I’ve noticed that some that are similar, but have a slightly different wording. If you have one that you prefer, let’s include it here! Send it to me and I’ll add it to the list below. My favorite is at the bottom of the page ; )

Irish Blessing

May Joy and Peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And Happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore.
May your troubles be less,
And your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
come through your door.

Celtic Wedding Blessing

May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever clasped … in friendship,
and your hearts joined forever in love.

Saint Patrick’s Breastplate

May you be blessed with the strength of heaven,
The light of the sun and the radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of earth,
and the firmness of rock.

Benediction

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

Irish Wedding Blessing

May God go with you and bless you,
May you see your children`s children,
May you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.
May joy and peace surround you both,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now And God Bless you Evermore.

May you live you life with trust,
And nurture lifelong affection,
May your lifelong dreams come true for you,
Move ever that direction.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together,
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for each other trip a smile from your lips,
a twinkle from your eye.

And when eternity beckons,
at the end of the life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.
And, today, may this Spirit of Love
find a dwelling place in your hearts, forever.
Amen

Irish Vow of Unity

We swear by peace and love to stand,
Heart to heart and hand to hand.
Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now,
Confirming this our Sacred Vow.

… and a few more that are not particularly Irish or Celtic, but offer sentiments that are appropriate to the occasion …

From This Day Forward

From this day forward, let us laugh together, and plan together,
let us find our favorite places, and go together…
Let us enjoy the sunshine, and the rain,
being alone together, and in crowds together…
From this day forward, together,
Let us love!

Apache Marriage Blessing

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.

When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship – as they threaten all relationships at one time or another – remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong.

In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives – remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there.

And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Excerpt from The Bridge Across Forever
(Richard Bach)
A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other.

No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.

On Love
By Thomas Kempis

Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good.
Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable.

Nothing is sweeter than love,
Nothing stronger,
Nothing higher,
Nothing wider,
Nothing more pleasant,
Nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth; for love is born of God.

Love flies, runs and leaps for joy. It is free and unrestrained.
Love knows no limits, but ardently transcends all bounds.
Love feels no burden, takes no account of toil,
attempts things beyond its strength.

Love sees nothing as impossible, for it feels able to achieve all things. It is strange and effective, while those who lack love faint and fail.

Love is not fickle and sentimental, nor is it intent on vanities.
Like a living flame and a burning torch, it surges upward and surely surmounts every obstacle.

Art of Marriage

The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

Love

Roy Croft

I love you, not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you.

I love you, not only for what
you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.

I love you for the part of me that you bring out;
I love you for putting your hand onto my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help.

Dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light,
all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked
quite far enough to find.

I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life, not a tavern, but a temple. Out of the works, of my every day, not a reproach, but a song.

I love you because you have done more than any creed
could have done to make me good,
and more than any fate to make me happy.

You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.

~ • ~

I have included my favorite (and I have it memorized ; )

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue,

Sugar Is Sweet, And So Are You!

Simple and true! That’s always most appealing to me.

William Wallace Denslow’s illustrations for “Roses Are Red”, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose (copyright has expired).

The origins of my favorite poem can be traced back to 1590 by SirEdmund Spenser, “The Faerie Queene”, and 1784 in “Gammer Gurton’s Garland”, a collection of English nursery rhymes:

“The rose is red, the violet’s blue,

The honey’s sweet, and so are you.

Thou are my love and I am thine;

I drew thee to my Valentine:

The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou’d be you”.

Remember, we’d love to add your favorite to the list. There’s no expiration date on this request, send one today, send one next year … and if you know the author of some of the above, let me know and I’ll include that too. paula@teacupwedding.com

The Detroit Institute Of Arts

The D. I. A. is stunning, yet welcoming and comfortable.

“Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus”

Even with extended hours, this exhibit sold out. Photography was not allowed in the show gallery, but as you can imagine, it was truly amazing.

“Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn’s finest paintings, prints and drawings that portray Jesus and events described in the Bible. The exhibition of 64 works includes approximately 52 small, intimate paintings, prints and drawings by Rembrandt and his students that illustrate how Rembrandt broke from traditional 17th-century representations of Jesus”

The D.I.A. is available for private events, like wedding receptions!

“The Detroit Institute of Arts is available for small wedding receptions with up to 150 guests (no ceremonies)”. No ceremonies? No problem! Start with a beautiful, intimate marriage ceremony at “Teacup Wedding, Country House” Chapel, Parlor or outdoors in the Garden Arbor, followed by a strolling reception, sit-down dinner, lunch or brunch at the D. I. A. Your guests can also enjoy docent-led or self-guided gallery tours!

Rental of the Crystal Gallery (capacity: seated 64, strolling 75) is $500. Dining Room A is $250./300. for 25/30 in attendance. D.I.A. catering is the exclusive food provider. Their pricing on all five menus is typical of catered events – many options to fit your budget.

Entrance to Kresge Court, a courtyard café.

I discovered that, although I like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, I do not care for Shiraz at all. Good to know. I consider my (short) glass of red wine each evening after dinner to be part of a healthy lifestyle ; ) I will be sticking to my favorites!

Kresge Court, view from the second floor of the museum

Most of us recall back in the day, when the Kresge Courtyard Cafe was a cafeteria, sans the white linens and candlelight. But rightly so, this is certainly fitting for such a beautiful setting.

The “CafeDIA” is now our stop for Starbucks, salads and sandwiches.

“Helping Angel Window Panel”

John La Farge 1890

French, limestone chapel 1522-24

(my photo does this absolutely no justice)

Gilt copper and rock crystal “Reliquary”

Two angels hold a rock crystal container, which holds a saint’s bone.

“Christian believers revered relics from saints believing that they held some of the spiritual power of the holy person”.

Strolling through the museum, marveling at the architecture is a show in, and of, itself.

“Rest On The Flight Into Egypt”

1764-65

“Mary presents her child to the viewers as Joseph and the angels adore them”.

The warm, glowing light in this painting is incredible, and impossible to capture. I love this painting, although I personally feel that “Sweet Baby Jesus” seems like a more appropriate title.

“The Face Of Jesus”

The presence of God, in Christ, in us …. in his image.

Rear entrance/exit, “The Detroit Institute of Arts”

What’s missing from this picture? Hint. It’s the dead of winter in Michigan. Psst .. white stuff. Not to worry. We now have several inches : )

Night At The Museum, better than the movie.

getting married on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012, for $100.00 at “Teacup Wedding”?

♥

or getting vintage Valentines and clipart for FREE every day at “The Graphics Fairy”?

Both so sweet.

Better than a box of chocolates.

Loving heartfelt gestures.

A beautiful thing.

We hope you got the message.

If you want to get married on Valentine’s Day 2012,

Teacup Wedding is the place.

If you want beautiful vintage Valentines or any beautiful vintage graphics, The Graphics Fairy is the place!

Now you have everything you need to create a wonderful life ; )

www.thegraphicsfairy.com

“The Graphics Fairy”

Free Clip Art!

Our Chapel is beautifully prepared for weddings to take place on very short-notice, but can also be reserved up to 12 months in advance. Our very affordable, small wedding packages include the use of our venue, the services of our Wedding Officiant, and the classic country house vintage style decor shown in these current photographs.

Teacup Wedding Chapel, Winter White Roses in Urns.

The path to the entry of Teacup Wedding Country House, Wedding Chapel extends through our Garden Arbor Ceremony setting, which is available May – October and has shaded, comfortable seating for guests.

Teacup Wedding Officiant, Karla Groesbeck, entering the Country House Chapel with a couple, whose guests are seated and waiting inside.

View of Teacup Wedding Country House Chapel and Garden Arbor, as approaching from our on-site, private parking area. Reservations are made for only one small wedding or elopement at any given time, providing privacy and enjoyment exclusively for you and your guests.

Guests are comfortably seated facing the North, in the shaded Garden Arbor, with marriage ceremonies taking place at the ivy-covered trellis, evergreen foliage backdrop. This photo being taken on December 31, 2011, is beautiful, even without the white floral baskets that hang from the Garden Arbor in the warmer season, May – October, when the Garden Arbor is available.

Teacup Wedding Garden Arbor ~ December 31, 2011, after our last wedding of the year in the Wedding Chapel, still no significant snowfall in Michigan!

When planning for a marriage ceremony in the Garden Arbor, our on-site, indoor settings, the Chapel and Parlor are available at no additional cost, as a back-up in the event of rain or uncomfortable heat.

A beautiful and simply elegant setting for marriage ceremonies

Spacious, serene, light-filled interior with elegant decor that provides the perfect backdrop for professional and amateur wedding photography. The softness of the light and decor enhances the subject of the photography ~ the Bride and Groom ~ their vows, ring exchange, first kiss and pronouncement as a married couple!

Classic elegant table setting for a Unity Candle or Sand Ceremony (to the left). A Flower Ceremony or Ring blessing is also a wonderful option with a small wedding party, at Teacup Wedding Country House.

Teacup Wedding Chapel has subtle accents of white roses, greenery, ribbon and tulle that compliment the Chapel with a classic elegance; a current, yet classic, style that appeals to couples.

Teacup Wedding Country House Chapel is not decorated in a religious or Victorian style. It offers opportunities for the richness of traditional ceremonial inclusions, without dictating undue pomp and pageantry.

A candle light marriage ceremony can take place any time of day in the Country House Chapel. This photo was taken on a bright afternoon at 1 pm!

In the Chapel the couple is seated, side by side, as the solemnization of their marriage license takes place; after the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, vows, ring exchange and pronouncement of the married couple – another classic, keepsake photographic moment to capture.

Meagan & Joshua’s wedding party arriving at Teacup Wedding Chapel on December 7, 2011, just after a light snowfall – the icing on the cake!

Meagan, with her bouquet of white roses, at Teacup Wedding Chapel.

Mother of the Bride and the Bride, entering the chapel.

Love. The. Boots.

…which were also worn by the ladies in her party!

Meagan’s Mother steps into the Chapel, then reaches for Meagan’s hand a she crosses the threshold.

Teacup Wedding Chapel is a beautiful, affordable venue for a small, intimate wedding that is unlike any other. Everything is provided in our all-inclusive packages: on-site parking for all wedding party vehicles, chapel, decor, music, candles, florals and the services of our Michigan Marriage Officiant. You and your guests arrive at Teacup Wedding Country House, to a private setting that is completely prepared for you, and your Teacup Wedding!

I’m sharing photos of the absolutely beautiful “Shatila Bakery” desserts, many of which are behind glass, so please excuse the color and glare.

“Old World style. All natural, and no preservatives”.

“Shatila Bakery, Dearborn, Michigan” makes: cakes, pastries, individual desserts and festive gifts for the holiday, weddings, baby showers, birthdays and every occasion . . . not that you need an “occasion” to enjoy their desserts. In fact, their desserts make for an occasion! These beautiful, individual desserts are $1.10 – $1.40 each, or a dozen for $12.50 – 15.00.

Desserts at Shatila Bakery feature pineapple, pistachio, almond, chocolate, kiwi, blackberries, strawberries, and much more. There are so many beautiful desserts to choose from that it’s hard to decide on just one, so you can always have some friends help out by sampling a bite of say, half a dozen. That works out quite nicely!

Mocha mousse, strawberry mousse- six amazing desserts for just $8.40. The best part, they are fresh and fabulous.

Case after case of meticulously organized pastries, desserts and cakes. I don’t know what makes me happier, looking at the neatly lined, identical pastries or eating them. Really, I don’t ; )

They didn’t have any wedding cakes on the weekday that we stopped in, so no photos. Love these traditional style toppers.

“Old World style” perfectly describes  “Shatila Bakery”. It should be featured on the “Food Network”. You can order online and have many of their products shipped to you.

Pink and blue baby gift baskets, and Jordan almonds in many colors for shower and wedding favors.

We always take time to enjoy a cup of coffee and a tasty treat in their super clean and sunny cafe. They’re open from 7:30 am until 11 pm, midnight (on the weekends).

We discovered Shatila Bakery about 17 years ago. Since then they have done a major renovation and expansion. It is gorgeous! We’ve made a mecca to get their desserts many times over the years, and typically get boxes of baklava-like pastries for the holidays. Great for gifts or to share with your holiday meal.

This is what we request; a small tray with the pastries above, left to right, Bird’s nest, Fingers, Baklawa, Mini-roses and Burma. 37 delicious pieces for $13.50. Amazing!

Very fresh with a light flavor of honey and pistachio, not overly sweet as most baklava seems to be.

You can pre-order if you’re in a hurry to get in and out, but you’ll want to at least have a cuppa joe in the cafe with dessert, or maybe the coconut or pistachio ice cream. I should also note that they have savory pastries and wraps too.

Next year I may order a Candy Cane Cake like this one …

… as I was admiring this yellow cake, Candy Cane it was snapped up by the lady next to me. That’s how fast things move here, and just as quickly as they go, more are brought into the cases. Holy freshness!

Weekday or weekend, there will be a line; which gives you ample time to narrow down your selections. It doesn’t matter how busy they are, the ladies at “Shatila Bakery” are very patient and sweet. I haven’t experienced better service or products.

Chocolate Yule Log Cake decorated so sweetly, $25.00

This cake is almost too pretty to eat with delicate, white chocolate petals on top.

So there you have it. Our longtime, favorite bakery that has never disappointed. “Shatila Bakery” is a wonderful place to buy fabulous desserts at a reasonable price. It doesn’t get any better than that!

We were in the garden preparing the evergreens for winter the day before Thanksgiving, when we heard this flock of birds in the Black Walnut trees along the back of the property. It’s hard to see here, but the treetops were filled with birds, like black foliage. Their sounds, their communication, were loud and intense.

All at once, they rose from the branches where they were perched, apparently as planned,

and flew into the sky with a big swoop to the east, and a swoop to the west (a strategic move to make them less vulnerable to attacks),

pulling their flock closer as they flew higher, until they grouped tightly together and flew away; like a whirling cloud of black pepper.

Avian behavior is fascinating. Studies have shown that though it seems as if their communication and interaction is quite complex, it is actually simple and intuitive. Swifts and swallows can be very organized, with the intention of looking out for all the flock members. Flocks scout for food and take turns navigating; and predators favor a lone bird over a flock. Hard to believe that the phrase “Birds of a feather flock together” was first seen in writing in the 1500′s! The first known citation in print of the currently used English version of the phrase appeared in 1599, in “The Dictionarie in Spanish and English“. You know that a Mom came up with that one ; )

Birds.

Thanksgiving 2011

We don’t eat Tofurky

December 1, 2011

Winter. Good thing I love it, because it’s baaack! I didn’t realize, until I got out yesterday, that we got more snow than Plymouth and Canton last Tuesday night. Just 5 miles down the road and there wasn’t any snow on the ground! Looks like we may be getting another inch late tonight. Snow is good insulation from the bitter Winter winds for plants, and melting snow helps keep plants moist. We watered the evergreens throughout the fall, right up until the day before Thanksgiving, and treated them with “Wilt-Pruf” to reduce moisture loss. The Butterfly Garden plants (the tall, brown scrubby stuff in the background above) are left standing for the Winter so the birds can enjoy the seed heads. Not the prettiest look, but I love seeing the birds that it attracts.

Birds, although unintended, seemed to be the theme of my photos this past week.

“Blackbird Party”

Sticknymph on etsy

I’m enjoying these last days of Fall, not at all minding the fast-approaching arrival of Winter (December 22 at 5:30am), and planning a very simple, pleasant and peaceful Christmas weekend. I hope your holiday is a peaceful one, too!

Actually, this super-easy, cool project is for everyone.  I can see this as a gift bag to share a bottle of wine, magazine, toys, dog bones, a stack of homemade cookies and other holiday goodies.

Photo: “Red Shoes”

Catherine Thursby, owner of “Red Shoes” in downtown Ann Arbor, is sharing {out of the goodness of her thankful heart} a tutorial for a holiday stocking that will seriously knock your socks off! It’s fast, easy and artistic. Does it get any better? Yes, it does! It’s re-purposed and you probably have the supplies for a couple in your closet right now! If you’re anything like me, and I truly hope that you are not, bless your heart, you may even have the supplies for many of these cool stockings on hand –

sweaters!

Photo: “Red Shoes”

Sweaters that you (actually “I”) should have donated a long time ago, but who’d want my favorite beautiful, pale pink Gap sweater with a mustard stain on the front? I’ve kept it in hopes of a new and improved Tide stick. Notice the subject of throwing it away didn’t come up? Well, it’s a good thing that I’ve kept it all these years, because I can now make two stockings with this sweet sweater! Hey, since I have two arms and two feet, if mine will fit on my feet, they’ll have a home across the arm of my couch so I can slip them on when I’m chillin. We’ll see about that.

Even though I don’t get Christmas-minded until the turkey leftovers are in the frig., time is of the essence here folks! As you’re pulling out your warm sweaters on these chilly nights, you may just find a few that will be perfect for making Catherine Thursby’s stockings.

You’ll find the super-simple directions right here on “Red Shoes” blog

Photo: “Red Shoes”

While “There’s No Place Like Home”, you’ll also enjoy getting out to visit her pretty shop in-person, too. You’ll find beautiful, uplifting, colorful everything – for the holidays, home, garden or purely for your own personal pleasure at “Red Shoes”. You’ll also see one of Ann Arbor’s famous fairy doors.

I’m giving you a peek of her shop below.  To see everything – click *here*

All photo credits: “Red Shoes”

Disclaimer of sorts: If need be, please feel free to insert whatever suits you in place of “Christmas”, when I refer to “Christmas Stockings” ; )
My description being a “Christmas Stocking” is based on the fact that I celebrate Christmas, and Santa likes to deliver gifts to us Christians in socks. I don’t know how this tradition began. I don’t know how life on Earth began either. I just know that it obviously did.  Likewise, Christmas stockings are a part of my Christmas celebration. This belief was shared with my kids, and they now share it with their kids, therefore it’s a part of our culture and can simply be respected (I am a very P.C. in so many other ways).

Again, why the stocking? I live in Michigan, I could imagine that since it’s cold at Christmas, Santa knew that we would have our big, warm stockings out of the Rubbermaid bins in the attic, and handily hanging to dry by the fireplace after … say … skiing at Boyne! But what about the residents of San Diego, California or Sydney, Australia? It’s sandal season at Christmas! Can you see how complicated things can get when you (or I) over-think them?

What a year in numbers! We had 1.1.11, 1.11.11, 11.1.11, and now last (but not least) the most unique – 11.11.11!

The next similar date is 12-12-12, Wednesday, December 12, 2012, and then 1-1-1 …. in 3001, 89 years later!

Is it a lucky number sequence? For mathematicians, computer geeks and “number people”, 11-11-11 is a palindrome and, when multiplied 11 x 11, will produce another palindrome – 121. A “palindrome” is a word, phrase, number or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction. 11 is the first palindrome prime number.

“11″ in numerology:

11 combines the elements of unity as it is represented by two ‘1’s.

It has the powerful property of reading similarly, whether the number is read upside down, backwards or in the right orientation.

11 signifies unity and resolve, many games have teams of 11 people, such as soccer or cricket.

The number 11, when broken down as added (1+1=2), represents duality as well signifying unity even in plurality.

Buddha said “as the force of loving kindness develops, the intimacy and caring that fills our hearts will bring eleven advantages“:

1) You will sleep easily.

2) You will wake easily.

3) You will have pleasant dreams.

4) People will love you.

5) Devas (celestial beings) and animals will love you.

6) Devas will protect you.

7) External dangers (poisons, weapons, and fire) will not harm you.

8) Your face will be radiant.

9) Your mind will be serene.

10) You will die unconfused.

11) You will be reborn in happy realms.

Holy Batman, Buddha! I can’t wait until my “force of loving kindness develops“, especially looking forward to the unconfused part. Wish it could happen before I die … oh well, as goes my life.

All said it is a very unique number sequence, and one of the most popular days to wed this year. Approximately 24,133 couples are planning to exchange vows on Friday, November 11, 2011, according to marriage license applications. So, if you want to be married at Teacup Wedding on 11.11.11, we have an 11 am,  “Teacup Wedding 20″ available for reservation. Give us a call or send an email.

T-shirt, cafepress

Check out this creative 11.11.11 “Save The Date” video – just for fun ; )

Every year townspeople will adorn their homes with festive lights and decor, there will be parties all across the land, beers will be brewed in honor of the occasion, citizens will freely give candy to everyone who celebrates your day, joyfilled children will run through the streets, and it will truly be the sweetest day of the year!

The “Sweetest Occasion“, featured a 2010 Halloween wedding.

All day on Monday October 31, 2011, marriage ceremonies will take place in the Teacup Wedding Chapel, amidst the gnarly black walnut branches, white ghost pumpkins, fall leaves and candlelight. We’re kicking it up a notch this year with our Hallowedding decor!

So how do you celebrate a Halloween wedding? However you want! Have a party, go to a party, go Trick or Treating as a “Bride & Groom”, pass out treats (skip the candy buffet, just put a basketful on the porch). Oh, the possibilities are endless – this year and every year after!

What will you wear? (This is way too easy) Whatever you want! Couples have been married in costumes (yes, even a witch costume ;), traditional wedding attire, jeans and tuxedo T-shirts (you’ve seen those), a Vera Wang black wedding dress (remember Heather’s beautiful black dress?), and an “LBD”:

wikipedia: “A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of CoCo Chanel, intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color. Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the “LBD. The “little black dress” is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a “rule of fashion” that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening”.

Is this sounding way too easy? It is.

Have you ever seen a wedding “to-do” list that looks like this?

√ – make a reservation at Teacup Wedding

√ – get marriage license

√ – buy candy

√ – buy beer

Remember that I mentioned beers being brewed for the occasion?

Photo credit and review

Seriously! Michigan-made, Halloween beer to celebrate the occasion. The “Michigan Brewing Company” makes “Screamin’ Pumpkin Ale”. They also make “Kid Rock Badass American Lager” – need I say more?  You’ll find more here.

Barton Hills is a full service, private, member-owned Country Club.

Montivina White Zinfandel, California and Chateau Grand Traverse, Sweet Harvest Riesling, Michigan, at $19.00 a bottle. Dom Perignon, France $162.00, and everything in between!

The elegant, relaxed setting is ideal for golf outings, corporate events, wedding receptions, and large or small celebrations.

Karla Groesbeck, Teacup Wedding Officiant, and Jennifer Nast, Barton Hills Director of Sales and Catering, discuss the ceremony details.

View from the dining room balcony, overlooking the ceremony setting. Fall colors are making their debut in Michigan. You can check out the 2011 dates for peak colors on this map.

White exterior with deep green accent – classic, and my favorite ; )

The bright sunlight in this picture is very deceiving. It was a chilly, early afternoon wedding with lots of strong wind. But it didn’t snow! That’s the upside for October in Michigan.

Golf carts. In keeping with the country club theme, the elder guests were driven to their seats in a golf cart. Fun.

Fortunately the sun was shining on the guests . . .

. . .  and the golfers. Although you can’t see them in the other photos, there were plenty on the course.

I relaxed on the balcony, with a wonderful view of a gorgeous wedding venue, and caught a bird’s-eye-view of the highlights of the day.

The littlest Groomsman, escorted his Mommy-Matron of Honor. I think his tux was size “teeny-tiny”.

Flower girls and Bridesmaid. Love the beautiful fall bouquet.

The Bride and her Father

It doesn’t matter how many weddings you attend, even at the same location, each one is truly unique. Even with shared ideas, themes, colors  and decorative details, that take place between future and former brides; the history and energy of the couple, and their guests, create the unique and one-of-a-kind memories.

Processional: “Marry Me”, by Train

Congratulations Aaron & Lindsey!

On the subject of lovin’ Fall weddings here in the color-changing mitten state -

Enjoy some beautiful, fall inspiration photos here at “On The Go Bride”;  especially the carved pumpkins (I first thought that they were lanterns), and this super simple recipe:

“2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins”