Our winning couple, Maire and Tyler, are officially into the planning! They have had their first of many meetings with our amazing vendors, at Willowbrook Mill!
They absolutely love the venue, and are so excited to start planning the rest of their wedding around the beauty of the rustic mill.
Willowbrook Mill is run by owners, mother and daughter, Mimi and Samantha. We asked them how they specialize in serving couples on their wedding day; what it is they do to make the lives of the couples they book with as easy as possible:
"Here at Willowbrook Mill, my daughter Samantha and I act as Fairy Godmothers, Air Traffic Control, and Creative Problem Solvers. We make certain that every inch of our venue is guest ready and sparkling, from the equipment to chandeliers and down to the signature fragrance we use that makes the space perfection," Mimi says.
"Acting as the occasional coach and cheerleader," Samantha added, "Being very near the same age as the couples getting married, I often have to step in and remind the couples that the entire point of the day is that they are going to be marrying the love of their lives and that it is going to go by incredibly fast. Sometimes a reality check from someone close in age is necessary."
We asked Mimi and Samantha what advice they had for couples planning their own wedding, and they had so much to say!
Mimi said, "The first thing I would advise them to do is hire a wedding coordinator! They have their whole lives to be super heroes in every corner of their lives but this one day can sometimes cause far too much unnecessary stress when they try to do everything themselves. A professional wedding planner can get all those time, energy and joy sucking tasks completed without breaking a sweat," she said, "That means the couple actually gets to enjoy their wedding day instead of worrying whether or not the cake arrived, or if the signature cocktail ingredients made it to the bartender for setup time. And you know what? The services of a professional wedding coordinator would be an amazing gift for the combined wedding party to give to the couple because it means that they too will have a chance to relax and enjoy the wedding festivities instead of being enlisted to do a thousand little things before, during, and after that will have them exhausted and unhappy by the time the dance music starts. Hire a wedding planner!"
Samantha added, "AGREED. Here's another thing - I love Pinterest. It can be a great tool to set aside and coordinate ideas for your big day. But sometimes couples can get caught up in the idea of DIY for every detail of their wedding. What they aren't realizing is the insane amount of time that goes into DIY projects. Unless you are having a wedding for 40 guests or less, you will spend months preparing items for your wedding day, only to turn around and more than likely sell them, throw them away, or put them in a box you never open again," she said, "If you really want to DIY on something for your wedding, pick only 1 or 2 things. Like your table numbers and your bar menu. Table numbers are easier to resell and a bar menu is a cool feature you can hang in your future home. 20 years from now, I bet you will not remember the small details. But you will absolutely remember dancing with your forever partner and photos of the day."
One of the key components to this wedding giveaway is the season... Winter! We asked the couples who entered to let us know why they loved winter, and how that made them the best fit to win a winter wedding! Well, we did the same for our vendors.
Samantha said, "To be honest, if you had asked me this question about 5 years ago, I would have answered with a solid 'Nothing, except for Christmas.' I'm a beach baby, but over the years and each travel opportunity I get, I learn something new about seasons and especially winter. Michigan is a very special place. Although winter sometimes feels like it lasts forever here, I have learned to appreciate each season for what it brings, I know that in just a few short weeks, flowers will bloom, then the waters will warm until the trees decide to put on a show, and winter comes again. Seasons are a unique and special experience, especially when you know what it is like not to have them. There is something amazing about blankets of snow covering landscapes, snowfalls when the flakes are huge and pile high and light, and sunsets when the fresh fallen snow turns to that glitter you find at a craft store. Being bundled up in warm clothes, sipping on a hot drink while Christmas music plays in the background and trees are decorated with twinkling lights - now brings a smile to my face the way a warm summer day and sand between my toes does. It grew on me, it really did."
"For me, I love the quiet; the attenuation of snow as it absorbs sound creating a surreal and soft experience of being outside, Mimi said, "I also love the way the lights reflect off the surface of the snow, like a field of glitter and magic. And I love sweaters, and fireplaces, and snowshoes... Not the strap-on-your-feet kind. I mean hot chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps! Winter is home and coziness and family, music and celebration!"
For the giveaway Mimi and Samantha were so kind to donate the use of their facility for the date of the wedding, as well as:
Farm Tables
Whiskey Barrel Bar Setup (Two Barrels, Bar Top, bar back table, cooler)
Sweetheart Head Table
Branch Bench for Couple
Persian Area Rug for photo area or ceremony
10' X 10' Heavy duty arch for photo backdrop area
Cocktail and Side Tables
Hanging Chandeliers
Use of Willowbrook Mill Commercial Kitchen
Maire and Tyler are so excited to have their special day take place at this amazing location. Check out some photos below of the details at Willowbrook Mill, as well as Maire and Tyler checking out their space for the first time! And, stay tuned for our next blog feature, Holly Thomas Design!
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