Wedding Inspiration

1. Consider A Theme

themes Are Like Play Books.  Once You Pick Your Overall Aura For Your Wedding Everything Else Falls Into Place. choose A Theme That Reflects You And Your Partners One Of A Kind Style And Personality. Deciding On A Theme Will Also Help You Clearly Communicate Your Ideas With Your Florist, Bakers, Caterer, Dj And Other Vendors. 

when Maurice Met Sarah At Iowa State University, It Took Barely A Glance For Sarah To Know He Was The Real Deal.  In Fact, Within 24 Hours, She Was Smitten.  Through The Highs And Lows Of A Long-distance Relationship, From That Point On, Sarah And Maurice Only Had Eyes For Each Other.  On A Historic Pedestrian Bridge Overlooking The Minneapolis Skyline, Maurice Got Down On One Knee And Asked Sarah The Best Question She Had Ever Heard!

they Had Always Wanted A Smaller More Intimate Wedding So A Semi-destination Style Wedding Seemed Their Best Option.  Southwest Michigan Was Far Enough Where We Felt We Could Keep Our Guest List At A More Reasonable Number But Close Enough Where Family And Friends Could Afford To Travel And Stay.  They Fell In Love With Stonegate Manor Because Of The Beautiful Setting, Especially The Fairy Garden Where They Held Their Ceremony.  The Fact The Reception Area Was Both Indoors And Outdoors So Their Families Could Be Comfortable And Enjoy Both Was A Real Plus.  And Prudy, The Manager, Was Quick With Communication Which Was So Important Planning From Afar And In Only A Few Months.

while They Didn’t Have A Theme And Weren’t Really Focused On A Style, Their Choices Just Naturally Fit Into A Bohemian Vibe.  Being Very Laid Back, Both Just Wanted A Big Party With All Of Their Favorite People There…which Is Exactly What They Got!  

sarah’s Beautiful Dress Was From Zavana, An Australian Brand.  Known For Their Exquisite Lace Designs, Intricate Beading And Beautiful Details, Sarah’s Dress Did Not Disappoint.  With 2 Unique And Distinct Lace Patterns It Perfectly Embraced Both Elegance And A More Casual Boho Feel.  And It Fit Perfectly…no Bride Could Have Been More Beautiful!!!

the Bridesmaids Were Uniquely And Beautifully Dressed In Rust/coral Jumpsuits That Added A Casual But Elegant Flair.  Coupled With The Men’s Navy-blue Suits, It Was An Absolutely Stunning Color Combination.

the Boho Theme Was Also Reflected In Their Choice Of Decoration For The Wedding Arch…a Hand-made Macramé “curtain”.  Truly A One-of-a-kind Touch And Fit In So Nicely With More Casual Lace Featured In Sarah’s Dress.
the Best Thing About Their Wedding?  Maurice And Sarah Enjoyed Everything About It But They Did One Thing That Was Especially Meaningful.  They Took About 20 Minutes After The Ceremony And Before The Reception To Enjoy A Glass Of Champagne, Just The Two Of Them, Before Joining The Rest Of Their Family And Friends.  It Gave Them Time To Reflect And Soak In The Fact That They Were Finally, Really And Truly, Married.  

when Asked About Working With Vendors, They Advise Being Very Clear About Your Expectations From The Beginning.  Communication, Communication, Communication Is Imperative To Avoid Confusion As You Get Closer To Your Wedding Day.  Get All Your Questions Asked And Answered So You Are Feeling At Ease When The Day Finally Arrives.  And Sarah Recommends Getting A Wedding Planner….”some Of Our Best Money Spent!”

simply The Best Day Ever!

like A Lot Of People Our Age (north Of 60), Over The Years We’ve Gotten To Know A Lot Of People.  We Get Invited To A Lot Of Weddings.  We Know We Aren’t Always On The A List And Sometimes Might Even Be On The D List, But We Always Consider It An Honor To Be Invited And Always Attend If Possible.  We Look Forward To Weddings…it’s Fun To Dress Up And Dance…we Rarely Get To Do That Anymore.  

but, Honestly, Except For Noticing Our “will Not Attend” Rsvp, There Are Very Few Folks Who Would Terribly Miss Us If We Were Unable To Attend.  
and Now Enters Covid…

quite Frankly I’m Afraid To Go To Any Large Gatherings.  I Am Terrified My Husband, Who Has Lungs Like Swiss-cheese, Will Not Survive If He Becomes Infected.  I Don’t Want To Risk Either Of Our Lives For An Evening Of Dinner And Dancing After Watching Two Young People Who Barely Remember Me Exchange Vows.  But I Was Raised With Good Manners.  I’ve Given Enough Parties To Know It’s Rude To Not Go Without A Valid Reason.   

but Is It Equally Rude To Say “i Don’t Wat To Come To Your Wedding For Fear I’ll Catch A Disease”?  Is That The Same As Saying “i’m Afraid You Or Your Guests Might Have Bad Cooties”??!!  Is It Ok To Call And Ask If Social Distancing Will Be Done?  Or Will I Look Like The Odd Duck When I Show Up In Pearls, A Face Shield And An N-95?

i Don’t Think Miss Manners Has Ever Had To Cover This Scenario.  I’m Not An Etiquette Coach But I’m Old And I’m A Wedding Coordinator.  At Times Such As These, I Think You Fall Back On Common Sense And Grace.  When In Doubt, Kindness Is Always Good Etiquette.  
your “save The Dates” Probably Went Out Long Ago And Your Invitations Are Probably Printed.   You Can (and Should) Keep People Updated On Your Website About How You Are Managing The Covid Upheaval.  But Remember, It’s Older People Like Me Who Are Most Concerned About The Virus And We Aren’t Accustomed To Looking At A Couple’s Website…it’s A Pretty New Concept For Us.  So Personally, I Would Also Include In Your Invitations A Small Printed Note That Gives Your Guests Some Information So They Can Make Informed Decisions.  
let Me Give You A Couple Real-life Examples:


dear Family And Friends,
when We Sent Out Our “save The Date” Cards, Little Did We Know That A Tiny Little Virus Would Enter Our World And Turn It Upside Down.

covid Is Real And It Is Serious, Especially For Those In High-risk Categories Or Those Whose Loved Ones Are High-risk.  Our Venue And Our Caterers Will Be Taking Extra Precautions And We Do Ask That Everyone Wear Masks When Not Eating, Drinking Or Having Pictures Taken.  

however, As Hard As We Will Try, These Precautions May Not Be Enough.  While Most Cases Of Covid Infection Pass Fairly Easily, We Know Some Of You Are At High Risk Of Becoming Seriously Ill If Infected.  More Than Anything We Want You To Stay Healthy!  We Promise We Will Not Be Offended If You Choose Safety Over Celebration.   It Is Far More Important To Us To Have You Healthy, In Our Lives And Part Of Our Story For Years To Come Than To Have You Risk Your Health For Just One Day.

our Ceremony Site Is Spacious And Outdoors But The Reception Venue Is Indoors And A Safe Social Distance Will Be Difficult To Maintain.  We Would Love To Have You Present When We Make Our Vows But Will Understand If Safety Concerns Interfere With Your Desire To Attend The Reception.  Please Feel Free To Write “ceremony Only” On The Response Card.  Knowing You Will Be There Will Warm Our Hearts.

if You Feel Traveling Or Attending Put You At Risk And You Shouldn’t Participate,, Please Be Assured We Completely Understand.  We Want You To Make The Safe Decision.  We Will Be Recording The Ceremony And Hope You Will Celebrate With Us No Matter Where You Are.  Please Provide Your Email Address On The Response Card And We Will Send You A Link And Instructions.  More Than Anything Else, We Ask That You Keep Us In Your Heart On Our Most Important Day.

stay Safe & Healthy.  We Love You.
sue And George

i’m Sure Guests Loved What Jamie K From New Hampshire Posted On Their Wedding Website In March For Their May Wedding.

“we Are Aware That The Coronavirus And The Concerns Surrounding It Are A Very Serious Matter, And Could Potentially Effect Our Wedding Day. As Of Today, March 14th, Our Wedding Remains As Planned - If This Changes, We Will Certainly Let Everyone Know.

locally, The Schools Have Shut Down Until At Least April And The Cruiseline We Were Planning Our Honeymoon On Has Announced A 30 Day Suspension As Of Yesterday, So Naturally, We Are A Little Worried As For What The Future Holds Right Now!

our Wedding Is Still Two Months Away, So A Lot May Change By Then, But With So Much Uncertainty, We Want Everyone To Feel Comfortable Knowing That We Completely Understand Anyone Who Cannot Attend Due The Current Circumstances, Especially For Elderly Guests, Those Flying In And Those With Compromised Health In General.

please Do Not Put Yourselves At Risk For Our Wedding - If You Feel You Are At Risk In Anyway, Please Do To Not Feel Obligated To Come. Although It Saddens Us That There Is A Potential For Many Guests Not To Be Able To Make It To Our Wedding Day, In No Way Do We Want To Compromise Anyone's Wellbeing.

we Are Trying Our Best To Keep A Positive And Open Mind About Everything And What's To Come! So, Fingers Crossed It All Works Out The Way It's Supposed To  ”

these Heartfelt Words Will Mean So Much To Your Invited Friends And Family.  We Are All In Positions We Never Expected And Have No Clear Roadmap On How To Proceed   So Shine A Little Light On The Path…it Could Save A Life.

elopements Have Been Around A Long Time But It Is Only Recently That We Have Started To Hear Terms Like “micro-mony”, “micro-wedding” Or “tiny Wedding”.  Even The Term “intimate Wedding” Seems New Despite The Fact Your Wedding Is Probably The Most Intimate Experience You Will Ever Have!  

so What Do We Mean When We Say “elopement”?  By Definition, Elope/elopement Has A Somewhat Negative Connotation.  At Its Heart, Elope Means To “run Away” And When We Used It To Talk About Weddings, It Typically Meant “to Run Away To Get Married Secretly, Often Without A Parent’s Consent”.  It Can Be Viewed As Terribly Romantic As When Two Star-crossed Lovers Defy Their Controlling Parents To Run Off To Another State, Find A Judge Or A Preacher And Tie The Knot.  Picture A Ladder Up To A Second-story Window And Two Young Kids Speeding Towards The State Line With Nothing But Love To Sustain Them.  Or It Can Seem Fairly Misguided As “running Away” Is Usually Not A Good First Step Towards Most Good Things.  Elopements Are Also Often Thought Of As “spur Of The Moment” And, While There Are Exceptions, Happy Endings Rarely Begin At 2 Am In Elvis Chapels, Especially When Alcohol Is Involved.  ????

covid Has Changed The Landscape Of Weddings In Ways We Think Will Probably Last Long Past Any Legal Mandates.  Having Been Forced To Down-size Their Weddings, Many Are Discovering That It Really Is A Great Way To Save Money And Stress.  Coronavirus Has In Many Cases, Freed Us From The Imperative Of Having A Bigger, “better” Celebration And Allowed Us To Look At Weddings Through New Lenses.  And We Like What We See!  For Many, Weddings Have Evolved Away From “the Party” To Focus More On The “marriage” And The True Transformation That Takes Place That Day.

tiny Or Micro-weddings No Longer Represent A “running Away From” But A Conscious Decision Toward A New Paradigm.  Covid Pushed Us Toward Them But More And More We Are Embracing These Small, Low-key Celebrations.  And Finding The Extra Money Leftover Is A Great Benefit!

micro Or Tiny Weddings Are Not Necessarily Last Minute Or Hurriedly Put Together.  They Can Take As Much Planning And Contain As Many Details As You Want.  But, Bottom Line, They Don’t Have To!  All The Stressful Accoutrements Of Big, Traditional Weddings, Like Table Favors Or Bridesmaid Dresses, Are Neither Expected Nor Missed.  You Can Focus On Those Details That Actually Mean Something And Are Important To You…writing Your Vows Or Incorporating Other Traditions Into Your Ceremony.  And, If You Choose, Your “reception” Can Be Far More Extravagant With So Many Fewer Mouths To Feed…opt For Dom Perignon And The Lobster Nibbles.  But That Might Not Be Your Thing And That’s What Is So Freeing About Having A Tiny Wedding…surrounded Only By People Who Truly Love And Support You, There Is No Reason To Try To Meet Anyone’s Expectations Except Your Own.

at Stonegate Manor, Until Recently, We Hadn’t Offered “elopements” Or Any Type Of Micro/mini/petite Wedding Options.  It Just Hadn’t Occurred To Us!  We, Like Other Wedding Venues & Vendors, Had To Pivot And Adapt And We Found We Liked It.   Initially These Were Intended For Couples Whose Plans Had Been Disrupted And Who Were Eager To Quickly Find An Alternative.  Often Couples Brought Their Own Previously Contracted Vendors But Mini-sized Everything.  

 
as Time Goes On, We Are Getting More And More Calls From Couples Who Aren’t Desperately Trying To Save Their Weddings At The Last Minute But Who Want These Small Celebrations.  I Cannot Tell You The Times I’ve Heard Something To The Effect Of “we Were Planning On Having A Big Wedding Next Year But Covid Made Us Re-think Our Priorities And We Like The Idea Of A Small, Intimate Wedding”.  Who Would Have Thought A Virus Would Have The Ability To Transform Our Vision Of Weddings?!

michigan Law Now States That Only 10 People Can Gather Inside So Our Micro-monies Are Limited To 8 Guests.  We Take Care Of All The Necessities…the Officiant, The Flowers, The Cake, A Beautiful Place To Both Get Ready & To Celebrate Afterward And A Magical Fairy Garden In Which To Hold The Ceremony.  We Are Finding That To Be A Pretty Perfect Size.

for Those Who Desire A Bigger Guest List And/or A Bit More Involved Reception, Our Petite Weddings (<30 Guests) Provide A Great Alternative.  

yes We Still Get Couples Who, For One Reason Or Another, Want To Know If We Have Any Spots Available “this Week” And We Love That We Are Able To Offer Them A Beautiful Alternative To A Trip To The Courthouse.  But We Truly Love Sharing Our Elegant Estate With Couples Who Are Eager To Focus On The Importance Of The Day And Let Us Take Care Of The Rest!

by Prudy Barrett Nelson – As Stonegate Manor’s Wedding Fairy Godmother In Residence,  Prudy Has Shepherded Many A Couple On Their Way To The Altar And Has Always Been Successful!  Covid Has Stretched Her Imagination And Helped Her Come Up With Many Creative Ways To Get Couples Started On Their Happily Ever After And, After All These Years, She Has Found A New Passion.  Tiny Weddings Are Here To Stay And She Is Thrilled!