Michigan State University Graduation

A very proud moment in my life that I wish to share with you ! Another daughter graduates from Michigan State University in Environmental Studies and Applications. We wish her happiness and enjoyment in whatever direction her journey takes her. We love you

Andrea Solomon now carrying water color ketubahs

Andrea Solomon is now carrying a wide selection of beautiful watercolor ketubahs. Make an appointment to see what piece of art is right for you. Here are just a few samples

A Story Like Ours Blue

A Story Like Ours Green

Abstract Circles Aqua

Abstract Circles Fuschia

Bashert... Meant To Be Violet

Take A Bow Thistle

Two Rings

Ahava

Thank you Fabulous Events Linen Rental

Herbs have been used in weddings for many years... and with everyone thinking "GREEN" these days (more then ever) herbs are being used in bridal bouquets, favors and even in containers atop the tables as centerpieces. But, did you actually know the meaning of them. Here are a few along with their meaning:

Ivy: for fidelity. The Roman bride and groom were given a bough of these heart shaped leaves and trailing stems of ivy during the wedding ceremony.

Marjoram: the herb of joy, happiness and marital bliss. Marjoram was woven into the crowns and nosegays of the bride and her attendants by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Myrtle: represents true love. Myrtle was the herb of the goddess of love, Venus. Venus used this herb's blossoms to fashion crowns and garlands for her followers to wear.

Rosemary: is for remembrance.

Rue: "to protect one from evil" According to some eastern European customs, the bride's mother would present her daughter with a pot of rue she had taken from her own garden, for the daughter to start hers.

Here area few other herbs: Angelica = Protection; Basil = Love; Chamomile = Wisdom; Chervil = Serenity; Chives = Usefulness; Dill = Good cheer, Survival; Lavender = Love/Devotion; Mint = Refreshment; Parsley = Merriment; Sage = Wisdom; Santolina = Virtue; Savory = Interest; Scented Geranium = Happiness; Sweet Basil = Good wishes; Tarragon = Permanence; Thyme = Courage & Strength; Violets = faithfulness

Martin Wedding Reception

The grooms parents, George and Natalie, were radiant at their son Dmitry's wedding to Holly.


Dancing never stopped all night. George and Natalie were having a great time and made sure each of their guests were also. From shrimp cocktails to garlic eggplant to tomato and feta cheese salad, just to name a few of the over 10 appetizers for guests to enjoy at their table......then a course of duck and pears was served which was very tasty. Dinner was chicken Kiev, lamb chops and roasted potato's. Dessert consisted of wedding cake and a variety of Russian desserts plus coffee and tea. AND of course vodka, lots and lots of vodka! No one went home hungry! I highly recommend The Fiddler for smaller wedding receptions or rehearsal dinners, birthday parties etc.

The Fiddler was THE place to be on Sunday night, November 22, 2009. The food just kept coming and coming and the vodka kept flowing and flowing. The bride and grooms parents were beaming all night. The music was sensational by singers Sassycat and Jean. Harry the Fiddler was wonderful. The cake was from a small bakery on Coolidge just north of 11 Mile Road.

Cranbrook House Wedding

The gardens at the Cranbrook House make for a beautiful back drop. Even though it was a bit cold out you would never be able to tell.

Flowers by Blossom, Bride and Groom made a beautiful couple and the brides mom was thrilled with the way everything turned out.

The wedding took place inside a tent from Colonial Rental. All the sides were clear which made it easy to see the gardens. You felt like you were outside even though you were not.

Creative place cards were made by the bride and groom. Each place card had a picture of either the guest or the guest and the bride and groom. Each picture had a special meaning and were put on a clear holder standing in moss. It was so nice and everyone loved looking at all the pictures. The guests name and table number were printed on the back of the picture.


The sweet table was located in the dining room on their table. It is a long wooden beautiful table in a room filled with history. and working with Blossoms, she achieved it. The brides mom wanted simple and elegant and working with Fran from Blossoms, she achieved it.

This room is where the bridal party sat. Cranbrook House has three rooms where guests can sit. There was a total of 127 people and there was just enough room. Loved the long table look. The brown linen was perfect in the house along with the charvai chairs. We had to use "fake" candles because no real candles are allowed to be lit inside the Cranbrook House.

The biggest room in the house sat 84 guests. Forte Belenger was the caterer. A fabulous staff and the food was out of this world. From the dish presentation to clean up, Forte Belenger was right on top of everything. I would HIGHLY recommend them for your next catering event!


If you want the sound and energy of a big band without paying the price, I highly recommend Rock and Soul featuring entertainer and singers Bruce Pooley and Theresa. They kept everyone on the dance floor all night. They can play anything and just have a lot of fun with the guests.

Jason's Bar Mitzvah

October was a great month for Jason Schwartz. He became a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel and celebrated with, not one, but two parties. After doing a wonderful job at his service, guests were invited to a delicious luncheon catered by Matt Prentice. Before lunch a special photo montage was shown, followed by a candle lighting speech by Jason .......

Piano music had everyone humming during the afternoon as Cindy Malin played one show tune after another.
Very interesting, colorful and festive centerpieces by Michael Mcfeaters, decorated the room.


The next day, Jason and a bus load of friends went to the Kalahari Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio. A great time was had by all. The waterpark is wonderful and it is only a little over a 2 hour bus ride away. mazel tov JASON!

LIVEWIRE STUDIOS

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR!
Unique party concept LIVEWIRE recording studio has been recording and hosting CD wrap up parties for years with national and internationally known recording artist (shhh, we can't say who they are) Now we are opening our doors to a select clientele.

Located in Farmington Hills, LIVEWIRE STUDIOS can accomadate parties from 10 - 60 guests. Come and Experience a world class recording studio. Record a demo CD or have a meet and greet with a recording artist of your choice and budget.

This unique venue is perfect for bar and bat mitzvahs, birthday parties, sweet sixteens, meet and greet recoding artists, hip hop parties, celeb demo parties and more! From the front hall go downstairs to ......

enjoy a beverage at our fabulous bar and come dance to our in-house DJ in the fireplace lounge while caterers prepare all your favorite foods.

You can bring in vendors such as a photo booth, tattoo artist, air brushing t-shirts, burn bracelets, caricatures, slot cars, video games just to name a few!

Have your guests record a song or their voice on a soundtrack. This is where the stars come to record, now you can to!!

Red carpet and pavarazzi will meet your limousine and guests. The doorman will insure only invited guests attend. The camera crew will capture everything you and your guests experience. and in most cases, have a DVD in your hands before you leave at the end of the night. LIVEWIRE STUDIO is a 24/7 real world recording studio. Call Andrea Solomon for full details .

Wisconsin

When Wisconsin had its 09-09-09 party they pulled out all the stops. The theme was Hawaiian this year. After eating authentic food, drinking island drinks, learning the dances of the islands and watching the dancers do a fire dance, it was picture taking time. What will be in store for the 10-10-10 party next year!



A tent is a wonderful addition to any party when you need more room. Lighting is a must. Note the brass light fixture hanging in the middle of the tent. It was on a dimmer switch and provided enough light to light this 30 x 40 foot tent. There was plenty of room for tables and chairs.

No party would be complete without a beverage station...in this case the tent butt right up to the garage and we put the bar in one garage and the food in the other. By doing this we had more room for tables and chairs inside the tent. When ever possible hire a professional bartender. It makes a world of difference.

Everyone was having a great time regardless of age.

And there was fire!

The Wisconsin 09-09-09 Party. Can't wait till next year!

Limousine Service anyone!

Just learned of this limousine service. After looking at their site and speaking with them, they have beautiful vehicles and their service seems to be really really good. They have some great discounts if booked before the end of the year. Take a look, never seen such nice looking buses for bridal parties. Be sure to tell them Andrea Solomon referred you. That's www.bluedriveweddings.com

The Honeymoon is just starting!

Brides and Grooms......Last night I was fortunate to meet the owners of Directional Strategies Travel. This company is more then just a travel agent. Please read about how they can help you plan your honeymoon. If you are looking for somewhere to go or need help in your planning please consider Directional Strategies. If you do call please tell them I referred you. Have fun where ever your journey takes you...and I hope that somewhere is nice and warm!

Directional Strategies is Michigan's only dedicated honeymoon and destination wedding specialist. Our expert consultants have been to the most romantic destinations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Tahiti, Mexico and Europe and they are ready to share their insider knowledge with you.

Honeymoons and tropical weddings are our business. We do hundreds every year, each one tailored to meet the needs and expectations of each individual couple.

Trust us with your honeymoon and tropical wedding dreams... we'll make them come true!

The
DIRECTIONAL
STRATEGIES
Advantage

Why you should use
DIRECTIONAL STRATEGIES TRAVEL

1. Personalized – We take the time to get to know you, your needs, expectations, dreams, priorities and preferences before we recommend anything to you.
2. Customized – Using our understanding of what you want, we create itineraries custom-designed for you, not trying to force you into an off-the-shelf packages.
3. Knowledge – We share with you our detailed insights from having visited the numerous places you may be considering.
4. Quality – We deal only with hotels and resorts that have been proven to give clients good service and pleasing accommodations.
5. Special Relationships – We have special relationships with management and personnel at many of the destinations we sell which can get you preferred treatment.
6. Value – We shop extensively to get you the most for your money.
7. Protection – We offer you the best in pre- and during-travel insurance to protect your health and safety as well as your travel investment.
8. Preparation – Before you go, we give you extensive information about what to expect during travel and how to get the most out of your destination. We want you to be comfortable with the entire travel experience to minimize your anxiety and maximize your enjoyment.
9. Service – Trips booked through our preferred wholesaler, Classic Vacations, give you 24/7 access to customer service, just in case you encounter a problem or need to change your itinerary once you are traveling.
10. Experience – Our company was founded in 1989. Since that time we have arranged thousands of honeymoons and destination weddings. How successful have we been? Check out our Testimonials page and see what our satisfied clients have to say about us.

Locally their number is
248-398-5142

Or call their toll-free number
800-442-8097

Mitzvah Projects - know of any?

As you know, I love receiving email from readers! I love to gather advice, ideas and tidbits, and also love when Mitzvah Kids write in to share their Mitzvah Projects with me.

"For my Mitzvah Project, I am collecting school supplies for schools that have suffered from budget cuts, and I am donating them through a Website called iloveschools.com. They post lists of supplies needed and schools that really need those supplies. I am not only looking for general school supplies but also the specific needs of the teachers. I do not feel it is right that these teachers have to take money from their own pockets and use it for everybody else's needs. They do enough for their community."

She created and distributed a flyer, identifying the supplies she was looking for. Her list included pens, pencils, crayons, erasers and scissors. Her Bat Mitzvah will be later this year, and she will collect supplies through the end of the year.

The nonprofit organization iLoveSchools.com is a wonderful resource which was established in 2003. Its mission is "to raise awareness of classroom resource inequities facing America's schools and teachers, to provide the resources and to promote the love of learning to all American students, without regard to social, economic or demographic circumstances."

Wonderful Photos

This picture of brides looking out the window to catch a glimpse of their fiancee's is one of my favorite. I have seen it taken at a number of hotels but the Royal Park Hotel has the tall windows to do this picture justice. All brides look great in this picture. Kathy was shooting from Sam Sarkiss Photography. She did a great job.


The Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan provides some beautiful areas outside for brides and grooms to take their pictures. Well manicured gardens, a babbling brook, a putting green and a conservatory all add to the beauty adn charm of the Royal Park Hotel

Love this picture of the bridal party along the bank of the river. It was a little tricky getting everyone down there but it was worth the shot. The bride was very accommodating and took fabulous pictures.


Menus were put at everyone's place setting. I made these for the bride and groom and I can make them for you. If you have a logo or unique font. I can come up with the perfect menu, thank you card etc. to compliment your taste.

One of my favorite pictures I have ever taken


The centerpieces were a combination of high and low. Beautiful fall colors were chosen and I loved the way the flowers were used inside the vase. Candles are always nice for a warm romantic look.


The gold chavari chairs added a beautiful touch to the gold feathers that were in the table linens. The combination was gorgeous.

The sweet table consisted of a hugh chocolate fountain. When you walked into the room the smell of chocolate filled the air. Located on the sweet table was a tower of roses. The flowers were done by Blossoms - 248-644-4411