It’s the Most Wonderful Time

I feel like December snuck up on me, completely out of nowhere and hit me over the head. Bam. Last night I was frantically researching easy Christmas cookie recipes, wrapping presents (yes, I have almost all my Christmas shopping done, with gifts en route to Denver and Reno as we speak), and looking over my notes for my final wedding of 2013. A few days ago I finally had time to try my hand at decorating a mug with a sharpie (I’ve only seen a million tutorials on Pinterest). The perfectionist in me probably made it a hundred times harder than it should have been, but two hours later I had my decorated mug. Will I ever use it? Never. Can you imagine if the gold started to wear off? I would probably cry.

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This past weekend I was gifted a lovely bouquet of flowers from a very dear family. When I got home, as I was unwrapping the cellophane, I noticed a few stems didn’t have blooms, while others were a little smushed. The not-so-lovely side of buying flowers that are all pre-picked at the store for you. So, I tromped outside into my snowy yard and cut a few branches of leaves and greenery, and rescued this sweet little bouquet. See, you can make a grocery store bouquet look lovely!

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With that said, I hope you all enjoy this beautiful, wintery week. And may all your days be merry and bright.

Matthew and Erika

August 10, 2013
 
An intimate wedding mixing the refined and the rustic, the charming and the classic, the lavish with the deeply meaningful, at the most understated and elegant estate. Matt and Erika were my New York City couple who planned their destination wedding weekend for beautiful Northern Michigan and I was honored to be able to help them in the planning. Since this was a destination wedding, it turned into an entire weekend of celebrating with friends and family. Their wedding was an intimate affair of 80 guests at a remote location under a clear blue sky with a magnificent view of stunning Lake Michigan. Every detail was carefully thought out and executed to perfection. The blooms were lush and lavish, the food was exquisite, the music was fun, and the bridesmaids were dazzling in champagne! The evening ended with the flicker of candle lights and twinkle lights under the thickest blanket of stars I have ever seen. Congratulations Matt and Erika on your new life together from the Concrete Jungle to Sunny California.
 

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JS Weddings & Events Service | Wedding Planning & Design
Rehearsal | Blisswood
Rehearsal Dinner | Julienne Tomatoes Catering
Yoga Instructor | Tiffany Lenau
Makeup | The Bay Inn
Hair | Ro Morgan Design
Florist | Bloom
Ceremony | Blisswood
Officiant | Abel and Jeff, friend and brother
Photographer | Justine Montingny Photography
JS Weddings & Events Photographer | Andrew Ingram
String Duet | Michigan Chamber Orchestra
Ice cream Cart | Blue Bay Ice Cream
Reception | Blisswood
Caterer | Julienne Tomatoes Catering
Reception Entertainment | Brandon Hill
Invitation Suite and Paper Goods | Tableau Events
Décor Rental and Design | Tableau Events
Liquor Supplier | Tosky Sands
Miscellaneous Decor | JS Weddings & Events

A Mini Photoshoot

I was told I needed more pictures of myself. Apparently, I duck and hide from the camera at events so any pictures with me in them are of my feet as I’m running away. Thus, my website designer told me to stage a mini photo shoot where, unfortunately for me, I was the main subject. Since I am in the process of starting my event rental company, I decided to use some of my vintage items in hopes to distract the viewer from my awkward smile. I convinced my friend Andrew to come over and take pictures (and move all my props down 2 flights of stairs and across the lawn). Hopefully, now that I have these pictures, I can go back to hiding from the camera.
 

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Summer Gardens

When one plants a garden they are admitting they believe in tomorrow.
 

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My friend asked me “why flowers?” We were talking about my business and she was encouraging me to dig deep and question what I would bring to the market.
 
Usually when someone starts a business, it’s to fulfill a need in the market. The wedding market is always growing and if you look around, you will see dozens of florists, photographers, caterers, and yes, even wedding planners. Many believe that the market is over-saturated. So, how does one stand out? Is it by offering more services? Offering the most inexpensive or expensive services?
 
So, why flowers? To me, flowers (and decor) go hand in hand with what I am striving to become. I am more than just an event planner, I am an event designer. I want to be able to work hand in hand with clients in designing their event, so I am expanding my business to include floral design and eventually decor rentals. It just seemed right. A logical next step for me. A step that I am so excited to take, so thrilled to take, and yet very cautious to take. It will be a slow and steady growth, as anything worth growing takes time. I will learn new things every day and with that, there will be some hard lessons that I will have to learn.
 
But really, why flowers? I think it stems from growing up in the household that I did. Both my parents garden as a hobby. No, not just your simple flower garden, but rather gardens upon gardens. Their gardens have had more weddings, proposals, and wedding pictures taken in them than I can count. I grew up taking walks around the gardens with my parents, naming flowers, planting flowers, weeding the flower beds, knowing which flowers needed sunlight and which ones needed the most water. I knew which flowers in their garden were perennials and which were annuals. I spent more time playing in the dirt than probably most children. From April to October my house was always filled with fresh cut flowers.
 
Granted, all the exposure I have had to flowers will only get me so far. Luckily, my desk if covered in books on floral design, caring for cut flowers, and tips and tricks on wedding flowers. And my parents have been kind enough to let me hack away at their gardens (for hands on practice of wrapping, taping and tying). It looks like a bunny has gone through and feasted.
 

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Grand Rapids Wedding Planner
 

So, yes. I chose flowers.
 

Sneak Peek: Mike and Jenna

June 28, 2013
 

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I just had to share a few of these pictures from Mike and Jenna’s wedding. I can’t wait to post more pictures and give you all the details of their beautiful wedding, including the shale and grain decor, the cutest ring bearer ever, and the glorious garden that supplied the beautiful blooms.