Dreamy Grand Rapids Wedding
This gorgeous wedding stays very close to my heart being that I got married in Michigan. When I spotted Liz and Chris’ wedding on the Harrison Studio‘s blog, I jumped at the chance of sharing it with you. Liz’s cotton candy Vera Wang wedding dress is just beautiful for words. Thanks to Laura and Ben Harrison of Harrison Studio for the gorgeous photos and Aletha of Pearls Events who helped design and plan such dreamy wedding.
My original vision fell through. We were two students at Michigan State University, planning our wedding in between classes and 3 am burnouts. What resulted was our simple-DIY-ceremony, and chic nighttime celebration where everyone could change and kick back. My fiancé and I have a love for books, so we used love stories in lots of different areas. Pages from Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays were shaped into cones used to hold the tossing rice and handed out to our guests. I also photocopied lines from one of our favorite love poems onto the same cardstock used for our invites, and placed it on our programs. We decided to use kraft paper for our programs since I love the natural color.
I adore rubber stamps, so I couldn’t wait to make our place cards. After I dyed them in coffee, my aunt hand wrote everyone’s names beneath the vintage-looking stamp I found. Then I tied different scraps of ribbon around each hang tag with my maid of honour, so every place card was slightly different.
For wedding favors we decided to make a personalized CD with songs that we both love and songs that really expressed our love. We made a playlist of 19 songs and put them in kraft paper cd cases with our thumbprints stamped in the shape of a heart. We also used a stamp of our names from Etsy seller Note Trunk. On the CD we used our heart thumbprints to personalize it even more.
Chris and I chose “Easier to Be” by Lifehouse for our first dance together. Not only are we old lovers for the band, but the words narrated our feelings for one another.
Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Don’t let anyone in on your vision until it’s finalized. And when I’d really get hung up on not being able to carry out my ideal vision, I’d remember: I’m getting married. Not wedding-ed. Remember what it’s about.
Wedding Vendors (Holland and Grand Rapids, MI):
Ceremony location: Ventura Pines Cottage / Reception location: Eve / Wedding Planning & Coordination: Pearls Events / Florist: Stems Event Design / Photographer: Harrison Studio / Wedding dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka / Cake: Cascade Confections
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Lovely wedding! I grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, so naturally I love this wedding!
The picture when he first sees her is amazing. It makes me cry.
Simply amazing!!!! I love love love her dress.
This is fantastic! I love EVERYTHING. Sow classy and intimate. Love her GOWN. I die.
Tear….sigh….Wow! love it alllllllllllll, seriously!
<3 <3 <3
I’m in love with that dress! Does she want to sell it? :)
Seriously love her gown, it’s gorgeous! And, the Groom’s reaction during the first look is incredible, love it all!
So Stunning! Her dress is amazing!! Love the color palette over all!
My wedding has come and gone, but I still want that dress! Could I wear it for Halloween?! ;)
Huzzah for Grand Rapids, MI! I live here, so it’s neat to see a GR wedding since I’ll be getting married here as well next year.
When he first sees her! :’) Teary eyes!
flossyblossom.blogspot.com
Oooo love the Vera Wang dress!! and that cake looks fantastic!
That gown is brilliant!!!
Gorgeous Vera Wang wedding gown. Lovely photographs!
That dress is amazing!!!
her gown is so so stunning!!
That gown! Gasp. The groom’s expression is priceless.
That wedding gown is unexpected, but incredible. That jeweled detail on top is phenomenal.
Gorgeous couple. Gorgeous location. Gorgeous wedding.
Good luck to them and their future.
Oh! The look on the groom’s face when he first sees her… :D
Wow this is so so stunning, what an absolute dream of a dress … I have got extremely side tracked reading this post! I have been looking for peach and gray inspiration online and just spotted your inamges. Just beautiful :-)
Dreamy is right! That dress is amazing, I LOVE the top and you’d think the plastic chairs would be so terrible but somehow they match her gown because of the color and it all just WORKS.
Fabulous, fabulous. Great pick!
Love how bright and colourful the pictures look, and that cake, fantastic!
WOW! I’m not usually a fan of the princess gown, but that is absolutely stunning. just fabulous
Liz and Chris!
Your wedding was absolutely gorgeous! I wanted to ask you where you found the groomsen and groom attire. I love the vest idea. I am getting married in June in FL so I think it would be perfect. Any help would be soo appreciated!! I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find these!
thanks!
Sara
my email is saracarolinejordan@yahoo.com
Oh my gosh, that gown is pure glamour!!!! Just beautiful!
That gown! Stunning.
Love this! So much. The gown is just to die for!
Wow, totally incredible. What a beautiful gown!
Fabulous gown, such a great contrast to the rest of the decor and set up!!! Love the color, love the sparkles and this coming from a strictly sheath gown bride only!!!!!! Congratulations!
I too, love the gown, but I must confess, the look of the groom when he first saw his bride is absolutely wonderful – that image is worth a thousand words!
what a wonderful dress!!!!
Thank you so much for all the lovely compliments!
Ali, I’m dabbling in selling the dress :)
Sara I sent you an email!
omg, i love the bride’s gown!!!
OH MY GOSH!!!!! That dress is insanely insanely insanely gorgeous! And this wedding just gave me chills! Whew! I want that dress! Oh VERA!
Liz, that dress is absolutely amazing! You looked breathtaking. If you decide to, please email me! ahodel@gmail.com and let me know the size/ your height.
This is quite frankly the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen! That picture where the groom sees his wife for the first time literally gave me goosebumps! Stunning, congratulations x x x
Liz i just needed to say thank you for saying your are getting married not wedding-ed i was just getting all nervous that my ideas were not meshing but now i feel awesome thank you so much!
Noelle,
I know *exactly* how you’re feeling – it was so challenging because I wouldn’t stay off of wedding blogs which is so dangerous when your wedding day is months away — You want to change everything you have every other hour. But that advice kept me grounded. Good luck with the rest of your planning! :)
I adore this wedding and really want to share it on my blog!! Liz!! Are you out there?!
Hi Rhiannon! I’d love to be on your blog!
My email is eirby@live.com
Hi Liz!
I emailed you personally but am also leaving my email here just in case!
I am looking to buy this gown used, PLEASE email me rai.s.h@hotmail.com
If ANYONE knows of someone who has this dress for sale or rent please email me.
I have been stalking the internet trying to find this dress used, I am desperate haha. If anyone is in the same boat please feel free to contact me – at this point I would honestly be willing to split the price of the dress and buy it new with someone who also loved it as much and if we had non conflicting wedding dates!
So luscious! loving that dress oh so much!
Hello, I just saw your beautiful pictures. I am just wondering where your reception was held?
lovely wedding couple thanks for sharing