Liz + Ken ♥
Liz and Ken got married at Shadowland on Friday, June 19, 2015. The happy couple have quite the history together, meeting when they were in 8th grade, sharing milestones like driver’s ed, and then after losing touch for awhile, rekindled their friendship that grew to love as adults. These two are quite the lovebirds and couldn’t have had a more beautiful day.
Liz and Ken opted to have both their ceremony and reception at Shadowland. Something that was unique about this set up was the addition of the family Chuppah, a special canopy used in traditional Jewish ceremonies. One of the most treasured family heirlooms covered the Chuppah- a quilt with pictures of every couple that had been married under the Chuppah, and now Ken and Liz get to add themselves to the family history. Another tradition that made its way to the ceremony was when Ken and Liz signed the Ketubah. Only family and a few close friends were witnesses to this. The Ketubah is a piece of art with special writing in Hebrew and English, akin to a marriage contract. A very important detail in the ceremony itself was expressing the couples’ views on marriage equality. Liz’ Dad wrote a heartfelt poem about this matter and a friend of the bride, Rachel, recited it. Another fun thing that Liz and Ken decided to do was rent out The Discovery Zone Children’s Museum and brought in their own babysitters to corral the youngsters into a kid-friendly area while the parents could enjoy the ceremony.
Cocktail hour started after the ceremony with a private Carousel rental that got Liz and Ken some amazing photos. Their signature cocktails, The Smaffe (Raspberry Mojito) and The Kenny Bob (Citrus Vodka, Lime and Pineapple Juice), were passed with a selection of appetizers.
After dinner another Jewish tradition made an appearance with the dance of the Hora. Ken and Liz sat on two chairs and their guests lifted them into the air and danced around them.
The overall vision for the reception came from their desire to have a breezy, fun beach wedding. Utilizing different shades of blue and stepping away from a traditional tiered cake, they decided to have an 8” cake on every table for guests to cut themselves. The cakes alternated between 4 different designs and flavors and were a huge hit. There was also a selection of chocolates on every table. Liz and her friends arranged the flowers themselves, going to Black Dog Flower Farm in Baroda Michigan, and choosing from a huge selection of flowers for a simple, yet beautiful look.
Liz and Ken had a flood of family and friends supporting them for their wedding. The love these two have for each other and for those close to them came through in every aspect of their day. We at Shadowland feel honored to have been part of their day and wish them all the happiness in the world as they continue to grow together! ♥
Vendors
Photography- Natasha Russell of Casually Unique Photography
D.J.- John Correll
Cakes- Dee Appelman of Dee’s Specialty Cakes
Candies- Janet Furstneau
Bride’s Dress- David’s Bridal
Groom and Groomsmen Suites- Men’s Warehouse
Flowers- Black Dog Flower Farm
What a beautiful write-up of a beautiful wedding! It was just magical, and the joy that the bride, groom, family, and friends felt will live on forever. Thank you Shadowlands for the perfect venue for guests of all ages.