A Greenery-Filled East Lansing Celebration: The Real Wedding of Elissa and Matt Scharboneau

When Elissa went to college, she became best friends with Amanda, who grew up with Matt and later married his best friend David. Once David and Amanda started dating, Elissa and Matt began hanging out, too. While they were living together in Southgate, Michigan, Matt asked Elissa if she needed anything from the kitchen. Even though she said 'no', Matt said he was going to bring her something anyway. He came back with a book he made filled with pictures and texts from the past year. The last page talked about their future together. As Elissa was reading it, Matt got down on one knee to "do it right."
 

We are obsessed with Elissa's gown! "I got my dress from Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Michigan. They have an excellent selection and a wide price
range," Elissa raves. This stunning floral gown was the first one Elissa tried on. Despite feeling unsure of all the flower details, Elissa kept coming back to this dress. Her mom even made her a veil to match out of the same tulle as the gown! With the half-up, half-down hair style and natural makeup, we think Elissa is simply beautiful on her big day.
 

Elissa and Matt sought out the help of wedding planning sites as well as friends to find the perfect vendors for their wedding. "A couple of the vendors I chose (photographer and DJ) had actually been used by other people I knew so I reached out to them to see if they would recommend them," Elissa explains. "Thankfully, both the DJ and photographer, Jessie Silva, had great reviews by the people I knew, and after a virtual meeting with the photographer, we were sold." The photos Jessie Silva captured perfectly capture the love and joy Elissa and Matt share!
 

The main idea for their wedding was to create a rustic spring scene. Elissa shares, "My thought for the theme was rustic, and I feel like we did a pretty good job with that. We had candles and lanterns throughout, with light pink flowers and sage green dresses and ties." Matt and Elissa both love the color green but wanted to go lighter for the wedding color palette. They made sure to include plenty of green foliage for that spring feeling!
 

 

What We Love

To make their day special to everyone, Elissa and Matt not only invited their friends and family but tried their best to include them in their celebration as well. "Our nephews were a part of it and had a blast on the dance floor that evening, and Matt’s brother-in-law was the officiant, which made it more personal. My aunt did a reading as well," Elissa raves. Elissa also got to share a special moment with her dad by doing a first look with him!
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Elissa and Matt advise, "When you think back on weddings you’ve been to, think about what stood out to you the most. Did you remember the kind of chairs that were used or the way the napkins were folded? Or do you remember the food, the music, the dancing, the colors? Things will always go wrong in some way the day of, but if you don’t sweat the small stuff, then it won’t matter. Don’t let those things get in the way of enjoying your day or looking back at it with happy memories. Also, a day-of coordinator will help navigate those things and help with the set up and tear down so that you can truly be in the moment all day and night. I also highly recommend getting a photographer that you vibe with. It makes taking photos so much easier and way more fun when you have someone that enjoys what they do and can get you to laugh and be silly."
 

 

 

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