Archive for the ‘Wedding Planning’ Category

Unique Ideas for Assigned Seating

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Looking for another way to make your reception a little more fun, personal, and unique? How about getting a little creative with your assigned seating! Many people overlook the way they designate seats for guests, as it is often so much work just to assign the seats in the first place, but with just a little more you can make it so fun and cute that your guests will always remember your reception because however you decide to design your assigned seating, it will always feel personal and creative!

 

In their West Garden Room reception this past weekend, Amber and Kyle put a single, different flower on every table and then gave each guest their name cards attached to a vase with a flower in it. The guests then matched the flower in their vase with the flowers on the tables. This not only doubled as a wedding favor for guests, but it also decorated the room and gave each table a unique arrangement!

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Ditching the traditional seating cards and table, this couple made their own fountain in our West Courtyard and filled the bottom with polished rocks, each with the name and table assignment of each guest.

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This couple chose to name each table in their Queen’s Tavern reception by a common northern Michigan tree, including a picture and a description of each tree on the tables, and assigned guests’ seating cards by the different trees.

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Another great, personal idea for assigned seating is to mark tables with your own pictures, either from trips, parties, or just a variety of pictures of you and your groom, then assigning seating cards by the different pictures. We’ve seen this many times at the Castle, but it is still always unique and fun!

For their winter wedding in the Knight’s Castle, this couple took pictures of them holding giant numbers and used those as table numbers.

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In their Queen’s Tent reception, this couple named each table by a location they had been to together, then had fake plane tickets printed for each guest with the destination being their table’s location.

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Cheers!

Monday, August 16th, 2010

A unique way to say thank you to your wedding party is to treat them with something special that they can use the night of and many years to come. Being part of a wedding party means a strict timeline, lots of smiling for continuous pictures, and meeting lots of old relatives. Suprising them with wedding party gifts is a great way to say thank you for being there on this special day and reminding them that you care.

Dan & Amanda were married at the Castle this weekend in the Queens Courtyard with a reception to follow in the Queens Royal Tent

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As all the Brides Maids were announced and made it up to the head table they were greeted with personalized wine glasses!

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Each glass was a little different and unique for each of them

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At Kendra and Joey’s wedding in the Knights Courtyard and reception in the Knights Castle they had beer mugs and wine glasses engraved with each persons name in the wedding party. This became helpful when people lost track of their drinks they always knew whos was whos!

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Even the Bride and Groom had them!

 

And the specialty glasses dont stop there! Extend the personalized treats to ALL your guests as a party favor to take home!

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Cuttin the rug at the Castle

Monday, July 26th, 2010

We applaud all the Newlyweds who have the courage to get out on that dance floor in front of a ton of people and share one of their first moments as man and wife.

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photo by: Elizabeth Conley

Your wedding dance is a meaningful moment for 2 newlyweds so take the time to think about your song choice and go for one that really means something to the two of you. Some couples even go as far as to take dance lessons or have an instructor help you choreograph a totally unique first dance.

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Lisa & Jordan shared a romantic dance in theQueens Royal Tent

 Photo by: Tom Kachadurian 

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Holly & James couldnt keep their eyes off eachother during their first dance

Photo by: Karen Walker

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Bart made sure Cheryl knew his dance moves were top notch at their wedding in the Queens Royal Tent

Photo by: Tom Kachadurian

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Kerri & Eric shared and intimate dance that took everyones breath away in the Knight Castle

Photo by: Ben Harrison

Even if your not great dancers on your own, together you’ll dance beautifully

 

 

Sand VS Candle

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Sand Ceremony VS Unity Candle

Marriage is the idea of 2 becoming 1. To express this bonding partnership there are many ceremonies that help make your commitiment to each other special.

The Unity Candle has typically held the the spotlight for an expression of commitment and bonding, but The Sand Ceremony has become very popular as well. Two great additions to your special day how to decide on just one? Heres a little information to help make your decision!

Candle Ceremony

At the beginning of the ceremony both the bride and the grooms family light the tapered candles on each side to symbolize the love and allegiance to family. Then the Bride and Groom use the side candles to light the larger candle representing all the love and unity of one.

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Photo by E. C. Campbell Photography

Sand Ceremony

Each individual has a separate container of colored sand that represents who they are as a person taht they combine in one large vase. Once poured together you can still see the separate colors representing the individuals in the relationship, but they can never be separated, they are forever intertwined.

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Pros of Unity Candle

The unity Candle and use of light hold more of the religious ties adding a spirtual richness to the union. The flame representing the light within and without has been used for hundreds of years symbolizing the strength and brightness love can bring to two people.

Pros of Sand Ceremony

Every unity vase is different just like every couple is different while still capturing the meaning of two lives becoming one. Once the wedding day is over and the candle has burnt out you will have nothing to show, where as the unity vase will be forever a part of your lives, and especially for outdoor weddings you dont have to worry about your flame blowing out!

 

If you hold tight to tradition and you want your marriage to display the same hundreds of years of wisdom then the Unity Candle is perfect for you!

 

If you want to combine the old tradition with the new fresh idea the Sand Ceremony is the way to go!

Give the Kids a Special Spot During Your Special Day!

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

We all know kids can get bored pretty easily, especially during dinners at wedding receptions. What’s one way to help avoid this problem? Making a special kids table! With special candy, decorations, and activities, you can keep the kids feeling recognized, important, and entertained throughout the night! Also, by putting all the kids at the same table, they have each other to play with, which gives their parents a break to catch-up with relatives and friends. Here are some kid’s tables we’ve had at the Castle, each decorated in unique ways to entertain the kids and still match the reception!

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Jessica and Clay made this special lolli-pop centerpiece to top their kids table in the Knight’s Castle, bringing the kids together for endless candy!

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Making the kids feel extra-special, Jami and Blake made this mini-table right next to their head table in the East Garden Room.

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In their King’s Great Hall reception, Andrea and Derek made this lolli-pop tower for their kids table and put crowns around to make their kids feel like royalty!

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Pamela and Aaron gave kids at their King’s Great Hall reception a variety of activities at their table with crowns, coloring books, and glow sticks!

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Complete with coloring books, crowns, candy and individual gift bags, this couple gave their kids a very special table in their West Garden Room reception

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In their East Garden Room reception, this couple made a special kids table with card games, colored pencils, candy, and stickers!

 Just like the rest of your wedding reception, kid’s tables can be decorated as simple or extravagant as you want and can have any activity you can think of, and will always keep kids happy and entertained!

 

 

Get Your Man Involved with a GROOMS Cake!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Grooms cakes are quite a bit different than your traditional white wedding cake, they are smaller, more fun, personal and a little out of the ordinary! While they might not go perfectly with your wedding colors or theme for the evening, the different shapes and sizes that he comes up with all represnt the man in your life. They are a great way to make him feel part of the wedding planning and he can get as creative as he wants!

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At Megan and Bryans wedding they had a little of everything, a beautiful elegant wedding cake for the Bride and the Grooms Nintendo themed cake

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Close up of the Nintendo cake with Mario and Peach toppers!

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At Theresa and Glen’s wedding the Groom didnt just have a cake, he had a giant mascot shaped cake!

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Not quite as extravagant, but still shows our that our bride and groom Amy and Brian were true Spartys!

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At Melisa and Jeff’s wedding, Jeff showed his devotion to his job as Firefighter through his grooms cake

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Aurelie and Chris also had their own cake, Chris’ showing his love for music

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This groom Rudi was crazy about his Bride Carrie and State Baseball! 

The possibilities are endless!

Happy Couple Rain Or Shine

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Dont Rain on my Parade Mother Nature!

Here at the Castle outdoor weddings are “our thing”. We have elegant European gardens, stunning courtyards, and the French architect of the building adds historical character to the charm of Castle Farms. During the day of the wedding everyone here at the castle does everything we can to make sure the brides big day is everything she wants it to be. Regardless of wishes and intensive planning there is one thing that is out of everyone’s hands, and that is MOTHER NATURE!

Many Brides are heart broken when they can’t have their outdoor wedding. But you have to remember that no matter what, as long as the guy in the tux is at the end of the isle the wedding is a success! Also here at the Castle our indoor ceremony sites are just as romantic and intimate as the outdoor ones. So on your wedding day, try to enjoy yourself and dont get too upset about things out of your control because you’re surrounded by people you love and NOTHING gets better than that!

a few rain drops didnt spoil their special day

A few rain drops didnt spoil their day!

Although there were a few rain drops, that didnt change Casey & Jayce ’s love for each other. Their wedding at the Castle in the East Garden Room was a BLAST rain or shine!

 Some Even Say its Good Luck

 

photograph by: Moments to Remember

New DIY Wedding ideas that help to stay in your price range and let your personality shine through!

Friday, May 21st, 2010

 Here at the Castle we always keep our eyes open for new creative ideas and this weekend at the Brooks and Gillies Wedding we sure did fine one!  The floral theme looked great in our West Garden Room, and with the West Courtyard in full bloom for the summer season, it made for a festive evening.

Not only are these little flowers place cards, but also party favors. Each flower has a name tag with the table number on the back for the assigned seating, and on the bottom of the flower is a clip. Women can clip them in their hair, to spruce up their DO! Men can pin them on their lapel as a boutonniere.

 

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Personal assigned seating cards

 

Continue the theme with these little touches that bring a wedding togerher AND help you stay in a budget

 Continue the theme with these little touches that bring a wedding together, and help you stay in a budget.

Gift Card Basket decorated with patterened ribbon and the same DIY flowers as above!

 

A Great way to keep everyone informed. Handmade programs!

Keep everyone informed with these creative programs

 

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Headtable flowers that are sure not to wilt!

 

Find these Do it Yourself Kits at arts and crafts stores such as Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics.  

 

 

Unique Wedding Ideas - Elvis Rocks the Castle

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

At one of our Friday, May 7th weddings, we were treated to an unexpected surprise…Elvis! As a gift to the bride and groom, some of the wedding party got together and hired a local Elvis tribute artist to serenade the newlyweds and other guests. Well, this came as a sort of present to ourselves as well. We were not told of this artists’ anticipated appearance at the wedding reception, and were oddly but pleasantly surprised to run into a full-blown Elvis impersonater walking through our main foyer. Dressed in a bright, teal-blue suit coat, loosened white tie, and white and black saddle shoes, the young Elvis artist was no joke, not even when it came to his performance. He happily sang and danced for the wedding party and guests, and all were very pleased with his performance.

This Elvis tribute artist was a “Castle Farms first”, and got us thinking…what’s next? Castle wedding ceremonies and receptions have been the host of many new unique and unpredictable ideas, many of which are growing into common occurances, such as providing guests with the entertainment of a Shutterbooth photobooth, the option of picking one’s favorite cake flavor with having assorted cupcakes instead of one wedding cake, and dedicating a table as a “Candy-bar” with wide assortments of popular candies and individual baggies for guests to dish up and take home their favorites.

Here are some ideas from past weddings that we felt were different, new, or unique, and are beginning to be seen more and more in our weddings. Let us know what you think!

 

   

Instead of a guest book, this couple used a guitar for people to sign on their special day!

 
Instead of using a guest book or picture frame, this couple had guests sign a guitar!

 

 
Check out these unique wedding favors for guests!

This couple gave personal mixed CD's as their wedding favors.

This couple made and canned jam, salsa, and butter for their guests!
These wedding favors were individually boxed and set up like a cake!

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These are just a few of our unique ideas. We’ll be posting many more as the season goes on!

 

 

Creativity Fills the Air at Castle Farms!!!

Monday, June 29th, 2009

We have had so many original ideas from our Brides so far in 2009 that we are so excited every weekend to see what else they can come up with! Here are some examples from this year!!!

Andrea & Derek were married May 16th 2009 in the Knights Courtyard with their reception immediately following in the Kings Great Hall. Andrea thought of every detail when planning this wedding! From her damask overlays to their personalized beverage koozies, she really added a special touch to every aspect of their wedding day!  Derek has a collection of signed guitars, and the couple thought it would be great to add a signed guitar from their wedding to his collection in lieu of a guest book.

Reception Kings Great Hall

Table Decor

Signed Guitar

Wedding Cake

Maggie & Jeremy had their ceremony in the West Courtyard with a reception to follow in the West Garden Room on May 22nd 2009. They decided to accent their reception with cornflower blue and a hint of lime. Their centerpieces consisted of a fun mix of blue and white hydrangeas, daisies, spider mums and limes!!  

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West Courtyard Recessional

                                                                                                                                                                                West Garden Room Reception

West Garden Room

Christine & Brandon were married on May 24th 2009 in the Knights Castle! Christine chose a rich combination of teal and eggplant to enhance the Knights Castles unique appearance.  The couple loves to snowboard and discovered a company that could make a custom cake topper resembling them with their snowboards. How cute is that!?

 

Knights Courtyard

Custom Cake Topper

Seating Card Trees

Knights Castle Table Decor

Michigan Wedding Blog