Congratulations to Mary and Matthew, married last week at Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills. The church was beautifully decorated with poinsettias, red tea lights, pinecone and evergreen pew decorations. Mary wore a vintage style dress while her bridesmaids wore elegant black gowns. All the ladies carried white bouquets of roses and hydrangeas with embellished with white feathers. It was a lovely effect. Mary and Matthew had a couple of special requests for us. Following a prelude of light classics which included, Claire De Lune, the couple’s mothers were seated to “The Ludlow’s” from the romantic movie, “Legends of the Falls”. The bridal party processed to a Celtic version of “Be Thou My Vision” while Mary entered to another Celtic favorite, “Give My Your Hand”. Deacon John Schulte delivered a touching ceremony marked with several personal references to the couple. Wedding coordinator, Danielle, was a tremendous help both to us and the family. Jenna, cantor and also bridesmaid, did a lovely job with the responsorial psalm and alleluia. Following their introduction, the couple recessed to Bittersweet Symphony, which has been very popular this year. We extend our best wishes to Mary and Matthew as they begin their life together.
Wedding with Celtic Flair at Academy of the Sacred Heart
Raised Dais Creates Beautiful Setting for Wedding at Palazzo Grande
Congratulations to Krysten and Brian on their wedding last week at the Palazzo Grande in Shelby Township. The Palazzo was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the couple chose a unique set up for their ceremony. The hall was set up in a “theater in the round” format with a raised dais in the middle and seating for guests extending out from the four sides. The dais had lovely planters on each corner adorned with roses and raised candles which created an elegant atmosphere. Pam Aulgur of Shelby Township led a personal service that included a reading or the poem “Let Love Be”. The mothers were escorted to their seats by their sons to the Louis Armstrong favorite, “What a Wonderful World”. Brian and his groomsmen then entered to the fun “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream. Escorted by her father, Krysten processed to “Unchained Melody” and looked beautiful in a fitted bridal gown. The couple chose to insert a special rose presentation to their parents followed by a sand ceremony during which we played “Time In a Bottle” by Jim Croce. Following the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a dinner reception. Best wishes to Brian and Krysten as they begin their life together.
The Palazzo Grande
Wedding and Cocktails at the Historic Whitney on Woodward Avenue
The Whitney mansion is an impressive home on Woodward Avenue near downtown Detroit, and was the venue for the elegant evening wedding and reception for Ryan and Nada last weekend. They chose to have a cocktail hour before the ceremony which we thought was a fantastic idea. The guests had an opportunity to visit and no one was late to the ceremony! The cocktails were held in the Grand Hall, which is dominated by an ornate fireplace and mantelpiece which holds an antique bronze clock. We had the pleasure of performing a great number of contemporary pieces including Dynamite, selections from the Beatles, At Last by Etta James and Viva La Vida by Coldplay. A grand staircase dominates the Great Hall that is elaborately adorned with a bronze balustrade and is richly illuminated by colorful Tiffany stained glass panels on the second and third floors. It was on the landing in front of the Tiffany windows that Ryan and Nada exchanged rings and were blessed by Iman Achmat Salie. Guests were seated on both the second and third floor providing everyone with a view of the beautiful couple. We played the popular Pachelbel’s Canon for Nada’s processional and were greatly appreciative of her sister, Marwa, for her help with cues. We would also like to thank Kristine of The Whitney for her help throughout the evening. Congratulations to Ryan and Nada as they begin life together.
Prose and Poetry Bring Unique Quality to Wedding in Bloomfield Hills
Best wishes to Maureen and Benjamin on their wedding last week at Birmingham Unitarian Church in Bloomfield Hills. Laura West of “Events That Impress” organized an elegant event that included candles along the aisle. The ceremony was led by Reverend Sherry from “A Joyful Celebration” and incorporated personal wedding vows and other elements that represented the uniqueness of this couple. The ceremony opened with a special reading, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Louis de Bernieres, which was read by Beatriz Herraro, Grandmother of the Bride. The bridal party, dressed in navy gowns with an ivory ribbon sash processed to “Trumpet Voluntary” while Maureen walked to the majestic “Queen of Sheba” by Handel. The ceremony was closed by Tommy Kogelschatz, brother of the bride, who read “Oh! The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Following the presentation of the couple, we performed a Beatles favorite, “Here Comes the Sun”. We send our best wishes to Benjamin and Maureen as they begin their life together.
Events That Impress
A Joyful Celebration
Birmingham Unitarian Church
Winter Wedding in Chapel at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion
Congratulations to Amy and Steve who were married earlier this month in the chapel at Canterbury Village. The chapel is located a across the square from the carousel and makes a lovely setting for an intimate wedding. Reverend Phillip Rogers led a beautiful ceremony that included a traditional Irish Blessing. The couple chose contemporary music like Stairway to Heaven, Don’t Stop Believing, Love Story and California Dreaming. The bridal party wore black dresses and carried red roses as they processed to What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. Amy processed to the popular Pachelbel’s Canon and the couple recessed to the well known Beatles tune, “Here Comes The Sun”. Steve requested the Jimi Hendrix hit, “Purple Haze” which is a delight to play and generated several fine compliments. It’s always fun to play the unexpected! We wish Steve and Amy the very best as they begin their lives together.
Wedding a Celebration of Love and Family at Temple Israel
Congratulations to Andrew and Becky who were married this weekend at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Surrounded by family and friends under the chuppah, the couple exchanged vows and rings. The Rabbi spoke beautifully of the couples shared love and family traditions that enveloped the newly wedded couple. Cantorial Soloist Neil Michaels sang the blessings and led the guests in the celebratory Simon Tov at the conclusion. Pianist Tom Loncaric added his talents to the ceremony and also accompanied Mr. Michaels. The couple chose fun contemporary music for their special day. We played Falling Slowly, My Girl, Stand By Me, At Last and Yellow for the seating of the guests. All You Need is Love and Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles was played for the processional. Becky chose to process to The Way You Look Tonight; one of the many sentimental moments of the evening. Following the ceremony, the couple and their guests enjoyed cocktails and dinner. Special thanks to Pam, coordinator at Temple Israel, who is always helpful when we’re honored to play in their facility. Best wishes to Becky and Andrew as they begin their lives together.
Colors of Fall and The Classics Highlight An October Wedding and Reception
Congratulations to Jennifer and Paul on their wedding yesterday in Bloomfield Hills. Paul wore his navel uniform while his bride Jennifer was in a beautiful gown with deep red trim. We think this addition of color on the bridal gowns is a lovely idea that flatters many women. Warm fall colors were used for the flowers and bridal party gowns. Jennifer, a violinist and music teacher in Jacksonville Florida, chose some of the great classics including Andante Cantabile for the seating of grandparents and mothers, the 1st movement from Mozart’s String Quartet #157 for the bridal party and the majestic Great Gate of Kiev by Mussorgsky for her bridal processional. Pastor Rick Engel personalized his homily with musical references and led a deeply moving service. The couple chose the well known Steven Chapman song, “I Will Be Here” for the lighting of the unity candle and then returned to Jennifer’s love of classical music with the 1st movement of Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 77 for their recessional. We want to thank Sharon Burr, wedding coordinator for Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, for her help with cues. Following the ceremony, the celebration continued at Petruzzello’s Banquets in Troy where we played a mix of classical and contemporary songs for the cocktail hour. The guests were very kind in their compliments of our upbeat contemporary selections. Memory Makers DJ did a superb job of introducing the couple and getting the guests in a celebratory mood. At the request of the brides’ father, we were able to play a special song, Over the Rainbow, for Jennifer. 
Petruzzello’s is well known for its elegant presentation and as the pictures show, created a gorgeous cake and desert table. We had to include a picture of the groom’s cake, a Transformer with the quote, “More Than Meets the Eye”. 
It was evident that there was a great deal of love and humor present and everyone we met were just delightful. We send Jennifer and Paul our very best wishes as they begin life together and thank them for the honor of being a part of their special day.
“All of My Love” a Special Request for English Inn Wedding
Congratulations to Meagan and Randon on their wedding this past weekend at the English Inn in Eaton Rapids. This was our first visit to the English Inn, located just east of Lansing. Built in 1927, the Tudor Revival house was designed for auto baron Irving Jacob Reuter and his wife. Mr. Reuter was General Manager and President of the Oldsmobile Corporation. The property sits on 15 acres in Eaton Rapids with the original pergola, swimming pool and gazebo as well as an artesian well, fish pond, annual and perennial gardens, and nature trails. Randon and Meagan held their ceremony at the pergola by the river. While it was a chilly day, the bridal party, in beautiful purple strapless gowns, along with the guests were up for the walk down the hill to celebrate the couple’s love. We were very appreciative of Randon’s thoughtfulness in providing us with a portable heater as the temperature was a chilly 55 degrees, way too cold for our instruments. The officiant, Al Werth, led a lovely ceremony that reflected the couple’s Christian and Jewish heritage. Randon was also responsible for the couple’s recessional! He enjoys Led Zeppelin and asked for the solo section of “All of My Love” to be played after they were introduced. We’ve added this song to our repertoire and have already used it several times. Meagan chose “Yellow” by Coldplay for her processional and the bridal party walked to “Bittersweet Symphony”, a song that has seen resurgence this year. We extend our appreciation to wedding coordinators Joan and Sally for their help with cues. Marco Alexzondra did a beautiful job with the flowers. We especially liked the deep sunset colored roses that graced the aisle. Following the ceremony, the guests enjoyed dinner and music by “The Walkins”, a Chicago based band. We send our best wishes to Meagan and Randon on their new future together.
“A Child Remembered” Memorial Service an Annual Commitment
Each year in October, we provide the music for a memorial service remembering babies born at Beaumont Hospital that did not survive. The “Service of Remembrance and Healing” takes place at Roseland Park Cemetery in Berkley each year and serves the community of parents and family members that have lost a young child. While this could be a service of deep grief, the Staff and Chaplain Aides of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education, Chaplain Julia Hanneman-Schoenbach and the Staff of Social Work do a wonderful job creating a service of hope and remembrance. Utilizing messages of hope from various traditions, the service includes individual recitations of names with the presentation of leaves to the Memory Tree by family members. There is a candle lighting ceremony, blessing of the parents and a balloon release concluding the ceremony. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost children this year. It is our fervent hope that the service this past weekend provided a measure of comfort and hope to those grieving.
Country Charm at River Birch Lodge in Hartland Makes Wedding a Dream
Though plans for an outside wedding were changed, the setting was beautiful for Jaimie and Christopher as they were married this past weekend at the River Birch Lodge in Hartland. With towering wood ceilings, massive stone fireplaces, enormous back decking, an adorable front porch, and signature handcrafted chandeliers, the warm country charm was the perfect setting for this special event. Guests enjoyed the view of the nearby woods and the waterfall. We were delighted to contribute to their day with an array of contemporary songs. Several guests stopped us after the ceremony to tell us that they enjoyed “Open Arms”, “Everything I Do”, “Clocks”, “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “My Girl”. Christopher and Jaimie are fans of the group Coldplay and we had fun playing “Yellow” for Jaimie’s processional and then “Viva la Vida” for the couple’s recessional. Jen House from A Moment in Time, as always did a great job coordinating the comfort for 150 guests and change from an outside to inside wedding. Reverend Bill Bell, Jr. directed a powerful ceremony that was personal and demonstrated this couple’s deep faith. During the Unity Ceremony, the couple chose to use wine stating; “Wine has been called the symbol of life. It is like the blood flowing within our bodies. By sharing the gall, the two become one, the parts become whole: Two paths intertwined each separate, yet united in love.” Jaimie and Christopher had several unique qualities to their wedding. It caught your eye on the driveway to the lodge with humorously written signs announcing the upcoming wedding. Each guest also received a flag upon which was printed a brief statement of love. These were waved during the recessional.
Following the ceremony, hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails were served followed by a strolling station dinner for everyone to enjoy. Music Box Productions kept the party going into the evening. It was a wonderful day for Jaimie and Christopher that was embodied by the couple’s favorite quote of William Shakespeare, “When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”
