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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Cat's out of the bag!

Since opening Modern Day Floral I have had many pinch me moments and today I feel so incredibly blessed to share with you this long time dream.


It's with great excitement that I introduce you to the collaboration of Modern Day Floral, In Any Event, Ben Harrison Photography and Sweet Cakes Design as together we present A Modern Event! Check out our new blog site.... because I can't keep it a secret anymore!

This idea was born from the realization that Grand Rapids was in need of a speciality boutique solely dedicated to educating brides and those planning special events. Our boutique allows brides and individuals planning an event the opportunity to visit and view our portfolios, explore through rental items and fine linens, flip through books of the latest bridal trends, ask questions about planning your perfect day, pick up a gift or even a bouquet of fresh flowers.





The purpose of this collaboration is to provide brides and event clients the knowledge and resources to planning an amazing event while perfecting each detail. Our boutique allows us to offer an intimate setting where we can get to know our clients all in a relaxed and welcoming environment.



Please join us for our Grand Opening Celebration Thursday, April 23 from 5pm-8pm. Bring a friend and join us for night of food, fun and conversation. We're excited and can't wait to meet you!

RSVP at events@amodernevent.com



Drum Roll Please

Have you ever had a secret so BIG that you feel like you are about to burst at the seams? Well, I feel like I could spill any second but I'll keep my lips shut and throw away the key....for now! Check back later to hear my big announcement. :)



Friday, March 27, 2009

Hot Off the Wall Bouquets

It's not everyday we get to design off the wall hot bouquets but a few weeks ago two of my favorite photographers Jen Kroll and John Pottenger hosted a workshop and here is a preview of the yummy treats that were photographed.

The first scrumptious bouquet contained pieces of a black feather boa and pheasant feathers along with white cattleya orchids, craspedia "billy balls", ranunculus, touches of genistra, variegated halla and lily grass. The structure was held together with a wire and curly willow armature. I absolutely love the movement in this bouquet...Great work Emily!

This amazing specimen :) was constructed out of a combination of black feathers, mini red amaryllis, cymbidium orchids, flame callas and my favorite detail, copper wire! I always ask the girls, "would you marry me if I carried this bouquet?" In this case the answer would be YES, YES, YES...fabulous work Karen!
Thanks guys for including us in your workshop, it was an honor. The best creativity comes from limitless boundaries!


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Beyond the Red Door Lunch


For the past seven years I've had the privilege of providing the entertainment for the annual Fundango 5K Indoor Walk and Family Carnival. On March 7th over 100 volunteers and 1,500 supporters walked, chatted and twisted their way into raising almost $50,000 in donations in order to keep the Red Door program open and local Gilda's Club Running.





In just a few weeks on April 29th Gilda's Club will be hosting another fundraiser and awareness event called Beyond the Red Door Lunch.  In an effort to offer our support we will be creating floral centerpieces for the event.  A beautiful black magic rose submerged in a cylinder vase along with black river rock and lily grass will add a simple yet elegant touch to the event. 

Beyond the Red Door Lunch is free community luncheon that provides a fun, relaxed environment for people to discuss the mission of Gilda's Club and ways to help families living with cancer. The event will be held at the Frederick Meijer Gardens from 12-1 on April 29th and I encourage all of you to get involved.

photo courtesy of:  rose gardening made easy

Monday, March 23, 2009

Something Blue CONTINUED!

I shared with you last Sunday the most ADORABLE "something blue" idea that I saw our lovely bride Kristen do at her wedding. Since I love little details like those, I figure why not show you a few more fun concepts to ponder!


The "something blue" crinoline:
Photobucket

This caught my eye right away on the wonderful Blushalicious blog and wanted to pass the great idea on! I just fell in love with this photo... simple, sweet, and charming.



The "something blue" shoe:
Photobucket
This is another great concept for turning your wedding shoe "blue" (along with idea our bride Kristen used!) The bride from this photo had each of her 'maids sign their names on the soles with blue marker and leave a happy little note. Pretty cool way to involve your best gals on your "something blue", don't you think? Many thanks to the Purple Wedding blog for sharing this find. The Tales of a Female Husband (who posted this photo on their blog) revealed the fun little tradition behind this whole writing names on the shoe deal! The first name to rub off is the girl who will be the next to marry!


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Happy 25th Bouquet to Arts!

It's always an exciting time when you've made it to your 25th anniversary... which is exactly what Bouquets to Art has accomplished THIS YEAR!




Bouquets to Art is a highly anticipated floral event fundraiser held at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Special features include a floral fashion show (so cool!), tasty light lunches, a fabulous gala night, and incredible speakers who not only will be discussing the art of floral design, but creating masterpieces on site as well!! All proceeds to go future special exhibits and educational programs. It truly is a win-win situation!


images courtesy of: www.bouquetstoart.org

Monday, March 16, 2009

Much needed facelift

Ok, look at our hallway. Not much to write home about, right? THIS is why we have decided to completely transform our office area into something lavish and fabulous!


Today was another power packed day; lots of appointments, a photo shoot and my favorite part, a long awaited facelift! Not literally, but when Todd from Special Events Rental arrived to drape fabric in my "not so pretty" hallway let's just say I was perfectly giddy!

When we moved into our Brassworks warehouse space we had a lot of prettying up to do. I absolutely can't stand florescent lighting and the hallway was an eye soar. It was so frustrating because no matter what I did nothing helped. So after months of agonizing over what to do I called in the experts! I knew the only remedy was to drape the entire hallway in fabric.

The ivory fabric looks absolutely amazing and I can't wait until tomorrow when the remaining chandeliers are hung! Todd found them at Home Depot... jackpot!


Here's just a glimpse of the work in progress, can't wait to share more!


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Something blue...

A few weeks ago I blogged about Kristen and Scott's winter wedding at Cascade Hills Country Club.  Ryan Prins captured this detail shot and I couldn't resist sharing  her adorable "something blue" detail on her shoes.


What great "something blue" ideas have you seen lately?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Go Big or Go Home!

I'm sure most of you are wondering why in the world I would title this blog, "Go Big or Go Home."  People that know me, tease me all the time for my over the top ideas and "go big" philosophy.  It's actually become quite the joke around the shop.  There have been numerous times when my staff has just had it; it's late and the creative juices have done dried up.  :)  It's at that very moment I get some hair brained idea requiring every ounce of energy they could possibly muster up.  However, what they have also come to appreciate, or so they say, it's during that "CRAZY MOMENT" where really cool things happen.  So, I should probably send a shout out to the amazing designers, friends and co-workers who humor me daily.   Thanks guys!

Now that you know where I'm going with all of  this I'm so excited to share one of my hair brained idea with you.  This tree was unbelievably labor intensive but the end result was truly spectacular.  I actually still get weepy looking at these pictures.  :)    
It took 5 designers over 8 hours to create this unbelievable faux cherry blossom tree.  Over 3,000 blooms were hand wired, glued and strategically placed within the tree.  A varying color combination of pink cymbidium and dendrobium orchids were used. This helped create the overall depth to the design. 
Branches from a wild cherry tree were harvested by a local farmer which were used in an effort to keep the tree looking as authentic as possible.  The best part of this part of the tree was the amazing green moss all over the branches which I absolutely loved!  This majestic beauty stood over 13ft tall!  
The tree was placed in a great 4 ft black ceramic container purchased at Wealthy at Charles.  As usual my buddies, Len and Michael, took great care of me.  Thanks guys!   

...On a side note, Wealthy at Charles carries the amazing 18 karat product which is a wonderful line of  contemporary home accessories, containers, etc.  They also have a gorgeous garden area that is simply stunning in the summer time.  I can't walk out of that store without spending a ridiculous amount of money but it's so worth it.  I have to admit I'm slightly jealous that I can't have a garden area at my studio.  However it's a little difficult when you're located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids and your side yard is an Ellis parking lot.  :)   
Thanks Jen for capturing the very essence of this labor of love, Jodi for designing such a fantastic event and my amazing staff who won't "go home" until we have "gone big".

Monday, March 9, 2009

Beautiful Bouquet Details

When I sit down with my brides to discuss their wedding flowers I often spend  time talking about the significance of making their flowers personal.  Weddings are very sentimental and I can't help but feel passionate about this.  My goal is to help brides convey a message of love and sentiment,  which often is easily incorporated in their bridal bouquets.  The most common embellishment is an heirloom broach, however I thought I would share some of our latest bouquet additions.  

Just remember ladies, this is your day and your bouquet is photographed almost as much as you!  So with that being said,  make it personal and be creative!!! 

Beautiful rhinestones were hand-glue (using tweezers of course) on the calla lilies, and ostrich feathers added a soft, couture look to this amazing monochromatic bouquet.  Just in case you were wondering the entire process took over 2 hours!!

...and a vintage broach from the bride's grandmother was incorporated perfectly.  I can't think of a better item to represent both her "something borrowed, something blue."  I love this detail!

Beautiful, double swiss satin ribbon detail created an elegant collar which added  just the right amount of feminine flair

Everyone loves a vintage broach especially when it's purchased at antique store for $3 dollars!  Gotta love a great deal!

 Beyond the gorgeous pictures above, here are some of the most creative bouquets elements we've included or seen:

* Vintage handkerchief - One of our brides asked that we incorporate several handmade lace handkerchiefs' her grandmother made.   These delicate works of art acted as a collar around the bouquet and the lace beautifully peaked around the flowers.   The bouquet was stunning and meant so much to the bride!  

* Other sentimental keepsake items - A tiny, quarter-sized, hand-carved basket made out of a walnut shell had deep significance to our bride. As you can imagine this one threw me a little but we were able to beautifully secure it into her bouquet.   I especially enjoyed this detail because instead of adding it to the handle we found a creative way to sneak the sentimental basket inside the bouquet.  The flowers acted as a little nest...too sweet!  We love unique concepts like this and thinking outside the box!

* Rosaries - This is a beautiful sacred item for brides to have strategically wrapped around their bouquet. If you can borrow one from a family member or someone significant to you, even better.

* Crosses - This is also a sacred item that can be used, whether its a necklace, bracelet, or pin... it can be a very important, unique touch.

* Fabric - We have worked with several brides that have asked that we incorporate beautiful strips of fabric or lace from a family member's old wedding dresses.  I don't encourage you to go around cutting up your mother's old dress however it's very easy to pull fabric or lace off the train. 

Being able to hold something sacred and special with you on your wedding day is priceless. TIP TO ALL BRIDES: Make sure to not only let your florist make your bridal bouquet beautiful, but meaningful as well!

Special thanks to Lynell Shook, Jen Kroll and Kasey Sistrunk for these photos.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Little bit of Sunshine...


My friend and fellow blogger,  Aletha of Pearl Events suggested that I blog more about our previous weddings so I thought I would start with this gorgeous summer wedding.  During this gloomy time of year I find myself drawn to bright colors and the thought of spring!  Thanks Aletha for the suggestion and I look forward to sharing some of our favorites.

This past summer we designed a destination wedding at the Perry Hotel in Petosky, Michigan.  Our bride, Jennifer Christian, was such a pleasure to work with.  I'm still amazed at how calm she was throughout the planning process considering the logistical issues and the fact that we were brought in just three months before her wedding.   The couple lived in Lansing, her family  from Detroit, the groom's from Grand Rapids and the wedding in Northern Michigan.  I appreciated her confidence in our ability and  find it so refreshing when we're given creative license.  

For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to work with Ben and Laura Harrison I thought I would share their amazing work with all of you. They truly are one of the most genuine and gracious couple you will ever meet.   

Call it wishful thinking but I couldn't help but start off with this beautiful photo.  I don't know about you but I would love a glass of red sangria while enjoying this amazing sunset!  
I absolutely love this picture of the quaint Perry Hotel in Petosky, Michigan.   What a perfectly beautiful place to host a wedding. It reminds me of a simpler time.
Our bride's favorite color was fabulous lemon yellow. This particular color contrast is one of my favorites.   I love the way the colors pop against the girls adorable dresses.   The  bouquets consisted of lisianthus, trachelium, freesia and roses finished with an adorable sheer ribbon with a edged satin finish. 
Love these dresses and the best part, they'll wear them again!
Last but not least, my favorite detail, Jennifer's bridal bouquet.  Cattleya orchids are an amazing variety of orchid, the soft romantic edges, amazing size and stunning color make this flower a true beauty!  There is something so pure about this monochromatic bouquet and I'm in love with the sweet handle detail.

Thanks for reading and if any of you have a fabulous sangria recipe I would love it! 

Friday, March 6, 2009

pleasant surprise


So late this afternoon as I was reading through my millions of emails, I came across a pleasant surprise from an unexpected source.  Maria Straatsma, a perfect stranger, took this picture while walking downtown and was sweet enough to send my way.  I'm honored to think that she felt that the storefront window was photo worthy and I'm sure you'll agree the image is very cool.  I love this image so much I think I'm going to add to my website splash page.  What do you think?  

For those of you who want to know where I found this picture of Times Square, it's from Ikea...don't you just love it!!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

BIRTH FLOWER OF THE MONTH: March..."The Daffodil"

Everyone knows about monthly birthstones... but you know you have a birth FLOWER too, right?

We are going to kick off the start of each month with a "Flower of the Month" post. So let's get right to it!


The Daffodil...

{Photo: Courtesy of Mooseys Country Garden}


Symbolism of the Daffodil...
The Daffodil represents REBIRTH, RESPECT, CHIVALRY, FAITHFULNESS, SPRING, and HOPE. No wonder it's the flower of choice for the American Cancer Society, it's so cheery and lovely!


Color Variety...
Solid yellow more than likely is what you're used to seeing. It's true it's the most common color (and what a perfect fit for a spring flower!) There are also other "happy" color variations of white, yellow, and orange color combinations. Pretty pinks can also be found in this flower, too!

{Photo: Courtesy of Trombly's Greenhouse)


Fun Fact...
The Daffodil is the emblem of Wales. If you're interested, you can read about it here.

I don't know about you but I think this flower looks like it's smiling up at you...it just makes me feel warm all over. Winters in Michigan are incredibly long and when daffodils are in season I know spring is just around the corner. What a great feeling!

{Photo: Courtesy of Dutch Bulbs}


...and there you have it, your daily eye candy! Happy Birthday March babies!