From the Bride… When Nick and I began looking for a venue for our wedding, we both knew that we wanted to find something unique and special. We didn’t know exactly what we were looking for, but had a feeling that once we found the perfect location, we would know. Although we live in Colorado and would have loved to get married in one of the quaint mountain towns, we knew that getting married closer to where we grew-up would be more suitable for our family and friends. The majority of Nick’s family and friends live in Michigan, so we decided that Michigan would be the place. Upon making this decision, I quickly began researching popular venues throughout the entire state. It wasn’t long before I came across Planterra Conservatory in West Bloomfield.
I knew immediately after seeing Planterra’s website and skimming through photos from past Planterra weddings, that Planterra Conservatory was it. Nick was equally captivated by the photos and testimonials written by past brides and grooms. Without even visiting the venue in person, Nick and I contacted the wonderful staff at Planterra, picked a date, and put down a deposit to reserve our date. Although we were a little nervous about making such an important decision so quickly, Planterra was that unique and special place we had been looking for.
It wasn’t long before Nick and I planned a trip to West Bloomfield to visit the venue and meet with David DiVincenzo, the event director at Planterra. Our initial meeting with David helped to elevate any worries that Nick and I had previously. He was extremely professional, friendly, and helpful. He provided us with a list of recommended vendors for us to choose from. This list was extremely helpful being that we were planning a destination wedding.
Having been a part of multiple weddings over the years, I knew that finding a talented photographer to capture our day was extremely important. David provided me with a list of about ten different photographers, all of which seemed talented. However, I knew that after seeing photos taken by Kelly Sweet, she was the photographer for us. It was apparent after looking through her gallery and blog that she has the ability to capture a moment in a very intimate and magical way. Kelly took the time to meet with Nick and I a couple of months before the wedding, allowing us to get to know each other. It was during this meeting that we established a friendly and comfortable relationship with Kelly. It was because of this relationship that I believe Kelly was able to capture our personalities, our love for each other, and the fun we, as well as our guests, had at our wedding.
In addition to photography, Nick and I also spent a good deal of time researching the other vendors that Planterra recommended. It was extremely easy when selecting someone to design and make our wedding cake. We chose Sweet Heather Anne from Ann Arbor, MI. Heather is a very talented cake designer and baker, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to have Heather and her team bake our cake. During our cake tasting, Nick and I provided Heather with an inspiration board. Heather used our inspirations to design the wedding cake of our dreams. In addition to our wedding cake, she also made macarons that paired very nicely with the cake flavors we selected. The final product – our wedding cake with the combination of macaroons was perfect.
Nick and I are very thankful for all of the vendors we worked with. We thoroughly enjoyed working with our officiant, Stephen Hulbert. He made our ceremony extremely special by including details about how Nick and I met. He also provided Nick and I with a good deal of time to read our own vows. Although Nick and I were hesitant about writing our own vows and reading them during the ceremony, we were very happy with this decision. Our DJ, Pro DJ Services, did a wonderful job playing music for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The music played helped create that romantic and fun atmosphere that we were hoping for.
Nick and I decided to splurge when renting a vintage car to transport us to the venue. The 1949 Packard “Hugo” rented through Motor City Vintage Rentals added that extra special touch that we were looking for. The photos with the “Hugo” came out fantastic and our ride in the car was very memorable.
It was because of the amazing staff at Planterra and our wonderful vendors that planning a destination wedding wasn’t at all challenging. Planterra provided Nick and I with all of the necessary tools, timelines, and overall design ideas. Planterra’s beauty helped Nick and I identify what we envisioned for our wedding. We were hoping for a whimsical and romantic garden party, which is exactly what Planterra provided. The plants and flowers already present at the venue helped us select our color palate – different shades of green and pink tied in beautifully with the setting. The staff at Planterra successfully translated our vision through the flowers, table settings, and overall ambience. Nick and I added our own special touches through the many custom signs, table numbers, frames, and favors that were scattered throughout the reception area.
Nick and I, as well as all our guests, were blown away by the entire day. Planterra Conservatory is beautiful and our wedding was an absolute dream. It was unique and special, exactly what we were hoping for.
