Michigan: Friends

Happy Wednesday everyone! I’m back today with some more photos from our trip to Michigan. Today’s topic? Friends!

Part of what makes being in your mid-twenties awesome is that inevitably your friends all seem to have big life events taking place. Engagements, weddings, new homes, babies…basically my FB newsfeed is just blowing up with announcements right now! One of the great things about this trip home is that we got to see a lot of friends that have this big stuff happening in their lives, and it was so much fun to just be there and be happy for everyone.

After spending the day with Melissa and Ben in Ann Arbor on Friday when we flew in, Cam and I headed to Grand Rapids for his friend Dan’s rehearsal dinner. Dan and Cam were roommates in their fraternity at U of M, and are still good friends. Dan asked Cam to be a groomsman in his wedding, and I’m so happy we were able to be a part of Dan & Daniela’s (seriously, how adorable is that?) special day. The rehearsal dinner was held at a tapas-style restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids called San Chez Bistro, and the food was delicious!

Since the wedding was in Grand Rapids, it worked out perfectly that we were able to stay with my good friend/sorority sister Kelly and her boyfriend Blake who just bought a house in that area. Their house is super cute, and so is their dog Zoey! The four of us got to have breakfast on Saturday morning before Cam had to head off and take wedding party pictures, and then I got to spend the afternoon with Blake and Kelly who showed me around downtown GR before I had to head to the wedding. I hadn’t been to Grand Rapids in ages so it was cool to see how much new development it has had the past few years!

Saturday afternoon it was time for me to head to the wedding! Dan and Daniela both went to the University of Michigan, however, they currently live in Kansas where Daniela is attending vet school. Because animals are a huge passion for her, they chose to have their wedding at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids–such a unique venue for a wedding! The ceremony was held outside the zoo and then in lieu of a cocktail hour everyone got wristbands to go walk around and see the animals.

The reception was held in this ballroom/event space on the zoo property and I absolutely loved all the white lanterns they had hanging from the ceiling. We had a great time at the
wedding!

After the wedding, we headed back to the east side of the state to spend more time with my family. While we were home, we were able to get together with our good friends Jeff, Laura,, and Neil who all live in downtown Detroit. Jeff and Laura are expecting their first baby (a boy!) in November and we are SO excited for them!

While we were home we also had the opportunity to go see my good friend from high school Mike’s new place! He just bought a condo in downtown Birmingham and it’s great. He’s done a fantastic job decorating, and it was fun to be able to be there for his housewarming get together. We also got to try out a great restaurant called Luxe which is only a short walk from his condo!

Going to see Mike’s new place wasn’t the only trip I made to Birmingham while I was in Michigan. Being many of the employees at the company I work for work remotely (myself included) we’re spread out all over the country so I never get to have any face to face interaction with my coworkers. However, there are about 6-7 ladies who work for my company that live in the Detroit area, so while I was in town we all had dinner together. We ate dinner in downtown Birmingham at a great restaurant called Toast and it was so much fun to finally meet them! After dinner I ended up doing a little strolling around Birmingham by myself and I just absolutely love this city. It’s so charming and there are lots of great shops and restaurants!

Cam had to leave to fly back to Tahoe on the 4th, so after he left my friend Mike and I went over to a barbecue over at our friend Katie’s boyfriend’s parents house on the lake. Katie is one of my best friends from high school; her and her boyfriend Josh live in Chattanooga, TN now, so I’m really glad our visits to Michigan overlapped! The evening ended up being really special because Katie and Josh got engaged at the barbecue in front of everyone! It was really cute how Josh proposed and I thought it was so nice that their friends and family got to be a part of it. I’m so happy for them and just thrilled that I could be there to witness the proposal!

Coincidentally, while I was in Michigan ANOTHER one of my best girlfriends from high school, Meaghan, also got engaged! Her boyfriend proposed when they were up in northern Michigan for the weekend, and it was great that I was still in town when they got home because I was able to hear all about her proposal in person which was really fun. I seriously cannot believe that two of my besties are engaged (in the same week nonetheless!), I can’t wait for their weddings!

 Overall, it was a really eventful trip! Cam and I are blessed to have amazing friends and I couldn’t be happier for all the exciting changes taking place in their lives! Well that’s enough Michigan pics for today I think…but don’t worry, I’ll be back with more (yes there are more!) before the end of the week! Xoxo

PS: I’m guest posting today over at Michaela Noelle Designs sharing some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) things…be sure to check it out!