Business Planning

The Studio Furniture Dilemma

1 · Aug 13, 2019 ·

I fall into this trap when I look at other businesses, the trap of thinking that if they go silent on social media, they aren’t constantly bombarding us with emails and information overload, then they must be stagnant. They must not be doing anything. If my friends aren’t posting status updates that not much must be happening in life. Things are boring.

This is such a ridiculous assumption on my part. Because I first hand know how completely untrue this is. When you’re quiet, that’s often when the greatest leaps are being made. That’s when the busy is happening and so much life is going on around us – we’re soaking in so many sweet moments – that there just isn’t time for a status update. Our position is growing, it’s golden and definitely worth sharing but I have a desire to keep it all to myself. Treasure it in my heart.

Basically that was just two paragraphs worth of jumble to say that I’m still here. I know I have not been active much on Instagram and I haven’t shared a journal update in months but we’re having an amazing summer. And I’ve been spending my spare moments wisely, escaping to the beach or savoring moments with friends on the front porch.

Lots of work has been happening too. We’re in the middle of wedding season. And the studio renovation. Those two things weren’t necessarily supposed to be happening hand in hand, but the timeline got a little messy and here we are. I’m flowering around dust and ladders. This finish line is near though…. So near.

Remember what seemed not so long ago when I shared my last studio space inspiration? I never even completed it to its fullest potential before we moved. I reupholstered furniture, bought new things and organized myself – all to just pack it up again. On a positive note, this studio that I now have is bigger and way better than the last, so upgrading feels good. But it’s also brought on its own set of challenges and workload.

We’re finally to the pretty part though. The part where I’ve picked light figures (they’re installed!) found a massive oversized mirror (we’re supposed to get it next week!) and am now picking out the perfect furnishings (because it would have been way too easy if the furniture from my last place would have fit perfectly into my new space – oh well).

This is where my head turns to mush. I cannot decide what direction to go. I love country French items, I love shabby and chippy antiques and I love ornate, gold gilded and hand carved pieces. But lately, I’ve been really drawn to the some of the cleaner lines of the mid-century inspired pieces. I think maybe I want have something bold that might pop in the space but then I crawl back to safety realizing that I get tired of things easy, so perhaps neutral is better because I can easily add a pop of color with a pillow or funky wall paint. And I’m just not sure that some of the mid-century pieces will stand the test of time in my mind. I really want something that feel subdued, relaxing and organic and won’t clash with every flower order I get in the space. See the dilemma?

Here’s the overall color palette that I have in mind. Mostly soft tones, again because I can’t have colors clashing with flower orders because that just reads confusion in my head when I’m trying to put together a wedding design.

I’ve narrowed it down to basically 3 different options. The rug, lights and mirrors are all purchased, paid for and staying. The cabinets are painted the olive, grey/green color in the swatch (Rare Grey) and the walls will remain white (Rare Grey and Silvermist by Sherwin Williams are the studio cabinet & door accent colors – the two square randomly floating in the pictures). So without further ado, here are my options:

1. Buffalo Check Chairs

Buffalo check always catches my eye. I found a pair of small chairs at Homegoods and envision pairing them with a classic loveseat.

Buffalo Check Chairs | Chesterfield Love Seat | Maia Coffee Table

pieces I already own: Marble side tables | Rug | Chandeliers | there’s not a shopable link for the mirror but it was purchase at HomeWorks Interiors in Traverse City, Mi

2. Modern Cane Back Chairs

I keep coming back to these chairs. They’re been in my cart for over a month. I’m still a little hung up on a chesterfield style sofa with this look, just to balance the moderness of the chairs. Overall I need chairs that don’t take up too large of a footprint and these might just fit that bill.

Cane Back Chairs | Haiden Chesterfield Loveseat | Maia Coffee Table

3. Velvet Settee and French Country Chairs

I’m slightly obsessed with velvet. I’m not totally sure how practical it is for a floral studio – but this is just the client meeting area, so it should kind of stay somewhat clean. These chairs, they are completely French Country and hit the mark. But they’re taller backs than the other so I’m concened they could visually take up too much space. But I do love them.

Huffington Velvet Settee | McKenna Accent Chair | Rustic Oak Coffee Table

4. Modern Velvet Settee

I lied, I have one more idea. This one is ultra modern and a little out of my comfort zone. But I love the color and again, it’s velvet.

Seafoam Velvet Settee | Cane Back Chairs | Maia Coffee Table

If you need more clarification on the exact look I’m going for – check out The Linen Rabbit on Instagram – her entire feed is so dreamy and perfect, the soft and timeless vibe I want for my life. Or DeVOL Kitchens. I know, I’m not decorating a kitchen but I love their use of color without it feeling overwhelming. Plus that European vibe is perfect. So imagine either of those spaces, mixed with a little garden shed and buckets of beautiful blooms. And that my friends is that’s my dream studio space.

Do you have a favorite? Or would you mix something up with the proposed pieces?

Shoppable links are for your benefit but not actually affiliates, just pieces that I’ve found and loved.

A Note on Success

1 · May 17, 2019 ·

We’ve moved towns twice in the past 3 years. That means both our family and my business. It means getting the word out, hoping success will follow, networking, rebranding and letting a new area know who I am. It’s not easy. And doubt has been creeping in… how do I make it all work?

There’s a message that keeps getting pushed in my face. It’s a message telling me that I’m not enough. As a mom and business owner, I don’t know if this is hitting home a little too much and I’m so much more in tune to this message or if it’s just hitting everyone smack in the face right now and is what the world wants everyone and their brother to hear.

Photography: Hetler Photography

It seems like every “successful” business man or woman has a story to tell – a book, a podcast, workshop or webinar – something to sell you on how they became the amazingly awesome person that they are. They seemingly know it all and even have a way of belittling us into believe that we aren’t enough, we can be doing more, doing better, working harder, etc etc etc. I’m not disregarding their successes in life by any stretch of the imagination. However, in this age of over information, it’s so hard to know whose truths to hold onto.

For example here’s some of the good advice that’s been shared lately:

“You’re brand is about you, but not for you.”

However, you should show off work that you love and want to recreate – showing who you are and your vibe will attract your tribe. Just do what you love.

You should use the word “I” in all your marketing because it makes it more personal, as if you were having a direct conversation with your customer.

But “we” gives a sense of teamwork and makes your business seem less self-centered. If people think your business/team is too small they won’t take you seriously.

“Fake it until you make it”.

But be real.

Make sure you marketing and Instagram and photography is professional and cohesive. We work in a visual field, so make sure you’re only showing the very best of the best of your portfolio.

However people want to see the real life and know that everything isn’t staged. It’s all about authenticity.

Business moves done in fear and desperation won’t end well.

But sometimes being in a desperate place is just the kick in the pants that you need.

Emotion has no place in business.

But how many times have you just had to go with a gut reaction, something that has no real explanation?

Done is better than perfect.

However don’t put anything out into the world that isn’t 100% complete and ready. Once it’s online, you can’t retract it.

It could carry on this list of contradictions all day long. But I think the biggest one that’s in my mind right now is this idea that we’re powerful women, boss babes who should able to conquer anything. And if we’re not, then we’re not working hard enough, our selling tactics aren’t clever enough and we need to be doing more. More more more. Contentment should be non-existent. (But be thankful for everything that we have #blessed).

I’ve had several colleagues lately who have been celebrating victories big and small. Some of them have been in business less time than me. In truth, it’s hard to watch. I’m left with one thought in my mind. I’m not good enough.

By the grace of God, I had an epiphany. The answer is so obvious I’m embarrassed. I can pound the pavement all day long. I can give away free flowers, shove business cards in people’s faces and work my tail off – just as I suspect so many other successful business women before me have done. But if that’s not God’s plan, if it’s not what he has written in the stars for me, no amount of work will make me any more or less successful. God has gifted those other people with success. Do I deserve it any more than them? Humble yourself Shelby.

Success doesn’t belong to me. They’re His successes, it’s His victories and shame on me for my thoughtlessness. I recognize that my talents were created and gifted to me. An entrepreneur whom I very much look up to once said not to use God to sell your business. But if everything I have is His, isn’t it then His business as well? I’m not exactly putting Him on my marketing agenda but there needs to be a mental shift from washing your face and putting on your big girl pants and celebrating your successes, to celebrating the success that God has given you. We need to continue to work hard but remember that without His blessing and say so, no amount of hard work will make me a successful wife, business women or mom. It’s all Him. And in His perfect timing. That’s the truth I need to hold onto.

Words

0 · Mar 7, 2019 ·

Words. They’re powerful tools. I have pages of journals, notebooks, computer documents, paragraphs jotted my phone, post it notes and scraps of paper full of ideas, thoughts and verbiage that will never see the light of day. I have shared words with paper that eyes will never see. I have captions that I will never post and sentiments that I will never share. I love the expression of words and the feeling of a pencil on paper, almost as much as I love creating with flowers.

Did you know that we’re held responsible for every word that’s left our lips?

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” Matthew 12:36

The impact is a little word can be huge. Think back to some of the significant speeches, sayings and phrases that have been turning points in your life. They can hurt or they can build up. I remember being new in the floral world, feeling like I finally found my direction and where I needed to be heading and almost instantly, some offhand comment by an unknowing sender crushed me. They criticized my work and brought me instantly to my knees, ultimately surfacing all of my newbie fears and slowing the progress of my business for the next 1 ½ years until I realized they were in the wrong, not me. It doesn’t do much good at this point to look back, but I do wonder how my journey might have changed.

“The soothing tongue is the tree of life, but the perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

This week, I saw my words on someone else’s website. It’s a phenomena that I know many creatives experience. And part of me loves that I’m inspiring someone else’s work. But the other part of me feels robbed. It’s like they took a little piece of my soul, a little part of my journey that I’ve worked so hard on and claimed it as their own.

I will never call this person out. I will never tell who this person is. They know who they are. Maybe there are others out there that I simply haven’t stumbled across. I can’t truly take credit for my talents, whether it be writing poetic expressions or creating elaborate works of floral art. My talents come from our Creator. They’re truly his gifts. So perhaps my feelings are out of line. Perhaps I should just give this person a hug and send some creative vibes their way. I could hurt them with more words. But if they’re not words of love, then they probably should just be kept to yourself.

Planning Marriage

1 · Dec 4, 2018 ·

Working in the wedding industry means I’m surrounded by weddings and marriage all the time. I devote my weekends in the summer to celebrating with couples and those long winter days to helping them decorate and plan. But those days are devoted to the wedding, not the marriage. We often use those words together, understanding how closely the two are related and sometimes even wrongly interchanging them, but they’re not the same, not even close.

Even doing what I do for a living, I wouldn’t call myself an expert in either of these areas, marriage or weddings. There’s always more work to be done. Always something more to learn. Always an area for improvement. Planning either of them is not easy.

7 years ago when I began writing in this little corner of the internet, I wanted to talk about the topic of marriage. But my courage waivered. I was barely more than a newlywed myself and what did I know? The ironic part of that is I would write about wedding planning as if I knew something, and yet I knew so little, being in the baby stages of my planning business as well.

I still don’t think it’s an easy topic to chat about. It’s much easier to write about changing leaves, decorating a new house or what flowers are in season on your wedding day. It’s not nearly as superficial as these topics that I easily post about. I’ve been quiet here because, well life is busy, but also because of the fight against what needs to be said. Because it is a fight. Each and every day, a fight to the death to keep your marriage alive.

When you’re first engaged, and are unsure of the first steps of planning a wedding, where do you turn? One might ask their mom, their best friend or hire a professional. There’s no shame in being uncertain of the steps needed to plan a wedding. There are articles after article posted online and hundreds of magazines and similar publications dedicated to helping people plan this one day. But it’s ONE day.

Who’s helping plan the marriage? A marriage that is FOREVER? Where are the exposés at the checkout lane promoting couples staying together, loving one another and never giving up? It’s easier to degrade your spouse then lift them up. It’s hard to admit that we don’t naturally know the secret to a successful marriage. Loving one another isn’t quite as easy as it seems because we’re all selfish people and marriage is an act of selflessness, completely giving yourself to another person. The idea of turning to an expert for help isn’t quite as socially acceptable. So we all struggle. Have days of failure. And so many couples in the end, find it much easier just to give up.

I am one teeny tiny voice in a world of so many. I have had good days of marriage and bad. But I have a voice that understands the struggle and can sympathize with the battle that is before you. So if you’ve ever read one of my articles about wedding planning, decorating a bedroom or setting a holiday table, I urge you to read up on marriage. How can I claim to be a lifestyle blogger if I won’t talk about this most important of topics? What have you done for your marriage today?

Photography: Cory Weber Photography

I wrote part of a series on our own marriage study early this year which you can read here. For more reading I recommend starting 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and watching Ashely with Arrows & Bow’s Instagram highlights – Marriage Talk because YES to cherishing our husbands!

Behind the Scenes with a Floral Designer

0 · Aug 29, 2018 ·

6 years ago I started a wedding planning business. It was a scary leap born out of near necessity and while I was very familiar with the wedding industry, I can’t say I really knew what exactly I was doing. I had a plan but at the same time, I was plan-less.

Nature took it’s course and as most things do, my business evolved. It grew. It began to change and slowly I determined my own styles, drives, passions and things that I really wanted to create, which was more than just the industry trends.

And along with way I fell in love with flowers.

I fell in love with flowers so much so that they became a key competent to my business, they became part of my brand and identity and what drew clients to me. Today, I plan very few wedding but rather focus my energies into the design. Flowers are the main part of that, but there’s also more. I assist with color schemes, finding local flowers, fruits and design options, linens, textures, table layouts, candlelight and ambiance, and all the little details that set the mood for the event. Its much like designing home, I want it to be warm and inviting and comfortable or maybe more elegant. I want it to feel like the couple that the night will be celebrating and pulling together the pieces of the puzzle can be a challenge all within itself. The space will also be photographed like crazy, so every detail must be perfect.

I get a lot of questions about my job. From people who don’t understand why my job is a job, from those who are genuinely curious and from others who think that I must have the most amazingly fun profession ever (and they might just be right!) Step into my studio with me and let’s take a closer look, answering a few of my most frequently asked questions…

Do you have a storefront?

Right now, no. Someday? Maybe. I actually looked into purchasing the cutest little flower shop that was for sale last spring but things just didn’t fall into place. Currently, I’ve converted my basement into a studio space and it meets pretty much all of my needs. When we move next month, I’m going to have a building all of my own on our property, which will be really awesome (you can read more about our coming move here).

Do you only design flowers for weddings?

Yes and no. Since I do not have a storefront, I don’t keep flowers stocked in my studio all the time. With wholesalers having order minimums for shipping and the nearest wholesale supplier is over an hour drive, so logistically it makes since for me to order large amounts of flowers at a time and weddings seem to be the biggest market for volume orders of flowers. Of course I’m happy to accommodate large parties, anniversaries and other celebrations. I’ve definitely toyed with the idea of having flowers on hand on a more consistent basis but haven’t really figured out the best way to do this. Once in awhile, I even design a little something for myself.

You must have flowers in your house all the time?

Once in awhile I may design something for myself, but the reality is I have flowers in my home no more than anyone else. Another florist posed this question and shared the her reality was a few dying blooms in a drinking glass. That pretty much sums it up. Although I’m trying to improve this situation because flowers equal happiness and I want a happy home.

Why do you travel so much for weddings?

When I started my business, I was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There’s a pretty large wedding market in the city and surrounding areas. But even so, I was finding that my designs seemed to appeal to those getting married in less traditional places, taking me to the lake shore, towards unique barns and unconvential venues and into Northern Michigan. 2 1/2 year ago we moved to Big Rapids, which is about an hour north and there’s no wedding industry here. I mean, I’m sure there are people who live here that are getting married, but I’ve been part of very few of their celebrations. There just seem to be a lack of venues, amoungst other challenges. So I continued to drive to Grand Rapids and surrounding areas and still north. Sometimes I get an air bnb and design remotely or sometimes it means I get up early and am on the road to deliver flowers across the state, it simply depends on the flowers being used and the logistics of the day.

What inspires you?

Isn’t this a loaded question? Design, nature, history, nostalgia, having a story to tell – just to touch on a few.

Why The Day’s Design and TownLine Journal?

6 years ago when I started The Day’s Design, I also started blogging. I wanted to write about the little journey my business was on and also provide helpful articles and tips for my clients. I called it The Day’s Dream, which was The Day’s Design’s blog. Over time, my vision and mission has evolved. The previous question about what inspires me took hold of my heart and while I love The Day’s Design, it was time for this space to become more personal and break free from the umbrella of being a wedding blog, because I’m inspired by so much more. I wrote more on this topic awhile back, which you can read here.

I also created new social media, one Facebook page and Instagram for The Day’s Design where it’s strictly wedding and flowers. Then another for TownLine Journal, which is more about the person behind the blooms, aka, me (the Facebook and Instagram handles are linked). The story that inspires life and my personal journey through it all – motherhood, business ownership, being a wife, interior design, country living and the balancing act of it all.

What’s next? When do you move? How’s wedding season going?

I’m putting these all together into one jumbled question because that’s how I feel right now. Jumbled. I found myself walking around Meijer today without the slightest clue why I was there, receiving 3 phone calls, 4 texts and 2 emails while in the store and walking out without my wine or dill pickle relish. I’m currently in the busiest stretch of my season, school is starting for Gretta and we move next week. I also have big plans for both The Day’s Design and TownLine Journal but need a quick minute to capture my breathe before I can take action on any of it.

Up the road ahead will be a new farmhouse to decorate, a new studio to design and many new clients that I will have the honor of working with. There will be a little more temporary silence in this space but big things are on the horizon.

Photography: Helter Photography

Do you have more questions about design, weddings, anything? Ask away, I’d love to help however I can! Send an email to hello@eventsbythedaysdesign.com or leave a comment below.

Welcome to TownLine Journal

3 · Mar 27, 2018 ·

When I was in high school, I dreamt of becoming a writer. I scratched down poems, rewrote song lyrics, and started stories, imagined plot lines and scripts for screenplays and novels – all with no audience in mind. I wrote in a journal almost daily, exploring the best way to convey thoughts and emotions and the pen became a form of comfort and therapy for me.

However, I never let anyone read any of my work. It was too personal. Too close to my heart. And in hindsight, I suppose I was afraid that someone else might critique it, say it was bad and crush my little dream. Even in my creative writing and English courses, I never let anyone besides my teachers read my writings. I hated having to do peer reviews, or when one of my pieces were selected to read aloud, it was like one of my biggest nightmares was coming true. My thoughts were being exposed to the world.

I started The Day’s Dream Journal five years ago. It’s become my space to share wedding planning ideas, advice topics and sometimes little snippets of what’s on my heart. It’s been an extension of my wedding portfolio and a part of my business that I have very much enjoyed. But I’ve felt as though I had artistic limitations – mostly self-imposed limitations – but limitations just the same. My creative realm and interest extend far beyond just my wedding and floral work and often I want to share more. The Day’s Dream was born of wedding hopes and the dream of what I hoped The Day’s Design might become, but it’s not a space were I felt I could fully express all of our country adventures, share my thoughts on marriage or decorate beyond a wedding venue. I desire to be more than just pretty pictures and empty imagery.

The fear of criticism has been all too real for this space as well. Oddly enough, my very first comment on my blog was a very negative one, completely ripping apart the post. It was spam, auto generated by a mean computer program, but at the time I was crushed and didn’t realize it’s faults, as I was excited to read my first piece of “fan mail”. Today, I’m not longer seeking fans, but rather seeking to be source of inspiration, praise, cheer and support to others.

With that, I am announcing the end of The Day’s Dream and introduce you to TownLine Journal.

This will be a space filled with purpose. There’s a mission that’s been laid on my heart and I introduce this new site with the following aim in mind-
• To be the voice of calm in the chaos
• To encourage others (in marriage, motherhood, business and life)
• To show hospitality to others
• Provide a guide to purposeful wedding planning
• Extend love beyond the wedding day
• Find beauty in the everyday trials of life

Photography: Hetler Photography

I have a friend who has shared with me that her love language is quality time. She repeatedly faces the obstacle of her husband working long hours as seasons of life are spent apart from one another. She believes God gave her this challenge in life to be an encouragement to others. I whole heartedly believe this, as she’s already provided reassurance to me. I have experienced blessing from her struggle and the wisdom it’s provided. She’s become an inspiration to me, and I feel that we all can learn from one other, gather together in fellowship and create strong families and relationships.

Welcome to the TownLine Journal.

PS – a new domain and a few other updates are coming soon!

Three Wishes Inspired by Wedding Design

0 · Oct 18, 2017 ·

Sometimes I think we need to put our ideas on paper, share them with the universe and hope that maybe someday our wishes will come true. For me, these wishes come in many forms but today I’m thinking mainly of the wedding schemes and designs that I have in my head that no one has let me create for them yet.

I’m going to share these ideas – brides you better not steal them and hire another designer, I will be crushed! I’m sharing these ideas to inspire, get us all out of our creative comfort zones and to think about the world of weddings in a way beyond what Pinterest has to offer.

September’s Patina

You know that gritty, aqua and seafoam shade that real copper begins to take on as is gets better with age? It’s one of my favorite concepts that I’ve ever wanted to design an event around and I’ve been inspired by it for years now and no one has let me bring this vision of mine to life. I want to use raw and organic textures, shimming copper and old antiqued treasures together. I want to make seafoam napkins pop in contrast to almost orange foliage and garden roses with autumn leaves. I envision textured linens with the earthy fragrance of fall in the air. I could build an entire idea around copper foliage and yellowing leaves, omitting the burgundy and blush tones that we’ve seen so much in current autumn trends. If I were to get married again, right now in the fall, this is how I would make it happen.

Organic Stripes

I love stripes. I think they’re bold yet timeless. They’re crisp and clean and yet can be whimsical and create amazing movement in a design. I’ve rarely come across a striped piece furniture or fabric that didn’t make me stop and linger for a least a minute, so just think of the impression if could have on your guests? I also love things that provide lots of contrast and make audacious statements. So not only do I want to do a striped wedding, but I want to do one with extremely organic and loose florals. I want sticks and twigs incorporated into the design to add more lines, making it geometrical, but in nature’s true form. I see doing all of this with a muted palette, lots of earthy, tone and tone hues of oatmeal, charcoal and then maybe pulling a more saturated pop of color from the venue or the natural surroundings of the day.

Above I used some stripes in a tablescape I designed for Shoot Simply Workshop with Emilee Mae Photography, but I’d love to use them in an actual wedding design.

Queen Anne’s Dance

Last august I was so inspired by the fields and fields of Queen Anne’s lace that took over the landscape. I love each delicate blossom and the bounty of blooms was unbelievable. They’re so whimsical and I see them so often incorporated into rustic events as a secondary or accent flower, but I want to design a wedding or perhaps even just a photo shoot, with this being the only flower. I see rows of them gracefully dancing down an aisle border. Little flower frogs atop long guests tables with clusters of lacy blooms. I could even see trying to create some sort of white and fluffy hanging installation to drape over the bride and groom’s heads. Again, I’m seeking contrast so I want to take Queen Anne away from her rustic, countryside roots and do all of this in a modern, loft type setting, maybe even throwing in some ghost chairs or other acrylic accents.

Those are three ideas that have been on my mind lately. I thought it could inspire you or maybe even encourage you to let me design your wedding?? This is going to be a new series of posts that I start, 3 wishes – whether they’re venues, flowers, vendors… or just other ideas that I can’t seem to get out of my mind. Maybe someone else is secretly holding onto this same wish.

How to Achieve Work/Life Balanace

0 · Sep 26, 2017 ·

We did it, we survived wedding season. And by “we” I mean my family and myself. While there are certainly other “we’s” I could be referring to, this is without doubt the most challenging part of wedding season, juggling weddings with personal life and trying to keep everyone in the household afloat. When I sit down with other creatives for a bit of community and to pick each other’s brains, the subject of balance inevitably arises, as if I or someone else out there has unlocked some secret mommy code to making it all work out. However, the truth is, there isn’t a magic formala. There isn’t any one way to keep your time spent between weddings, servicing future brides and family time all in balance. On top of that, every season is different. One minute you have a baby who naps three times a day, then that skips down to two and before you know it you have another baby and a toddler that doesn’t sleep at all. There’s a constant evolution of your routine and a little flexibility is a must.

Photography: Hetler Photography

I’m coming off of a six week stretch of feeling like a hot mess 100% of the time. The beginning of the summer was slow, intentional and nice. There were a couple of weddings, planning sessions of the future and many beach days in the mix. But as soon as August rolled around, that leisurely pace dissolved. No matter how thoroughly I thought I had prepared, madness struck. At the end of the day I’m working within tight deadline and with a perishable product, it’s simply the nature of the business. Only so much planning can be anticipated. So when someone asks me how I do “it”, how I manage being a wife, mom and entrepreneur all at the same time, its all I can do not to laugh. Life looks blissful, right? I have cute kids and get to play with flowers all the time. The truth is, there are nights that I’m stirring dinner on the stove while simultaneously answering an email on my phone. There are “date nights” spent with a glass of wine in one hand, and napkin folding tutorials in the other. My Jeep constantly contains a change of shoes and other clothing, clippers (because you never know when I might drive past something worth foraging) and the dance between placing carseats and centerpieces in the vehicle has been never ending. My children still have unpacked suitcases on their bedrooms because the amount of spontaneous and less spontaneous trips to Nina and Papa’s house for babysitting purposes has been outlandish. After five years of business and being a mom, this year I *almost* felt like maybe things were coming together and perhaps I finally found my stride. But at an 8:00 am trip to Lowe’s the Friday before a huge wedding, one child threw that thought from my mind as she began to vomit in the aisle. Exhausted tears welled in my eyes as I realized I should never be so prideful. I also cannot do this alone, I cannot be in two places at once and I humbled back into failure mode. Suddenly I completely understood the pre-feminism days when a woman’s place was in the home.

On another occasion, I was called the Energizer Bunny. As if I never tire and can easily work for days on end preparing for a wedding weekend and then breeze through a 20 hour wedding day. But this bunny, has no life left over come Sunday morning, and if it weren’t for the understanding of my husband, we’d never make it to Monday. I usually sit still, as though I’ve been flattened into motionless line on the pavement by a Mack truck, functioning as little as possible and so grateful that someone else is there to tend to the needs of the girls, and also make dinner for me.

I love wedding season so much and am not complaining about it in the least bit. However, I think of when people say that it takes a village to bring a wedding to life and how true that statement really is. But it’s not just a village of wedding vendors, it’s the people that stand behind those vendors. The behind the scenes faces that never get hugged by the bride or feel the love that hangs in the air on a wedding night. The spouse, family, babysitters and friends of each photographer, videographer, dj, caterer, server, venue owner, calligrapher and many more, who simply understand that as soon as May rolls around there’s a person that’s mia for a few months and but needs their support.

Back to the original question, the one about acheiveing life/work balance. There’s no one answer. My best advice, stop focusing on what doesn’t work for you but rather what does, even it it’s not what other business professionals advice you to do. Take help from anyone extending a hand. Most of all, love all those people that stand by your side when you haven’t washed your hair in a week, they’re your truest allies and spend every weekend off with those you love.

With all of that said, just remember that no one really has it all together all the time. This was the smoothest wedding season to date, and I only have high hopes for next year. But I’m still exhausted and looking forward to a season of rest. There is no magic formula, no amount of meal planning and charts can save you from the unexpected tasks that mom’s and boss ladies are invediabley going to have to juggle. And if someone wants to label themselves a “lifestyle expert” I give them all the props in the world, but can’t help but wonder – who, regardless of your career, really has life all figured out???

Branding :: New Website Launch

0 · Jun 26, 2017 ·

In 2014, I attended my very first floral workshop with Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers. She became the sweet voice of encouragement that believed in me, and pushed me to believe in myself. I nervously signed up for her Team Flower Workshop not really knowing where I was heading, but understanding that there was a void in my life and in the flowers that were being presented to my brides. I wanted to capture the garden, to put it in a vessels and allow it to add joy to a table. I wanted to allow clematis vines to trail from a bride’s hands or loosely encircle and arbor. I had visions of what it was like planting flowers each summer with my mom, but couldn’t quite figure out how to translate that into my event designs or how to bring that to life on a wedding day.

Photography: Heather Payne Photography

The Day’s Design is turning 5 years old this September, and this will be my fourth summer with floral design as part of my service offerings. That decision to learn more about flowers changed my world. It made me appreciate nature, my surroundings and see the beauty of Michigan in a whole new light. However, as much excitement as I feel when I find a rose with the most perfect muddy – champagne hue, the real excitement comes when I see the tears of joy in a bride’s face when she looks at her wedding flowers and knows that today will be the best day of her life, and I was privileged enough to be a teenie tiny part of that.

I think a huge part of moving forward is reflecting back and understanding where we came from. I’m not dwelling in the past though, but using it to build the future. I’ve been sharing a little behind my rebranding process and it has made me a little nostalgic. It’s also made me appreciate a lot of people that have helped me along the way. I’m eager to celebrate 5 years of business. In the meantime though, I’m excited to share my new website. My business has evolved much since those early days of burlap and lace. There are beautiful new projects and weddings that I’ve been holding back and there’s a dose of freshness, which I think beautifully represents who I am and what The Day’s Design is today.

I’d also like to send a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, from new flower friends, to both Northern and West Michigan’s amazing community of wedding planners. Plus, a little extra love to those photographers whose images you will find on my new site – Ashley Slater Photography, Cory Weber Photography, Katie Grace Photography, Kelly Sweet Photography & Samantha James Photography. Hire them, they’re amazing! And don’t forget to go look at my new website!!

Branding :: Mud

0 · Jun 23, 2017 ·

Mud. From the earthy, wet fragrance to the magic that grows within it, there’s something fascinating about mud. It’s definitely underappreciated and so often taken for granted. But this is the canvas from where all of our sweet little blossom grow. This is the place where roots dig deep and stems grow tall. This is where it all begins.

As I have been working with Ciarra, of Silver Fox Calligraphy, on some of my new branding, we started with the flower. I had her create a delicate little forget me not, as a reminder of the perfectly periwinkle colored blossoms that would take over my grandma’s lawn each spring, as well as much of Northern Michigan’s other woodland areas. We didn’t exactly create my various branding pieces in logical order, because from that flower I realize that some of my other elements felt “off”, they just weren’t at home with one another.

So she reworked my logo design. I began describing what I wanted, not really knowing what I wanted. I used words like elegant, organic and whimsical. I wanted sophistication and simplicity. Ciarra created some magnificent pieces of art, I can only imagine the hours she spent with nibs and watercolors in her hand bringing my vision to life. In the end, there was one thing missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then I realized, my logo need to be the color of mud. It’s not charming or chic or any of the other words that I think I should use to describe my wedding style, but it’s the beginning. It’s unpretentious and raw. The soil is where is where the seeds start, where the weeds grow and the most pure canvas for God’s artwork to be displayed.

Botanical Stationary | The Day's Design | Cory Weber Photography

Photography: Cory Weber Photography | Stationary Design & Calligraphy: Silver Fox Calligraphy | Design & Styling: The Day’s Design

I’m keeping it quiet until I get a couple of the bugs worked out, but you can take a little sneak peek at the new and improved, The Day’s Design website here which shows off my new logo and lots of new flowery goodness that I’ve been holding back.

Happy Friday!

You can also read part 1 & 2 in this branding project here and here.

Branding :: Back to the Beginning

0 · Jun 22, 2017 ·

When I was about 16, I found myself walking through my most favorite town ever, just as the sun was beginning to set. As I crossed a small bridge that connected Lake Michigan to the channel, my attention was captured by a glittering white tent, immaculately spread across the lawn of the quaint community building. The tent stood so large and grand, with lights twinkling in Northern Michigan’s night air and something so magical was taking place there on that dimly lit evening. It was like a romantic scene out of a movie – sheer perfection with a combination of warm breezes, the sinking sun in the background and the joyful laughter that danced throughout the tent’s canopy. It’s forever stuck in my mind and I knew instantly that I wanted to have my wedding take place in that very spot.

Fast forward about a decade and I learned that dreams do come true. We hosted our wedding reception in that very space. We didn’t have a tent or use twinkle lights, but there was so much merriment with all of our closest family and friends and I simply couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate saying “I do.”

That was also the night that I knew beyond doubt that I was going to be a wedding planner.

I had graduated from school with my Bachelors of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management. The wedding industry was very much on my radar and my emphasis was in event planning, which is a close to a degree in wedding planning as one can get. I had even interned with a local planner the semester prior to graduation. But it wasn’t until I was actually in the bride’s shoes that I completely understood the importance of a wedding planner (which I hadn’t hired). I had an amazing wedding, but it could have been even better if I would have been able to relax and know that someone else was going to take care of the flowers, communicate with the dj and make the guests sit in their seats at the appropriate time.

When I lose my way and seem to forget my purpose, that’s the night I channel back to. It reminds me why I do what I do. This spring, when I was searching for inspiration for my brand and wondering where my business was headed, this is the place where I landed. Whenever you’re in doubt about where you’re headed in your journey, or if your feet are even moving at all, always look back to the beginning. It will show you how far you’ve come.

Spring Wedding at The Old Art Building | The Day's Design | Cory Weber Photography

The above picture is from our Spring Botanical Branding Shoot at The Old Art Building in Leland, Michigan. The town that I love, the venue where we were married.

Photography: Cory Weber Photography

7 Years

3 · Jun 20, 2017 ·

When I was first married, my mother told me that the first 7 years would be the hardest. Yesterday, we officially hit that seven year mark. While I certainly don’t know what the next 7 years hold, I can say the past 7 haven’t been without their challenges. But with challenge comes triumph and these years have shaped so much of who we are today.

The past years have been full of newness; we bought a house, remodeled the house, sold the house and moved to a new city. They’ve been full of excitement; we’ve had two little girls and watched them grow. There’s been moments of anger, hurt and loss. New jobs, saying goodbye to old friends and making new ones. Leaps of faith, starting a business and sometimes living on a prayer. There have been times when one of us, if not both, have been tempted to throw in the towel and just give up. There’s been grief, as some of those people who starting this journey with us are no longer by our sides today. While there’s been much joy and celebration in these years, there’s also been trial and heartache. And anyone who thinks that they’ll wake up every single morning madly in love with the person in bed beside them, has a whole slew of lessons headed their way.

I firmly believe that it’s our reaction to these moments – the good ones and the bad – that build character. These are the times that define ourselves and our relationships. They can make us strong or sink us. It really is your choice each and every morning to choose love and move onward, together.

It certainly isn’t my business to be handing out marriage advice. Mine is so far from perfect. But I can say that year 7 is full of promise and today is filled more love than many days of the past.

Working in an industry that thrives on love is really interesting when examining your own lives and relationships. We can say that we shouldn’t compare ourselves, but let’s face it, it happens. Sometimes I look at the bride sitting in front of me with a newly engaged glow and I can’t help but be envious. I completely disagree with anyone that says that business isn’t personal. My business touches my personal life and tugs on my heartstrings every single day. Whether it’s the emotions that I share with a new client as she giddily tells me how he proposed or the thrill of excitement that rushes through me as I discover a new blossoming bush in our back yard or perhaps even the moment of frustration that sneaks in when a last minute email or project takes me away from being able to plan a walk in the park with my girls. It’s all personal.

Because my business is so personal, it felt really appropriate to share a little project that I’ve been working on during our anniversary week. This is the anniversary of when I really truly understood for the first time what weddings are all about. It’s not the centerpieces, the flowers or the venue. It’s what those things represent and the celebration and commitment behind it all. I’ve been working on rebranding, really defining my style and my ethics and honing in on what love really means to me. Throughout this week here on the journal and on Instagram, I’ll be sharing more of the mission and person behind the blooms, because to me it’s so much more than just a pretty bouquet of flowers. It’s all leading up to my brand new website launch on Friday (if life doesn’t hand me lemons before then!) So stay tuned and we’ll celebrate together.

Photography: Shannon Scott Photography

And happy anniversary to those two young babes up there – you have no idea what’s about to come your way!!

Why I Participate in Styled Shoots

0 · May 11, 2017 ·

I have an internal struggle when it comes to styled shoots. At the beginning of my business, they were very helpful in getting established and showing off my style and what I can do. But after a while, I had established my worth and had a strong portfolio. I no longer needed to prove myself. So, if you’ve followed me on social media for a while, then you may know that some time ago I declared them wasteful and swore them off all together. I thought that was the end of the story.

But as I stepped away from doing them I learned something. There was a void created in my creative life. While real weddings are absolutely beautiful and filled with sentimental moments that I like to think of as “the real deal”, there are some limitations placed on designers during these occasions. I certainly don’t want it to come across as though I don’t love my brides or that I don’t want the focus of my business to be real weddings, however there are so many flowers to be created in such a small amount of time. The designs need to be very functional and fall within certain budgets and various other perimeters. The brides have color palettes, flower favorites and other desires of their own. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things but they’re not always 100% my vision or what I want to be creating, it’s about making someone else happy.

I went two years without creating a styled shoot. I cranked out weddings and enjoyed a couple of really beautiful wedding seasons. But I never did anything for myself. I didn’t create a bouquet just for creations’ sake. I stop dreaming about new color palettes. I stayed within a safety net, refusing to gamble with new flower choices or design styles because if they didn’t pan out, there was a real bride out there whose day I would be ruining.

I am thinking that perhaps this is true of others in the wedding industry – photographers, pastry chefs, stationary designers, etc. We’re creative, we all like to try something new, am I right?

This spring I have put together a couple styled shoots and suddenly I was reminded of how much work they are! So much work. But so rewarding. I feel refreshed. I’m going to jump on my soapbox at this point and remind you of an event that I have coming up with Emilee Mae Photography. She’s hosting Shoot Simply, a one day styled shoot photography workshop. Registration ends today. Today! This event is so perfect for photographers who also need to rejuvenate their creative juices. It will give you the opportunity to photograph editorial worthy details and revamp your portfolio, without all the work and expense of organizing your own styled shoot. Plus an opportunity to network with others in the industry, ask questions of a floral designer/wedding planner (me!) and a really fabulous lunch will be served.

Shoot Simply Workshop | The Day's Design | Emilee Mae Photography

While I don’t plan on doing styled shoot in excess, I do believe they have a time and place and purpose. Here’s a link to the inspiration board that Emilee Mae and I have been putting together for her workshop. If you feel like this is something that you’d like to add to your portfolio, then I highly recommend you register for this event before it’s too late. This is open to photographers of all skill levels and all photography styles.

To register, click here. Can’t wait to see you there!

Seeds

0 · May 2, 2017 ·

If you were to take a trip to the house where I grew up, you’d head a few miles outside of a small town. Travel down a dirt road framed by a perfect archway of oak and maple trees and land at a dusty driveway just beyond a swampy ditch full of cattails. There sits a small blue house on 2 acres, with a miniature hill (perfect for sledding), an above ground pool (with a semi-circle deck hand built by my dad) and an old aluminum swing set in the back yard. This was home.

Each summer, my mother and I planted flowers around the edge of said pool, the side that wasn’t framed by the wooden deck. This is where I learned to plant and sow, how I watch the magic of seeds becoming sprouts and transforming into beautiful blooms. I suppose this may be where my love of flowers really came from.

I have magical memories of this time in my life. Memories of collecting dandelions, wondering barefoot in the yard until the grass became too crunchy under the summer’s heat and squishing wild mushrooms beneath my shoes, despite my dad telling me not to. I still recall the scent of the honeysuckle that climbed up the trellis providing shade to our back deck’s swing. The rose bushes that were nestled beneath our bay window kept mesmerized for years.

Today I seek to recapture that magic, with my two girls by my side, we forage, plant and arrange nature’s bounty – transforming flowers from around the world into a one of a kind wedding display crafted especially for you. Moving to the country has given me this gift. We have acreage to explore and adventures to be had. This year, I’m even planting a few of my own seeds, even if I’m not exactly known for having a green thumb. I no longer have an excuse to at least try. And when I successfully grow a flower to place into a bride’s bouquet, I know that will be the highlight of my summer.

Photography: Hetler Photography

Garden plans are in the works and my seed packets have arrived, some of them are already standing tall in their starter trays. I’m so excited to share the progress (or failure!) that lies ahead. I’m going to grow some flowers this year.

Shoot Simply

0 · Apr 17, 2017 ·

Mark your calendars, May 20^th I’m going to be a part of a really awesome event with Emilee Mae Photography and want to invite all of my lovely photographer friends (old, new & those who I haven’t met yet!) to be a part. Shoot Simply is a one day workshop/styled shoot opened to photographers of all skill levels looking to enhance their portfolios.

I’ll be creating two gorgeous tabletop concepts to photograph along with a custom floral installation. Also included in the shoot will be cakes and sweets from Coco Renee, invitations and paper products from Lana’s Lettering, plus a gorgeous bride and groom model who will be decked out in attire from Ali Nicole Bridal with hair and makeup done by Makeup by Jackie Green.

If you’ve ever wanted to plan a styled shoot but aren’t quite sure how to plan one on your own, then register.

If you want to practice styling details and attempting new poses but never seem to have time to experiment with new things on an actual wedding day, then register.

If you’d like to network with others in the wedding industry and gain a new perspective on photography and the type of photos that other vendors hope you’ll share with them, then register.

I’ll be onsite all day to assist in all your floral, planning and styling questions and Emilee of Emilee Mae Photography will be there to answer all questions photography related. Two Hats Ranch, a rustically elegant hunting lodge and nature retreat (just 50 minutes north of Grand Rapids) will be playing host and providing picturesque woodland backdrops. Lunch by the lodge’s gourmet chef (and my hubby!) and sweet nibbles from Coco Renee Specialty Baking will also be provided for all who attend.

Two Hats Ranch Wedding | The Day's Design | Emilee Mae Photography

Seats are limited and early bird pricing ends May 1st. To register, head to Emilee Mae’s page, here.

REDISCOVER your passion for photography
REVAMP your brand and portfolio
RELAX and make new friends and photograph pretty things

Hope you see you there!

What’s in a Name

0 · Mar 6, 2017 ·

Branding | The Day's Design | Ashley Slater Photography

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

Back when I was in high school, I had this girlfriend who knew exactly what she was going to name her children. She had great taste and the names she picked out were adorable. But I couldn’t help but wonder about her determination to use these names. What if her future husband didn’t like these names? How could she be sure they’d stand the test of time and she’d still like them in 10 years? I suppose I just didn’t have her same confidence.

This friend doesn’t currently have children, although I’m sure they’re in her future, I will be curious to see if she’s waivered on her naming decisions throughout the years.

The idea of naming something has been on my mind a lot lately. As a mother of two children, I can attest to what a challenge it is picking the right name. You worry about the uniqueness, the life consequences of your choice, if others will like it, the way it sounds, the ease of pronunciation, the spelling, the meaning and significance and making sure that your cousin hasn’t chosen the same name – after all her baby will be born a month before yours. As difficult as it is to name a child, it’s just as crazy difficult to name a business. Sometimes even more so, because you’re trying to brand yourself and get a certain message across.

I have a couple people in my life lately who have been bouncing naming ideas off of me. And it’s made me reflect back to when I was naming my own business and how I finally settled on The Day’s Design.

Truth be told, it was a decision I didn’t make with much confidence. I certainly wasn’t full of resolve like my high school friend. I was thinking a lot about weddings and I wasn’t really sure where this little entrepreneurial adventure was taking me yet. I actually am a licensed cosmetologist, and much of my early wedding industry experience was doing hair on site for bridal party members. I had an interest in wedding planning and a degree in hospitality. I also had an interest in flowers. Suddenly there was an opportunity knocking at my door for paid floral services and assistance with an event. It was an awesome prospect that could potentially launch me into my future. So I realized I needed business cards and my business needed a name on said card.

Regardless of what direction my business ultimate landed in, it was going to revolve around the wedding day. This is the day that little girls dream of their entire life. So The Day’s Design was born. I had a couple other ideas picked out, and honestly I can’t even remember what they were now. It was kind of like throwing darts in the dark, and that’s where my name landed. But it seemed good, not too fluffy but wedding-ish. And the best part was I could keep the name whether I decided to pursue hair or wedding planning. I had a logo and business cards made and I was in business (kind of) as The Day’s Design :: Event Styling.

It was another year before I became officially official – quit your day job and register a DBA official – but this year will mark 5 years of official The Day’s Design business. It’s come a long long ways since those early days of really girly designs and my burlap and lace website.

It was around year 3 that I really began to define myself and understand my own aesthetic and what I wanted to create. Really, I’m still honing in on that, constantly evolving to be the best version of myself and my brand. But around that time I wondered if I should change my name. I knew at that point that I definitely wasn’t pursuing the cosmetology aspect and my name just seemed like 3 boring words thrown together.

I did a lot of thinking and soul searching during this time. Again, I think branding is something that will constantly and forever be evolving throughout the course of one’s business. I realized I could be dissatisfied in a couple more years with whatever new name I decided to choose. However, I still wasn’t convinced. Then one day as all these thoughts were swimming around in my head, there was another thought that joined. I was reminded of a song I used to sing as a child, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This is the day. Suddenly my business name had dual meaning and it felt right. God creates every day, the good ones and the bad ones. He has made every single day in our lives, including your wedding day. And we rejoice and celebrate on that day. My business is filled with a heart of celebration and I was at peace in my naming struggle.

I’m going to hold out until fall before I ring the bells of 5 years celebrating. There’s more brand evolution and a new website coming soon. But for the moment I seeking contentment and celebration in each and every day that passes.

Winter Stationary

0 · Jan 16, 2017 ·

I’m trying to dial back to the basics of my business. I’m trying to focus on what I love. I think that’s the core of my brand, just me being me. I love just sharing my passion and hope that someone else likes what I’m doing. And obviously in my journey I am running a business so I must always keep that in mind, but carefully without betraying who I am and balancing this with what best suits my clients.

I’ve been working with Ciarra at Silver Fox Calligraphy on some branding elements that will reflect this. I love pretty paperie and beautiful wedding details, but more than that, I love when there’s a story and some meaning behind those details. It’s what I preach to my clients and I think I need to start setting a better example for them. With that in mind, Ciarra has created a few special pieces for me that really hit home and are the core of who I am and what wedding planning and floral design is all about for me. I will show all the details in the coming months, but for now, I’d love to just share my winter stationary that I had her design for me.

I haven’t counted the exact number of birch trees on our property, but there are a lot. And their paper white bark just makes me happy every time I look out my window. With a blanket of white surrounding them, it’s a peaceful and serene scene. I want to share this sight and yet preserve it for myself. So I sent Ciarra this photo and asked her create a watercolor card.

She captured it perfectly each time I send out a little note, it makes me so happy. I paired the cards with deep dusk blue envelopes and simple white liners that have a wood grain texture. I also had a stamp made with a flower she sketched especially for me so I can add a sense of nostalgia with a golden wax seal.

I absolutely love snail mail (both sending and recieving!) if you read this post and would like to see a card in person, I’d love to send a piece of happy mail your way, email me at shelby@eventsbythedaysdesign.com with your address 🙂

Farwell 2016, Time Refuses to Stand Still

0 · Jan 3, 2017 ·

My mom used to say that the older you get, the faster time passes. As a child who waited forever for Christmas morning, my birthday or out next vacation, I would inwardly always roll my eyes. She didn’t know what she was talking about. A year was 365 days regardless of your age and a day always contained 24 hours. Period.

Yet somehow, my mother was once again correct. I don’t know why this phenomena occurs, it’s really quite peculiar but I’m about 2 steps away from following in her footsteps and telling my girls the same thing.

Photography: Samantha James Photography

This past wedding season went by in a flash, I hardly even remember it. It wasn’t until I went through all my pictures on my hard drive that I suddenly recalled so many gorgeous celebrations filled with the most amazing couples and so much love.

I had a little break down on New Year’s Eve because I realized that I wasn’t ready for 2016 to be over. There were so many things I wanted to accomplish still. I felt like I was still living in the shadow of 2015, and hadn’t even fully embraced 2016 yet. I have yet to improve my skills, make business progress or even finish unpacking from our move. Thank goodness I didn’t share my goals on this little blog, I’d have to hang my head in embarrassment from the lack of accomplishment.

I went back and re-read my year end post from last year (you can read it here) and realized all the goals that I had checked off my list and what a brag board I really had. But most of all, this stuck out at me and still holds completely true:

“Moving forward is a sign of progress and a little bittersweet. There’s a part of me that thinks I should have kept a tally of how many times I bled, how many times I wanted to give up, the hours of sleep I lost, the times I wanted to do a happy dance and high five (only to realized I work most days alone), the number of times I witnessed “the moment”, the walks up and down the aisle, the steps I take on a wedding day, the trips to venues, caterers, flower markets, greenhouses and down the road foraging for treasures. I need to keep track of it all so I can remember. So when 2016 rolls around and I can’t hardly function because I’ve pulled another all nighter before one of my fabulous brides’ big day – all I’ll have to do is see the expression in her eyes as she sees her groom staring back at her so in love. I want to remember why I love this job so much and never forget. My mother has mentioned on several occasions that there must be an easier way to make a living. Of course she’s right, but they’re not my passion, my drive or what I want to be doing. This is right where I want to be.”

Can we just say yes to all of this again? Remember, but don’t keep score. Stay inspired and stay true and never forget why we started in the first place. And let’s do 2017 just a little bit better because time isn’t going to slow down for any of us.

The above photo is from my sister’s wedding, which I’m going to go ahead and say was my favorite wedding of 2016 😉

The Day’s Design Flower Studio :: The Inspiration

0 · Oct 6, 2016 ·

I’m probably a little premature on this post. Perhaps it’s a little bit of a dream yet to think that I might actually have a completed studio space in the near future. But my new flooring came in, so right now I’m going to live on a hopeful note.

I don’t have it all figured out quite yet, other than to say I have a space. The loosely outlined plans are to turn my bland basement into a working studio area. Flowers seem to take over my home, and for once, I would like to prep for a wedding and keep the mess contained to somewhere besides my kitchen.

In my imaginative mind, out basement is sort of shaped like an “S”. it’s a walkout basement, so there’s an entrance off the garage and also a couple of windows which provide some extra light. Now imagine dividing that “S” in half – one side (the half with the entrance) will be a sitting area. I have an antique sofa to reupholster and I’m looking for some other beautiful yet functional pieces to fill the space. The other half, which I like to refer to as the back half of the basement or the bottom of the “S”, will be my flowering area.

Some items for my shopping list there – an old wooden work bench or possibly kitchen island as my main prepping and designing space, shelving shelving and more shelving for storing containers, wheeled carts/shelves for completed centerpieces and a few miscellaneous pieces of furniture for storage and additional counter height creating area.

My timeline for this project is still very much unknown. For anyone who’s ever remodeled a room or house, you know that things just never go as planned. Everything takes twice the expected amount of time. And if you’ve read my blog for any amount of time then you really know how drawn out my projects always are. Throwing two little girls into the hustle with a husband who’s in the height of his busy season is just a recipe for chaos. I’m not even going to pretend that I have a deadline in reachable sight. But my special order flooring has arrived, so that’s a step in the right direction.

I’ll leave you with just a little glimpse of the inspiration behind my space. Again, this is a really loose interpretation, but it’s at least getting me headed in a direction.

Photo Sources (left to right, top to bottom): Hetler Photography | The Beach Studios | Perfectly Imperfect Blog | Wildfield Paper Co Instagram | Greetings of Grace

And if you’d like to see more, check out my Pinterest Board which is keeping me inspired for this project.

How to Work with a Wedding Planner :: Part 4 :: The Full Service Planner

0 · May 25, 2016 ·

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

A full service planner plans weddings for a living. Simple enough. For myself, that means that I will tackle any wedding related task that the bride and groom throw at me, and then some. It means I work an unlimited number of hours doing whatever it takes make all your wedding dreams come true. It means that I handled every detail from floral design to event design to day-of management and more (all the tasks listed in parts 1, 2 and 3 of this series). I’ve not so delicately referred to myself as a “wedding slave” to my full service clients, although I guarantee you its much more enjoyable and rewarding than that description would lend you to believe.

However, some planners do limit the number of hours the work or have more restrictions than I do. So don’t assume that this is an unlimited everything option with all planners. Even I have a few boundaries, I have to draw a line somewhere. I think some others are just better at defining that line than I am.

I think this is the post that most of you have been waiting for. Very few people really seem to understand how this relationship works. The bride wants to know if she should talk to the photographer or if I should. The photographer wants to know if she should work on the timeline with me or the bride.

I know some planners are really controlling and they don’t want vendors communicating with the brides without their involvement. It seems like they’re being overbearing. But the reality is, if something goes wrong on the wedding day, it always falls back on the planner. They’re just being cautious.

My personal rule of thumb is if it’s a vendor providing a service, I want the bride and groom to be involved. Photographers and the couple spend an enormous amount of time together, I would never suggest you merely let me hire them without a consultation between the bride and groom. I’ll pair you up with some of my favorites and then the ultimate decision us up to the bride and groom. Same goes for hair and makeup or catering, I know what I like to eat and can tell you some of my favorite chefs, but I’m not going to decide who has the best chicken or steak and I’m not going to tell you how to wear your hair on your wedding day – I’ll just steer you in the right direction.

I will do a lot of the leg work for my clients. I’ll make the initial contact and see if my favorite vendors are even available. I don’t want to waste my clients’ time. I’m here to narrow down who’s available and within their budgets, but the final decision is up to the bride and groom.

Once the vendor is hired and all the imperative details have been discussed, I usually take over more of the technical details and final logistics. Likewise, if it’s more of a behind the scenes vendor – we’re just using them for charger plates or linens, I don’t include the bride and groom in on that. It goes back to people that I’m subcontracting to make the wedding come to life (read more from my event design post here). Those vendors can deal specifically with me, I’m here to make the bride and grooms lives easier, not add to the list of people they need to talk to.

Dear Vendors: I want to work together. I feel like we have a common goal – at the end of the day we want a really happy married couple. If I talk to you about a potential wedding and the bride and groom don’t book, please don’t take it personally. If I talked to you at all about it – that probably means that I was rooting for you, they just didn’t think you were the right fit. We’ll work together soon. And I promise I wasn’t wasting your time with a meaningless inquiry. I’m going to bust this myth wide open – wedding planners to not control every vendor that’s hired at a wedding.

Something helpful you can do prior to the wedding season, keep me up to date on your pricing. That helps me match budgets and brides right away. Once they’ve booked, you’ll probably communicate with me a little more. But on matters of opinion, I want the bride and groom involved. Conversations with them are by no means off limits, I just want to be kept in the loop.

Dear Clients: Don’t be afraid to tell me why you like one vendor over another – it might make the rest of the process a little easier. The more insight I can get from you, the better. I need to be notified when you change your mind about things or if you decide to invite extra guests. Communication, communication, communication. I can’t stress it enough. Share copies of your contracts with me so I have full access to all fine print. Remember I am a professional and you have hired me to do a job, however it’s a really fun job and you should be enjoying this engagement period and I want you to enjoy working with me too!

Do you have other questions about working with a wedding planner? I’m happy to help and shed light on the subject however I can.

How to Work with a Wedding Planner :: Part 3 :: The Event Designer

0 · May 16, 2016 ·

Welcome back to our little working with a wedding planner series. If you need a recap before you fulling plunge into part 3, you can read part 1 and 2 here and here. And now moving forward with all the pretty details…

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography | Floral Design: The Day’s Design

What in the world is an event designer? The term is a little foreign and if you thought it was hard for people to understand the difference between a wedding planner and a coordinator – tell them you’re an event designer. It’ll blow their mind.

Technically, an event designer isn’t a wedding planner at all, they’re a visual planner. Think interior designer, for a wedding. That’s the best way I have to describe it. When people hire me for this, it’s purely cosmetic. Think all things aesthetically pleasing on the wedding day. There really isn’t a clear cut line on what all this entails, it’s more of a case by case plan. But generally speaking I’m going to meet with the bride and groom, discuss feelings, moods, color palettes, favorite flowers and more. Then I’m going to go home and lay in bed that night dreaming about all the fancy details we discussed. And then, my pen is going to hit the paper.

I love sketching out these ideas, playing with flower combinations and coordinating linens to the room layouts. I daydream about ceremony backdrops, café lights and chandeliers. I agonize over vessels for your centerpieces and coordinating votive holders. I’ll make sure that the napkins fold just right and show off the custom stationary we commissioned. The décor options are absolutely endless. I can list off 10 different chair options right off the top of my head and where to get each of them.

So once I’ve done my research on what is actually possibly, works with your budget and isn’t just a wild dream of mine, I put it down on paper and send it to my clients. They approve parts of it and often things get tweaked a touch here or there. But once it’s all to their liking, I get to work sourcing all the pieces to make it happen.

Some of the work I will do myself. I will create massive floral arches, moss and floral photo backdrops and let you rent my taper candle holders. But sometimes I have to outsource certain projects. It could be due to lack of resources, time or even know how. I will subcontract vendors to make this happen. It’s really nothing that my clients need to get involved in, I’ll sign the contract myself and add it to my invoice. I have little clause in my contract projecting me if one of the wedding guests sets fire to a $100 linen or breaks a chair, my client will be held responsible. And I also ask my clients to cover rentals that are over a certain dollar amount but I still work on my clients behalf handling the arranging of those services.

When it comes to the actual wedding day, I’ll be there. I’ll be directing all the vendors that I hired. But I won’t deal with the logistics or help manage your timeline. I’ll be focusing solely on the visual aspects, making sure that every flower is perfectly placed and that beautiful arbor isn’t going to blow over during the ceremony. It’s even possible that I’ll be gone before the bride ever sees the reception and I may not see her reaction to the space in person.

Dear Vendors: if I’m renting from you or working with you as an Event Designer, you’ll probably never meet my clients. I’ll fill you in on the relevant details of the wedding and you’ll most likely hold onto my credit card number. All communications will go through me and I’m technically your client.

Dear Clients: Trust that I’ve found you the best place for your chiavari chairs and all those floral extras are going to happen because I have flower friends who are amazing and willing to lend a hand. I have spent countless hours shopping and researching and making sure everything is top notch just for you. Sometimes that means that the sofa you wanted to rent lands on my final bill, making my service price seem a little crazy. But trust me, I’ll be so worth it in the end.

How to Work with a Wedding Planner :: Part 2 :: Day-of Coordinator

0 · May 4, 2016 ·

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography | Floral Design: The Day’s Design

As my business has evolved, I usually only coordinate weddings that I’ve also done the florals or some aspect of design for. This wasn’t always the case, I used to do coordination or event management for the day as a standalone service. So I’m writing this post as if you were hiring me for that unaccompanied help – since we really are trying to single out the Wedding Coordinator’s role in the overall vision of the wedding.

This is purely speculation, but I think this is probably the most commonly hired wedding planning service. Couples are given some professional guidance without relinquishing control or loosing too much from their pocketbooks. While they aren’t necessarily contracted to do so, most Day-of Coordinators will give some tips on etiquette share their favorite vendors with you. After all, it’s in there benefit for the couple to hire a photographer that coordinator loves and makes their life a whole lot easier if you don’t hire that caterer who is terrible at communications. I always say, I’d rather that you come to me instead of asking Mr. Google.

The process of working with me as your Day-of Coordinator typically works like this: the bride and groom hire me. Sometimes this is the first thing they do, other times it happens in a panic three months before the wedding. Either way, I won’t really start talking in more depth about the wedding until about 6-8 weeks before hand. We’ll walk through what the couple has planned for the day, how they envision everything, chat about a brief day of timeline, locations for things such as the guest book, placecards and the cake table. If at all possible, I try to visit the venue together. Then I’ll get a complete list of vendors hired by the couple. I’ll address any concerns I have logistically or otherwise and then I’ll get to work.

My first task is filling in the gaps on the itinerary. Details like ceremony and reception start time aren’t up for discussion. But often no one knows what time the caterer is planning on arriving or when the tables and chairs will be set up so the florist can place her flowers (or when I can place the centerpiece if I’m also your floral designer). If no one has told the baker what time she should arrive with the cake, it might end up sitting out all day and we’ll end up with a big pile of melted buttercream. We want to make sure that pertinent events are scheduled during the time that the photographer is contracted to work. Coordination of these details is absolutely necessary and I fill in all those holes, working on arrival times, traffic flow and general order of the day – things that the bride shouldn’t be worrying about while she’s off having her hair and makeup done the morning of the big day.

Dear Vendors: Your first contact with me will be a nice little introductory email asking if you have any concerns, special setup needs or any lingering questions that haven’t been clarified quite yet. I’ll do everything within my power to address those and a couple weeks prior to the wedding, when all these details have been confirmed with each and every one of you, I’ll send along a copy of the finalized itinerary and contact information – important phone numbers, addresses and anything else I think you might possibly need on the wedding day. Yes, that itinerary will be chucked full of information that you might not think you need, but I think over informed is much better than under.

On the actual wedding day, I try to interrupt the bride and groom as little as possible and ask that you do the same. Please be respectful of what they hired me to do and address me first with questions or concerns. I don’t have all the answers, but normally I have a few.

Dear Clients: You can make this process go smoothly by being up front with those hired vendors about my existence right from the start. Give them my email and cell phone number, that’s excellent and telling them that I’ve authorized to make decisions on your behalf is even better. As for me, I ask that you let me know the person that you’ve been in most contact with. I’d like to know all previously arranged details and if you feel inclined to cc me in on emails or forward contracts my way, that’s perfect. This gives me a little leverage when the limo driver shows up a half hour late to pick you up from the church. But so we’re clear on things, I don’t address why things when wrong on the wedding day – we can figure that out later – my goal is moving forward to solve the problem. Please don’t ask me to focus on the negative on your wedding day.

And one more little reminder – the term Wedding Planner and Day-of Coordinator are NOT interchangeable.

In case you missed it, you can read Part 1 of this series here.

A Creative Voice

0 · May 3, 2016 ·

Wedding Design | Naked Wedding Cake | The Day's Design | The Cakabakery | Weber Photography

Photography: Weber Photography | Cake: The Cakabakery | Floral Design: The Day’s Design

Last week kicked off the start of my wedding season. I haven’t unpacked all my boxes yet from the move, my studio space isn’t anywhere near being set up and it was my biggest wedding of the entire year. I had knots in my stomach for days.

So last Tuesday morning, instead of trying to organize a little more or prepping my flower buckets for the impending blooms, I decided to color some terra cotta pots with chalk. They just looked too fresh to house my little cactus friends and they needed a little “distressing”, if you will.

I was rather enjoying myself when suddenly I realized how ridiculous this was – I had a to-do list 3 miles long and I was coloring pots. Pots that 90% of the wedding guests probably wouldn’t see and who knows if I would receive any appreciation at all for my efforts.

I started thinking about all the silly little details that I have stressed about throughout the seasons – I’ve added gold leafing to planters, spray painted animals the perfect shade of rose gold, I’ve visiting slews of nurseys and greenhouses in hunt for the perfect connector flowers. I’ve shopped high and low for white ceramic pots, silky ribbons and copper charger plates. I’ve painted, built, crafted, diy-ed, hunted, gathered and blown my floral budgets to bits all because “good enough” is never enough for me. I’m constantly seeking my version of perfection and knowing that I can do more.

Often you’ll find me straddling the line between madness and brilliance, trying to find my creative voice in this industry. I would like to announce that I think have finally found it. I finally know what it is I want to create. I have found my style, my niche and my flair in what seems to be an oversaturated market. It’s taken years to get here and it wasn’t easy. But it’s this line that I’m willing to cross that makes me unique and the realization that I might not do things the way others do or even in a way that would be considered “correct”. But it works for me. I’m willing to cry tears of exhaustion to put a smile on a bride’s face. And I will shop my heart out.

Why should you hire an event designer verses just a florist? For all those reasons above. It goes beyond centerpieces, beyond garden roses and bouquets. It’s not about wholesale South American roses verses local wildflowers. It’s about you. It’s about using my create vision to capture the essence of you as a couple, as a client, as a bride. From signage, to invitations, to linen selections, table runners, seating options, room layouts, mariachi bands, favors, lighting, flowers and knowing when to add an extra sprig of greenery to your cake, I’m here every step making sure this celebration is a reflection of this remarkable couple in front of me on their wedding day.

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How to Work with a Wedding Planner

0 · Apr 21, 2016 ·

There was a wedding I worked last summer at a beautiful new venue. It was owner operated and so I would also call her the venue coordinator. We talked about a ton of plans before hand and she had quite a few “particulars” that were musts on her lists to keep her venue in pristine condition. She had extra staff around and she would often reference that “they” will take care of various things. She was also very involved with the overall flow. Nothing crazy out of the ordinary for a venue coordinator. However, it got to a point in the evening where things just weren’t proceeding as they should and I needed to take matters into my own hands. Something that “they” were supposed to do hadn’t happened yet. So I inquired about when it might be taking place. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment as I’m still filled with fury just thinking back, she stopped and turned, then barked at me “I don’t know! I’m not the wedding planner!!” She walked away, my blood was boiling and I didn’t speak to her the rest of the night (because obviously the silent treatment is the mature approach from me). And I did “their” job myself.

Other than the fact that her reaction was so out of line, the reason I was so upset about this is because I wasn’t the wedding planner either. I was just hired for day-of coordination. I didn’t know EVERYTHING. And this is why I beg couples to share as much information as they possibly can with me.

How to Work with a Wedding Planner | The Day's Design | Ashley Slater Photography

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

The title of this article is “How to Work with a Wedding Planning”. I’d like to take time to explore this from both a vendor and client perspective. These questions come up all the time – what’s the relationship between bride and planner? Who do we communicate with? Who are services contracted through? Does the planner completely take over the wedding?

Before I can answer these questions, I need to start by laying some groundwork. We need to understand the various levels of service that you can hire someone like myself for. I think why the venue owner reacted the way she did was due to a lack of understanding. She didn’t understand what the bride truly hired me to do, or what the difference is between a coordinator and planner.

I’m hoping that with this little series we can clear up some of the misconceptions and learn how we call can work together.

Now, it might vary some depending upon who you hire, but for me, I offer several different options and this is what each of these services include.

Floral Design

If I’ve been hired for floral design only, I’m going to make some gorgeous arrangements. However, I’m not going to design or setup any other pieces of the wedding and I’m not in charge of any planning services. I’m simply going to decorate with the supplies that I brought along and then I’m going home for the day. Aside from possibly a quick chat with the photographer or adding a few blooms to the cake, I won’t have communications with the other vendors. This service is pretty unique to me, most planners don’t offer full floral design and if they do, it’s only with clients who have hired them for planning as well, which makes it more of an add on service. But I love flowers and will arrange them for weddings no matter what.

Event Design

Event design flows really well with floral design. Think of this as hiring me to take charge of anything that’s aesthetically pleasing. Some items that fall into this category would be linen selection, room layouts, invitations and other paper products, working with the cake designer, helping select bridesmaids colors, backdrops, place settings and sourcing some of those specialty rental items. However, this doesn’t include assistance with logistics, timing, etiquette or really any non-visual pieces of the wedding day. I scheme, I design, and I set everything up pretty and make sure that the special vendor’s I subcontracted are doing their part but then I’m on my way before the show really begins.

Day-of Coordination/Event Management

Sometimes one is hired just to manage those logistics. Some planners have strength in the visual elements and some are more suited to managing the flow of the day. While most planners will do either, I think it’s important to understand the strengths of whose been hired. Why did you go to that planner? Is it because they have awesome communications and flow with other vendors? Or is it because you love the look of their portfolio? And why does their portfolio look like that? If they’ only coordinated and had nothing to do with the design, then it can’t possibly be expected that every wedding they coordinate will have “that look”, because the planning of most of those visual elements most likely took place before they were involved.

So if someone is contracted to manage the day, expect them to do just that. They typically jump in about the last month or so of planning and tie up the loose ends. They make sure that everything the bride has put in place actually happens and are the go-to person on the wedding day and the final days leading up to the wedding. Questions from other vendors can be filtered through them, therefore eliminated 50 different texts/emails/calls to the bride on the day before the wedding and we can narrow that down to 1 from her coordinator, who will be in fact her right hand man on the day of. Typically this person is the first person onsite and the last one to leave at the end of the evening. They don’t generally do much setup or decorating, a few tasks here or there such as placing table numbers or escort card displays but for the most part, their job is to oversee and make sure that everyone else is doing their job.

Now as a vendor working a coordinator, understand that they may not have all the answers right away – they only have information the bride has given them. And sometimes sucking information out of the bride is a challenging task, from finalizing guest counts to knowing who receives all of the corsages and boutonnières, there are a lot of the pieces of the puzzle to be managed. We coordinators at times have had to deal with brides who haven’t found it necessary for us to have “all” the information, which is a really tough place to be in and sometimes make us appear less than adequate at our jobs.

Full Service Wedding Planning

This person is hired to assist with the entire process. There’s not much that’s off limits – from design, to vendor selections, clothing, rsvp tracking and turning out the lights at the end of the night, this is your all-encompassing package.

The full service wedding planner will spend over 200 hours planning a wedding. The wedding weekend itself may contain a couple 12+ hour days for her and her assistants. There will be so much behind the scenes work that goes unseen, it’ll just magically happen and the day will (hopefully) be perfect.

If the wedding planner is also the floral designer, add another 100 hours of labor onto a big wedding. I know it sound excessive but this is not a job for the weak and weary.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the planner isn’t there to take away from their fun in wedding planning. The bride and groom are usually still involved and there are details that the planner cannot handle – inviting guests, dress fittings, music selection, seating charts, cake and food tasting – just to name a few. Most planners stay in the know on all these subjects, but there’s a chance that a bride or groom may change their mind and forget to notify the planner. It’s not a fool proof system that everything will remain worry free just because there’s a wedding planner. Communication is key to this relationship.

This post got a little wordy, but if you’re still with me – that’s step 1 to working with a planner for both clients and vendors. Bottom line, you need to know who was hired and what services they have been hired for. This will determine the rest of the working relationship. Stay tuned for part 2 of this 4 part series.

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