Jeff and Dimitrius Mitchell of Hamtramck
Considering Dimitrius had already planned the wedding of his dreams when he first proposed, Jeff had no problem giving him complete control.
"He had a vision. I wasn't one of those people who had a vision of what their wedding was going to be like. I wanted him to have, as much as the budget would allow, everything he wanted," said Jeff.
That included an intimate Tiffany-style wedding this year at the Roostertail in Detroit on August 13, 2016.
Their cake, in the shape of a Tiffany box and Tiffany blue cupcakes, were made at Christine's Cakes and Pastries in Utica. Fisher's Flower Shop in Dearborn created their floral arrangements. Julie Haven and her trio, Red, White and Crazy, performed some of the couple's favorite songs, such as "At Last" by Etta James and "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri.
"Our wedding coordinator there gave us advice on a photographer," said Jeff, who was nervous about finding LGBT-friendly vendors at first.
"But it worked out," he said about Everett Stewart in particular. "He never photographed a gay wedding, but he was a super open guy, so cool, even encouraging us to kiss during the shoot."
Christina and Alicia Wilk of Clinton Township
When it comes to planning your wedding, follow your heart, don't listen to those around you and do what is right for you. That's how this couple said they were able to enjoy their wedding-for-two this year on June 21, 2016.
"For us, we didn't have any challenges because we just made it happen," Christina said. "We focused on our love and our excitement and the fact that there was no stress."
While planning for their wedding, the couple said, "We were using all the wedding tools and realized so many didn't offer same-sex labels and same-sex specific vendors. I had to preface every inquiry with 'we are a same-sex couple so we would like to know if you support our love before we give you our money," Christina said. Rather than organize an elaborate event, they kept it simple. Christina wore a dress designed and handmade by a friend. Alicia chose an outfit she knew she would be comfortable wearing on a beach. A loving and supportive friend, Crissi, who lives in California was willing to get ordained to perform their ceremony. They all hopped in the car to drive down Highway 1 from Santa Monica and found the quiet Redondo Beach where they had the "perfect, just us" ceremony.
Amanda and Jamie Lehman-Faber of Novi
"For me, it was all in the details," said Amanda about their wedding on May 29, 2016. "We spent a lot of time organizing and preparing the weekend experience for our guests from the host hotel location to the coordination of events and transportation. We took pride in the food and music — we had a friend play live guitar during cocktail hour and created both dinner and dancing playlists. We kept the speeches and vows short and sweet but spent time making sure they were meaningful and personal."
One of their friends recommended Cafe' Cortina in Farmington Hills based on the intimate setting the couple was searching for. Having their wedding and reception at a full-service restaurant also allowed them to reduce the overall decisions and vendors they needed to engage.
Amanda and Jamie knew their style was "rustic chic" and agreed on a neutral color palette of sandstone, champagne and gray. "I really tried to pay attention to unique details that captured us as a couple. We added personalized touches from wooden decor to photos of us around the cafe to create a warm environment," said Amanda.
The couple hired Modern Touch Media to create their wedding highlight video featuring "Seasons of Love" from the Broadway musical "Rent," "I Choose You" by Sara Bareilles and "Halo" by Beyonce.
