It’s official … we’re married!

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On September 15, 2019, we said “I do” in the most beautiful conservatory in Michigan. Long before our wedding, we knew we’d want an elegant and timeless wedding that we would forever look back on in awe. Nearly 125 guests joined us for our intimate union, just the perfect amount of family and friends to celebrate with us. The room was filled with tears of joy, lots of laughter and party vibes all night long. It was LIT, to say the least.

The Venue

If there’s one thing that was worth it all, it was the venue. The Planterra Conservatory is a glass-closed botanical garden venue – it houses a wide collection of lush, exotic botanicals and when we first walked into the for a tour, we fell in love! There was no way we weren’t getting married at this place, so that meant saving a little longer and cutting out extra things. The floral adorned arbor, natural lighting, and lush greenery had us at the door. Fast-forward to the present and it was all worth it. While the conservatory is open year-round, events and weddings only take place from September 1st – June 15th. Planterra’s event team customized our experience, made us feel comfortable and well taken care of from beginning til’ end. Every single person played a notable roll in making our special day flawless. They even provided us with a personal staff member for our entire wedding day for any special requests or needs we had. Talk about feeling like royalty!

The Vision

When it came to choosing our colors, floral arrangements, or a theme there was no masterplan in mind. While scrolling on Pinterest one day, I came across lots of pastel hues and loved how soft and elegantly they photographed. Burgundy (wine) has always been one of my favorite nail colors and Fall colors–both paired so well together and complimented that aesthetic of the venue perfectly. Throughout the planning process, the idea of creating a naturally-beautiful, ridiculously romantic and timeless wedding experience was top of mind. If you noticed, the venue spoke for itself so when it came to flowers, I wanted soft tones of pink & blush with subtle hints of burgundy and greenery. Having the ceremony and reception (plus cocktail hour) all in one is probably my biggest advice for couples planning a wedding. The day felt effortless for both us and our guests!

The Dress

Ever since I could remember I knew I wanted a wedding dress that was classic and chic. But…there were two styles that were an absolute no-no: cinderella and exposed tule. Prior to finding my dream dress, I shopped around at about 3-4 stores (which I HIGHLY recommend). At the first shop, I thought I had found the one but my mom convinced me to shop around some more. Being that I have a particular style, I thought this would be a never-ending process. But to my surprise, I stumbled upon my dress at a wedding shop in Farmington Hills (L’Amour Bridal) with my mom. They pulled a few dresses–some couture and sale. To me, it didn’t play a factor, as long as it was the “perfect dress.” The second dress I tried was an all satin, A-Line gown with pockets and a wrap structured top. I turned around, looked in the mirror and said: “Mom, this is the one!” It was a perfect fit that needed no alterations (outside of a little hem) and I walked out with it that same day. I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to.

The Car

So, I first discovered Motor City Vintage Rentals randomly scrolling on Instagram one day. I toyed with the idea of having it at our wedding but it looked really expensive. Surprisingly, when I contacted the owner, talked through the details, it was more reasonable than expected and added the perfect (vintage) touch we were looking for. My initial thought was how “Beau” (that’s the name of this style car by the company) would capture in photos and my imagination grew wild. The team at Motor City Vintage Rentals was extremely professional, kind and thoughtful. They even prepared snacks for us while we drove around in the car. Having Beau at the wedding gave us a few moments alone to take it all in. We drove around for a few minutes then got back to our guests. I would highly recommend them for a wedding or special event. Kym and her family are the best!

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Thank you to our parents and our wonderful team of vendors, photographers, musicians and creators who made our wedding weekend forever memorable! We love you! — Alexa and Cortez