sage to a pair of Shabbat candles.
Now they have well wishes to read
each Friday night — for the next few
years.

Susan Siegal,
Siegal and
Company, (248-
342-2637;
Facebook
page), Franklin
JN: What should a
bride expect from
a wedding planner?
SS: “A party planner should keep
you on time for your event and help
make sure you stay within your
budget. I help my clients with every-
thing, including ordering invitations,
picking out linens and doing table
arrangements. Then, on the
day of the wedding, she
should be the ‘go-to’
person so the client
isn’t worried about
anything. It’s the
party planner’s job
to make the day
hassle-free. I feel that
it’s most important to
stay on track with your
timeline so you’re not rushing
and everything is thought out in
advance.”
JN: What are your strengths as a
party planner?
SS: “I am really creative and good
at details that make events extra spe-
cial,” says Siegal, who once displayed
table place cards from crystals that
hung on a beautiful metal structure
that served as an entrance piece. “I
can do things that enhance a party
without being overly expensive. I
also keep everyone on track and
come up with unique cost-saving
ideas for favors, menus, etc.”
JN: What are some of the current
wedding trends?
SS: “We’re seeing a lot of guest
books and wish boxes, where guests
write personalized messages to the
bride and groom. A growing number
of couples are incorporating more
religious customs into their wed-
ding day, such as a bedekken (veil-
ing of the bride by the groom) and
tish (where the groom tries to talk
about the week’s Torah portion while
guests try to interrupt him and make
him laugh). Couples are also custom
designing their chuppahs made from
their mothers’ and grandmothers’
wedding dresses and their fathers’
and grandfathers’ tallit.”

Andrea
Solomon,
Andrea Solomon
Wedding and
Event Planner
(248-626-3421;
andreasolomon.
com), West

Bloomfield
JN: What should a bride expect from a
wedding planner?
AS: “A party planner should be
knowledgeable, experienced and able
to handle themselves in any situation,”
says Solomon, who in her 20-plus
years of experience, has been tested in
a number of potentially stressful wed-
ding scenarios from wine spilling down
the back of the bride’s dress to candles
igniting the hairspray in a grandmoth-
er’s hair. Both situations were
successfully resolved without
tears (or injury).
“You can’t just walk
into planning a wedding
and know everything.
You need a good plan-
ner, someone who
brings a high level of
experience to the entire
process,” she says. “One of
my jobs is to coordinate with the
vendors so they know what’s supposed
to happen and when. I conduct the
rehearsals and, on the day of the wed-
ding, I serve as the go-to person so the
families can have a good time and not
worry about a thing. For example, if
someone needs a vegetarian meal or
there aren’t enough chairs, the bride
doesn’t have to be bothered.”
JN: What are your strengths as a
party planner?
AS: “I don’t get rattled easily because
I’ve been doing this for so long. The
key is being able to anticipate possible
scenarios and calmly respond,” says
Solomon, who describes herself as cre-
ative, experienced, budget-conscious
and knowledgeable.
JN: What are some of the current
wedding trends?
“Photo booths are popular, especially
ones that email, text and tweet photos.
Anything technology is big. Guests are
often encouraged to take lots of party
photos and hashtag them on social
media.”
Other trends, according to Solomon,
include passing items like pies, specialty
drinks and small desserts such as mini
ice-cream cones. Late-night snacks are
popular, with the top three being pizza,
sliders and Coney dogs. Most notable
for local weddings are the use of Detroit
venues and Michigan products like
Faygo pop, Sander’s hot-fudge cream
puffs and Vernor’s floats. Additionally,
friends are being used as officiants
alongside a cantor or rabbi.

*

Sunday - Thursday

3 Course Special

12.99

$

Choice of house salad or cup soup,
with entrée 1 side and dessert

Herb Chicken
sautéed artichokes, red peppers, spinach,
tomatoes, and garlic herb butter

Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
served with sautéed artichokes, roasted red peppers
and mushrooms tossed in a lemon cream sauce

*Grilled Steak Diane
petite fi lets grilled then topped with
mushrooms, onion and brandy demi-glaze

St. Louis Ribs
dry rubbed and slowly smoked for 8 hours

No other offers or discounts apply

27815 Middle Belt Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334

248-851-8222

2069820

2070830

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January 28 • 2016

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