A Pavilion Northern Michigan Wedding at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

The Keane/Malek Wedding

July 4, 2009

A Moroccan-themed wedding was just the match for bride Jessica Keane’s vibrant personality. Jessica and her family, Traverse City natives, planned the wedding, held at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, so that out-of-town guests would be treated to a fabulous weekend getaway that included enjoying the Traverse City Cherry Festival.

The bride and her attendants kicked off the weekend on Friday, with a day of relaxing in and around Traverse City. Meanwhile the groomsmen teed off in a golf outing organized by the bride’s father at the Jack Nicklaus–designed championship course, The Bear. Later that evening, Jessica surprised Andrew with a New York Mets–themed rehearsal dinner at the Top of the Park in downtown Traverse City’s Park Place Hotel. The ode to Andrew’s love for the baseball team included a cake in the shape of a Mets jersey.

The wedding, says wedding planner Alicia Caldecott (A Day in May Event Planning & Design), was all about the details. The elegant afternoon ceremony, set under a pavilion in the Grand Traverse Resort’s gardens, was studded with pots of bright flowers. The aisle was laid with a runner, hand-painted with a scriptural passage from the Book of Mark.

For the evening reception, a fabric tent was constructed inside the resort’s spacious Michigan Ballroom. Lit from behind by colored lights, it lent the room an exotic Arabian Nights ambiance. Brightly colored votive candles and punched-metal Moroccan lanterns glowed from tables bedecked with ultratall, delicate glass vases brimming with warm-toned flowers. The Moroccan-pillow inspired wedding cake was by Aunt B’s Cakes and Desserts of Lake Ann and featured elaborate detailing and flowers that complemented the table centerpieces. Gold charger plates and napkins in a shimmery blackberry crush fabric echoed the evening’s Moroccan theme.

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The room’s deep jewel-tones were a foil for Jessica’s white bridal gown. Jessica's blue satin Manolo Blahnik pumps were her choice for something blue. Something borrowed? Jessica secured her grandmother’s broach to her bouquet. The new was her handbeaded Lazaro gown. The bride’s bouquet was a mix of white orchids, roses, calla lilies, hydrangeas, parrot tulips, white peonies and bridal veil.The bridesmaids wore black Vera Wang dresses and carried bouquets of magenta peonies, roses and orchids, accented with black magic calla lilies. The flowers were by Marla Courtney Wood of Interlochen.

A formal dinner was followed by an evening of dancing. Since most of the bridal party and many of the guests were staying at the resort, the celebration lingered into the wee hours of the morning.

Photography

Jen Kroll Photography, 616-334-5569, jenkrollphotography.com

Venue

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, 800-748-0303, grandtraverseresort.com

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Brides-to-Be, Fairlane Hyatt : 1/2/10
Bridal World, Lansing: 1/9/10
Brides-to-Be, Fern Hill CC, Clinton Twp: 1/9/10
Downtown TC Bridal Show: 1/9/10
Bridal Celebrations at the Palace at Auburn Hills: 1/17/10
Big Rapids Bridal Show: 1/17/10
Winter Bridal Show of WM, Grand Rapids: 1/22-1/23/2010
Brides-to-Be, Ann Arbor: 1/23/10
Cadillac Bridal Show: 1/23/10
Brides-to-Be, St Clair Shores: 1/30/10
GT Resort Bridal Show: 1/30/10
TC Bridal Extravaganza: 2/7/10
Brides-to-Be, Shelby Twp: 2/20/10
Brides-to-Be, Novi Sheraton: 2/27/10
Brides-to-Be, Troy: 3/6/10
Brides-to-Be, Birmingham: 3/20/06
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