This set has more of the wedding details, like the cake and the flowers. Actually if anyone got good close-ups of the cake topper, please email me your photos!

These are just the funny pictures. I’ll upload more serious photos later.

Note that at the end of the set, my bridesmaids participated in a “Bridesmaids Battle” – a tradition my friends and I made up where bridesmaids duel with bouquets, samurai style. The winner at my Michigan reception was Lauren – she is now a regional champion, and I will fly her to NYC to battle the New York bridesmaids in an ultimate showdown.

The bulk of the Michigan reception planning has fallen to my mother, who is somehow managing everything and getting a Doctorate and being Dean of a college all at the same time.

I have taken it upon myself to hire the DJ. I went to a lot of Michigan weddings as a kid, and the DJ was often pretty lame. One or two weddings I attended had DJs with hair leftover from the 1980′s who were sure to play “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang and “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night, along with two Michigan standards – the YMCA and the Chicken Dance (check out the link for a Lawrence Welk lesson if you’re not familiar).

I told my mom she can request either the YMCA or the Chicken Dance but not both. This never happens at NYC weddings. I also hoped to avoid the Michigan “Dollar Dance” tradition, but frankly, I need the money. In Michigan the money is collected into little bags and not pinned to the couple, thankfully. I think it’s a Polish tradition but my only source on this is the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter.

Here’s a tip for Michigan DJs: Update your webpages! It’s not 1998 anymore! I’m avoiding at least one company based on a really lame animated gif.

Fortunately, there is hope! This DJ sounds really fun, is highly recommended on bridal websites, and has a webpage from this decade.

I’m really picky about music, and I have a long playlist of songs about space I want played during the reception.