A Glamourous Downtown Wedding in Grand Rapids: The Wedding of Amanda and Jeff Lambert

Photos ByHetler Photography

Written By

Savannah Hope

Date

May 22, 2019

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Amanda and Jeff met through a mutual friend who had connected them for work purposes. Little did they know that their work meeting would turn into much more of a connection. Jeff proposed during Amanda’s birthday weekend in Miami. They had gone shopping when Amanda found a pair of earrings that she adored. Later on, when they got back to the room, Jeff had all the shopping bags laid out. Amanda explains, “I went to the living room and saw the bag from the shop downstairs. An earring box was inside and as I opened it he got down on one knee and to my surprise, it was an engagement ring!”

Before the planning even began, Amanda and Jeff knew a few things. Amanda says, “We knew we wanted to get married on New Year’s Eve. So, why not throw the ultimate party and invite all our close friends?” With a super fun bash in mind, the couple reached out to Kelly Rex of All Buttoned Up Events and their vision easily came to life!

“Kelly Rex has an abundance of contacts for the wedding industry, so to mix her connections with our ideas, it worked out perfectly,” says Amanda. The couple started picking out the best of the best vendors starting with their venue. They chose the venue, High Five. Amanda says, “We wanted a venue downtown, easy parking, but also one that looked over downtown. This venue was not open at the time of our wedding. The owner had renovated the space for his daughter’s wedding and had plans to open it in 2019 for a venue space. Kelly Rex knew the owner personally and convinced him to let us throw our event there early.”

When it came to wedding dress shopping, Amanda and Jeff went together. Amanda adds, “Jeff and I shopped for gowns together. We had three dresses in the end. One for our actual wedding ceremony in Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) and two for the reception. The first dress is from one of our favorite local shops in Grand Rapids, Second Dance Consignment. Stephanie Howard is the owner and has helped us out so many times in the past. My second and third dresses were from Ali Nicole Bridal, also in downtown Grand Rapids.”

What we love

When Amanda and Jeff said they wanted a New Year’s Eve party celebration - they meant it. This wedding was filled with fun surprises from champagne glasses that were tied to balloon strings to roulette tables and a private lounge. Amanda adds, “The countdown to midnight was with cotton candy topping our champagne glasses and a balloon drop. Every detail was carefully thought out and executed perfectly.”

Advice from the bride

Amanda says, “If it works in your budget, hire a wedding planner. They have the contacts you will need, the pull with specific vendors and will offer peace of mind so you can enjoy your day!”