little sister getting married

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 😉

Cinderella’s Proposal

0 · Aug 17, 2016 ·

My little sister just got married. But before the merriment of “I do’s” there is a story to be told. It’s a lovely story, a tale of two people who have fallen in love. It’s a story of friendship and longing. It’s story of patience and dreams that do come true.

A little birdie whispered in my ear that a certain someone was going to propose. The first step was finding the perfect ring. I found myself honored enough to assist with the jewelry shopping. He chose a ring with the style name honored our grandmother, Margaret, and then had the design tweaked just a touch to make it fit my sister’s tastes. It is a light blue sapphire (her birthstone) in a yellow gold setting and diamond accents. It is stunning.

Each spring I like to put together an inspiration shoot. It helps me to dust off my flowering skills and stir up some creative juices. But as of late, I have found them to feel rather “empty”. It seems like putting together these mock parties is wasteful, even frivolous. And I was stuck looking for an idea.

The knowledge that Devin was going to propose was not new to me. In fact, it was a secret that I had tucked away for nearly 6 months as my sister was searching for a new apartment, moving forward with her life and doing pretty much the opposite of what every newly engaged woman should be doing – all while we were off shopping for the perfect jewel. But I kept quiet, my lips were sealed. As I was mulling all of these things over and helping my soon to be brother-in-law brainstorm an amazing proposal, the idea struck me that we could combine both my inspiration shoot (which I had no ideas for) and his proposal (which he was also trying to make extremely memorable).

One of my sister’s all time favorite movies is the 1965 version of Roger & Hammerstien’s Cinderella – and if you’re not familiar with that version, stop reading this and go watch it. It’s simply the best version of Cinderella known to man. He had taken her to see a live version for her birthday, they had watched the movie together and it seemed like a very appropriate source of inspiration.

Under the guise of a small inspiration shoot, I asked my sister to model for me and proceeded to get her all dolled up. She had a pampering salon day at Cheeky Strut, she picked out a beautiful gown at Spring Sweet and we made her feel like a princess, she needed a real life Cinderella moment. Now if only she had a pair of shoes…

Spring Sweet’s store closed and we made Justine walk down to the main store level to find her shoes. The trip just so happened to take her down a beautiful wooden staircase which Spring and I adorned with blooming branches and greens. On the treads of each step were gold calligraphy letter from Lief Design spelling out Will You Marry Me? “10 Minutes Ago” from Roger’s and Hammerstien’s Cinderella started playing. And at the bottom of the stairs stood Prince Charming, holding her shoes and an engagement ring.

And don’t miss the video which I shared a couple weeks ago. Their proposal story was also featured on The Wedding Chicks last month. I can’t wait to share pictures from the wedding!

Why I’m Excited to Plan a Wedding in Flint, Michigan

0 · Aug 3, 2016 ·

I grew up in a small town 13 miles north of Flint, Michigan. While I realize that I’m not “from” Flint – it was not the city on my mailing address or where I went to school – it still has the draw of home. It was my stomping grounds. That’s where I went to Meijer, Target and the mall. The Vehicle City provided a small town girl with the conveniences that weren’t available in a town with an urban population 2,500 people. My Grandpa worked at GM as did many of my friends’ parents. And since most people aren’t familiar with the town of Clio, for the first 18 years of life instead of giving a geography lesson, Flint is where I claimed to be from.

The stories of Flint’s decline are prevalent. I’ve never been okay with the tale of a dying city, crumbling structures and lost history. I cannot stand it when someone tears down a historic home or leaves a stunning old building standing in decay. New is not better! And when it hits this close to home, it’ all the worse. Between the closing of the factories, the increased crime rates and now the undrinkable water, the future of Flint seems hopeless.

But I’m excited to plan a wedding there.

Yes, I am planning a wedding in Downtown Flint. And I am excited. The prospect of bringing something beautiful to a dismal place is a symbol of hope. There is a least one gorgeous venue in the area which holds so much history. William C. Durant is credited for founding General Motors. The Durant Hotel was named in his honor. After years of a vacant existence, the landmark building has been restored. What was once a symbol of prominence and success, is again a beautiful vision of the potential the city still holds. In its heyday, it was known for its luxury accommodations, events and grand ballroom. The building’s smaller ballroom still holds its original spender and will host my sister’s wedding next week.

Once again, I’m going to tell you how excited I am for my sister’s wedding. But this post isn’t about her, it’s about the city that she chose to be wed in. And I’m sure she’s not romancing this declining city the way I am, but I’m still glad she chose to have a wedding near home. We looked at venues across the state, she didn’t hold any loyalties to the area. But in a really, really small way, I feel like we’re helping. Business is staying local. Every dollar counts. I love supporting local and hometown efforts.

It’s also been a welcomed challenge. Do you ever try to look at the world around you in a different way? I’ve been forced to see the beauty as well as the decay. I want to think about what it would have been like to be one of the original residents in the area. I can only imagine an era of carriages turned to horseless automobliles in a scenic city along a beautiful river. Somehow, I feel like we’re telling their side of the story. We’re honoring their history. Just picture the 1920s scene of a lavish woman parading proudly down the street in a proper long gown and a dapper gent on her arm. Next week, that scene will come to life once more.

Wedding in Flint Michigan | The Day's Design | Samantha James Photography

Photography: Samantha James Photography

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Little Sister Getting Married {To Be Continued}

0 · Jan 14, 2014 ·

I have fairly openly blogged about my little sister’s wedding, a little more-so than with other brides and projects I’m working on. Her wedding has truly been a labor of love with lots of gorgeous details in the works. There’s also been a lot of anticipation for this event; I hear buzz from wedding guests, other vendors and friends alike. “You’re going to blog the results, right???” I can’t even count the number of times those words have been said.

But the piece of the wedding that makes the day so beautiful is the love, commitment and the person you have waiting for you at the end of the aisle. And sometimes throughout the planning process another truth is presented. Sometimes you realize that your family is perfect just the way it is.

Photo by Bradley James Photography

While its human nature to long for companionship, I truly believe the best relationships might be the ones that are right in front of you – your family, your best friend, your beautiful little girl. Your {future} spouse may not necessarily make your life complete.

My little sister is completely heartbroken after making the tough decision to call off her wedding, which was supposed to have taken place past weekend. It’s a brave and bold choice to make. But I fully support her decision and know from the bottom of my heart that she will triumph over this.

I originally thought that this would be the final post in the “Little Sister Getting Married” series, however I have rethought this. It’s just To Be Continued, a little stalling period to keep the audience in suspense. I have no doubt that the best in her life is yet to come.

Little Sister Getting Married {Invitations are Out!}

0 · Dec 3, 2013 ·

I have had doodles, designs and to-do lists scattered about my desk for months now, all revolving around my little sister’s wedding. I am so excited for her and I keep going back to the plans trying to figure out how to make this the absolute wedding of her DREAMS. Now, admittedly I must say that I’m a little closer to this bride than my other clients, sorry, but it’s true. That being said, there’s a little more of an emotional connection there and sometimes I literally have to stop myself from jumping up and down when I’m in the planning stages.

November has been a month full of showers and parties all revolving around my dear sister. Invitations also went out last month (and as my mother said, “Well, it looks like we’re having a wedding!”) and RSVPs are starting to roll in. I just got an email from the fabulous Brad and Sam (of Bradley James Photography – who also took the above photo)and they’re hoping to tie up loose ends with them very soon. Eek… now I just had that “This is really happening” moment!!

This glittery, vintage, wintery wonderland affair is definitely going to be one for the books and I cannot wait until January!!

My Sock Bun Hits the Ceiling!!

0 · Oct 11, 2013 ·

I rarely wear my hair up. And if I do it’s one of those super-messy, spur-of-the-moment, I-HAVE-to-get-my-hair-off-my-neck situations. I have this really weird thing about my neck and showing off my ears, anyway, so NOT the point of this post (I’m just quirky and don’t like my hair up – enough said).

In addition to being the pre-wedding coordinator and event designer for my sister’s wedding, I have the added bonus of also being the maid of honor. I am so super excited about this and about her, and it is truly an honor to be a part of her dream day in such a big way. It is also my duty as a bridesmaid to be an awesome MOH and realize that it’s her day, and things will be done her way. Perfect.

But she thinks she wants the girls to wear their hair up. So as a good older sister and bridesmaid I’ve begun experimenting with how I can wear my hair up and keep both of us happy. The ever so popular sock bun has come into play. I love the look of a giant, sophisticated and neat bun. I would still get big hair, but it wouldn’t be messy. Yes, I thought this might be the perfect solution.

I rocked it for a couple days. And then I got in my car.

Now, I’m not going to go off on a tangent about how cars were clearly designed by bald men who have no appreciation of a greatly teased head of hair. However, the frustration of having to lean my seat back and slouch while driving is great. It might even be classified as a safety risk. But of course as a female, I tend to put beauty before safety, oops.

When I drive my Tahoe, it’s not an issue. I have since told my husband that I will no longer be driving the car. He rolled his eyes and switched keys.

What I am wondering is, how are you brides with fabulous up-dos being transported to your ceremony location or who’s driving you home from the salon? Are you going to have to be crammed in a car or do you have a luxurious SUV of some sort? Or perhaps your stylist is coming to you (which I highly recommend). Am I just being crazy?? Maybe others don’t really have this concern… Maybe I just like my hair too big!!

The above image is from here. And you’ll also learn how to achieve this look yourself!!

Just the thoughts going through my head on the beautiful Friday morning! Have a great weekend!!

Little Sister Getting Married!! {Weekend Update}

0 · Aug 5, 2013 ·

Oh hello Monday… so glad you’re here for another busy week! But before I start on the busy week ahead, I just must share how much fun this past weekend was.

While my sister and I have been collaborating and doing much of her wedding planning from afar (she lives on the east side of the state), it was so nice to have her visit and put so many of our plans into action! We scratched countless items off the planning list this weekend and I am unbelievable excited about how this whole celebration is coming together. A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about how long it takes to plan a wedding and in her case, she could get married next month no problem (In case you don’t remember, she was engaged mid-June so that’d be 3 month engagement!).

Her dress is breathtaking, her venue filled with classic architecture and natural light and the design plan just fits together so perfectly. Linens have been selected, invitations created and floral needs have been decided. And the cake (or should I say cakes), I am so excited about, but maybe that’s just my sweet tooth talking!

Upon leaving, I could see the disappointment in her face as most of the fun details have been found and put into place, so now what? No worries, there’s still plenty to do and the holidays will be here before you know it!

Have a great week!

And this cake picture? It’s just a sneak peek at some of the inspiration behind her gorgeous cake table. We found it on Pinterest (where else??), but I believe the original was created by Connie Cupcake.

little sister getting married

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