Officially on Grace Ormonde!

How exciting! Modern Day Floral is officially on the Grace Ormonde website!!! It is truly an honor and an accomplishment for our team.   Please be sure to check out our fabulous photos and listing.   

I also need to send out some blog love to the amazing and talented people we have had the honor to work with; Jodi Bos with In Any Event and Jen Kroll of Jen Kroll Photography.   We worked together on two of the spectacular events that are featured on the site.  Thanks ladies for continuing to be true leaders in the industry.  

MDF girls I couldn't possibly forget you...What can I say, "you ladies ROCK!"  The incredible passion and unbelievable talent is a true blessing.  Thank you for believing in Modern Day, for bringing your "A GAME" and for believing in the "GO BIG OR GO HOME" philosophy.  You know it's still love when you're pinching yourself years later.  Thanks for keeping the passion alive.

with love and appreciation,

Jenn

 

Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?!  You know what that means snow and little sunshine for 6 months.  UGH!!!  However on a brighter note it means the studio is all a'BLING with shiny things,  tinselly trees and enough glitter to cover a small city!!! 

 Last January I flew to Atlanta on the hunt for the most fabulous holiday decor and what Karen has done with these items is truly magical.  This girl knows how to decorate a tree.  We tease her that if the kitchen sink were available she would put it in there!  :)  I affectionately refer to her as Miss Christmas and thanks to her on the job training both Emily, and I, are now master Christmas tree decorators.  I think the most valuable lesson I learned from Karen is to not be afraid of filling up a tree.  The use of mesh, beading, ribbon, and branches go a long way in adding dramatic effect while ornaments, and a lot of them, is also key to a magnificent tree!  

As an example of her crazy decorating genius, Karen took our square moss wreaths that been hanging on our wall and used them in our copper tree. One of regulars had been admiring the wreaths for weeks and when asked where they were the client was amazed at the unconventional application of the wreaths.  Another example of her "out of the box" thinking is the cool way that she displayed the glass ornaments in the white and platinum tree.  She took the collection of grapevine Christmas trees, flipped them upside down, and stuffed them with the ornaments.  Although I realize this application does not apply with home trees I want to encourage all you amazing people to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!  If it's pretty and it matches put it in the tree.   Here's my philosophy and it's pretty simple, "if you see more decorations than you see tree than you have a masterpiece.  The tree is merely a place to hang all your glamorous goodies so be sure to load it up!"

I encourage all of you to stop down to the studio to check out our amazing trees.  We have 4 ranging from traditional to contemporary all of which I love.  Karen works in the studio daily so bring your questions and if decorating is not your thing we would love to help.  We offer free home consultations and we still have availability to help with your holiday decorating.  

...one more quick side note, we're  offering 25% off all Christmas decorations.  Sorry this is a blog not a commercial however I had to mention the sale because I LOVE sales especially if it involves purses or shoes.  

Hope to see you soon.

Jenn

 

PAY IT FORWARD

I'm so excited to post this blog because it is so near and dear to my heart.  Several weeks ago I had shared with you how after events I experience this overwhelming feeling of sadness coupled with relief.  It's like the feeling you have right after Christmas or coming home from vacation.  There is so much heighten anticipation and when it finally arrives and is over there is a brief period of melancholy.  In an effort to prolong the sadness we have started a new program where we disassemble the centerpieces and donate the flowers to a local nursing home or hospital.  When we design large events it is nearly impossible to send home all the flowers with guests and it kills me, and the client, to just throw them away.  So in an effort to "go green" while paying it forward we have come up with this very rewarding program.  I like to call it therapy!  

Can you believe that these hand-tied bouquets were once the HUGE centerpieces from the remarkable event? It took us nearly 2 days to dismantle the designs but we were able to donate over 75 hand-tied bouquets to not just one but two nursing homes in the area.   This program has certainly become a trend with our clients and although it is time consuming the rewards are GREAT!  It is an incredible feeling to touch the lives of others through the beauty of flowers.  

Special thanks to John Pottenger with Coastline Studios for coming down short notice to shoot these bouquet for us.  I wanted our customer to see what an amazing gift they were donating.  Hope this warms your heart!  

Much love,

Jenn

Beautiful Video Footage

So call me a blog stalker but it was well worth it!!!  Tonight while I was checking some of my favorite blogs I discovered a tasty little treat from my favorite videographer, John Pottenger with Coastline Studios.  Last week John was part of the amazing team that worked on the unbelievable event.  As an added bonus John is working on an edgy documentary for us which should roll out sometime late December early January.  This video will be featured on our wedsite along with Grace Ormonde.  Oh by the way have I mentioned that we have been chosen to be a Platinum Member with Grace Ormonde Magazine!  Lots of exciting news and I will keep you posted.  Until then check out John's blog to see his amazing work.  Way to go John!!!!!!

City Lights

As promised here are more photos from this spectacular event.   In typical fashion the incomparable Jen Kroll and her amazing staff captured the essence of the decor beautifully.  The photos are actually from the rehearsal dinner which personally was my favorite.   I absolutely loved the contemporary centerpieces and of course the orchids were PERFECT!  Originally when we had created the rendering the orchids had less blooms however for the event they came in with over 9 blooms per stem and were incredibly long.   I actually cried when I opened the box!  I know it sounds crazy but when you work with perishable product that you have no control over it's so wonderful when everything comes in absolutely PERFECT!  Thank you so much Angie for all your hard work. You're a GEM!!!!

Now let's talk details...I know I've said it a million times but JODI is AMAZING!  From the color palette, to the linen selection, menu and place card stock, soft seating, couture candy bar, matching chargers and broaches this intimate dinner was simply stunning.   I wish I could share them all but there is so many to mention.  I think my two favorite details about the decor were the sexy black candle holders I found and Jodi's broaches that matched the chargers perfectly.    You know Jodi often lets us in on some of the surprises but I think she actually saves a few yummy treats just so we're surprised.    JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!

My only wish is that I could have been a fly on the wall just so I could see and hear the reactions of all the lucky guests.   I'm sure that this will be an event that people will talk about for years to come thanks to the amazing couple with impeccable taste, the creative genius Jodi Bos and all the vendors who worked countless hours to see this marvelous event come to fruition.   I know I speak for my entire staff when I say we are so blessed to do what we love.  

Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.

German poet name unknown 1813-1863

Unbelievable Event

Here I sit struggling to put my feelings into words and for the first time I find myself rendered speechless.   Last week we were given the distinct honor of designing the floral decor for one of the most amazing events we will ever have the privilege to work on. Jodi Bos with In Any Event was the creative mastermind behind this simply fabulous event.  The limitless creativity and attention to detail is truly what sets Jodi apart.  I love to watch her work as she handles even the most stressful situations with grace and professionalism.  Make sure to check out Jodi's blog to learn  about all the tiny touches that made this an affair to remember.  Thank you so much Jodi for entrusting us with this spectacular event and for being my inspiration!

Capturing this spectacular event was a team of photographers and leading the way was the talented  Jen Kroll. 

I met Jen just a few months ago while working on Liz and Curt's wedding in late August and instantly feel in love with her work.    Pictures speak a thousand words and in Jen's case they speak volume!  Thank you Jen for sharing these gorgeous photos! 

Last but certainly not least I want to personally thank my amazing staff; Emily, Erin, Jill, Karen, Marilyn, Laurel, Charlie, Jonathan and our guest designer, Jackie Lacey AIFD for all their hard work.  The past 15 days at MDF have been absolutely nuts.  As you can imagine it's stressful enough to move into a new space but couple that with a platinum event and you have one overworked group.   In usual MDF fashion everyone stepped it up and came to work with a "CAN DO" spirit.  It's like we say, "go big or go home and boy did we ever!"   

Now onto the details...As with most spectacular events it first starts with a color palette and what a scrumptious palette it was.  Shades of deep rich raspberry,  eggplant with hints of saffron worked beautifully together especially given the venue chosen of the JW Marriott.  When I met with the bride her one big request was her wish for peony on her wedding day.  Not an issue in June however in late October it's a slightly different story.  Fortunately we were able to bring in this lush flower from Chile with the help of our floral wholesaler Vans.  It was stressful waiting and wondering whether or not we would be able to give our bride her dream but in the end we were successful and it was well worth it!  Some of the other amazing product we used in our designs were cherry brandy roses, peach hypericum, raspberry and plum hydrangea, lovely lydia spray roses, dendrobium orchids,  deep purple lisianthus, violet and purple stock, trachelium, hanging amaranthus, antique gold tipped magnolia leafs, curly willow and my personal favorite,  phalaenopsis orchids.   

I will continue to blog as I receive photos but for now ENJOY the spectacular photos!   Wait until you see the rehearsal dinner details, couture candy table and beautiful wedding cake by Sweet Cakes!  Simply AMAZING!!!

 

New Warehouse Space

I feel so guilty when I have to start a blog with an apology but this time I have the perfect excuse. Just 15 days ago we moved into our fabulous new warehouse space located in the Brassworks building downtown! We are so excited that expansion was needed and the space is absolutely perfect. We have over 2500 square feet of dedicated space for weddings and special events. It still needs a little TLC but with some paint and hard work this warehouse will feel like home. I will be sure to post photos when it's all finished! Stay tuned.

Perfect Fall Day!

It was an absolutely perfect day, 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  What more could a bride ask for?  On September 27th, Jennifer Stolz married her college sweetheart and fellow lab partner Scott VanTimmeren.  I loved this couple the first time I met them not just because we shared a passion for Michigan football but because they were so sweet.   I'm sure their friends will be talking about their wedding for years to come and how they still can't believe Michigan came back to win the game.  I'm still scratching my head on that one, however I'll take it!  Lord knows we'll take all the help we can get this year.  :)  Go BLUE!

Our choices for flowers were based on Jennifer's wishes to keep things simple and clean.  Candlelight was an intricate part and hints of raspberry and green were added to the soft palette of cream in an effort to add just the right touch to the arrangements.  Her bridal bouquet was absolutely stunning and it smelled wonderful!  As always the church decor was my favorite.  I guess you could say I'm a hopeless romantic.  My favorite photo is the black and white one with Jennifer holding her bouquet with tears in her eyes.  This was taken just before she walked down the aisle...priceless! 

At this point I only have a few photos to share although Dusty has promised more photos by the end of the week.  Enjoy this little teaser and I promise more ASAP! 

New blog to check out

It's late Sunday evening and here I sit doing my nightly routine of checking my favorite blogs, updating mine and tonight I discovered another wonderful talent.  Last weekend Dusty Brown  was the photographer on one of our weddings.  Unfortunately we didn't have much time to talk however I think his work speaks for itself.  

I've put in my request to Dusty so I can share the photos on my blog however make sure you take a look at his post.  The couples name is Jennifer and Scott.  They were married last weekend during the Michigan vs Wisconsin game...go BLUE!

Fabulous Local Dahlia

I'm so excited to share these recent photos that were sent to me by Michelle Koslek one of our beautiful brides from September 6, 2008. Although we only created personal and ceremony flowers for her I was thrilled to hear in her last email that she used product from my favorite local dahlia grower, Hamilton Dahlia farm. Just like most locally grown product weather and availability is always a factor but if you plan your wedding just right the end result is fabulous. Typically our season here in Western Michigan is early August until late September if you're lucky. The color and size availability is unbelievable and although you can get dahlia from California there is no comparison to Jan's product.

The bouquets were a combination of bi-color dahlia, hot pink roses, green hypericum berry, magenta freesia, and asiac lilies. In the larger ceremony designs we added my favorite Peruvian hydrangea in an effort to give the designs a lush appearance. The color, texture and combination of product made the personal and ceremony flowers simply stunning. This color combination is definitely one of my favorites probably because it reminds me of rainbow sherbet ice cream...it's my favorite. :) Enjoy!

Going Green

When Sarah came into the studio I knew her wedding was going to be unbelievably cool!  Not only was her vision beautifully simple but eco friendly.  We were given over 30 sexy green recycled wine bottles in varying sizes and shapes.  The bottles contained floral in shades of green and white along with  4x4 cubes containing wheat grass which completed her overall "green" look.

The bouquets were simply green Peruvian hydrangea (my personal favorite) finished with black and white polka dot ribbon...too cute! I'm not sure what I loved more the bridesmaids fabulous chartreuse shoes or the adorable little flower girl.  Don't you just love the photo of the little peanut and her bucket of petals.  :)   As usual John of  Coastline Studios beautifully captured the essence of this wedding.  Way to go John!  

Brides remember you are an original so make your day as unique as you are!  Although simple this wedding made a bold statement because it was "so the bride." 

Happy planning!

SKYY Premiere at the BOB

From weddings to vodka premieres...who knew! Just one day after the incredible Payne wedding we were hired to transform the Crush into an exotic floral explosion for the new SKYY fusion vodka event. We had such a great time interpreting their new premiere flavors of raspberry, grape, cherry, citrus and passion fruit through cutting edge floral designs. Fresh floral materials were shipped in from all over the world including several varieties of heliconia, protea, orchids, and amazing hanging amaranthus in deep rich raspberry, yellow and green. Each design represented the different flavors and we incorporated loads of wonderful fresh fruit and bottles of vodka. Although exhausted from the wedding we found motivation in sneaking bites from all the fantastic fruit, pizza, donuts, cookies provided by Tony the promotional manager at the BOB. He is a master at motivating people! :)

Hope you enjoy this post as much as we enjoyed designing this event.

Jenn

Long distant bride

Planning a wedding is challenging enough but try doing it while living in Atlanta. In February of 07' Alishan Fields stopped into my boutique regarding her June 08' wedding at the much anticipated JW Marriott. It was evident upon meeting Alishan that her wedding was going to be absolutely remarkable and every detail well thought out. Over the course of a year and half we spent countless hours emailing, conversing and visiting when she was in town.

Alishan's greatest wish was to have gorgeous peony in shades of white, soft pink and deep raspberry. Fortunately for all of us the peony cooperated and we had simply stunning product the week of her wedding. Anytime a bride chooses a product that has a sensitive seasonal availability I spend many sleepless nights praying that the flowers will be absolutely perfect not to mention available.

The linens of ivory chopin and pink champagne worked beautifully with the floral centerpieces and the gold chargers and chivari chairs finished the overall elegant look. Large curly willow trees adorned in crystals, hanging votives and lush floral flanked the head table along with the perimeter of the room which made for a more intimate space. Candlelight was present on all of the guest tables along with a beautiful menu card in shades of chocolate, ivory and raspberry. Hip Pocket provided the entertainment for the evening and guests enjoyed taking fun photos in the photo booth stationed out in the pre-function area.

I have to admit that when Alishan and Michael's big day was over I suffered from what I like to call the "big let down." I'm sure most of you can relate to the feeling of sadness when the event is finally over. Not because it wasn't everything you dreamed of but because it went by so quickly. It takes months and sometimes even years to plan for that perfect day and in just mere hours it's over. Fortunately if you're lucky a friendship is formed that will last over a lifetime.

Thank you Ben and Laura Harrison for your amazing photos and warmest wishes Alishan and Michael as you walk through life together.

Be a guest at your own party...

When it came to planning my daughter Olivia's graduation party one of the most important things to me was the ability to be a guest at my own party. I waited eighteen precious years to see this day and it was important that I savor every moment. As I work with brides and event clients I find this to be one of the most important areas to remember when hiring a professional. There is an incredible amount of time spent planning for an event of this magnitude and hiring the right people can ensure that every detail is perfect and you're relaxed on your BIG day! Although my wonderful husband failed to see the necessity to throw such a swanky affair I teamed up with Jodi Bos with In Any Event to create an OVER THE TOP graduation party.

Olivia had only a few requests; some of her family favorite recipes, marble slab ice cream and a color palette of black, white and tiffany blue. Our linen choices of Tiffany blue lamour, black niko and floral siloutte coupled with the simple floral centerpieces brought Olivia's color palette to life. Don Middlebrook with his "Jimmy Buffett" vibe set the tone and the smell of wood fired pizza greeted guests as they approached the stunning white frame tent. In the tent we created a soft seating area of black and white leather furniture finished with cheeky pillows which created the perfect area to watch DVD's of her life captured in film. Thank goodness for my MAC! Some of Jodi's fabulous ideas included; "Did you know" frames which shared fun tid bits about OJ, recipe cards for Olivia's favorite dishes and an adorable advice/address cardette made out of recycled paper...too CUTE!

Brianna Graham, to whom I feel is a photographic genius surprised us with unbelievable reproductions of Olivia's senior portraits. She took these amazing photos and artistically created boards in varying sizes complete with funky patterns and textures that were absolutely stunning.


I have the best staff at Modern Day and as always Jodi delivered! Hope you enjoy the post.