WEDDING BLOGS
Vendor Feature: THE SELLING TEAM
After the wedding is over, plans begin to form for the future. Are you beginning to think about buying a home but unsure where to start? Call The SELLING Team.
The SELLING Team is a group of experienced real estate professionals located directly in the Lansing area for your convenience. With not many homes on the market and many buyers looking it can be difficult to find a home that suits you, but with the help of The SELLING Team, they can get you not just the home you want – but the home you deserve.
The SELLING Team is compiled of 7 Real Estate Agents, an Office Manager, Transaction Coordinators, and a Marketing Manager with a combined 70+ years of experience. They pride themselves on being easy to work with, great listeners, always available, and making you their top priority. “Beyond Real Estate, REAL Family.” Is their personal statement.
Through years that they have been operating, they have helped thousands of homebuyers and sellers find their dream homes, with newly married couples as the target audience. In 2018 alone, they helped nearly 300 families buy or sell a home.
A home is not just a place to live, it’s an investment. Owing a home will make you and your spouse 70% more likely to achieve retirement. When you are first married it can be daunting to take on the responsibility of owning a new home, but the agents at The SELLING Team commit to being with you every step of the way to achieving your dream home.
When you meet with The SELLING Team, they will help you make the most secure choices for your situation, with your best interests at heart.
If you are ready to make that next step with your partner, call The SELLING Team today to set up your consultation!
517-853-6408
2019 Color of the Year!
The bridal color of the year is here, and we love it!
Have you heard? The color of the year is here. Pantone has announced that the color of the year, and the winner is … “Living Coral”!
Living Coral is a bright combination of orange and pink. This shade works great with vibrant blues or greens, and we are here for it.
“Color is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral.” – Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone® color institute.
Coral is a great color for a wedding for several reasons: It can brighten any space and especially compliments the greenery of an outdoor wedding. Coral also compliments other color schemes like: Blue and gold, purple and lime, or silver and sand.
As you can see, coral is easily added to the clothing of the bridal party. Coral and sand in the groom’s look compliment the white of the bride’s dress. Coral can flatter any skin tone in the bridesmaid group, and is available in many styles of dresses.
Coral also works well with any sort of greenery, which can be an asset when planning your floral selections. As seen in these bouquets created by Barbie at Bashes By Barbie, LLCthere are many flowers that fall into the category of coral. Lilies, roses, posies, and carnations are all featured in these arrangements.
These centerpieces made of painted metal, baby’s breath, and burlap make a delicate yet rustic statement in the reception venue.
Coral is such a playful and elegant color, who can resist adding it to their wedding color scheme? With so many options for accents and pairings, it’s guaranteed to set your wedding apart any way you utilize it. From small accents in the boutonnieres to bridesmaid dresses to linens and flower arrangements, coral and the colors it compliments are there to help.
Visit our website to get set up with a wedding planner or florist today!
Winter Bridal Show: A Success!
The 2019 Winter Bridal Show
Vendors will contact winners directly!
David’s Bridal $50 Gift Card:
Whitney Howd and Andrew May
Hot Beats Gift Basket:
Temea Robertson and Kelly Shropshire
Hot Flash Gift Basket:
Haley Guernsey and Kyle Riniger
Nikki Cashen Photography, Engagement Session + Print Credit:
Kristen Bruce and Grant
Silvers
Pure Romance, Sleep Mask + Massage Lotion:
Mylissa MacKenzie and Connor Sergent
UrbanBeat, One Evening Room Usage:
Kelsey Davis and Joshua Lock
Pure Winds, Free Consultation:
Halie Loos
Events and Moore, 2019 Wedding Planners:
Heather Marshall
Stacey Tomlinson and Raymound Tookor
Bashes By Barbie LLC, 2019 Wedding Planner:
Ellen Schwander and John Plesko
Costco, 12-piece dish set:
Greg Harrington and Becky Whitaker
Bliss Salon + Boutique, Gift card and Coupons for Salon:
Stephanie Hoover and Tim Shoemaker
FireKeepers, Gift Card for Overnight Stay + Breakfast for Two:
Margaret Clarke
Bed Bath & Beyond, Soda Stream:
Justine Thorpe
Weddings unlocked, Puzzle Box:
Courtney Mull and Greg Pruden
Ez Travel, Travel Bag with Travel Supplies:
Rebecca Bearss and Jason Cassaday
Hawkins Photography, Hobby Lobby $25 Gift Card:
Lisa Carpenter
Studio A Photography, Gift Basket:
Amy Hatfield and Marc Childers
Why Knot Design by Erica, Gift Basket + $50 Gift Card:
Kali Palacios-Salazar and Lee Foster
Harte and Soul Photography, Free Mini Engagement Session:
Kimberly Shaw
Inn at StoneCliffe, Gift Card:
Becky Miller
Holmes Photography Studio, Mini Engagement session with 1 8×10:
Crystal Willams and Chris Austreng
Kellie’s Consignment, Love Design Pink Bangle:
Kaitlyn Bertl and Sean Stid
Williams Sonoma, Red Wine Set:
Brittany Davis
Barb’s Designs LLC, Picture Frame:
Heather Bengel and Josh Lantz
Mirror Mirror Michigan, Instant Pot:
Andrew Brandt and Ashleight Juday
Causeway Bay, One night stay in a junior suite:
Allyson Barnes
Northfork Estate, Movie/Date night package:
Brittany Ezza and Jake Hannes
Dress purchase up to $1,000 from America’s Bride: Abby Mandley and Justin Buchholz
Congratulations to all door prize winners, vendors will contact directly to arrange prize pick up!
This past weekend, hundreds of brides moved through the wonderfully decorated rooms of Eagle Eye Banquet Center, talking to over 85 LBA vendors and planning wedding experiences with their fiancés, families, and bridal parties. The weekend was full of excitement and planning.
Bashes By Barbie
Limelight
The Selling Team
Cleats Bar and Grille – Hope Sports Complex
Thank you to Studio A Photography for capturing these vendor smiles!
A very special thank you to our host:
A beautiful location for any size wedding or reception, Eagle Eye and Hawk Hollow have many different options for you to choose from. Enjoy picturesque views and spacious banquet facilities for your special day!
Click here for more information
At Lansing Bridal Association, we strive to deliver the best in the bridal business. We work with our vendors to assure quality of service so that your bridal experience is outstanding from start to finish.
“Choose a member, choose excellence.”
Vendor Feature: MSU Gigline
Stuck on where to source the music for your wedding? Look no further than MSU Gigline, your direct connection to live musical talent right in the Lansing area. Booking live music can be difficult, but the staff at MSU Gigline make it easy to find the perfect accompaniment for your special day.
MSU Gigline performers are available for a wide variety of services that can be formatted to meet your needs:
- Rehearsal dinner music
- Ceremony music:
- prelude or seating music
- processional
- unity candle or special music moment
- recessional
- postlude or exit music
- Cocktail hour music
- Background or featured music at wedding receptions
MSU Gigline offers a diverse selection of instrument choices including:
- String duo, trio, or quartet
- Woodwind quintet
- Brass quintet
- Piano or organ
- Harp
- Voice
- Jazz duo, trio, quartet, or big band
We asked Mary Fukagawa, the classical MSU Gigline administrator, what makes MSU Gigline musicians the perfect choice for wedding bookings:
“MSU Gigline musicians enjoy performing for weddings because they have the opportunity to use their talents in the community. Performers feed into the positive energy of a wedding day and enjoy the challenge of creating custom performances that evoke moods of love, romance, beauty, and elegance. For you and your guests, MSU Gigline performers desire to create a unique memory of your wedding day that will last a lifetime.”
Did you know?
Live music from MSU Gigline musicians can be customized! In addition to having a wide variety of instrumental configurations, performers have the resources and talent to honor song requests – from custom arrangements of your new favorite pop song to standard classical repertoire. With advance preparation and the aid of visual cues, the live performers from MSU Gigline have the ability to make timing adjustments to the pieces they are performing in real-time throughout a ceremony.
MSU Gigline pricing varies depending on the number of performers booked, length of time spent at the event prepping or performing, travel reimbursement, and any special requests, including repertoire requests. Performers may be able to honor discounted rates for additional hours of performance or provide a bulk rate for special song requests. Please make sure to ask the Gigline administrator for more information on pricing.
“MSU Gigline features a variety of professional musicians who are currently studying at the MSU College of Music. Each member has previously performed for special events and can offer guidance on choosing musical selections and structuring music for weddings. MSU Gigline members come from diverse backgrounds and are well versed in creating musically inclusive environments and working with clients who have varying levels of musical experience. Choose MSU Gigline for your event as your gateway to talented live music from highly trained individuals!”
MSU Gigline Contact Information
| Classical music requests:
Contact Mary Fukagawa |
Jazz music requests:
Contact Cookey Whitaker |
“The Lansing Bridal Association has been very welcoming to MSU Gigline and in offering us an opportunity to connect with the Greater Lansing community beyond MSU!”
Get The Most Out Of Your Bridal Show Experience
Going to a bridal show can be stressful for brides who are not sure what to do or how it works. These tips and tricks will help you to get through and get the most out of your experience at the upcoming Lansing Bridal Show Jan 5-6, 2019.
Tip #1: Make an email address specifically for your wedding. When it comes to getting info on bridal deals from vendors we understand the struggle of having your personal email cluttered with more than what it needs. A great option is to make a special email address dedicated to your wedding plans! It will help keep everything for the date in one place and organized so you don’t lose important information. You can also create an online drive that can store your spreadsheets, paperwork, and address book to share with your wedding planner or bridal party for instant access.
Tip #2: Register with as many vendors as you can. Take advantage of having so many vendors in one place and get your bookings in before their lists fill up. You can always change your mind later, but it’s much harder to get the vendor of your dreams once they’re completely booked. Even if you think that the vendor might not be right for your wedding, you should look at their materials in case there’s something small that would be the perfect addition. You never know when a vendor could turn out to be the perfect fit for your special day!
Tip #3: Know your wedding date, if possible. Choosing your date ahead of time so you can give it to vendors is very important because then they can answer your questions more specifically and prioritize attention to brides with sooner wedding dates when scheduling follow-up meetings. In some cases, they can even start to help you choose colors and themes according to what season your wedding is planned for!
Tip #4: Make information labels. Before you come to the bridal show, print out a sheet or two of premade information labels with your name, your wedding email, phone number, and wedding date. The bridal show is full of many vendor booths where you will be writing your information down, labels will help you get the most out of your interactions with vendors by saving time writing.
Final Tip: Remember that this is fun! Bridal shows are meant to showcase the best of the best for brides to see. Grab a couple of close friends and get as much enjoyment out of the day as you can. The Lansing Bridal show will feature a wedding fashion show, food samples, beautiful decorations, and much more. Spend the afternoon planning the wedding of your dreams!
Best in Bridal Business: The Results Are In!
On December 13th, the Lansing Bridal Association held their annual member gala out at Peacock Road Family Farm. Members of the Lansing Bridal Association met to share a wonderful feast provided by Farmer Ed and his wonderful staff, and enjoyed time spent with other vendors in the bridal industry of mid-Michigan. At the end of the night, the Bridal Association presented the awards for Best in Business.
The awards are chosen based on participation and customer reviews, accumulated over a 9-month period during the year. Vendors that participate in LBA events such as member meetings and bridal shows rack up participation points that are added on to customer ratings on multiple platforms (WeddingWire, The Knot, Google, Yelp, Facebook).
Baryames Tuxedo, Best in Business Men’s Wear
It’s important to vendors that customers leave reviews about their wedding experience on as many websites as possible so as to inform other brides of the services and experiences provided.
Meridian Historical Village, Best In Business Ceremony Venue
The awards were broken down into several categories: photography, wedding planning, bridal wear, men’s wear, travel, health & beauty, venue, travel agency, hotel, DJ, decoration, banquet venue, live entertainment, and photo booth.
Bridge Street Wedding Chapel, runner up best in business ceremony venue
Events and Moore, runner up best in business event planning
Lansing Bridal Association works hard throughout the year to encourage vendors to give the best experiences possible, maintaining the standard of wedding excellent we expect to give to our brides. Attend the January Show Jan 5/6 to visit and book with the best of the Mid-Michigan bridal industry!
Special Thanks To:
Fall Bridal Show: A Success!
Last Saturday, hundreds of brides entered the Lansing Center for Lansing Bridal Association’s Fall Show to see what the best of Mid-Michigan’s bridal vendors had to offer. The Association puts on the two largest bridal shows of the year, with nearly a hundred booths and a wide array of trades to choose from.
Some highlights of the day included…
The fashion show from Pierre’s Bridal, bringing the latest in full party bridal wear. Janet from dress company Mori Lee flew in just for the show and offered great advice to brides on choosing their dresses.
A memorable set up from Eleven11 Events Group…
A trip to Cancun, generously donated as our grand prize from America’s Bride…
Not to mention the dozens of other door prizes donated by our Lansing Bridal Association members, vendors who deliver the highest quality bridal services to the Mid-Michigan area. Thank you to all the vendors who donated!
Wondering if you won a door prize? Check out our blog post here:
The bridal shows would not be possible without the year-round efforts of our board and interns. Their hard work makes delivering the highest quality bridal experiences to Michigan’s brides easy
And a special thank you goes out to our volunteers, students from Alpha Phi Omega and MSU PCMA Club who donated their time.
If you missed the Fall Bridal Show, not to worry! The Winter Show is already fast approaching. Stay tuned to Lansing Bridal to hear more about this incredible event, the only two-day show in Mid-Michigan! There will be new vendors not already featured at the Fall show and more opportunities to talk in depth with our members, making the most of your bridal show experience. Save the date!
Fall Bridal Show Door Prize Winners!
Vendors will contact winners to make arrangements for prizes
David’s Bridal $50 Certificate: Kristen Field
Pure Winds Quintet Free Consultation: Jeana Pitchford
Northfork Estate: $50 Certificate: Ashley Banks
Bliss Salon $25 Certificate: Madison Cole
Bed Bath & Beyond Soda Stream Fizzi: Alyssa Burtley
Eleven/11 Bride and Groom champagne flutes: Megan Gabka
Why Not Gift Basket: John Hudson
European Wax gift set: Chelsie Swaynie
Nikki Cashen Photography Gift Basket: Corin Mittan
$50 Bed Bath and Beyond Gift Card from Eagle Eye: Misty (Vendor will contact you)
EZ Travel candle and jewelry tray gift: Terri Habaker
Spa Certificate from Charlar Place; Victoria Trevino
Costco Windshield Screen: Krista Lang
$25 Hobby Lobby Giftcard from Hawkins Photography: Travis Spangenberg
Causeway Bay Free Stay: Taylor Vincent
Javita Samples: Tiffany Alfano
MSU Dip Tray from MSU Hospitality and Kellogg Events: Kara Sova
Men’s Wearhouse Free Tux Rental: Tom Leidecker
Pure Romance Gift Bag: Anastasia Claudio
Firekeepers Casino Certificate: Christ Strode
Wustof cutting board + Wustof knife/scissor set: Cristan Baker
Harte and Soul free consultation: Heidi Hansen
Panera Bread $25 Certificate from Champion: Paul Jarosz
Hot Flash Photo Mirror Gift Basket: Kelsey Sparks
Holmes Photography Certificate for free engagement session: Alice Carter
Picture frame from Barbs Designs: Tyler McMullen
Mr. and Mrs. travel bags: Megan Dunn
Events and Moore certificate for free toasting goblets: Amanda Adams
Complete Weddings and Events Photo Booth: Jessica and Matt
Winning an 8 day, 7 night trip to Cancun from America’s Bride:
Bethe Carrier and Mike Wawiernia
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR FALL 2018 VENDORS!
Get The Most Out Of Your Bridal Show Experience
Going to a bridal show can be stressful for brides who are not sure what to do or how it works. These tips and tricks will help you to get through and get the most out of your experience at the upcoming Lansing Bridal Show on October 7th.
Tip #1: Make an email address specifically for your wedding. When it comes to getting info on bridal deals from vendors we understand the struggle of having your personal email cluttered with more than what it needs. A great option is to make a special email address dedicated to your wedding plans! It will help keep everything for the date in one place and organized so you don’t lose important information. You can also create an online drive that can store your spreadsheets, paperwork, and address book to share with your wedding planner or bridal party for instant access.
Tip #2: Register with as many vendors as you can. Take advantage of having so many vendors in one place and get your bookings in before their lists fill up. You can always change your mind later, but it’s much harder to get the vendor of your dreams once they’re completely booked. Even if you think that the vendor might not be right for your wedding, you should look at their materials in case there’s something small that would be the perfect addition. You never know when a vendor could turn out to be the perfect fit for your special day!
Tip #3: Know your wedding date, if possible. Choosing your date ahead of time so you can give it to vendors is very important because then they can answer your questions more specifically and prioritize attention to brides with sooner wedding dates when scheduling follow-up meetings. In some cases, they can even start to help you choose colors and themes according to what season your wedding is planned for!
Tip #4: Make information labels. Before you come to the bridal show, print out a sheet or two of premade information labels with your name, your wedding email, phone number, and wedding date. The bridal show is full of many vendor booths where you will be writing your information down, labels will help you get the most out of your interactions with vendors by saving time writing.
Final Tip: Remember that this is fun! Bridal shows are meant to showcase the best of the best for brides to see. Grab a couple of close friends and get as much enjoyment out of the day as you can. The Lansing Bridal show will feature a wedding fashion show, food samples, beautiful decorations, and much more. Spend the afternoon planning the wedding of your dreams!
Finding The Perfect Dress
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be stressful for a bride. There are hundreds of thousands of styles, colors, fabrics, and brand combinations … and that’s before you get into accessorizing.
Here at Lansing Bridal, your journey as a bride is important to us. We’ve accumulated some tips for dress shopping to put your mind at ease and make the dress hunt fun!
Tip #1: Have your first outing looking at dresses.
Ignore the budget, ignore the time constraints, gather some trusted friends for brunch and a dress appointment and HAVE FUN. Look at all the dresses that catch your eye, try on a few for your friends, and try to enjoy it as much as possible. The hard part can come later. Go ahead, try that crazy dress!
Tip #2: Once that’s done, set your budget and your time frame.
Now that you’ve enjoyed dressing up in some new wedding fashions, it’s time to start narrowing the parameters. Set a budget for yourself and stick to the budget. You also have to think about how long you have until the wedding, keeping in mind you may have to make some alterations to the dress you buy.
Tip #3: Make another appointment, this time with a plan.
Take along one or two of your trusted advisors, and make sure they know the rules. Don’t say anything until you’ve had your first words about the dress, and make sure they are supportive of your choices. Nothing can be more stressful for a bride than having too many opinions overrunning her own. Now that you’ve got your budget, timeframe, and maybe a couple ideas about what you want, it’s your time to find the best possible match.
Tip #4: Keep track of what you try.
Have your friends take notes on your phone and take pictures (if the shop allows) so you can narrow down the choices based on what you like or don’t like about a dress.
Tip #5: When it’s the one, it’s the one.
The moment you find your perfect dress, you’ll know. You’ll feel it. Once you know it’s the perfect dress, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Always have a backup plan in case the one you fall in love with doesn’t fit your plan (too expensive, too much time for alterations, out of stock, etc.) but keep the one that makes you feel absolutely magical. Your friends and family are there to give opinions, but they won’t be the ones wearing it down the aisle. Once you find your dress, the rest of the wedding is a piece of cake!
If you’re a bride that doesn’t know yet what she wants, try making a Pinterest board for your wedding. You can save pictures of what catches your eye to show to the shop staff, who can find similar dresses in stock. Don’t be afraid to utilize communication with the shop staff, they are there to help you find the dress of your dreams.
Many bridal apparel vendors will be available at the Lansing Bridal Show, coming to the Lansing Center on Oct. 7, 2018. Get your questions answered and book dress appointments with your favorite shops, and don’t forget to check out the fashion show put on Pierre’s Bridal – our vendor award winner of 2018!