The Wedding Planners

As if committing to one person for the rest of your life doesn’t cause enough anxiety, there are all those details to work out in the meantime.
Put the stress instead on Ranee Michalski — it’s her job.
Michalski is the owner of Pure Elegance Event Planning of Petoskey, and she’s a bride’s best friend in the months leading up to the big day.
“I do anything they want me to do. Sometimes it’s the whole party, other times it’s just a portion,” said Michalski, who also handles personal and corporate parties.
The first step is meeting with the bride, or sometimes the couple, or sometimes the bride and her mom, so Michalski can get a feel for their personalities and to discuss budget.
Then Michalski gets to work, calling around and making arrangements for everything — purchasing invitations, wedding favors, planning the honeymoon, recommending and lining up vendors for cake, photography, entertainment, caterer, reception sites, flowers and the church or ceremony site.
Whew — who would want that stress more than once in their life?
“Most of the brides come in with an idea of what they want,” Michalski noted, adding: “The main goal is, it should be fun. It should not be stressful for them.”
Michalski, who has worked in event planning for about 10 years, said she will also look over contracts from vendors (though she adds she is not an attorney) to make sure everything is included, such as the photographer bringing back-up equipment.
She’s also certified with the American Academy of Wedding Professionals, which gives her a broad base of knowledge for making sure guests have a good time.
Last summer, for instance, she organized a welcome party for a slew of out of town guests which included bike rentals and activities so they didn’t have to find things to do.
When it comes to the day of the ceremony, she is on site to trouble-shoot if the bride prefers her presence (which most do).
Michalski said a year’s notice is preferred for booking her services, though six months is also acceptable. She works from her home office so she said she is available whenever brides and grooms need to touch base on planning matters.
Her fees start at $125, which includes a consultation and vendor referrals; more services increase the fee. And that also includes no surprises.
“I like to pride myself on organization,” said Michalski, “so on the day of the wedding, we have no surprises.”

Marry merry

Chris Runblad, too, knows how to keep brides and grooms on track and happy leading up to their nuptials. She’s an event planner who specializes in weddings through her Charlevoix-based business, Merry Makers.
And even during the hectic times, she said she loves her job.
“When the couple is married and they’ve had a wonderful day and they’re happy and glowing, that’s the very best part,” said Runblad. “What better job in the world than to help people out on the best day of their life?”
Runblad puts together vendor packages based on couple’s preferences, following their budget and style. She creates an itinerary for every event in the overall ceremony and festivities and gives copies to the couple and the vendors, so everyone is on the same page when it comes to timing and what is expected.
She and/or her staff are also on-hand for the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and the reception to ensure it runs hassle-free. She also creates informational packets for out of town guests letting them know the best area restaurants, hotels, activities like golf courses and more.
“We do all sorts of things,” Runblad said. “There’s nothing that we don’t do. We want the bride and her parents and her groom to have a nice journey in preparation for the wedding.”
The company’s service area is generally north of Grand Rapids, she added, including into the Upper Peninsula. She relies on a staff of subcontractors she’s worked with for many years and additional staff in the summertime. Merry Makers has been operating for 15 years — 9 years as her full-time occupation — doing what the name implies.
“We want them to have a beautiful day,” Runblad said.
Reach Ranee Michalski, Pure Elegance Event Planning, at (231) 838-6798, or e-mail pureeleganceevents@yahoo.com. Contact Chris Runblad at 547-5061, or visit http://www.merrymkr.com.

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