wedding in the woods

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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Wedding in the Woods

0 · Feb 20, 2015 ·

I love Michigan. Beautiful lakes, gorgeous views and my forever home. But sometimes the weather can be just a tad unpredictable for me. Today the windchills are hovering somewhere around -15°, I can’t really tell you how cold that it because I simply refuse to leave the house. Flashback to June. June is usually a warm and fairly mild month. Perfect for weddings. But this particular day in June was hot, muggy and drizzly. The weather unpredictability never seems to stop us from planning outdoor celebrations, but sometimes I think it should (but that’s just my logical side talking… who really wants to be trapped indoors??).

Airemiss and Kykeo originally planned a grand scale wedding celebration. But as it often happens, during the planning process they began to feel overwhelmed. And then throw in a couple of other inconvenient life circumstances and they decided to ditch they’re lavish plans all together. This doesn’t mean that they had to give up style or having a special wedding day. It just allowed more room to get creative.

A simple ceremony in the woods was the plan. They love Alice in Wonderland, so that furthered their woodland theme. Aire was a dream bride, other than wanting an ode to Alice in Wonderland and white roses in her bouquet, she allowed me to create and surprise them with a fabulous setting for them to sit and eat cake after they officially said ‘I do”. And of course, no celebration would be complete without a fabulous photographer, so thankfully Kelly Sweet was there to capture the memories (and gorgeous misty light) from the day.

This wedding was also featured on Style Me Pretty back in November. You can see it here.

Happy Friday, stay warm friends!!

Farewell 2014

0 · Dec 31, 2014 ·

I was not going to do a year end post, I mean, do people even read these? I don’t think it’s an original idea and I’m not sure that there’s a single person out there that truly cares what my year looked like. But earlier this week I was going through some goals, figuring out how to get where I want to be in 2015 and it really did inspire me to think about where I started in January of 2014 and how my business has evolved over the course of a very short year.

Even though 2014 was The Day’s Design’s second official full wedding season, I was still a little unsure of myself and did not have high expectations. But the thing about having low expectations is, it’s not hard to exceed them — which I did, 10x over. I gave myself a boost of confidence this past year and know that I am worthy of an amazing 2015, which is looking really busy and cannot wait to celebrate with the sweet couples I have booked this year and the ones I am yet to meet.

I hope my journey inspires someone out there to keep moving forward and following their dreams, it’s not easy but if you’re passionate about doing what you love, then it’s so worth it. Without further ado, I’ll take you on a walk through my year.

January

I got the brilliant idea to put together a Valentine’s bouquet and model it myself… in the middle of a blizzard. Thanks Heather for freezing along with me!

February

Rachel, with Sincerely Ginger Weddings, and I collaborated on a gorgeous winter inspiration shoot in my favorite place ever – Leland, Mi! It was so sweet and full of wintery romance and rumor has it, Style Me Pretty will be featuring the shoot in it entirety next month! Photography: Eliza Jean Photography.

Later that month my Valentine’s bouquet was featured on on Burnett’s Boards. You can see the feature here.

March

Cabin fever officially set in and I found myself getting antsy and itching to use a little creative energy. In remedy, Ashley Slater Photography and I teamed up to put together a little tutorial on how you can make your very own gilded floral crown.

April

This month was special for two reasons. First off, Heather Cisler and I teamed up once again to put together a fabulous fairytale inspired photo shoot.

And secondly I made a HUGE business changing decision and took a leap into adding floral services alongside planning and coordination. All I can say is, what took me so long!? This passion was hidden deep within me and a creative freedom has been unleashed and I will never look back. Bring on the blooms!

May

I stepped away from weddings and floral work for a moment to be a part of something a little different, but equally amazing. Kellie Hetler has a heart for service and put together the More Than a Face campaign, which is designed to help high schools girls to find their inner worth and realize what a difference they can make. Each one of these women was so beautiful and unique – I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be a part and bring a little extra style to this shoot.

Shortly thereafter I packed my bags and headed for the mountains of North Carolina. I wasn’t prepared for how this experience would change my life. I realized how to create, how to better see things and found a deep appreciation for my surroundings and finding beauty in the everyday. I climbed mountains both literally and figuratively and walked away with friendships I will cherish forever. Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers is an absolute delight and the true definition of a floral artist. The rest of the Team Flower ladies are an equal treasure. If only we could travel back in time, I would relive those moments of and over again, sure to find something fresh and new every time. Photography: Heather Payne Photography.

I rushed home from my workshop to share my experience with those I cherish most, my family. I picked a few foraged blooms and we ventured out to the apple orchard to have our family photos taken with Kellie Hetler. I love these sweet moments.

June

June started out on a rather cold note. I was part of Bloom the Workshop, hosted by Ashley Slater Photography and Michaela Noelle Designs. While I remember how great is was providing beautiful blooms to such an inspiring group of women, I also remember how cold it was that day.

And then came the first wedding of the 2014 season… an intimate ceremony in the woods with an ode to Alice in Wonderland. This was a fabulous way to kick off the wedding season and was featured on Style Me Pretty last month. Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography.

July

July was a month of rest. I had a busy August ahead and took the first part of the month for a little relaxation and the second half and full on wedding prep — but there’s never any pretty pictures to share from that!

August

This was my busy month, but it’s definitely worth my couple moments of being frazzled to see the smiling faces at the end of a wedding nice – so happy, so in love.

First up, a day-of coordination with the ceremony at the blue bridge in downtown Grand Rapids and a beautiful blush and grey reception to follow at the Downtown Market. I haven’t tracked down any pictures yet but think modern, airy space, soft grey silky linens and soft blush blooms.

Next came floral design for a couple who said “I do” at the Bissell Tree House. And in case you’re wondering, Thursday weddings are totally fun! Photography: Joe Matthews.

And then it was off to Northern Michigan for a festive and fun celebration at a llama farm… because who wouldn’t want to get married at a llama farm?! Again, I don’t have pictures to share yet but if you’re looking for a fun celebration – why not get married on a hilltop overlooking Lake Michigan with llamas in the background. Think local wildflowers, a live jazz band and fun dinosaur escort cards.

Then we celebrated one more set of nuptials this month. I feel honored to be a part of any wedding day – it’s a big deal, and these memories are extremely important, but when the bride and groom happen to be a couple of your closest friends, that just adds a whole new level of special to the day. I was lucky enough to provide floral services, and then helped the couple celebrate into the night. Dahlias, dahlias and more dahlias surrounded this love filled day. Photography: Chelsea Seekell Photography.

September

The months of August and September seem to be increasingly popular times to get married. I did a little freelance floral work for not one, but 2 weddings in Northern Michigan with Sincerely, Ginger Weddings. It’s always super fun to collaborate with like-minded, creative individuals.

And let’s not forget Amy & Emyr’s picture perfect day at the Gull Lake Country Club.

Bloom 2.0 brought us back to the Hydrangea Blu Barn for another round of education and fun with Micheala Noelle and Ashley Slater. I love creating flowers and helping with their workshops. Photography: Jenn Anibal.

September also hosted one of my favorite styled shoots ever. I actually hesitate to call it a styled shoot because in reality we invited guests, guests who needed a little extra love and a night to remember just how special they really all. This was the dinner parties of all dinner parties and I’m so thankful for all the vendors who volunteered to be a part. Photography: Ashley Slater Photography.

October

This past summer I received a phone call from the sweetest bride you have ever met telling me how she didn’t have a florist yet for her October wedding. After hearing all the details she had in place for her Northport wedding, I knew I had to be a part. The Willowbrook Mill has been so high on my list “must work” wedding locations that I just about fell out of my chair when she said that was her venue. It was a match made in heaven as I created florals, helped design and coordinated all the details of Christina and Tim’s day.

November

In the name of furthering education, Kaci Muller (of Just Delightful Events) and I got together for a morning of flower talk and coffee and compared notes on how we typically create our beautiful wedding bouquets and Kellie Hetler joined in the fun so we’d have a few pictures to share with you.

I thought my wedding season would officially end with the conclusion of October’s love filled celebration, but surprise… my younger sister decided to push up her wedding date by 6 months and she tied the knot after only a month’s worth of planning. Photography: Katie Grace Photography & Videography.

December

And then to cap off the year, Katie Grace Photography and I just had to go play with a few of my leftover blooms. I’m going to start making bouquet and floral recipes a more common feature on my blog, I can’t wait!

It really has been a fantastic year! I can’t believe we’re bidding it farewell in just a few short hours. Let’s see what 2015 has in store – I”m ready, bring it on!

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.

Wet Weather Weddings

0 · Jul 10, 2014 ·

If you’re planning an outdoor affair it’s likely that the thought of rain has crept into your mind. Or at least it probably should have. This summer seems to be extra wet, and while I love not having to water my garden and how my lawn is remaining green, it does stress me when it comes to wedding planning.

I’m guilty of saying “the show must go on” and just going for it – I can talk a big game. So we get a little wet, we’re not going to melt. Brides with umbrellas are cute. There are some fabulous opportunities for unique photos. I can look at the glass as half full, for sure.

And I simply adore outdoor parties.

The start of wedding season for The Day’s Design was a drizzly one despite the weatherman’s positive outlook on the day. In fact, we later found out that just a few miles away, they didn’t even receive a drop of rain. That’s crazy Michigan weather for you.

We stayed optimistic throughout the setting up process. We kept moving and utilized our tarps and other coverings. And we pulled though. But it wasn’t as easy as glamorous pictures are sure to show. The heat and humidity cause your clothing to simply stick to you. Papers were soggy and limp. My rain boots rubbed on my toes. There were bugs. And every time we thought the skies were clearing, fresh droplets were released from the clouds. How the bride remained staying so fresh and beautiful is beyond me.

I don’t share this to complain about the wedding day. I simply would like to point out the comfort or perhaps discomfort you and your guests might endure should you decide to move forward with an outdoor ceremony on a rainy day. I wish to express the importance of having a backup plan – although I do understand how hard it can be to utilize that, unless the day is calling for monsoon conditions. But grounds become muddy and even after the showers have stopped, the canopy of trees above us still produced sprinkles every time there was even the slightest breeze.

You should also consider the policies other vendors have regarding rain. Some equipment cannot get wet – cameras, sound systems, etc. And how will the rental company feel if their upholstered lounge seating is returned saturated? Are you risking damage deposits and extra fees? Are there wedding details you’re going to have to give up if the rain doesn’t let up?

Even with the weather, it was beautiful start to the summer 2014 wedding season– the way the light shown through mist in the woods that day was breathtaking. I can’t wait to share more peaks from Kelly Sweet Photography. And after seeing this picture, I’m not sure I would change a thing – including the weather forecast.