Karissa & Brian reached out to me in the middle of planning their wedding. They had some key elements locked in but were busy with work and family obligations and needed help with finishing up the to-do list. (This is exactly why I offer a partial planning package!)
The first thing I did was made sure we were on the same page with the wedding design. After discussing their likes and dislikes, I came up with a couple of mood board options for them to consider. They decided on a soft, boho design with a fall-inspired color palette!
Their wedding ceremony was at the intimate and beautiful New School Church at Mill Race Village in Northville, Michigan. I love this property because it provides several spaces where the bridal party can hang out before the ceremony. These spaces provided a comfortable place to wait and kept them hidden from guests until the right time. Of course, before guests started arriving, there was plenty of time for wedding party photos!
Detail photos are always some of my favorites!
Next door at the church, the Christa Graham Weddings & Events team was quickly setting up the ceremony decor. They wanted simple decor in order to let the church’s beauty shine through. I love how the decor punctuates the space and carries out the mood board design beautifully! (All the floral was created by Karissa’s Maid of Honor and best friend!)
Karissa & Brian chose not to do a first look, so these emotions that you see as Karissa walks down the aisle are 100% genuine!
We had a bit of time between the ceremony & reception, so the wedding party and guests hung out around Downtown Northville. There are lots of great photo opportunities in the area and their photographer did a great job capturing the fun energy of Karissa & Brian’s wedding party as well as the love between Karissa & Brian themselves.
During this time, we were at Karl’s Cabin setting up for the wedding reception! We repurposed decor from the ceremony space into the reception space. This is a great way for your items to do double duty!
Right before the reception started, I got a text from Brian asking to change the grand entrance song. Okay. What song? A WWE theme song. Oookkkayyyy…no problem! LOL (Yes, the DJ was able to find it!) Once Karissa & Brian were announeced into the reception, his plan became very clear!
Karl’s Cabin’s barbeque buffet was delicious! (In fact, I took my husband back on a date night soon after this night so he could try it!)
The night ended perfectly, with one hell of a party!
Event Team
Wedding Planner | Christa Graham Weddings & Events
Photography | Meggy D Photography
Videography & DJ | Mike Staff Productions
Hair | @styles_by_sydney
Makeup | @makeupxisabel
Dress | @the.dress.shop.bridal
Ceremony | New School Church at Mill Race Village
Officiant | Roy Wolfe
Reception, Catering, & Bar | Karl’s Cabin Restaurant & Banquet Center
Transportation | Rockstarz Limousine
Cake | Homestead Kitchen
I realized wedding planning was my passion when, after working a 12-hour wedding day, I came home and was so energized that I couldn’t go to sleep. I had just worked an entire day, on my feet, and was ready to plan the next event instead of heading to bed! In former careers, an 8-hour shift would leave me exhausted. This new-found energy around my work was very welcomed! Now I plan weddings all around the Metro Detroit & Ann Arbor areas.