“Chris + Natalie’s wedding was so very pretty! With accents of blush pink and grey, the Bride couldn’t have been more beautiful in her lace elegant dress and soft beautiful curls in her hair. The Bride wore her mothers veil and had touches of family heirloom through out her wedding which was so sweet. The wedding began at a beautiful church for a traditional service then ended at Fern Hill Country Club. We loved stopping at the park in between to get some beautiful blooms in our images, since that was something important to the bride plus they are beautiful!” –Shanell Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

There are so many wonderful moments during our wedding day that is SO HARD to pick just one! Our absolute favorite memory would have to be our first dance as Husband and Wife. It was such an amazing moment for us to share together! We couldn’t stop smiling thinking about how all of our closest family and friends were there to celebrate our love! In addition, our first sight of each other at the beginning of the ceremony was amazing, and wonderful to see the reaction on each other’s face.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

The DIY projects started from the very beginning of our planning process. We were very blessed to have such willing family and friends that came together to help us craft! We never could’ve finished it all alone. We created adorable boxes for all of the Bridesmaids filled with wine, a note, chocolate and cute little touches! We wanted to add a little something to dress up our invites so we individually added pearls and a cute bow to tie it all together! We couldn’t get enough of the pearls, so we decided to add some on all of our gold frames as well! Pretty sure my family had blisters after this project, we were placing each and every pearl with tweezers! Our favors were sweet little organza bags with tealight candles featuring a small tag with a quote telling our guests that money was donated in their names to Angels of Hope, a children’s cancer foundation. Our very handy father created a monogram for us out of wood and painted it a beautiful ivory color in place of a guestbook so we could hang it in our new home and remember all of the special people that were there. Most of our signs, table cards and programs were purchased off of Etsy. The graphics were paid for and we had them printed and framed to match our vintage floral theme. My Maid of Honor {my Sister} had a lot of fun putting together baskets in both bathrooms filled with all the necessities for the night! It was so much fun seeing all of our DIY work displayed at our wedding, it made it that much memorable for us!!

Did you have a something old, new, borrowed and blue?

My Something Old was my Mother’s bridal veil that I got to wear on my wedding day as well which was so special! My Something New was my sparkly shoes. My Something Borrowed was my Mother-in-Law’s ankle bracelet and my Something Blue was a beautiful aquamarine ring that was given to me from my grandmother who recently passed away. I loved that I got to wear special pieces from my close family!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Our advice to every bride in the planning process is to relax and enjoy every moment. Believe me, you will miss it once it’s all over. Try not to stress about the small stuff because it all goes by SO FAST! Start planning right away, try not to put it off too long, it will become more enjoyable if you don’t have to rush! Make planning fun and invite your friends and family over for a night of crafting! In the end, you will be married to the love of your life and it will truly be a magical day! – Natalie, the bride

Event Credits

Photography: Shanell Photography // Ceremony Venue: Kensington Church // Reception Venue + Catering: Fern Hill Golf Course // Florist: Posh Petals // Cake: KJ's Confections // Invitations: Allegra Printing // DJ: Cosmic Groove // Videographer: Dan Rinke // Transportation: Macomb Limousine // Rentals: Luxe Event Linen // Engagement Ring: Kay Jewelers // Bride's Attire: Bridal Belles // Bride's Shoes: Macy's // Bride's Jewelry: Simply Marcella // Hair + Make-up: Urban Chic Salon // Bridemaid's Attire: David's Bridal // Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse // Groom's Shoes: DSW