1. Real Weddings

A Classic, Elegant Ballroom Celebration at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan

Kacy Hartman (26) and Chris Brown (25 and a professional hockey player) met in high school after Chris moved to Michigan from Texas to pursue his drea

Kacy Hartman (26) and Chris Brown (25 and a professional hockey player) met in high school after Chris moved to Michigan from Texas to pursue his dream of playing in the National Hockey League. As the new kid in school, Chris "couldn't help but notice this beautiful girl in her sweatpants and soccer T-shirt with her hair in a ponytail. Her name was Kacy Hartman, and she was way too hot for me to approach. I did what any 15-year-old boy going through puberty would do. I stared." After a few brief encounters, Chris moved to another high school but didn't forget Kacy, "the girl of my dreams." The two went to different colleges (Chris to the University of Michigan and Kacy an hour away at Michigan State) and later reconnected at a bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When Chris's hockey career sent him to Maine, 900 miles away, they dated long-distance. Tired of trying to get to know each other with so many miles between them, Kacy moved in with Chris and his parents in Texas that summer in the off-season. In that time, Kacy bonded with Chris's family and was able to really experience the beauty of the Lone Star State. Together, the couple learned how to two-step, drank a lot of margaritas and fell deeply in love. They bought a home in Texas (even though Chris's hockey career equates to a "gypsy lifestyle, bouncing around from one city and hotel room to another, never really unpacking, always ready for our next adventure," he says), got engaged and planned a wedding in Michigan. They were married in the Ginger Meyer Garden with a celebration in Lovett Hall, a 1930s ballroom built by Henry Ford. "I fell in love with the space the second I saw it," Kacy says. "It's romantic, timeless and the perfect space for a fairy-tale to come to life." The only decor for the ceremony was four whiskey barrels: two at the altar holding large floral arrangements and two by the entry doors decorated in candles of varying heights. A palette of pink, white and gold was accented with turquoise (Kacy's favorite color)—the color of her shoes, her hairpiece and her ring. Other distinctive elements included personalized vows, a solo violinist, small photos of the Kacy's and Chris's grandmothers in the bridal bouquet and boutonniere, a hockey-themed groom's cake, 23-dozen doughnuts, a photo booth with silly props (a cowboy hat for Chris, a cheesehead in honor of Kacy's nickname "Cheesy," and foam fingers from their universities) and a surprise two-step dance routine to "It All Started With a Beer" by Frankie Ballard. —Chrissy Sorenson

Kacy wasn’t sure what she was looking for when she was trying on wedding gowns. She kept an open mind and tried on everything from a classic ball gown to a simple silk slip. “The second I put on my Sarah Seven gown, I knew it was the one,” she says, describing it as light and comfortable, airy and whimsical. The floral applique on the sweetheart neckline and bodice tied into the other floral accents, and the tulle skirt “made me feel like a true bride,” Kacy says.
Kacy wore strappy Stuart Weitzman heels to coordinate with her turquoise headpiece and ring and Chris's paisley bow tie.
Kacy wore a turquoise hairpiece, “because I thought it was both gorgeous and unique.”
It was important to the couple to make their wedding party—which included many traveling from out of state—to feel welcome in Michigan. All guests who traveled from out of state received gift bags when they checked into their hotels. The front of the bag was an outline of Michigan and Texas with the words “Love knows no boundaries.” Every guest received two sugar cookies (one in the shape of Michigan, one in the shape of Texas), a box of Hot Tamales (Chris’s favorite candy), a box of Gummi Bears (Kacy’s favorite candy), two bottles of water with Texas and Michigan labels, Dr Pepper (created in Texas) and Vernors ginger soda (created in Detroit), bottles of Crown Royal whiskey and Captain Morgan rum and Gardetto’s snack mix.
Kacy wanted an organic bouquet with eucalyptus, full blooms and berries and was particularly drawn to both ranunculus and garden roses. Around the clutch of her bouquet, she pinned one of her grandma's old brooches.
Kacy's look was glamorous yet approachable.
The groomsmen's boutonnieres included full garden roses with greenery and berries. Chris's boutonniere also included a small photo of his grandmother. He wore a paisley turquoise bow tie to match Kacy's turquoise ring and hairpiece.
The personalized vows made the ceremony extra meaningful. They kept their vows secret until the ceremony. “Hearing his vows was, undoubtedly, one of the most special moments of my life,” Kacy says. Another touching message was an excerpt from “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss: “Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.”
Part of the Henry Ford wedding in Dearborn, Michigan, experience included the option of a horse-drawn carriage ride.
The bridesmaids wore floor-length sandstone Watters gowns. “I loved how neutral the color was,” Kacy says. The groomsmen wore navy Jos. A. Bank suits and aqua Michael Kors ties from Nordstrom.
The menu was uniquely displayed on wooden boards.
The maid of honor made 230 wooden Michigan-shaped ornaments, one for every guest. One side was inscribed "C+K Smitten in the Mitten"; the other, "Handmade With Love" or "Take my hand, take my whole life too."
The centerpieces varied, some tables had low flower arrangements flowing from gold-footed bowls, while others were arranged on top of tall acrylic flutes. The head table had one large arrangement at the center and candles of varying heights in hurricanes from end to end.
The cake, a three-tier lemon-raspberry buttercream, featured a hand-painted floral design on the bottom layer (inspired by the couple's cocktail napkins), and the top two layers mirrored Chris's turquoise bow tie and Kacy's hairpiece. Down the side of the cake were beautifully sculpted sugar flowers, inspired by the bride's bouquet.
Chris's groom's cake was a double-chocolate salted caramel cake in the shape of Texas, adorned with a University of Michigan baseball hat, hockey sticks and an NHL hockey puck.
Doughnuts, a Michigan staple, were displayed on rods and serving trays near the cake. A wooden laser-cut sign read "Doughnuts for Each Other." "These doughnuts have seriously been one of the most talked-about features of our wedding," Kacy says. "I'm so happy we included them."
For their first dance, Chris and Kacy taught themselves a two-step routine. "We practiced it over and over in the hallways of our home," Kacy says. "It's definitely one of my favorite memories leading up to our wedding."