ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE the
ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE the four seasons of weddings The best time to get married Today, there is no such thing as a wedding season. “It’s really all year round for our community, especially during these last three to four years,” said Lorraine Konja from Lorraine’s Event Planning/Coordinating. “Some couples do prefer certain months and seasons over others, but at the same time a lot of them are not picky, because they know they are so limited to dates.” Limited in the sense that halls get booked quickly, often with weddings and events scheduled a year in advance. With every season, there are pros and cons. “I always remind my couples that during the fall and winter season, it gets darker earlier so then they can have an option on when they want to take their outdoor pictures for that day,” said Konja. “Personally, I love when the groom sees his bride for first time at the church, walking down the aisle to him but a lot of couples are more concerned about the pictures for the day.” A Winter Blast When Chris and Vanessa Battah were planning their magical day, the first storm of the season was not part of the festivities. They married on December 11 last year. “Weather is the uncontrollable force of nature that has no empathy and can derail your dream wedding at least for a moment,” said Andy Keina, co-owner of Top that Table, wedding planners, designers and coordinators. “If your wedding is held in a season that can face extreme weather conditions, it’s important to know what to do if weather impedes your wedding plans. Worries about temperature, rain, snow - everything about weather - adds to the general level of stress involved in such an event. Winter weddings can be magical and romantic, but there are a few inevitable issues that go hand-in-hand with weddings held during the PHOTO BY SAM SARKIS Vanessa Battah darker months.” The Battahs faced one of those inevitable issues — a big snow storm — but Vanessa didn’t mind. She wanted a winter wedding. “I chose Christmas time because I think everyone is just so humble and happy during that time, even a blizzard couldn’t stop my happiness that day,” said Vanessa. “I think Christmas decor is so beautiful and warm.” She also knew that she wanted to incorporate her Catholic faith in her wedding day. “The two of us couldn’t be one without Jesus,” said Vanessa. “What better way to celebrate our marriage then during the time our savior was born.” If a couple chooses winter, there are some things to keep in mind. “Invest in winter accessories; it will be cold, said Keina. “Accessories will be important to keep warm. You will need to plan for extra travel time. Bad weather means bad traffic so give extra time for travel to your ceremony no matter how near or far you are going.” Having extra accessories and other clothing items is also important. “Don’t ruin your heels,” said Keina. “Have a second wedding shoe for your outdoor pics because you don’t want mud or snow in your Jimmy Choo’s or Valentino’s. Indulge in Beauty Prep. Chapped lips and dry skin are inevitable with winter. Keep your lips, hands, and face moisturized.” A wedding is all about the timing. “It gets dark much earlier in the winter so adjust your photo schedule for more light,” noted Keina. “Taking pictures before your ceremony is often a good option.” You can have a lot of fun with a winter blast. “Winter weddings tend to happen near or around the holidays. You may want to embrace the season by incorporating holiday themed favors,” said Lawrence Yaldo, co-owner of Top that Table. “Vanessa bought personalized ornaments for each family as their place card to hang on their Christmas tree.” As much as flowers and décor create themes in a wedding, Vanessa said that “they weren’t important to me or Chris. That’s where the ornaments came in.” Vanessa tied the Christmas season into her wedding by handing out ornaments to each guest with their family names on them. “Although it was expensive, I knew I wanted everyone to go 20 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2017
PHOTO BY IVAN GEORGE home with something to represent Christmas.” The snow was not a surprise as forecasters had been predicting several inches of snow to flow down throughout that day. “I woke up that morning praying and laughing with God that I knew this would happen to us, but to just keep everyone safe,” said Vanessa. “I accept whatever He gives me.” The only thing the snow did was delay the night because of the slippery roads. Only 15 people were a no show. “If you have a contingency plan, you won’t have to stress in the days leading up to the wedding,” said Keina. “Think of your guests: Will they have to walk along a snowy path to get to the ceremony or reception. Be flexible with timing of the day in case there is a delay with guest arrival.” Although the snow put a damper on getting to the wedding, it didn’t cloud celebrations. “Chris and I were looking forward to traveling to St. Lucia in the 90-degree weather while all the Michiganders were freezing,” said Vanessa with a chuckle. “It’s just another fun reason to get married in the winter, an excuse to be in a warm climate for our anniversary each year.” Chris and Vanessa met about three years before they married, through mutual friends and family. They didn’t initially hit it off but eventually decided to date and then fell in love. Chris proposed about a year before they married. “I had no clue,” said Vanessa. “He had picked out my ring in early November of 2015 and took my parents out for lunch about a month before he proposed to ask for my parents blessing. After our parents met in November, Chris and I promised that we would spend each Sunday attending mass and then spend the rest of the day with both of our families. I mainly fell in love with him, because of his love for Christ. It was very important to me to find a man, who was faithful.” Chris always knew Vanessa wanted a Christmas wedding. “On the day he proposed, we started off at mass, and ironically both of our parents had plans that day. So we started the day with brunch at the same place we had our first date,” said Vanessa. “It was a very snowy day but he insisted on going to Campus Martius. We grabbed some coffee and started walking towards the beautiful Christmas tree. Chris knew how much I wanted to be married around Christmas time. He asked me to put on a set of headphones connected to his phone to watch a video he had made for his nieces birthday. Turned out to be a video with our wedding song and memories of us together. He then asked me to marry him at end. I was full of emotions. I had no clue! He even asked all of my brothers for my hand.” Springing into a Wedding Shannon and Nick Hannawa didn’t plan on a spring wedding, but it turned out to be the best decision for them. “Spring is one of Michigan’s most beautiful seasons in my opinion,” said Shannon. “May is a gorgeous month where the flowers are blooming and the weather isn’t hot, but just warm in a relaxing way with a slight calming breeze. Our guest weren’t fanning themselves, instead Shannon and Nick Hannawa they were taking in the beautiful Michigan day, dancing and enjoying the zeffa.” Nick pre-planned the date. “He wanted to beat the busy summer wedding season and he knew he wanted Shenandoah,” said Dalia Attisha, The Wedding Planner. Nick’s mom helped plan the day. “We had a wonderful zeffa at my inlaw’s home,” said Shannon. “We had more than hundred guests and because the weather was great, we were able to use the inside as well as the outside of the home, which was like a mini party before the reception. Shannon credits the spring season for her fabulous wedding day. “The weather made things easier for the photographers who don’t have to deal with cold brides or sweaty cranky grooms,” she said. “I was also able to have more flexibility with my dress; it offered me the opportunity to pick a dress that was lighter and allowed me to have an open back, rather than having to plan for a colder evening.” Prior to meeting Shannon, Nick attended law school with her brother. They eventually met and dated for three years. “Nick is always really good about planning something fun and unique for us to do,’ said Shannon. “He had planned for us to attend a wine tasting event which he claimed was going to be hosted by Hour Magazine, at a cute place in Royal Oak called Michigan By The Bottle. Hour magazine is one of Nick’s favorite publications and he enjoys local events so nothing seemed unusual to Shannon. “The scene at the restaurant was what any person would expect at an event, framed issues of Hour displayed around the restaurant and other random guest posing with the magazine for a photographer, Shannon noted. “Little did I know at the time, the photographer was Angela Jaboro, she actually approached our table at one point and asked if we would mind being in some photos, of course Nick seemed thrilled about the possibility of being in the magazine and gladly posed for the camera.” Nick eventually asked the sommelier for Champagne. “As she set WEDDINGS continued on page 22 The need to plan You got engaged and now there is so much to do. Perhaps you are debating whether or not to hire a wedding planner. We posed that question to LawrenceYaldo and Andy Keina from Top that Table and they gave us ten reasons why you need one. 1. Minimizing the stress and maximizing the fun. 2. Trouble shoots a variety of things that could go wrong: wardrobe malfunction, cake catastrophe, seating issues, etc. 3. Helps negotiate pricing and budget planning 4. Makes your vision turn into a reality 5. Helps organize all the details when planning a destination wedding. 6. Manages times by creating a schedule so that no time is wasted. 7. Acts as a mediator when dealing with family expectations, shows you the available options, and can be relied upon to give you expert advice so you make an informed decision. 8. Recommends solid, reputable vendors to serve every aspect of the wedding. 9. Every bride and groom wants something “different” for their wedding, so they can design and create something memorable. 10. Brings knowledge and understanding. Planners have been in the industry for years and are experts in protocol, etiquette, and everything it takes to pull off an event of such magnitude. FEBRUARY 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 21
