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The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com Thursday, October 6, 2011

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weekend
essentials
Oct. 6 to 9
ON STAGE
It's that time of year
again: Octubafest! The
students of School
of Music, Theatre &
Dance Professor Fritz
Kaenzig showcase
their mastery of the
tuba and the eupho-
nium in three concerts
this weekend at Brit-
ton Recital Hall in the
School of Music build-
ing - today at 8 p.m.,
Saturday at 2 p.m.
and Sunday at 2 p.m.
All shows are free.
BOOKS
Acclaimed historical
novelist Sharon Kay
Penman is coming to
Nicola's Books tomor-
row night. Theauthor
will participate in a
discussion of her book
"Lionheart" and will
be available for a sign-
ng afterwards. The
book turns the fens
on Eleanor of Aqui-
tane's confinement
after her husband,
Richard the Lionheart,
made his Crusades
in the Holy Land.

through the Diag with their backpacks burst-
Sometimes, stressed students plodding slowly
ing can't help but postpone studying a little
longer to gawk at the choreographed spectacle
of bridesmaids and bouquets, groomsmen in
tuxedos, the groom and (of course) the tulle-frosted bride
posing together for wedding photos.
Weddings are easy to spot simplybecause they're a cher-
ished, hyped-up part of our culture. And for many married
couples, the day they exchange vows and say "I do" is the
most important day of their lives. A wedding is the fruit-
ful culmination of months of planning: Picking a venue, the
colors, flowers, linens, bridesmaids and groomsmen, the
rings - there are countless components that make ceremo-
nies like this asbeautiful as they are. For couples who bleed
maize and blue, some of those decisions, such as the color
scheme and location, are obvious. There's no place they
would rather get married than the University.
Big House wedding bells
This summer, the Athletic Department announced the
possibility of holding private events in many of the athletic
spaces on campus. The most exciting of these locations is
the football field, where just weeks ago, the Wolverines stole
a victory from Notre Dame in the final seconds of the Uni-
versity's first night game.
"It's more than just weddings at the Big House," said Ath-
letic Director David Brandon. "It's really taking these won-
derful spaces that we've created that rarely get used, and
trying to put them to work in such a way that people can
enjoy them."
Brandon played a crucial role in the Athletic Depart-
ment's recent decision to open the Big House and other ath-

letic venues for private events.
"There are a lot of people who graduate from here who
love this place and have an emotional connection to it,"
Brandon said. "These spaces will often be appealing to peo-
ple and give them a chance to connect with the University."
Although this option just became a possibility in late
June, there have alreadybeen several bookings.
"Everyone that has had anything in (the Big House) walks
away raving," said Katy Hepner, special events coordinator
for the Athletic Department. "It exceeds all expectation.
And when you have the historical tradition of Michigan
football in the back-
drop, we're setting our-
selves up for success." Th '
Surrounded by h
109,901 empty bleacher jy
seats and the memo- erentplaces,
ries of cheering fans,
the hetrothed can butli,)avan toge
exchange vows on the
field surrounded by
bridesmaids, grooms- married here because
men and their guests.
On averyhot andsunny
July 7, the Big House's that's where
July theye met."
first wedding took place a
between Craig Koss Ana Skidmore, event planner
and Betsy Barrett-Koss
on the 50-yard line.
For a wedding in the Big House, couples pay anywhere
from $6,000 for an hour-long ceremony on the field to a
$9,000 rental fee for the Jack Roth Stadium Club, a venue
meant to offer refreshments, premium seating and deluxe
See WEDDINGS, Page 4B

FILM
Remember when
George Clooney was
here on campus? Well,
here's the next best
thing: "The Ides of
March," filmed in Ann
Arbor last spring, will
screen at the Michi-
gan Theater tonight
at 7:30 p.m. With an
all-star cast (Ryan
Gosling, Evan Rachel
Wood, Philip Seymour
Hoffman) and a killer
screenplay, even those
not politically affiliated
will have something to
look forward to. Also,
can you say Oscar bait?
AT THE MIC
MBA student Vienna
Teng will be bringing
her ethereal, dreamy
voice to the Power
Center tomorrow night.
Teng began her career
singing a cappella at
Stanford and became
famous after perform-
ing on Letterman. With
the Power Center's
acoustics and Teng's
folk pop tunes, it's sure
to be a good show.
Doors open at 7:30
p.m. Tickets from $30.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANNA SCHULTE
DESIGN BY KRISTI BEGONIA AND CAMERON BOTHNER