Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! It is 2012.....I really can't begin to explain how quickly 2011 went... I haven't even finished blogging all of the amazing weddings we were a part of during the year. I usually like to post a recap-but it's hard to do considering I have not even finished blogging from 2011. I promise to be a better blogger in 2012...I PROMISE. I also PROMISE to get in gear and finish blogging all of the 2011 beauty before the 2012 events are in full swing.
I can post that I feel very blessed to still be doing what we love to do and working with the amazing people we get to work with-both clients and vendor friends. I never will be able to pick my favorite event that we have been a part of over the last 4 + years, each event and each client is so wonderful and so different. With every event we learn more and continue to grow-we promise to never stop learning and to never stop being in love with what we do.
I'm looking forward to so many wonderful things in 2012-our schedule is filling up with weddings and events and I'm looking forward to each and everyone of them.
2011 was a VERY good year and I can only hope 2012 will be even better!! Thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for continuing to believe in and support Simplicity.
I am ending this post with a little warm love weather shot from the destination wedding I was lucky enough to coordinate in May 2011...this is my little teaser pic of the next blog post to come!

 xxoo, Jill

Trying to call us??

If you call us please leave us a message if you are expecting us to return your call! Thank you! We do not always catch the missed calls but we always listen to our voice mails! Thank you!

Thoughts from a recent bride....

My friend from Chicago was recently married (see previous post).  After the wedding, this self-described budget bride wrote me a little note and said:

"Before I had a wedding of my own, I'll be honest with you, I thought the idea of having a wedding coordinator was a little ridiculous. Now that I have had a wedding, I really wish I would have had a coordinator on the day of my wedding. In the grand scheme of things, I think it is totally worth it to pay someone to take care of all the little things that first-time brides fail to anticipate."

 
Now, Jill and I aren't saying that everyone needs a day of coordinator.  Couples have been getting married for years with just the assistance of their family and friends.  But it doesn't hurt to have a helping hand around to do all those things that you didn't think of, don't want to do yourself, or don't want your family/friends to do because they are busy being guests at your wedding!

You'll be just as married, but we are willing to bet you will be less stressed and enjoy yourself so much more with Simplicity behind the scenes.

Email us today for more information on how we can fit into your big day:
shelly@simplicitydoc.com or jill@simplicitydoc.com or info@simplicitydoc.com

♥Shelly

Awww...We love our Brides!

I opened my email to find this lovely photo of our April Bride Kristin and me. She looks lovely...I was in the middle of set up, so I was trying to avoid being in any pictures....but of course Mishelle of Bliss Photography captured the moment. We work with our clients months, sometimes a year...emailing them, calling them..and then it's all over! We miss our brides...so emails like this make our day..even if we don't always like the way we look in the photos standing next to our beautiful brides. Thanks Kristin xxoo

MAY MADNESS!

No, we have not forgotten about BLOG land... I promise! Shelly and I are just gearing up for 5 weddings this month...yes 5! So stay tuned for some awesome updates and wedding goodness... until then check out one of my good friend's AMAZING company. I have been enjoying her baked goods for 8 years, now it's time for you to check them (and her) out.

Crumb Baked Goods

Plum Madness

PLUM is hot this year!!! Here's a little inspiration...

BEAUTIFUL!

Plum/ Egg plant Wedding -
Florist: Gilly’s Flowers
Photography: Annie McElwain

Another Simplicity Couple in the News!

We love to open Bridal Magazines and see the beautiful faces of our Simplicity Couples. Laura and Sean who have a May wedding at Addison Oaks planned graced the "Rules Of Engagement" section of the Winter/Spring 2010 Issue of Metro Detroit Bride.  A scanned image just wouldn't do Laura and Sean justice so I contacted their photographer Samantha to email over some of the images from their engagement shoot. Little did I know their photographer, Samantha Yeakle from So Many Moments, shot their photos while Laura was living across the Country in Oregon. Samantha sent over the beautiful images and I was so excited to learn that Samantha likes to shoot weddings all over, so yes she will venture to Michigan for your wedding!!!  Thank you Samantha for sending this over (you are too sweet!) and thank you Laura and Sean for letting me blog your amazing shots!! Check out Samantha's Site for her talented photography and for wedding inspiration!

Photo Credit:  Samantha Yeakle at So Many Moments

Day 2 of Valentine's Day Wedding Inspiration

"Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love!"
                       ~ from Moulin Rouge ~
 

Engagement Pictures

Pink Balloons

Pink Goodness

Oscar

Valentine's Day Wedding Inspiration!

A little inspiration for the Holiday of love!

"I love her and that's the beginning of everything."
                                               --F. Scott Fitzgerald
 

Pink Berry Party Poms from Etsy

Grooms Gift from Etsy

 Vintage Pink Peony

Godiva goodness

FREE Sessions by MOD 4!

Anyone who knows us Simplicity girls knows we love animals! Shelly has done a blog post or two about her adorable Murray and I may have bragged about my fur child Maggs , my up north Farmer's Market find, a few times. I am the daughter of a Vet, so loving and helping animals is in my blood, and while my husband and I try to focus on acts of kindess to animal shelters, we just love and appreciate the people around us who use their talents to go above and beyond to help the local animal shelters.  Of course I am talking (blogging) about Nate and Jess at Mod 4.  Not only are these two amazingly talented at photography, they have amazingly BIG hearts! They are once again offering FREE portrait sessions.......YES FREE......!!! This is a little info from their blog...

"FREE SESSSIONS~!

Because we are such huge animal lovers, we have decided to offer our portrait sessions (pooches, babies, kids, families, business, ect) for free~!

These sessions are normally $250.00. That session fee will be waived in exchange for a donation to a local animal shelter (we have a list of goods for the specific shelter).

In the past 3 months we have donated over 3 giant SUV loads to local shelters and want to keep it up. So please contact us if you are interested and please pass this info on to anyone you may know who might be interested"

Call or email them to set up your FREE Session!
248-548-1077
info@mod4.com

*Photo by Mod 4 Photographic

Thank you Simplicity Brides!!!

Where has January gone????  I'm not sure, but I do know that although we have not had any events this month, we have almost booked ourselves 100% for 2010!! It's been an insane month, but we are loving every second of it! 

Also, I opened up this email as I was strolling around Times Square on a recent trip to New York City!!

CHECK IT OUT!!

Dear Jill,

Congratulations! We are excited to announce that Simplicity has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.

The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.

Thank you Simplicity Family.... We appreciate it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wow!! I have been meaning to post this for a few days now, but Shelly and I have been SLAMMED with all of the newly engaged couples contacting us to be their DOC in 2010 (congratulations!), so my main goal is our clients and then our blog!
2009 was the start to so many great things with Simplicity.  We worked with amazing couples and filled our plates (literally) every month with wedding goodness like meetings, events and networking.  The support we have received and have been surrounded with has been unbelievable.  Our advertising is through word of mouth and we are very lucky to have great cheerleaders out there cheering us on!

2009 Through Jill's Eyes- WOW. It was a big year for us! Coordinated LOTS of weddings with tons of great vendors, we met so many great people and talented vendors that we will work with this year. Some highlights of my 2009 other than all of the great weddings we were a part of:
Talked Shelly into my crazy idea of Simplicity (or did she talk me into it??),  Branding  for Simplicity was started and finished by our friend Kristie at So In Love Invitations, Katie and Jake's Thunderstick Entrance,  Celebrating my two year anniversary with my amazing husband and college sweetheart, Winning #4 in the 2009 Best of Detroit in the wedding planning category (CRAZY!), getting a little press for being a part of awesome weddings, My brother married an amazing girl (ok I'm a little biased she is one of my closest college friends), teaching my dog (who is incredibly good looking) to be a little angel on a leash (not wedding related but definitely a highlight and note to self to add more pictures of him on this blog for your viewing pleasure),  Joel and Kristina's Wedding because Shelly and I really were reminded why we love doing what we do and that her and I really are a fabulous team,  Stacey's emails and the best EVER speeches that brought us to tears (happy) at Stacey and Marc's wedding, and the last highlight of 2009 was working with a college friend coordinating the morning of her BEAUTIFUL wedding to her love Paul!
BIG things are in store for 2010 and if this week has been an indication of the year to come, then really big things are in store for us, and it's not just my husband's graduation from Law School, and I'm looking forward to it all. I see headshots (Shelly is going to love this), a sweet website, a filled up schedule at some killer locations, perhaps a little expansion of services (can't tell..but I swear it's cool), but most important keeping Simplicity all about our clients and continuing to be involved in coordinating events that create memories to last a lifetime.

2009 Through Shelly's eyes- What a fantastic year full of ups and downs and huge changes in my life. I celebrated my first anniversary with my amazing husband Matt. We also got a little trouble maker puppy named Murray who is pretty much my little darling. Apparently my job in architecture wasn't quite enough for my work-a-holic self, so I added the job titles "Travel Agent" and "Wedding DOC" to my life. Jill already mentioned several of my favorite moments... but I would also like to add: setting up some amazing candy buffets at several weddings (you know I love candy), flipping a room from one event to another in only an hour and a half (oh the pressure!), having nachos and Faygo with Paws at Alyssa + Jared's reception, and of course my favorite groom's cake at Becky + Jason's wedding.
This year promises to be just as much fun as the last and I am very excited to see what our 2010 brides come up with next! Jill and I have tons of ideas on the drawing board and I cannot wait to share them with all of you! Thank you all for your continued support, it really means a lot to us.

HERE'S TO AN AMAZING 2010 Love, Jill and Shelly

*Photo Courtesy of Kai Heeringa Photography

2009 American Cancer Society Cattle Baron's Ball

Well I did it! I was on the team that coordinated the Food and Beverage side of the 2009 American Cancer Society Cattle Baron's Ball.  It was an amazing time and the ACS raised THOUSANDS of Dollars to help in the fight against Cancer.  I'm already looking forward to volunteering in 2010! 

2 YEARS!!!

Two years ago today I married my best friend. Our wedding was our absolute dream wedding! Our ceremony was perfect in our eyes, there was laughter and tears as we were surrounded by our friends and family and remembered those who couldn't be there with us. Tears from Chris and I as we remembered my dad with an empty chair with a beautiful red rose in his place and laughter as the reverend told the story of how we first met. I felt like the luckiest girl walking down the isle with my mom by my side and my best friend waiting for me at the alter and our closest friends standing up with us.

Our reception at Comerica Park was a total blast. The room was filled with love, fun and of course more laughter. Chris and I are so lucky to have such amazing people in our lives.

So here is my chance to gush about the man I married two years ago...I am so thankful for this man making me a better person, making me want to be the best and dream for the best, who makes me believe in myself, who supports me, who loves me, who makes me pee my pants laughing daily, who loves my friends and family, who makes me a we, who makes me whole. Chris, everything is just better when you're around- here's to a hundred and one more years of love, laughter and friendship (and maybe a few babies)!

Photos Courtesy of Denise Robertson and Brian Mac

Vendors:

Photographer: Denise Robertson and Brian Mac

Ceremony Venue: Royal Park Hotel

Reception Venue: Comerica Park

Videographer: Shamrock Video Productions

DJ: Mike Staff

Florist: Viviano

Rentals: Sposa Seating

Paper Extras: Gourmet Invitations

Before and After

I always seem to post the after pictures of a venue completely finished, I never post the before pictures! So... as Shelly and I are constantly trying to be better and be different and learn with each event, I have decided to start taking a before... and after picture for many reasons.

~The before shows exactly this, the before! A before shot is what the bride and groom see when booking their venue

~An after shot is all of their hard work and visions coming to life

~ The before shot shows what Shelly and I walk into at each event usually at least 2 hours before the start time

~ The after shot shows us making the couples vision a reality

~The before sort of makes you ask who is going to make it all a reality?

~The after shows what peeps like us DOCs do :) with lots of love, sweat and sometimes getting a little dirty

So here we go...the first every Simplicity Before Shot...

To this...

And this..
To this..

American Cancer Society

I am pleased to announce I will be Day of Coordinating for the 2009 American Cancer Society Cattle Baron's Ball! This event is on November 7, 2009 on the campus of Oakland University. I participated last year on the vendor side, so I am very excited to help with the production crew this year on the coordinating end. My very good friend is the 2009 Food and Beverage Chair, so I am happy and honored to help for such an amazing cause. Please visit the Cattle Baron's Website for more information on this annual event!

Happy 1st Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Andrus

I can't believe it's already been a year since Shelly and Matt's wedding! Sunday marks the one year celebration! That day 9.27.08 was the start to their marriage and the start to my great friendship with Shelly! So here's to you Andrus kids! WHAT A YEAR! Thank you for trusting me a year ago, and thank you Shelly for continuing to trust me and for being such a great friend and inspiration. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Here's to many many more! xxoo

Voted Top 5 for BEST OF DETROIT!

HOLY SMOKES!! Simplicity has been voted a top 5 Winner for the 2009 WDIV BEST OF DETROIT contest in the Wedding Planners category! We were #4! A hundred thank yous for everyone who voted for us and for the support and motivation to keep doing what we do. Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

Vote for US!!!

http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/simplicity/biz/334808
Simplicity DOC was nominated for the 2009 Best of Detroit award. If you agree, we would love to have you take the time to vote for us! Thank you for your support!!

Mod4 announces winners!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest! Hopefully you placed your vote and checked out some of Mod4's amazing work. Shelly's puppy Murray won second place in the contest and he wins a bag too! Check out the winner's list here.

Remember to bookmark their blog so you can continue to see their recent work!