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Featured :: Shelby & Paul’s Picturesque Autumn Wedding on Style Me Pretty

0 · Apr 28, 2017 ·

It is really interesting working with a bride who shares your name. All day long I kept hearing, “Shelby!” but no one was talking to me. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I answered and then was immediately embarassed. This day was not about me. This day belonged to another beautiful bride.

While I have yet to feature Shelby and Paul’s wedding here on my own blog, it was featured last month on Style Me Pretty but unfortunately I somehow missed it and am so sad that I’ve delayed in sharing the most picturesque of autumn days. This October day was one that will reign in my memories for many years to come. The colors, the warm sunshine and the barnyard animals that surrounded this 19th century barn made my heart sing. I’m getting tingles just thinking about it, which means you should probably head on over to SMP right now to see catch just a glimpse of the magic that I witnessed that day.

Feminine & Romantic Boudoir Editorial

0 · Nov 9, 2016 ·

I don’t do many boudoir projects. With them being so personal in nature, I think clients try to involve a few vendors as possible. And then there’s the question of what to do with the pictures? Do you create an album or gift box for your husband? Is it appropriate to hang them as wall art?

I personally think it’s a really beautiful gift. I think they can be romantic and raw, delicate and feminine and something that doesn’t even necessarily need to be given or displayed to anyone, it’s alright to keep treasures like this to yourself. It’s a way to remind yourself that you are all woman – not just a mommy, career warrior or housewife. There’s a romantic side buried deep inside just waiting for the confidence and occasion to be unleashed.

Ashley approached me with this project over a year ago. We wanted to create something beautiful that would hit home with both brides and married women alike. We wanted to bring the outdoors in with greenery and florals. Candlelight added some romance. Plus a hand painted blue backdrop was the perfect amount of artsy detail.

But my favorite part was the deconstructed settee. The stitching had started to fall loose and the fabric had seen better days. But the curvature and lines were ideal and the wood was warm and welcoming. Adding some ferns enhanced the outline and made it seem as though it had been sitting there longing to be sat on long enough for the earth to take over and reclaim what’s hers.

There’s a lot of focus right now about not being stuck in a man’s shadow. Women want to show how powerful they are – we can do anything. But I don’t think a woman needs to be “in power” to show how influential and mighty she really is. We are strong and capable. However, we were designed to be unique. We get to experience the world in a way that will forever remain a mystery to the male population. And this a really good thing. We need to embrace the joys of being female and always keep it classy.

This editorial was also featured on 100 Layer Cake earlier this spring. You can see the feature here.

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Featured :: Crissie & Mike’s Fern Infused Woodland Wedding on Grey Likes Weddings

0 · Oct 10, 2016 ·

“In the cathedral of the woods

where the slanting light shines through

the song of the bird enchants the air

and fills the soul with tranquillity..

Over the open fields the spirit glides on the wing of a bee – – – – or a dragonfly

touching each flower growing there – – – – –

and – – as they day slips into night

finds beauty in a blade of grass . . .

Slowly the great panorama of color changes into purple and greys – – – day is becoming night .

. . . .

Trees stand silhouetted against subdued light – –

– – life of the day is quietly resting as the vigilant life of night is stirring . . . . . .

The evening star glistens beside the pale crest of the new moon which seems to pause a

moment on the horizon – – then slips beyond . . . .

Thousand of fireflies twinkle in the low fields – – – twinkling to their mates – – – – then rise in

ecstasy and mingle with the stars . . . . .

Milliards of stars form a great arc across the heavens and create a luminous light . . There

are summer nights when the stars shoot out of the darkness and almost drop to earth . . . . . .

Even among the steadfast stars

there is change and motion . . . .

There are nights when the northern sky becomes a shimmering curtain with vertical rays of

greens – – – yellows – – and shades of rose – – – moving – – – moving – – – constantly changing

. . . . .

. . . nights of reverence

and tranquil solitude – – – –

time for the imagination to recreate itself . . .”

~Gwen Frostic

Remember my Ferngully wedding? That was the opening to her 30+ page wedding style guide she gave me for their fern infused celebration. And for that reason, and many more, I adored working with Crissie to make her wedding dreams a reality. The remaing pages were filled with poetry, ferns, art deco details, watercolor touches and shades of glacier grey, lilac, dusk blue and navy peony. No detail was left untouched. From her discription of what Northern Michgian means to her with its intricate arms of fern across the forest floor to the selectively chosen gold accents. She wanted her day to be “an elegant event in a natural setting. The decor will gracefully elevate the oragnic feel of the surroundings, through a whimsical lens.” I think we accomplished just that. And today you can see the full feature on Grey Likes Weddings.

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Featured :: Styled Boudoir Editorial on 100 Layer Cake

0 · Jun 10, 2016 ·

The sensual side of being a woman. That’s what I’d really like to entitle this project. It’s not about raunchy, racy photos of women in the nude but a reminder that we’re all beautiful and our own kind of sexy. It’s about the lingering glance behind long lashes. It’s the she simplicity of timeless lace. It’s the flower in your hand that so desperately wants to be held.

Today women get so focused on power and not being left behind in a man’s shadow. We’re out to prove that we’re strong and capable. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, we also need to remember what makes us unique. There’s a reason that we are different from men. We get to do things and experience the world in a way that will forever remain a mystery to the male population.

This project with Ashley Slater reminds us of that. It reminds us to embrace our inner and outer beauty. We are feminine, classy and romantic beings. And today you can see it through our feature over on 100 Layer Cake.

Bridal Boudoir | The Day's Design | Ashley Slater Photography

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Featured :: An Autumn Engagement on Ruffled Blog

0 · Dec 17, 2015 ·

The days are shorter, the air is cool and the world is taking on a golden brown hue. We welcomed September rains, brought out velvet touches and are savoring evenings by candlelight and now have added tinsel to our shopping lists. It’s a clear sign that engagement season is officially upon us. When I saw Wedding Paper Diva’s dreamy invitation suite with its fairytale-like lake scene the whole story of the romantic early autumn proposal jumped to life. With mixed metallics and touches of grey blue, we imagined a lakeside story filled with sequins and wheat grass, where rustic meets elegance and love was surely to thrive. The perfect place to start to the journey to “I do”.

Olivia and Carter made the perfect models as he had proposed to Olivia less than a month before. The chemistry between this gorgeous couple was so natural. Clifford Lake Inn was the perfect host, which it’s refined rustic decor and understated lakeside charm. And Sam (of Bradley James Photography) captured the mood of the shoot with absolute perfection. Today you can see the entire feature over on Ruffled Blog.

The Sand & the Sea

0 · Dec 16, 2015 ·

December’s weather here in Michigan has been a little abnormal, to say the least. The amount of foggy and rain filled days have been unheard of and I’ve hardly had the need to put on my winter coat. This morning, once again, I woke up to a thick of cloud that hung in the air. It’s such a dense and gloomy feeling.

It actually made me think back to this day in May. The temperatures were oddly similar although this spring day was far windier. Ashley Slater and I had been dreaming up a beach shoot. We wanted it to be natural, ethereal and chic all at the same time. We wanted to combine a classic black tux and a streamline wedding gown with driftwood and other neutral touches found on Lake Michigan’s glistening shoreline. We dreamt of a very sun kissed, yet earthy and grounded day with the decor seeming as though it had been washed ashore from a shipwreck.

However, as it so often happens, the weather changed our plans. One of the biggest lessons I have learned it to just roll with it and let the story be a part of your day. Since this was a styled shoot, we had the option to reschedule when the weather was chilly and less than ideal. But we moved forward despite the misty and fog. And one of my favorite outcomes of the day was the moody tone that the beach set. The sky mirrored the muted watercolor lines of Wildfield Paper’s custom paper goodies. The whitecaps and the wind whipping through Caitlin’s hair were perfection. We decided not to fuss with curls, a tie and other formalities. It turned into a wild, barefoot and carefree celebration.

This shoot was also featured on Magnolia Rouge, you can see the post here.

Featured :: Nautical Lake Michigan Wedding on Style Me Pretty

0 · Dec 11, 2015 ·

On the sand in St Joseph, Becca and John said I do. From the flowers to the ribbons to the setting, the entire day was picaresque. Lake Michigan will always hold a piece of my heart, no matter how far my travels may take me. The soft tones and nautical touches were some of my favorites from this past wedding season. The fact that the celebration remained unplugged made nature’s beautiful shine all the more. And today you can see the entire celebration featured over on Style Me Pretty.

Style Me Pretty Bouquet Breakdown

0 · Nov 5, 2015 ·

A couple month’s ago one of the awesome ladies from Style Me Pretty reached out asking if I’d mind breaking down and sharing all the ingredients to Christina’s lovely autumn bouquet (you may remember Tim & Christina’s wedding was featured on their blog here last spring). It was so special being asked, as I feel like Tim and Christina’s wedding was a break out moment for me and I will forever think of their wedding day with the warmest memories. I had done other floral arranging, I done other weddings but I knew in my heart of hearts that theirs was something special. They entrusted an incredible amount of faith in me. Their wedding wasn’t only going to be the start of something incredible and new for them, but it was going to be the start something big for me as well.

I was right.

This was my big break and the largest scale event that I had tackled to date. My love affair with flowers grew. And it continues to grow. I stretched my wings and did something scary and reaped huge rewards. I proved myself worthy – not to the world – but to myself. So when I was asked to describe this bouquet and the flower it… it was hard to know where to even start. Their wedding was a beautiful finale to the end of the 2014 wedding season.

It was my first time using Peterkort Roses. It’s a bit nerve wrecking any time you use a new supplier. Simply put, I had nothing to be nervous about. Their roses do not disappoint. As always, I had set aside my favorite blooms as I was processing and unpacking flowers. Special blooms for a special bride. Her bouquet was one of the last projects I tackled late that Friday night. I think that was my biggest bucket of “favorite blooms” I have ever collected.

It was dark and quiet in my Grandpa’s garage. The rains fell on the red tin roof and the wind was roaring outside on that cold October night. But what I remember are the flowers, the awe, and how I loved each and every stem that I placed.

Friends, here’s the bouquet (captured by the ever amazing Kelly Sweet Photography) and here’s the recipe, you can read more about it all these magical romantic roses over on Style Me Pretty.

7 Stems of Helga Piaget Garden Roses
5 Stems of Romantik Antike Garden Roses
3 Stems of Champagne Roses
2 Stems of Talea Roses
3 Stems of Pink Majolica Spray Roses
2 Stems of Pee Gee Hydrangeas
2 Stems of Peach Stock
Italian Ruscus Foliage
Variegated Pittosporum Foliage

Enjoy!

Featured :: Sand & Sea on Magnolia Rouge

0 · Oct 20, 2015 ·

It’s no secret that I love the water. The sound of crashing waves and beautiful beaches are so invigorating. It really is amazing all the beauty that God has put on this earth around us. Beyond the obviously picturesque days, I love those that are a little darker. Moody, overcast skies are so intoxicating. There’s a calmness as the wind rips through your hair, the sound of the sand dancing across the shoreline and then… bam, another giant swell meets it’s ending upon the shore.

This inspiration was born out of those overcast skies. A little bit of mist hung in the air and the sand was chilled with a dampness. It was not a day to fuss with curls in your hair or to bother putting on a tie. It was a wild, carefree and barefoot occasion – come as you are and let love prevail. And today I’m delighted to share it in it’s entirety over on Magnolia Rouge.

Featured :: Style Me Pretty Michigan

0 · May 14, 2015 ·

Talk about sweet surprises, I knew this day was coming but I didn’t know when. So when I saw this gorgeous wedding pop up in my feed it just took my glum morning and turned my busy frown up side down! I LOVED this wedding. And I know that I’m not supposed to play favorites, but this one totally has hold of my heartstrings and seeing it again today on Style Me Pretty makes so so excited for all the lovely in store for this coming wedding season.

Kelly Sweet captured the romance with absolute perfection and the video from Coastline Studio is not to be missed. Northern Michigan, I can’t wait to come back home!

Here’s the feature which shows full vendor credits and I’ll also be sharing more in the future… this is a beautiful blog post in the making.

Featured :: Style Me Pretty Midwest

0 · Jan 12, 2015 ·

Last winter Rachel, of Sincerely Ginger Weddings, and I were inspired to create an inspiration shoot based on this scene.

We’re all so familiar with Lake Michigan’s summer views, but the winter is just a breathtaking. We thought about the soft lilac tones which subtly shift from periwinkle, to sky blue until they reach the boldness of a navy nighttime sky. Leland made the most perfect backdrop anyone could ask for and today you can see the shoot in it’s entirety on Style Me Pretty Midwest.

Enjoy!

Featured :: Wedding in the Woods on Style Me Pretty

0 · Nov 17, 2014 ·

I have goals, both in business and in life. I’m not very vocal about these goals even though I’ve heard from numerous sources that voicing them will help you to achieve them. I’m the exception to this rule. I’m the girl who just feels even more miserable about herself when I fail and feels like a fool for having to publically broadcast my failure, which makes me never want to set another goal again. Period.

But one of the silent goals that I have for my little business is being achieved today. It has been a long time coming with lots of hard work and tears and a constant strife to be better and challenge myself more, which I feel is helpful not only to oneself but also to my clients. So here I am – The Day’s Design – published on the front page of Style Me Pretty.

Someone pinch me please!!

Florals + Event Design: The Day’s Design | Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography

I cannot wait to share the inspiration and design in its entirety on my blog in the near future but for now, head on over to SMP to see this gorgeous Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding in the woods.

Waiting

0 · Aug 27, 2014 ·

Waiting. I fear we live in a world where that concept is lost. It’s old fashioned not to have instant gratification. It’s rare not to have something new in your hands moments after discovering that you want it.

On Monday, I was sent of preview of what was to be posted on Once Wed this week. It was all about waiting. I have waited since May to see the results of the photo shoot which I had a very small role in producing along with my other Team Flower girls. And it was worth the wait.

“In ancient Hebrew culture when a bride and groom were engaged, there was a time of separation, of waiting. Rather than planning every detail of their wedding day together, the groom needed to leave his bride at her home and go to his father’s house to build a room for he and his bride to live in when they married. She never knew exactly when her groom would return, but she trusted him and waited. This trust brought peace and rest to her mind. In that time she prepared herself for his arrival, fully confident he would return at just the right time.”

The idea of not knowing when something will happen, especially something as big as a wedding, is so foreign. I feel as though I would explode from the lack of knowledge and constantly living on the edge of my seat, thinking every moment I needed to be prepared, at my best and completely ready.

I must admit, patience is not a strong suit of mine. But I feel lately that I’ve been sitting here waiting for something – something great, I just don’t know what yet. I’ve left my blog full of silence this month and I’ve just waited for the perfect thing to share. And while my month may have been filled with busy, it was also full of questions. So what’s next? What exactly am I waiting for?

The above picture is simply a tease, you must see the entire feature starring Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers & Heather Payne Photography, along with full vendor credits here.

Valentine’s Bouquet Inspiration

0 · Feb 14, 2014 ·

Back in the snow and gloom of January I had an idea. Valentine’s Day would quickly be approaching and it’s a day that always calls for some gorgeous blooms. However, sometimes these mounds of perfectly placed, symmetrical and classic roses need a little extra love – ferns and baby’s breath can only do so much. The careless air of a wildflower bouquet has always been more my style and frankly, sometimes these typical rose arrangements are a bit sophisticated and stuffy for my taste.

So I thought, why not make bouquets out of these readily available Valentine’s flowers that were my style? You don’t have to have extremely high end blooms to make a pretty bouquet, they just need to be artfully arranged and displayed. My goal was to gather some of these grocery store blooms and create something gorgeous and over the top romantic. These are all flowers that are readily available and can be glamorous if just arranged and displayed correctly. So if your man stops at Speedway on his way home from work tonight, don’t lose heart… you can still have some beautiful flowers!

Bouquet Recipe 1:

3 stems pink spray roses
6 cream roses
3 pale pink roses
3 medium (colored) pink roses
4 cherry roses
3 bakers ferns
1 tree fern
1 sprig cedar (salvaged from my back yard – because I promised everything would be easy to source!)

And don’t underestimate the impact a glamorous ribbon can make… the velvet one here is amazing!

Bouquet #2 has a few more components and is a little fancier. But it still has lots of Valentine favorites including tulips – just to tease you with the thought of spring!

Bouquet Recipe 2:

5 pink tulips
4 stems burgundy mums
2 pink snap dragons
3 medium (colored) pink roses
3 stems pink spray roses
2 cherry roses
2 cream roses
2 light pink roses
3 stems eucalyptus
1 bakers fern

And I couldn’t resist putting together a little floral hairpiece with some of the leftover blooms, which is a certain way to make any girl feel like a princess! Then we added some glitter and sweet treats and then convinced Heather Cisler Photography to come play with me in the middle of a snow storm!

This project was also featured over on Burnett’s Boards earlier this week, which was super fun as well, let’s spread the love all around!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Love & Economics

0 · Feb 12, 2014 ·

Occasionally I turn the TV on while I’m working (since I work from home), especially on those days where my main tasks are a little less entertaining (i.e. bookkeeping!) We live in a cable free home, so my channel options are extremely limited and I don’t find myself distracted by television too often. But yesterday, Steve Harvey was in the background chatting on about Valentines and love, relationships, etc. etc. Then he said something that really got me thinking – “You can’t find Mr. Right until you let go of Mr. Wrong”.

Now, I have no idea what your relationship status is. Whether you’re married, single, dating or kind of hanging out with someone, this statement applies. It also applies in life situations. If you’re spending all your time focusing on one project (the wrong one) you can’t move on to the right one. Time is the key here. Where are you focusing your time? Go back to high school economics; this is a classic case of opportunity costs. Are we missing opportunities while we’re stuck focusing on the wrong man, the wrong job, the wrong _____ (you fill in the blank).

Can I just say how thankful I am that I took a leap and started my own business? I had a really good job previously, but it didn’t allow me to create, have fun or be myself. And if I were still there I definitely wouldn’t have put together this pretty amazing shoot that’s featured over on Burnett’s Boards today. You absolutely need to go see it!

Spend your time wisely and live life fully. I hope you’re enjoying this week of love!

Sex and the City Wedding Inspiration

0 · Nov 20, 2013 ·

Eeekk!!! Did you see my feature over on Every Last Detail yesterday? I am beyond excited to be published and so happy to finally share all the results from this super girly and glamorous shoot Kellie of Hetler Photography and I put together. So sit back, relax and scroll through all the pretty (and make sure to stay tuned until the very end for an amazing video surprise!!)

Kellie and I knew we wanted to put together an upbeat, modern styled shoot with lots of sparkle. While we love vintage and it is still very popular, we visualized a sleeker event, with lots of downtown glam. As our concept began to unfold, we aimed to define and pinpoint our big city feel. And no city defines big better than the Big Apple! So we began creating an event that Carrie and The Girls would be proud to attend…

To start the day, the fabulous ladies at Cheeky Strut knocked it out of the park with the hair and make-up for our models, bringing all the Sex and the City characters to life.

So many glorious peonies on this tabletop, it’ll take your breath away!

Get a load of these yummy treats! My hubby just happens to be an amazing chef who was able to make these New York inspired dishes for us.

It simply couldn’t be a New York inspired shoot without a big yellow taxi!

And now for one of my favorite parts of the whole shoot – the wedding video!! Inspiration Video blew me away with the results, it still gives me goosebumps!

Photography: Hetler Photography / Event Design & Coordination: The Day’s Design / Floral Design: Modern Day Floral / Hair & Make-up: Cheeky Strut /Stationary Design: Emily Ross Creative / Cake: Mirabella Confections / Venue: The Cheney Place / Videography: Inspiration Video / Chiavari Chairs: The Rental Company / Bride’s Dress & Veil: Bridal Elegance / Bride’s Hat: The Day’s Design / Ice Sculpture: Luba Petrash, Grand Rapids Community College / Catering: Chef Josh Ferguson

We completely immersed ourselves in Sex and the City, watching way too many episodes and channeling our “inner Carries”. But it was just too much fun to resist! Thank you to all the vendors that took part in bringing our vision to life. ( and feel free to pop on over to Kellie’s blog to see her take on all this fun!!)

Featured: Vendor Interview on Wedding Lovely

0 · Sep 17, 2013 ·

I started this week off with a lovely vendor feature over on the Wedding Lovely blog. Can I say, I’m just a little excited? It’s my first feature, just a little interview with yours truly, but it’s kind of fun to be in the spotlight for a minute, I’m not going to lie (even though normally I don’t really like to be the center of attention).

In case you missed it, you can read about me here. I’m going to share more of those lovely photos seen in the post soon, because that little shoot with Bradley James Photography was pretty darn fun!!

Hope you’re having a great week!

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