FEBRUARY 2017

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
WEDDINGS continued from page 20
the bottle down, she said this is our special reserve
and rotated the bottle,” explained Shannon. “At
first glance, I read just my name, but then I saw
more clearly that it was an engraved picture of a
man on one knee and a women. I unknowingly
read out loud, ‘Shannon will you marry.’ I couldn’t
read any more, I was so surprised.”
She began to cry while the photographer captured
the moment. Nick’s sister took video and the
restaurant erupted in cheers. “Even more of a surprise
was the fact that Nick had hid this from my
parents and only asked for their blessing moments
before he proposed, while he claimed he was using
the restroom. He really did an amazing job making
all my dreams come true and I couldn’t be any happier
looking back,” said Shannon.
Their spring wedding was in the plans as Nick
had picked the date ahead of time.
When planning a spring wedding or one in a
particular season, there are certain things to keep
in mind. “Always keep holidays in mind, and the
calendar month,” said Atisha. “Spring time is during
Lent, Easter and First Communion season, so
it’s a very eventful time of the year for our church
along with our community.”
In the spring, there are some things you can
do that you can’t other times of the year. “Some
flowers are available during this season versus later
in the year like Peonies,” said Atisha. “Finding a
date at a highly desirable location during this time
of year is more challenging due to so many other
events. The weather is warmer so couples can
take outdoor photos and have more flexibility with
clothing. Many couples prefer to avoid the snow;
snow storms that can be possible during the late
fall and winter months.”
Despite the time of year, there are many common
mistakes couples make. “The biggest mistake
is comparing your wedding to other couples and
their weddings,” said Atisha. “Seeing photos on social
media like Pinterest and Instagram while day
dreaming about incorporating the idea/element
into their wedding and then finding out they can’t
afford it and possibly going over their budget to
portray an image to their guests and sometimes put
their fiancé’s in debt because they insist on having
certain elements at their wedding.”
Budgeting is key in all seasons, explains Atisha.
“So often couples book vendors based on weddings
they walked in, or their friend or cousin hired, without
thinking their budget through and then realizing
they can’t afford the venue or the photographer,”
she said. “Couples really need to think of their future
and not just live for the day. They have a full
road ahead of them and if they don’t build a solid
and stable financial foundation for their new journey,
they will surely create problems in their future.
If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
A Summer Sensation
Summer time is Melanie and Danny Shaman’s favorite
season of the year. “I couldn’t imagine our
wedding day without the sun, and considering
Michigan’s unpredictable weather, we knew that
the summer would be the best season of the year
to make our dream of a sunny wedding weather day
coming true,” said Melanie. “Aside from summer
being our favorite season of the year, a summer
wedding worked best around my school schedule.”
She is a full-time student studying physical
therapy. “A summer wedding enabled us to have
enough time to really enjoy our wedding and it was
also a great time to go away on our honeymoon to
Greece.”
They were married on Sunday, July 3 last year
on a holiday weekend. “I know that guests tend to
leave Sunday weddings earlier because they have
to wake up early for work the next day, but the
great part about getting married the day before the
PHOTO BY HADEER POLISS
Melanie and Danny Shaman
Fourth of July is that most guests did not have to
worry about waking up for work,” Melanie noted.
“Our guests were able to stay the entirety of our
wedding and truly enjoy themselves as they partied
the night away without worrying about an early
wakeup the next day.”
Traditionally, summer has been known to be the
peak of the wedding season. “Although wedding
season, especially in the Chaldean community, has
expanded into earlier and later months throughout
the past few years, summer still continues to be the
busiest time of the year for Chaldean weddings,”
said Suhair Kallabat of Eventfully Yours. “Couples
who want to marry in the summer must book far
in advance to get the date that they want, especially
if what they want is a weekend. I have a lot
of couples who are resorting to picking a weekday
wedding date because it is all they can get during
the summer season that they want.”
Couples planning a summer wedding must also
keep in mind that a summer wedding comes at premium.
Summer couples pay the full price for their
venue if marrying on the weekend, whereas that
rate is discounted a bit during the off season.
Proper attire in the summer must also be a serious
consideration. “It is imperative that everyone
is dressed appropriately for the ceremony, not only
at a summer wedding, but year round,” said Kallabat.
“With summer weddings, with the hotter
temperatures, the bride and guests seem to pick
‘hotter’ selections. These dresses maybe absolutely
stunning, but not exactly church appropriate.”
The Chaldean Diocese requires that the bridal
party and guests are covered properly for the
church service. Kallabat reminds all her couples of
this requirement. “Covering up for the ceremony
doesn’t have to mean your bridal style is lost,” she
said. “There’s a number of gorgeous pieces that can
be added to your dress that still maintain the style
of the dress while showing reverence in church.”
“I knew that I needed something that would be
weather appropriate for a summer wedding,” said
Melanie. “A significant part of our wedding day
was spent outside taking pictures, and in designing
my dress; I knew I wanted something that would
work with the hot summer weather.”
Melanie worked with a designer who created a
lace, strapless ball gown. “The gown was whimsical
and elegant, and I felt like royalty in it,” she said.
Summer is ideal because of the weather.
“Granted, we do live in Michigan, so even our
summer weather can be inconsistent and unpredictable,
but for the most part, summer is a couple’s
best bet if they want a sunny and warm wedding
day,” said Kallabat.
It’s also ideal for guests with out of state guests.
Traveling is easier. “Our décor was also inspired
by the summer,” said Melanie. “We choose to mix
lighter, summery colors in our flower color scheme.
WEDDINGS continued on page 24
22 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2017