Wedded Bliss

Stetson Chapel was decked out in green and white flowers for Caroline and David's wedding last Saturday.

I loved the aisle flowers with mossy baskets and gorgeous sage green ribbon.

I held it together and didn't snap shots during the wedding. There were two photographers getting ever detail. But I did manage to get this lovely moment where the bride and groom are thanking, Caroline's parents. I love this twist on the receiving line. They greeted every one of their guests in the church.

Caroline looked stunning in her Carolina Herrera gown! I'm so glad I caught the train before it was bustled. 

The guests all waited outside of Stetson Chapel on the campus of Kalamazoo College and cheered as they exited. Her bouquet was stunning!

Eric and Joyce on our way to the reception.

The tent was incredibly romantic. The reception was held at the The Moors golf club. Her father helped developed the property which added a sentimental touch. 

There were fabulous passed hors d'oeuvres and stations with a beer tasting, cheese and fruit platters that looked like a Dutch Renaissance painting. Hanging lanterns led the way to the tent and Sarah designed an Adirondack chair area with fire pits outside of the tent as it got cooler in the evening for folks to smoke cigars. It didn't rain which was a MIRACLE as every forecast predicted rain. Dave's father said, "It's a God thing," in his toast. So true. 

Our sweet friends Sarah, Magnus and E. obliged for one photo. 

The crisp white linen overlay was draped over a lush green sage satin cloth that matched the ribbons in the church. The napkins had a very Caroline touch of sage green polka dotted edging.

We sat at Table 11. The clever little escort cards were golf course'esque flags with the number tucked into the fold. These simply fabulous alphabetized flags were placed in a mossy "green" for retrieval. We seriously LOVED our table.  The husbands all sat on one side and all the girls on the other. This is what marriage does to you I guess. 

Morgan Vandercuteness and Patty looked gorgeous in this shot even though the flash was a bit wonky. The bridesmaid's dresses were darling J. Crew black and navy cocktail dresses. I promised E. I wouldn't spend the whole night taking photos but managed to steal a few with his Instagram ap on his IPhone! I can always find a way to take photos. :) But I wish I had a cute shot of the three bridesmaids in their cute dresses. They looked so beautiful attending Caroline on the alter.

The tent was stunning inside. The green grass was such a gorgeous backdrop and the hanging chandelier was breathtaking over the dance floor. I told you Sarah has the best taste of anyone I know and this is proof!!!

The ambiance in the tent was charming beyond words.

The lightly dressed salad was wrapped like a bouquet with a cucumber ribbon and crouton base.

The filet with shrimp was perfectly cooked. Everyone couldn't stop talking about the corn pudding. It was such a great pairing with the tender beef and shrimp.

The bride and groom cut a small coconut cake and the cake table featured a variety of delicious cupcakes to choose from. It was a huge hit. 

E. went for the Chocolate Salted Caramel.

I stuck with the classic coconut cake which the Barefoot Contessa would have been swooning over!

I hate that my one photo of the bride and groom makes them look like zombies, but they are kind of trendy right now, so make it work, right? You all looked so happy and we were so happy to be there and celebrate with you. 

Cheers to you beautiful couple. May your lives together be filled with constant communication, love and faith in each other. Marriage isn't easy. It's work. Enjoy the best work of your lives. It is totally worth it.  Love you so!!!

Kalamazoo, zoo, zoo!

Every time we visit Kalamazoo we have to stop by Food Dance. Eric has fond memories of having brunch there the day of our wedding with his best men. I loved the old location in the Haymarket building and remember having dates with my Daddy there. The new space is much bigger and has great private rooms and a little store.

E. got the Mexican scramble with Challah bread toast. The bread is all from Zingerman's bakery in Ann Arbor.

I chose the Sourdough Bread with my eggs and bacon. It was the best.

E. had an extra pancake too.

The decor is fabulous. There is a corn row leading folks to the private rooms. I planned our 20 year reunion this past summer and they did the nicest job. The food is always outstanding.

The space is wonderful, whimsical and welcoming.

The shop is in the front of the restaurant and sells the most wonderful products and gifts.

Fabulous cheeses.

Cakes and sweet treats.

They have the most fabulous selection of French dish towels.

We lucked out because there were samples when we arrived.

I spied some Salty Caramel ice cream in the cooler. It took everything in my will not to buy the lot.

The decor makes this place so special. There are three dimensional vegetables and little fairies flying all over the place. It is delightful.

I would think children would have the most fun looking around and counting all the cute little people.

There were samples of brownies and sugared nuts out as well. If you ever find yourself in Kalamazoo, you must go to Food Dance.

There are beautiful old buildings downtown too.

Michigan Avenue has changed so much but still has that Main Street USA kind of feeling.

We went to seek out if the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange was open. We were there way too early. We found out about them through Twitter. I love that people, no matter where you live, make great suggestions of places to visit via Twitter. It's like a giant Concierge Service.  

We were bummed it wasn't open. Santa would have brought Uncle Charlie a tee shirt.

The Radisson is where we spent our wedding night. We got upgraded to the Presidential Suite on 7-7-07. Pretty incredible considering there were four weddings at the hotel that day. We got married at St. Luke's and had our reception at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. We remember this city so fondly from our fun wedding weekend and loved seeing the Radisson from afar.

The Water Street Coffee Joint is another location we hit up more than once on every trip.

We've been to the original and the Oakwood location in just one and a half days.

Both locations are always packed with cars and people.

We went to Water Street Coffee Joint with our buddy and maid of honor Mary for a quick breakfast our first day here. The Blueberry muffin was so tasty. E. had a waffle. 

They sell great tee-shirts and wonderful coffee gifts.

  

You can get breakfast and lunch items here.

I love the way they used the coffee bean bags to cover the planters for the winter.

And their go-cups are awesome!

Bell's is hands down another location that can't be missed. The bar and the General Store.

E. is a coffee and beer snob so he lucked out today.

This brewery has a cult following. Eric and I are card carrying drink-the-Koolaid-crazy members! We served Oberon at our wedding. They sell Bell's in DC but not Maryland. E. has to go to the Whole Foods to get Bell's. We have been known to buy cases and drive it over state lines ourselves. 

Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

Sometimes it's hard to make a decision on what to get.

The sparkling ale is one of my favorites. It knocked me on my fanny a few years ago in November. It has 9% alcohol and tasted like a champagne style beer. They didn't have any this year.

For any cult like beer drinkers who want to go crazy and learn how to brew your own beer, this General Store has all that you need to begin that journey. Check out the Kalamazoo Libation Organization of Brewers (KLOB) for more information. My brother's buddy Andy Farrell is one of the brew masters.

The yeast is packaged and they sell glass containers to ferment the beer. It's pretty fabulous for the beer enthusiast on your Christmas list.

We love our trips to the Zoo. I grew up here and love visiting now with Eric. 

Thanks to my new Twitter friends from Kalamazoo, especially @JessePalmer and @SarahLWLee for their great suggestions.I've been sick as a dog so we haven't really gone anywhere but had to hit our faves. Next time we'll try Rustic! E. thanks for always being my partner in crime in our travel adventures. I love you to pieces.