RHONA & JUSTIN BEAUTIFUL WEDDING STORY – PART II

Justin is from Oakland,CA and I am from Columbus, GA.  However, we had our wedding in Detroit, MI to make things more simple for our families who would have to travel for Justin’s graduation.  The economy is not the best so we didn’t want to overburden our families.  Moreover, although Detroit is not our home, Michigan is the only place in which we have lived in the same state and city.  Our families are from opposite coasts so Michigan allowed us to meet in the middle, hence, ‘Central’ United Methodist Church.  Plus, Detroit is better than what people put out there and we wanted to support the city.  It has so much history and beauty. 

Well, Justin and I really didn’t have much money to have a huge wedding, but we wanted the wedding of our dreams.  He was still in school and I had to prepare for the bar as well as find a job.  So, we set a budget and my mom met us half way.  We also had family and friends graciously give us money just out of the kindness of their heart.  It was amazing!  We decided to plan everything ourselves and it turned out perfectly. 

We did have a day-of coordinator, which was a great thing.  We had almost 200 guests.  For decor, I studied your blog and tried to recreate as many ideas as I could.  We had a signature drink called ‘The Huxtable.’  We used mostly orchids and billy balls as our flowers.  We made our own Seating Chart by downloading a free template and printing it out on a huge foam board.  We could not afford a backdrop to go behind the bridal party (but I really wanted one) so we made one out of tissue and a two enormous peg boards.  It was awesome.  So many people wanted to buy our backdrop but I gave it to our linen designer because he gave us crazy discounts.  We used icey blue uplighting for a romantic/magical feel.  The drapery had crystals, floating votives and a chandelier hanging from it. 

Justin designed our guestbook by using the Apple iphoto photobook application.  It was awesome.  He came up with the title ‘Witness to Love: Justin and Rhona’s Wedding Day‘ for the cover and then on the inside he stated this, in part, ‘Bearing Witness:  Thank you for being a witness to our covenant with God as we commit ourselves to join as one…’  I was just floored by his beautiful words.  I didn’t know he did all this until the guestbook arrived in the mail.  Justin also designed our menu cards.  They were amazing too!  We made fan ceremony programs.  We had a couple of gifts for guests: we gave them a handkerchief with our initials at the church, candy from the self-made candy bar display (it was kind of bootleg, but I tried) and stainless steel measuring spoons that said ‘love beyond measure.’  We are huge cooks, so we wanted the guests to take a piece of who we are home with them.  We released a sky lantern at the end of the night as a farwell.  We were suppose to release 20 but the wind was too strong.  We were just happy one made it up in the sky.  The church and Greektown Casino-Hotel are in downtown Detroit.  We had three cupcake stands: one large tower and two gold chandelier cupcake stands.  The bridesmaids dresses were from J.Crew, you had a contest with the same dress not too long ago!  My dress was made by Demetrios.  

Favorite part of the wedding: when our pastor had each guest stand up a say one word to Justin and I.  Once a friend stated ‘fertility,’ the advice from then on got out of control…lol!  It was fun though.  Also, Justin and I wrote our vows.  His vows blew everyone away…they were beautiful.  I mean they were truly unbelievable.  At that point, there wasn’t a dry face in the room.  Our pastor, J’s uncle, told him to publish them…lol!’