Last weekend was just wonderful; I was honored to Officiate over the Wedding of Jamie & Fabian.This terrific couple chose a Beach setting for their ceremony and we could not have had a more perfect day for it!
Surrounded by their families and friends, who had joined them for the weekend, Jamie & Fabian exchanged their wedding vows on the sunny and beautiful western shores of Lake Michigan in nearby Douglas, MI.
Since it was a beach wedding we tried to incorporate that into everything we did. Upon arrival at the Motel the guests found a gift bag on their bed from the bride and groom stuffed full of weekend essentials. We put in a program with their schedule of events, a disposable camera, a bottle of water, a little bag of snacks from the local confectioner. We also included bottle openers with seashell handles and Saugatuck shot glasses (Saugatuck picture frames for the Mom’s!). The cutest thing I ordered for them were these seashells with their names and wedding date imprinted on them, along with the phrase “Our Love Shell Last Forever”...check out the cake – you can see one that we used on the top of it...really too cute!
But it was much more than just a beach wedding; it was a full day of events; after the ceremony their guests were treated to a cake & champagne reception at our Motel, they all had dinner in town together at the White House Bistro, followed by a 1.5 hour sunset boat cruise on the Kalamazoo. We arranged all the transportation for them so all they had to do was get in the van and go! So easy for them and they had so much fun - the bride and one of her friends even had time to get their noses pierced (ouch!)
Michelle of V.S. Flowers, in Douglas MI, did a beautiful job on the flowers – as always!! Franny, of Cookies on Call, did a delightful seashell themed cake – one word DELICIOUS! Joyce Bluhm, of Bluhm with Joy, did beautiful hair and make-up for the Bride and the Maid of Honor. My darling daughter provided the digital snap-shots.
As part of the wedding Jamie & Fabian chose to incorporate a unity sand ceremony. Jamie (the bride) found some huge clam shells that she decorated; they used the sand from the very spot they stood on when they exchanged their vows – it was so romantic!Their mother’s were honored with a flower presentation; to fit the beach theme of it all the couple decided to use a single Bird of Paradise instead of a Rose, it really was a beautiful ceremony (if I do say so myself!)
The BEST part of the ceremony that is really wish I could take credit for was the “fly-by” we received from a Marine jet...he dropped down so low he was nearly eye level with us, tilted his wings (a pilot’s version of waving “hello”) and then took off again! The crowd cheered and yelled, it was AMAZING! Out of what seemed like 15 plus cameras only one managed to be smart enough to take a photo of it - God Bless Chad! He's the only one the put a cemera in front of his eye -the rest of us were just lost in the moment! (I'll post it when I get a copy)
If we had just started the ceremony a few minutes earlier he would have flown by just as I pronounced them husband and wife but timing or not it was the highlight of the ceremony! Several guests asked me – “did you arrange that!?!” or “Did you know Fabian was in the Marine’s”. Although I joking took credit for saying “Hey, I’m a full service provider, I do it all” it was a touching gesture by an unknown pilot who will be remembered by the 30+ people in attendance at the wedding as well as everyone else on the beach that day. I’m sure it’s a story that will be told and re-told hundreds of times; so thank you Mr. Pilot, you are awesome!
The truly best thing about the entire wedding weekend with Jamie & Fabian is that I have two new friends that I adore and will cherish!! Over the course of planning their wedding with them and the weekend they, their families and friends all stayed with us we just all had a blast together. These were two of the most fun and down to earth people; we just all had a ball together! And they left me the absolutely sweetest card in their room when they left, I wanted to find her and hug her again!
Thank you Jamie & Fabian; for choosing to have your wedding celebration at our Inn and thank you for letting be a part of your wedding celebration. It truly was my privilege and an honor for me to Officiate over your wedding. We loved having you and your entire group here and we look forward to having you all back on your first anniversary!!
