Maria and Dan

Weddings are spectacular events and some take full advantage of family and friends getting together to make the celebration a full four day soiree filled with festivities! Such was the case for Maria and Dan's wedding.

Thursday's rehearsal at The Divine Child Church in Dearborn went smoothly with ALL thirty four members of the bridal party finding their places and entering on cue! The evening continued on a historic note as the bridal party and out of town guests enjoyed the rehearsal dinner complete with unique Michigan themed food stations and touring at The Henry Ford Museum.

Friday night was set aside to entertain all those who traveled from out of town and a dinner with entertainment (they are still trying to decide if that really was Stevie Wonder or not!) was held at The Italian Club in Livonia. There was no shortage of good food and excellent entertainment!

Of course the most important day of all, Saturday, started with a "curtain call" for the ladies at 7:00 AM...with such a large bridal party, there was a lot of hair "to-dos" and make up touches to complete before the 1:00 PM ceremony! Thanks to the orgainzation of Amanie Mokdad and Peter Mansoor of Vanity in Birmingham, Michigan, the beauty details went smoothly!

The family home was decorated as beautifully as the church and the reception and many portraits of this beautiful bride took place prior tothe ceremony. These photos are the visions of all the wedding dreams that fill a house - many build staircases just for these special photo moments!

The church was filled with guests who enjoyed witnessing the marriage of this special bride and groom. The ceremony music (and all other entertainment) was arranged by Del O'Brien. Being that the bride's parents had said their wedding vows on this same altar, the significance of this location was meaningful for this couple and their families! 

With a day as busy as this particular wedding day, box lunches were delivered after the photos on the altar so the bridal party could enjoy some nourishment as they traveled in their luxury shuttles provided by All Star Transportation. In addition, the professional team was also treated to a box lunch so their energy was kept intact as well! Thanks to Holiday Market for always delivering these special orders on time and with a smile!

After the ceremony, the bridal party had time for some outdoor photos at the bride's family home before the reception at the Sheraton Detroit Novi. They were lucky to have the sun shining and a slight breeze in the air. Sam Sarkis, the photographer, finished photos in a timely manner so the bride and groom could arrive at the reception before their guests. Fortunately, Video Magic Productions just kept the film rolling so not a moment was missed!

The experience of seeing the ballroom before anyone enters is always one of  the most magical moments on a wedding day - all the months of planning, selecting the perfect linens, finding the perfect florals...it is so important for brides and their grooms to enter the reception venue and see it in its most pristine state - and why not take a little time to enjoy a private dance in this utopia?

These wedding guests were in for a magical night with food and entertainment at its very best! With Simone Vitale on stage, there were more stars than normal to dazzle guests during the night...it was an international stage set with performing stars starting with Liria who sang her melodic lyrics and danced her way across the stage. As guests were tempted by an incredible sweets display set by Bellisario Florists, none other than the Temptations took to the stage for a little Motown review; being such famous musicians, many guests knew the words to every song that they sang!

When the hors d'oeuvre stations turned over to late night snack stations including a made-to-order pasta and a beef carving station, it was time for some slow dancing and those tunes took this event into the wee hours of the morning!

Amazingly enough, this energetic group rallied for a brunch the next morning at the hotel and it was the perfect time to wind down from the prior days' events and take time to revel in the glory of this time together, to say their good byes, and to look forward to the next time they would gather! Those who had not known each other on Wedneday left this celebration feeling like they had just met their new bff! What a way to celebrate!