that everything in the room is glowing with your wedding colors.

Because of the recent spike in up-lighting’s popularity, there is no shortage of vendors in the area waiting to light your big day.

Build Rooms Inside Your Reception

A great way to create private alcoves or "rooms" within a large area is to bring in tall bookshelves (think IKEA) to build walls. Use bookshelves that are open in the front and back and have room to place candles and small cubes of flowers to create a romantic glow and feel. This is a great idea if you want to create a cool lounge atmosphere - anchoring the area with tall bookshelves, couches, and lots and lots of flowers and candles.

Seating for a Modern Wedding

Here's a new idea for chairs at your reception - Instead of using a standard ballroom or chivari chair, use white, cushy ottoman cubes for seating around your tables. This sleek look is great if you want a more modern wedding.

What's New for 2008!

Happy New Year to everyone. We hope that it is a fruitful and prosperous 2008 for all of you. As the trends of 2007 have come and gone (and some live on), we are sure that you are wondering what's Hot for 2008 weddings and events.

COLORS ~

Well, the good news is that golds, silvers, and different shades of metallic are still in. We are also seeing more of the deep reds, yellows, greens, purples, and blues - regal and rich colors.

FLORAL ~

In the world of floral designs, we are still seeing a lot of crystal encrusted bouquets and centerpieces which include anything from orchids to garden roses. Also, another great idea is to personalize your bouquet with something special, such as an antique brooch handed down from your grandmother or your great aunt's rosary beads. The key is to keep it meaningful.

CAKES ~

According to Martha Stewart Weddings, one of the hottest trends of the season are "cakes inspired by the age-old art of calligraphy. Whether with scripted words or sweeping swirls, you can decorate your tiers with flourish."

CEREMONIES ~

A way to include all of your guests in your wedding is to arrange the seating so all of your guests have the best seat in the house. Opt for circular or horseshoe seating rather than the traditional two rows on each side of the aisle.


Whatever the style you are going for, remember to define your personal characteristics and tastes for your big event. For more "Exceptional" ideas, please contact us at 734.929.4499 or at rsvp@myexceptionalevents.com.