Page 2 — Wedding guide –– february 2014
Pets can add to wedding according to one newlywed
Wedding guide PuBLiSHeR Elizabeth Gorske
By Jay Ogden Dogs have been called man’s best friend. From early man to the modern age, pets have been a big part of many individuals’ lives, so why not include them in the wedding? Tawas City resident Audrey Bischoff did that during her wedding in 2012, and even went so far as to train her half linger horse, “Herman,” to pull a carriage for the event. She said the animal was trained by Danny Erickson in just eight days to pull a borrowed carriage. “The pony was able to pull me and my dad from the side road out and deliver me to the end of the aisle,” said Audrey. “Later we used the horse as a getaway car.” She said having the horse trained for the wedding is not something everyone can do, but it saved money on renting a carriage for the event, which can be costly. “First of all, having your own horse and training it in a short amount of time is hard to do,” Audrey said. She said the carriage served a practical purpose as well. The wedding was an outdoor event and the ceremony was in an open space. She said the carriage was needed to take her and her father up to the aisle so they would not been seen hoofing it across the open space to the ceremony. Although it rained before the event, soaking the bridesmaids, potentially ruining the event, Audrey said the wedding, with her pet horse went off without a hitch. “It rained right up until the wedding then all of a sudden the clouds parted, and it didn’t rain after that,” she said. “It was kind of neat in a way.” Audrey’s dog, Shuggie was involved in
Managing editOR Eric Young editORiaL Staff Sherry Barnum Tim Barnum Jay Ogden Emily Walker Thomas Williams adVeRtiSing SaLeS Jama Gates Anthony Kachiros Carla Reeves Tracy Pardue-Smith COMPOSitiOn Sharon Ehlert Jesse Karbowski eMaiL sherrybarnum@ogemawherald.com Cover Photo of Jordan and tara forro, courtesy of Simply Love Photography by Sarah Killackey
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Audrey and Jason Bischoff pose after their wedding with their dog, Shuggie. the wedding as well. She said they put a small dog tux on him and allowed him to run around the guests. She said after a while, the pooch came up to the groom, Jason, and wanted to be locked in its kennel. “He was overwhelmed with the throngs of people in the yard and we locked him up and didn’t hear from him for the rest of the night,” she said.
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The fine print of Audrey’s wedding is although it may be good to have a beloved pet in a wedding, like a horse or dog, consider its potential reaction to large groups of people. A non-gregarious dog that is the second love of a bride’s wife may not get on well with large groups of people. Audrey said Shuggie may not have had
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License to wed By eric Young Before you get to the altar, there is a very important step that you must do in order to get married — get your marriage license. While it’s not a difficult process, it is something that you need to do ahead of time, because there is typically at least a three-day waiting period after you turn in your application. Arenac County Clerk Rick Rockwell said under special circumstances, such as armed forces deployment or impending health problems, that time can be reduced. “Basically, it’s the same in every county,” Rockwell said.
Ogemaw County Clerk Gary Klacking said Ogemaw County residents can get the form at the clerk’s office and fill it out. “You need your Social Security number, because that goes on the application form,” Klacking said. “And we ask to see the driver’s license.” Klacking said there are a number of questions on the form, such as where you live, your address and where your parents are born, among other things. He said at least one person from the couple must come in. “Usually both people come in, a great majority of the time,” he said. “But that’s not mandatory. Normally you apply in the county you reside.”
Rockwell said if neither the bride or groom is from the county — if they are from outside of the state — they must get married in the state the license is from. The fee in Ogemaw and Arenac counties is $20 for a marriage license. It is $10 in Oscoda County for the first certified copy, and $5 for each additional copy when ordered at the same time. In Michigan, a blood test is not required for a marriage license. Once the license is received by the couple, it is good for 30 days. Application forms can be picked up at the county clerk’s office, and Oscoda County also has the form available on its county website, www.oscodacountymi.com.
Helpful tips about wedding invitations and thank you notes invitations • Send save-the-date cards six to eight months before the wedding • Send invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding • Deadlines for RSVPs should be two to three weeks prior to the wedding to give the caterer time to plan and finalize any seating charts • Include information about a wedding website on your savethe-date or with the formal invitation on an insert card • Include registry information along with the invitation • For adult-only weddings, address invitations to each guest individually you would like to attend • To inform guests of a dress code or theme, include the information in the lower right-hand corner of the invitation • It is not always necessary to invite every guest with a plusone. If they are not in a serious relationship, it is perfectly acceptable to invite the guest solo • Don’t forget to address the RSVP envelopes and include postage
thank You notes • The earlier, the better for thank you cards, but late is also better than never • Anyone who gives the couple an engagement, shower or wedding gift or a card with money deserves a thank you note • Personalized thank you notes for the wedding party are a must • Send thank you cards to anyone who hosted a party or shower, helped set up or clean up after the wedding and parents of the couple • Thank you notes to suppliers who exceeded your expectations are also a nice gesture • When writing thank you notes, personalize the note to reference the gift or gesture, include how you will use the gift and be enthusiastic about your appreciation • Always send a card or note don’t use email or post a generic thank you on your wedding website or social media Information courtesy of wedding.theknot.com and www.bridalguide.com
Wedding planners can ease pain of hall rental By thomas Williams When planning for a wedding reception, utilizing a wedding planner can help simplify securing a hall for a reception. Sandy Bell of Decorative Essentials said planning a wedding date can depend on a venue’s availability. “A lot of times, you have to reserve the hall before you set the date,” she said. “If a bride has her mind set on a venue, they have to make sure it is available on the date they want. A lot of times, it is not.” Bell said costs of hall rental can vary depending on the services requested and the number of guests. “They have to look at all aspects of the reception,” she said. “Sometimes, the venue will handle all of it. The price can go up if you have a lot of guests. It can go up if they are providing the DJ, catering or a photographer or if they are providing all of the decorations. If you have a pretty hefty budget, some of the venues can get everything taken care of for you.” Bell said most reception halls in Northeastern Michigan have set prices, but some other venues might tack on hidden fees. Bell said using a wedding planner can help simplify the bill for a reception hall. “When they come to someone like me, we don’t have hidden fees,” she said. “A lot of times, they just want to pay a lump sum and be done with it.” Alyssa White, sales director of Forward Conference Center in West Branch, said the facility started a wedding package deal in order to avoid added costs. “Our wedding package is pretty much all inclusive,” she said. “In the six months
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Page 4 — february 2014 –– Wedding guide
20 Mother and son wedding dance songs “Child Of Mine” –– Carole King “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” –– Israel Kamakawiwoole “A Song For Mama” –– Boyz II Men “God Only Knows” –– The Beach Boys “Mom” –– Lucero “How Sweet It Is” –– James Taylor “Forever Young” –– Bob Dylan “Sweet Child O’ Mine” –– Sheryl Crow “I Will” –– The Beatles “Simple Man” –– Lynyrd Skynyrd “In My Life” –– The Beatles “Thank You Mom” –– Good Charlotte “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)” –– The Dixie Chicks “Kind & Generous” –– Natalie “Loves Me Like A Rock” –– Paul Simon “Ordinary Miracle” –– Sarah McLachlan “My Wish” –– Rascal Flatts “Blessed” –– Elton John “I Hope You Dance” –– Lee Ann Womack “What A Wonderful World” –– Louis Armstrong
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february 2014 –– Wedding guide — Page 5
Prenuptial agreements a good idea for those with assets
“Always, in all ways” –– Kenny Loggins
By tim Barnum Often times people fall in love and get married at a young age with little to their name. But for those who are getting remarried, or who have accumulated assets over their lifetime, a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is beneficial and offers peace of mind. Attorney Melissa Sprague, of Standish, said prenups are not common in the area, but do occur from time to time. “A lot of people, when they get married, obviously in their 20s — they don’t have anything to write a prenup for because they don’t have to protect anything,” she said. “You see it more with people who are more established, older, maybe in their second or third marriage, who want to protect something.” “Two 18-year-old kids probably don’t have a bank account and a house and a 401(k) that they want to protect,” added West Branch Attorney Christine Juarez. “You’re really looking at wanting to protect what you had going into the marriage, other than what you built during the marriage.” Juarez said it can be an uncomfortable process, since people who are soon to be married don’t like to think about divorce going into the wedding. “Nobody wants to think about what would go wrong at the time you’re getting married, but it certainly can eliminate a lot more heartache and time and expense in a divorce if a lot of those things are determined,” she said. When newly married or engaged couples want to talk about drawing up the prenuptial or postnuptial contract, Sprague said each party should have their own attorney, unless they have already discussed the issue and believe they have everything cov-
20 father-daughter dance songs “The Best Day” –– Taylor Swift
“Constellations” –– Jack Johnson
“Count on Me” –– Bruno Mars “Daddy” –– Beyonce “Daughters” –– John Mayer “Dream Big” –– Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband
“Gracie” –– Ben Folds “Hero” –– Mariah Carey “I Hope You Dance” –– Lee Ann Womack
“I Loved Her First” –– Heartland
“Kind and Generous” –– Natalie Merchant
“Let Your Heart Sing” –– Katharine McPhee
ered. “We can’t give legal advice to both sides, so it is better if both party has their own attorney,” she said. “If they know exactly what they want to do, they can usually do it with just one.” If each party has their own attorney, it can ensure a cleaner, clearer agreement, Juarez said. “I like the other party to have an attorney, because that’s one more area that would be vulnerable, because they could say ‘I didn’t understand it,’ or ‘I didn’t have council,’” she said. Two separate attorneys working on the contract with their clients can prevent new issues from being raised if a divorce does
occur, Juarez said. “In court, people can raise all sorts of claims, whether it’s divorce or a construction issue if you have a cost contract,” she said. “The more you have covered in that contract, the less likely it is to be challenged.” While both attorneys acknowledged the process of drawing up a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can be a touchy situation, both recommended it. “I think if you have substantial assets, you’ve worked hard for what you have, so you should get a prenup,” Sprague said. “You just have to take the emotions out of it, and say ‘This is just in case,’” she said.
“My Little Girl” –– Tim McGraw
“My Wish” –– Rascal Flatts “Somethin’ Special” –– Cobie Calliat
“Thank You” –– 33 Miles “You Raise Me Up” –– Josh Grobin
“Your Song” –– Elton John “You’ve Got a Friend” –– Scotty Mcreery
Information courtesy of brides.com
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Page 6 — Wedding guide –– february 2014
Get them a gift they can use this year By Jay Ogden A Salad Shooter. A monogrammed Snuggie. A his and her set of matching bowling shirts. A baker’s dozen set of pink flamingos. The right wedding present can either have a long life being used every day by the happy couple, or it can have the fate of gathering dust in a cabinet or being taken to a second hand store for a donation. The Prescott St. Vincent de Paul is a depository for old wedding presents that didn’t make the cut, according to employee Tonya Bartholomew. She said wedding day kitsch, like knickknacks and other items either used in the wedding ceremony or given to the bride and groom, end up in the store. Untold amounts of wedding day junk could be in the store, but the employees don’t know every story of every item brought in for donation, Tanya said. She said items like cake cutters, candle holders and wedding champagne glasses — among other piles of wedding day clutter — end up at the store. Manager Dixie Lash said the number one item brought to the resale shop after a wedding or other party is vases. “We get a lot of people who buy them, have some kind of wedding, and then donate them back,” she said. Both Dixie and Tonya said a good wedding present for an individual is something they can use, and something based on their station in life at the time of the wedding. Tonya, who was married 19 years ago, said the best presents she received were durable goods; she and her husband did not have a matching plate or piece of silverware and that was remedied by the wedding gifts. The gifts that did not keep on giving, Tonya
said, were the cavalcade of wedding knickknack items. “I got a lot of that stuff and I put it out at first but then thought, ‘I really don’t want this out anymore,’’ Tonya said. “We get a lot of the bride and groom glasses, little trinket stuff, a ton of knickknacks; they were just kind of dust collector.” Tonya said one of the best wedding gifts she got was food. “I had an aunt who actually paid for our wedding cake, so that was a great gift,” she said. Chris McKellar, manager of Kitchen Collection, a store at the Tanger Outlet in West Branch, said one of the most popular items brides and grooms put on their wedding registry at the store are Kitchenaid brand mixers. She said the mixers are available for any budget. “That is usually a big, big seller for weddings,” said Chris. Do not let the hefty price tag break the bank, Chris said the mixers are often a great gift for newlyweds and can be bought with a few people chipping in to buy the gift from the registry. Chris said one of the best parts about the gift is it can grow with the married couple, as different attachments, like a meat grinder, pasta maker, and other things, can be bought for years down the road. “Over time, it’s just going to get better for them,” she said. For a more practical gift Chris suggested something in the lines of a slow cooker. “Especially if they’re a working couple,” she said. According to Chris the couple can get dinner going before they both leave for work, and have dinner ready by the time they get
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home. Other popular and practical wedding gift items include pressure cookers, to help cook meals fast. Another item that can be bought for the newlyweds, who may be trying to save money as they develop the first years of
their marriage, is the Sodastream machine, which uses tap water to make soda. Chris said the machine can save the newlyweds money in the long run. She said at the end of the day a gift for a newlywed should be tailored for their needs.
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february 2014 –– Wedding guide — Page 7
Theme weddings bring weddings to life By Sherry Barnum Picture walking into a ceremony that looks like a scene out of your favorite movie, or attending a wedding where the attire was casual and outside. Whether it’s a traditional or casual ceremony, a theme can bring a wedding to life. Mio resident, Diane Young married her first husband, Don, in 1975. “At that time, we were married in a court,” she said. “He promised me on our 25th anniversary we would be remarried in a church with a full ceremony. Unfortunately, I was widowed in 1998 after 23 years.” Young said in 1999 she met and married her current husband, Rick. “He respected my wishes to get married in a church with all the pomp and circumstance with one condition,” she said. “He was wearing jeans.” Young said it ended up being a denim and lace wedding. “I was in full gown and the rest of the wedding party was in denim including Rick, all the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and even the minister,” Young said. “We were married at the Church of Christ in Mio by Pastor Frank Beek on July 17, 1999.” Young said the decision to go with the denim and lace theme came about because Rick is very blue collar, and only wears slacks and a dress shirt while at work. Otherwise it is jeans and casual wear. “If the wedding was going to happen,
Rick was not going to be in a tux or anything remotely like it,” she said. “We came up with the idea together.” “I wanted a church wedding since I didn’t get it the first time,” she said. “I got the church and gown and Rick got to stay in jeans with the rest of the party. It was a good compromise to start off our life together.” Young said she met Rick because he is a motorcycle rider. “The motorcycle brought us together and had to be part of our wedding, and you don’t see biker guys riding in tuxes,” Young said. “Due to rain, his best man had to ride the bike from the church to the reception. However, the weather cleared and there was a nice ride with me in full gown on the back our motorcycle and several other motorcycles on the run.” “There were also denim blue lace decorations to tie the two themes together,” she said. For Linda Siedel of Sterling, her son, Kyle, held his wedding at a park in Oakland County. “He reserved two large group campsites where the wedding party, family and many guests camped from Thursday until Sunday,” Siedel said. “The rehearsal was on that Friday at the wedding venue’s formal garden outside the elegant English Tudor style home that would be the actual site of the wedding the next day.”
A bridesmaid and groomsmen make their way down the aisle at Diane’s wedding.
Diane Young and her husband wed in their denim and lace. Photos courtesy of Diane Young
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Page 8 — Wedding guide –– february 2014
Pinterest changes face of wedding planning By emily Walker While some couples still decide to hire a traditional wedding decorator, others are going with homemade or handcrafted, trendy decorations thanks to increased popularity of Pinterest. In recent years, Pinterest, a website for people to share decoration ideas, recipes, art and much more has become an internet sensation, especially among brides. Heather Norton of Au Gres is currently planning her wedding with her fiancé, Alex Hupert, for Sept. 5, 2015 and has been using Pinterest as a source for all things wedding. “I probably started using it a year or a year and a half ago,” she said. “I just saw a lot of cool things on there.” Norton said she first created a Pinterest account because she had seen postings about it on Facebook and decided to check it out for herself. “I had it for quite a while so once I started planning the wedding, it was really helpful,” she said. Pinterest has numerous types of themes and boards, where ideas are pinned to help organize the site, Norton said. “I thought I had a theme picked out for the wedding, but there are so many different things you see that look cool,” she said. “I had a bunch of different ideas. I made my own wedding board and post different things that I like on it.” Norton said the site has such a large variety of ideas that no matter how much time she spends on it, she is always find-
ing something new. “I still come across things that I have already seen but sometimes it depends on how you search things,” she said. “I am always finding new ideas.” According to Norton, using Pinterest to collect ideas has saved time and served as a convenient method to help her see visuals for different aspects of the wedding such as colors, flowers and dresses. “Some nights when I get bored, I can spend a couple hours on there,” she said. “It’s a time-saver, and around here, there is not much of anything to find ideas for decorations. It helps with so many different things, between invites and colors. I saw an idea for stepping stones that the wedding guests can write their names on. That was pretty cool.” Norton said after she collects a group of ideas, she talks them over with her fiancé. “Me and my fiancé will sit down and look at some of my ideas,” she said. “I’ll just be like, ‘Do you like this?’ and he will say, ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ or ‘It’s OK.’” Norton said she thinks Pinterest really has changed how couples plan weddings now because it saves time, people can use it at home and it allows them to be creative in their own way. “I think there is a lot more creativity now,” she said. Norton said she and her fiancé recently got a house and she also has been using Pinterest for ideas to decorate. She plans to continue using the site even after the wedding for ideas in everyday life.
Top 15 Pinterest accounts to follow 1. Vane Broussard/Brooklyn Bride 2. Bridal Musings 3. Wedding Chicks 4. Colin Cowie Weddings 5. Stone Fox Bride 6. Disney Weddings 7. BHLDN Weddings 8. MODwedding 9. Offbeat Bride 11. One Fab Day 13. Junebug Weddings 14. 100 Layer Cake 15. Style Me Pretty Information courtesy of buzzfeed.com
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february 2014 –– Wedding guide — Page 9
Courthouse weddings quicker, cheaper option By thomas Williams For couples looking for a quick, inexpensive option for a wedding, county courthouses are the place to go. Ogemaw County Magistrate Lynette Mulkey said the process is similar all over the state and only costs $10 in Ogemaw County. “There is a three-day waiting period after they get their marriage license,” she said. “On that third day after noon they can come in and get married. I’ve had people come in right after they pick up their license.” Mulkey said she is one of two magistrates and the county clerk, as well as judges, who are able to perform weddings. “We’d like to know when they are coming because we have to work around the judges,” she said. “We have had to do it out in the hallway because they wanted to do it right then and we had court.” Mulkey said all people need to bring with them to get married is the $10 fee and the marriage license, but bringing two witnesses older than 18 years old is requested. “They are required to have two witnesses who are at least 18 to stand up with them,” she said. “We like them to bring their own witnesses. It’s hard to find someone around here to stand up for them.” Mulkey said the State of Michigan dictates ceremonies conducted in the court-
Photo courtesy of Jenny Riegle
Nick and Jeni Riegle pose with Jeni’s son Joshua Elias after their courthouse wedding Dec. 27. Mulkey said there is no dress code for a house, keeping the wedding short. courthouse wedding and she has seen a vari“I try to make it lighthearted,” she said. ety through the years. “We can only do what the state tells us we “They come in their white wedding can do. That doesn’t allow for the long ceregowns and they come in blue jeans,” she monies. Usually, when people come in here said. “We probably do about one a month. to have their weddings, they don’t want a Some months are bigger than others. Last big drawn-out event.”
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year, August and December were big months.” West Branch resident Jeni Riegle said she elected to use the courthouse for her Dec. 27, 2013 wedding because of financial considerations. “We wanted to have a big wedding because we both have large families,” she said. “We have been engaged for two years and we’ve been together for seven. We have always rented and we wanted to buy a house, so it came down to finances.” Riegle said she would have gone with a bigger wedding, but securing a home loan would have been harder if they had to go into debt to pay for their nuptials. “If I didn’t have to worry about finances, I would have had the big white dress and a big wedding,” she said. “With the economy today, it’s almost impossible to do that without taking out a loan. I have friends who are still paying off loans from their weddings from five years ago.” Riegle said she did not think having the ceremony at the courthouse took anything away from the event. “I was so excited,” she said. “It was really easy. When we went in to apply, the ladies working were pleasant and excited for us. On the actual day, it went smoothly. It was very sincere. That part of it felt like we were at home or like we were in a church.”
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Page 10 — Wedding guide –– february 2014
Themes: create a fun atmosphere for wedding guests FROM PAGE 7 Siedel said the rehearsal dinner was served in the huge pavilion back at the camping area. “The bridesmaids spent the night before the wedding at one of the large cabins available in the park a short distance from the partying well-wishers at the campsite,” she said. “The actual wedding was at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the formal garden with a lavish reception following in the formal wedding banquet room overlooking one of many spring-fed ponds. There were about 200 guests.” “One of the many highlights was when our son, a police officer, gave a welcoming speech and then asked for a moment of
silence to honor all those who have made the supreme sacrifice as a bagpiper entered the banquet hall and played ‘Amazing Grace,’” she said. “The reception ended at 5 p.m., and at the end of this part of the wedding weekend, a white horse and carriage (arranged by our son) pulled up outside the venue to drive the bride and groom back through the park to the camping area where the party continued.” Siedel said the celebration continued back at the camping area. “One of the fun things we did there was to have an empty frame that was passed around for people to have their photos taken in,” she said. “It ended up being tons of fun.” Photo courtesy of Linda Siedel
Kyle and Jessica Siedel take off in a horse-drawn carriage to their reception.
RANDY’S RESTAURANT & BAKERY • Full Bakery • Ice Cream • Daily Specials • Specialty Cakes
Debra Hilyard &
Chuck Hilyard
123 E. Cedar Street •ÊStandish, MI 49658
989-718-3220 Spinning • Kettle Bells • Martial Arts Tanning • Personal Training Goal Specific Training
Find us on Facebook at nbfc.Standish
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Here, failure is not an option. Summer Boot Camp Campouts coming in 2014! Complete Fitness Training • Ask about 24-Hour service availability.
114 N. Williams Rose City, MI 48654
“WE DELIVER” GENEVIEVE’S Flowers & Gifts 989-848-2994
BRIGHTEN YOUR SMILE FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY!
1520 Caldwell Rd., Mio, MI
Serving the community since 1974
Locally Owned & Operated
Cosmetic Dentistry
On M-33 across from the golf course
Full Service Florist Custom Floral Arrangements and More!
TUXEDO RENTAL Rent 5 tuxedos and the Groom’s tuxedo is FREE!
Bleaching • Bonding Laminate Veneers Do you wish your teeth were whiter or straighter? Do you have teeth that are slightly chipped or cracked? We can help with a “dental makeover”!
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
Michael E. Learman, D.D.S., PLC 117 North Forest St. • P.O. Box 130 • Standish, MI 48658
989-846-9545
The Riviera Resort Restaurant & LizÕs Lounge On ÒBeautiful Houghton LakeÓ
A Destination Wedding Location
From the Bridal Shower to the Ceremony, Reception and Honeymoon. The Riviera Resort is the perfect choice for all your indoor or outdoor wedding needs! Banquet Facility Catering Available
Pamper your bridal party at
Deanna’s Serenity Oasis Salon
Specializing in the latest trends of hair color, perms, haircuts & styling.
Enjoy relaxing manicures & pedicures or waxing.
Plan your bachelorette beauty party with us!
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Dance Area Full Service Bar
michaellearmandds.com
When booked by April 30, 2014 w/this ad!
Call for Reservations 989-366-5122
Book 5 members of your wedding party with us and the bride receives her wedding day hairstyle or manicure free! WITH THIS AD • EXPIRES JANUARY 31, 2015
ON-SITE SERVICES AVAILABLE
3640 Rifle River Trail, Prescott 989-873-1470 Open late Tues. & Thurs.
february 2014 –– Wedding guide — Page 11
Getting it right By Sherry Barnum Each girl has her own style, so when it comes to engagement rings, the girl’s style should be reflected in the ring. Joyce Hill of Branhams Jewelry said for the past four years engagement rings trends have been pave, halo head, and cathedral sets. “We find that the trends often start in California a lot and takes us a long time to get caught up,” she said. “Years ago they put out a flier of all white gold and we weren’t selling it at the time, and now two tone is coming back but we have been selling white gold everything.” Hill said the first thing to do when looking for rings is to get familiar with the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat. “Diamonds are like stars,” she said. “And those four things together make the price of the diamond.” “Everyone has a different taste that puts them in a different category, and we do sell a lot from the same area,” she said. “Some girls are really stuck on a carat now, where in years past they were just happy getting a diamond. And that
really bumps the price up.” Hill said when people come in, they have done a lot of shopping around. “Now it’s easy for the girl to go online and shop, where it used to be the man would come in an pick something out,” she said. “Now with the internet, they come in and know what thy want because they have done a lot of leg work.” “But for those guys who come in and want to surprise their girlfriends, we do exchange rings, unless it’s something customized,” Hill said. “But most of the time, the guys are just trying to get it right and we make the process of picking out a ring painless.” “We usually start with questions like, what their budget is and what the girl does for a living,” she said. “If they don’t know what the girl wants, we usually start with a solitaire and enhance around it.” Hill said the guy should start shopping a month before he plans to get engaged. “This shouldn’t be a fast decision,” she said. “We want to help him find something that matches the girls personality and make sure it is perfect for her.”
Halls: renting the wedding venue stress free FROM PAGE 3 we have had the package, there has not been a bride who has asked for something that wasn’t included.” White said reservations should be made at least one year in advance, but the company takes reservations as late as two weeks in advance. “We try to accommodate people when we can,” she said. “Our biggest thing here is to try and work to make the bride’s day special.”
Pets: make the wedding day more memorable FROM PAGE 2 the best time at the wedding, but the inclusion of her horse made the event memorable and the pictures of the event really nice. “The photographs are gorgeous,” she said. “It really just came out pretty.” Although it has not come up a lot, West Branch photographer Carrie Green of West Branch said she would love to take photos at events where pets are involved. “You know, I’ve done hundreds of weddings, and I’ve only ever had one
with a pet,” she said, “It was right after the wedding, they wanted use to go to their house and take a picture of them with their wedding attire and pets.” Carrie said it is more typical for the bride and groom to want to go to unusual places to have photos taken. She said, however, that having pets in wedding photos is a viable option. “I love it when customers come up with idea because if they go outside of the box it keeps me on my toes, and helps me come up with more fun ideas,” she said.
Have an idea for the 2015 wedding guide? Call 989-345-0044 or email sherrybarnum@ogemawherald.com
Choose Styles from “Classic” to “Elegant” to “Fun at Heart”
TUXEDO SPECIAL! includes: $ 00 Coat, Pants,
89
Choice of Vest & Tie
Come into Stephen’s Where Personal Service Is Our Commitment To Our Customers. Open Monday - Saturday Evening Appointments Available
Stephen’s
Stephen’s Menswear stephens@119n2nd.com
119 N. Second Ave. Downtown Alpena
989-354-8221
Plan your dream wedding with the help of these local area businesses.
Page 12 — Wedding guide –– february 2014
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