Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Grand Volute Ballrooms! 

Below is a beautiful picture shot by Virgil Hubbard last year. 

Our brides are the most beautiful around. 

What a great idea!

Recruit an army of boys to clean a bunch of pumpkins, and you've got a beautiful display! How wonderful is this! Autumn is a wonderful time of the year. Hope everyone is enjoying it as much as we are. 

Featured Business: Modern Photographics

Modern Photographics is a staple in the city of Lowell, and for good reason. They have been serving the West Michigan Area for over 35 years, and produce quality products time after time. We have been honored to work with Modern Photographics quite a few times, here at Grand Volute and have been nothing but impressed with the quality of their photography, personalization, creativity, and flexibility. They are fun photographers, and know how to capture the mood of the day, and personality of the couple. We highly recommend Modern Photographics. 

To contact Modern Photographics for a free consultation, call: 616.897.5606

Tell them we said "Hello!"

http://modernphotographics.com

Now, if this doesn't equal fun, what does?! 

This couple was married in our facility a few years ago, this is their anniversary portrait! Modeled after the movie "Up!"

Eco-Friendly Weddings

We are well into the trend of environmentally friendly EVERYTHING, and weddings can be included in that. Many brides opt to not hold an eco-friendly wedding, because oftentimes, eco-friendly is another word for "expensive." But that doesn't have to be the case! If you would like to choose to consider the environment while you plan your big day, it can be done intimately, affordably, and in a way that reflects your personalities! 

A few tips:

Seek the advice of your chef when ordering food, so as not to order too much food for your guests. Do the same when ordering cake. Another great option (and even more affordable!) is to purchase a smaller wedding cake, and additional sheet cakes to be cut in the kitchen, plated, and served. Sheet cake is much more affordable than wedding cake is, and tastes just the same! 

Look into purchasing post-consumer wedding jewelry. These companies, such as GreenKarat melts down old jewelry and creates new jewelry out of the old! GreenKarat even allows their clients to send in their old jewelry to be melted down into new wedding bands. Something to think about! For more information about GreenKarat, see: http://www.greenkarat.com

Consider emailing invitations instead of mailing them. Have only a few invitations printed out, and send those to those who may not be able to access the internet. 

Donate items that you are not likely to use again to a thrift store or charitable organization. 

Use potted plants as centerpieces, and ask guests to take them home and plant them! 

Recycle cans and bottles, glass, paper, etc, that is disposed of during your wedding. (Note: Grand Volute recycles!) 

Have your wedding in someone's backyard, or at a park. (Note: We can cater!) 

Borrow, borrow, borrow: Consider borrowing as many things as possible. From jewelry, to the honeymoon, anything can be borrowed! Wear your mother's gown, borrow a friend's jewelry, or borrow someone's timeshare property for your honeymoon! 

Have your wedding and reception at the same location (We can do this, as well. We have great ceremony areas, both inside and out) to cut down on travelling. 

Encourage your chef to purchase locally grown and produced products. At Grand Volute, we get a considerable amount of our produce from local farm markets. 

Ask bridesmaids to wear their own dresses that they already have. It is fine to request a certain style or color. 

Look into hiring local talent for your music, decorations, food, etc. Support local! 

Any more ideas? Leave a comment!  

Here are my picks for Best Fall Signature Drink. Don't be afraid to consider reducing your hosted bar package and adding a signature drink. This can either be a seasonal drink or something that showcases your personalities. I love the Pumpkintini and the Autumn Russian.

P.S.: Be sure to try these at your next Halloween party! 

-Mary Ellen 

Autumn Russian

1/2 part Kahlua 

1/2 part Vodka 

1 1/2 part (Hiram Walker) Pumpkin Spice liqueur 

1/2 part light cream 

Dash of nutmeg

Pumpkintini

1 part (regular or vanilla) Vodka

1 part (Hiram Walker) Pumpkin Spice liqueur 

Shake, strain into glass and sprinkle with cinnamon

Ring Warming Ceremony

For the Bride and Groom that want every guest to be involved in their ceremony, consider a Ring Warming Ceremony. Never heard of it? Neither had I! 

Tie the rings together in ribbon (securely, so that they don't get lost!) and have the guests pass the rings from person to person throughout the ceremony. Request that they say a prayer or a good luck wish as they hold the rings in their hands. Assign a family member (or the ring bearer) to ensure that the rings are passed to every guest by the time that the rings are exchanged. Be sure to plan enough time for each person to have a moment with the rings. 15-20 seconds per person is usually a reasonable amount of time. 

Wedding Hair

Many brides stress about their hair for their wedding day. From growing it out, to spending a day or so at the spa (which is great!), there is no doubt about it that most brides think that their hair is definitely something that needs to be paid attention to on their big day-- and it should! There are even hair shows dedicated specifically to wedding hair styles. These shows take place in New York City -- but no worries, we have the inside scoop on the tips and trends for this year's wedding hair.

Just like with everything else, the bride's hairstyle should reflect her personality, and compliment her dress. We recommend working with a stylist that you know personally, or meeting with one stylist on several occasions in order to be able to achieve a look that reflects who you are, as a bride, and coordinates well with your dress.

Also consider having your makeup professionally applied. Many stylists are trained specifically in makeup application, and will match colors to compliment your complexion and dress.

Be sure to bring your veil or headpiece with you as you test out hairstyles with your stylist, too!

For a bride that might be looking to have a great look on a budget, consider seeking the consultation of a stylist-in-training. A great resource for this in the West Michigan area, is the Douglas J Institute Cosmetology School. Students work under the supervision of trained professionals, at a reduced rate.

Below are some pictures from this year's hair show in NYC!