Exotic Waterfall Event

Imagine standing in front of Tiffany's, someone hands you a large sum of cash and tells you to enjoy...how geeked would you be?!  I know pretty ding-dang excited!!  :)  Well as floral designers working with a client who gives you creative freedom and a budget definitely creates that same sense of excitement.  (Shhh...don't tell my husband I still love a little bling)

 The Crush is the hottest nightclub in Grand Rapids and thanks to Tony, the GM, he is always coming up with outrageous events for the club. This particular party was their annual rainforest event complete with parrots, snakes, waterfalls and hot tubs!  Now seriously do these people know how to throw a party.  

This ginormous design actually had a waterfall that ran behind it and perched perfectly next to the arrangement were two gorgeous Macaw's.  

Talk about swanky soft seating...loin cloth anyone?  

I especially loved this container!

The entire club was dripping in spanish moss, ferns and fresh tropicals.

Happy Friday all!  It's a gorgeous day in GR and I think I'm going to enjoy a mango mojitos...at the Crush of course!  

Enjoy xoxo

Notes from Alishan: Planning A Long Distance Wedding - Research

Hey there!

 

One of my dear friends is getting married next summer and while talking about her upcoming nuptials I thought of something that should be shared with you all. Jill touched on it briefly in her blog about her (and my) favorite flower the Peony, but I wanted to delve a bit deeper here.

image courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

It is absolutely imperative to the wedding planning process that you research everything you’re not sure of. When Mike proposed, I dove into wedding planning without really any idea what I was doing. I initially wanted to get married in June so I looked at the calendar and picked June 7^th. Simple enough. Until I realized a) that was festival weekend in Grand Rapids and it has rained the past 14 or so years and b) It was 6/7/08 and would be a wildly popular wedding weekend.  We quickly changed to June 14, 2008 and things worked out perfectly.

 

My own love of peonies was also a huge factor in my wedding planning. When my mom asked me to list the most important things to me for my wedding, in that list was incredible flowers. After our first meeting with Jenn, I discovered that peonies have a very short window and that June 14^th would be pushing it. I basically told her to get me that flower by any means necessary. If I hadn’t been set on mid June and peonies, I probably could have saved money but because it was important to me, I was willing to pay.

 

image courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

Also, since we had a long engagement, I was able to research our vendors (have I mentioned that they were awesome) and not have to settle for just anyone. I read reviews from other brides on theknot.com, I asked for references, I even asked really obnoxious questions to make sure they were up for the challenge that would come with working with Team Alishan.

 

My next blog post is going to cover what I would keep the same and what I would change if I could do it over again. My failure to research is probably the only excuse I have for the things I would change and I don’t want you to have the same minor regrets.

 

Bottom Line: Research everything at least once. Whether it’s just double checking the schedules of those important guests or hopping on a wedding website to get vendor reviews, you will benefit in the end!

 

Until next time,

Alishan

Your Petal Palette: Red

Romance, passion and love are just a few of the feelings I get from seeing the color red. Red is color often seen for a classic wedding however with a few greens and extra special details shades of red work great for exotic or Asian inspired event.

A solid red flower with white or black accents gives the arrangement a real modern vibe.

How precious is this bouquet?! The deep red roses with hints of stephanotis, embellished with crystals creates a timeless arrangement.

all images courtesy by Brianna Graham Photography

Going to the Chapel: Marisa and Eric

image courtesy of Photography by Sue

Marisa Adam - Nursing Student

Eric Peterson - Veterinarian

Tell us about the first time you two met!

"We met New Years Eve 2007 at a party of mutual friends. Eric said it was love at first sight for him. I had arrived at the party before him so I was already a little too tipsy to feel that same way! We talked everyday after that and went on our first date the next week. We both knew on our first date that we would always be together. Everyone always says that when you meet "the one," you just know. We both really didn't believe in that until it happened to us."

What is your idea of the "perfect" date?

"A perfect date for us is an elegant homemade dinner followed by an evening cruise on our boat."

What is the one thing about your wedding you are the most excited for?

"Our honeymoon! Two weeks in Greece!"

Tell us about your proposal story!

"We live in North Muskegon and love to go for drives by Lake Michigan. It was Halloween, 60 degrees and sunny - a gorgeous evening. We were on our way out of town and Eric wanted to drive by the lake first. I didn't think anything of it because we do that quite a bit. We walked down to the beach and we were the only people there. He got on one knee and asked the question. He managed to catch me off guard and I was totally surprised! The things he said to me were beautiful and we both were a little teary-eyed, laughing and crying at the same time. It was perfectly romantic."

Designer Spotlight: Emily

I am privileged and excited to introduce myself as a member of the Modern Day Floral team. I knew I wanted to be a part of this venture when it was in its infancy. When I came across the enchanting window display Jennifer had put together, I realized something fresh had come to Grand Rapids. I was struck by her creative gift. Thus, my beginning at Modern Day Floral!

Along with floral design, one of the great joys of my life has been traveling. It has been a delight to experience flowers from all over the world. This includes the humble cactus flower to the most exotic blooms in the outback of Australia! By the way, if you ever have the opportunity to travel to Australia (maybe with an unplanned stop in Fiji!), be sure to check out EVERYTHING! It's great to experience the hospitality of the locals! I love being such a free spirit!!

Knowing I enjoyed being creative, I pursued educating myself in floral design. I attended Phil Rulloda's School of Floral Design in Anaheim, California to make sure I was learning from the best! Jenn encourages the staff to continue their education and always remain fresh. I am confident that my knowledge and love of flowers will better serve you at Modern Day Floral!

above image courtesy of Dusty Brown

Your Customer Service Stories!

Ever since Modern Day Floral has opened it's doors, one of the most important things we strive for is excellent customer service. Not only do we believe that the customer deserves quality... we LOVE making sure they're taken care of! 

image courtesy of www.art.com

So today... as we enter one of our busier weekends this summer, we would love to hear YOUR stories and experiences with high-quality customer service! Ranging from an independent shoe store who has gone above and beyond for you to a major corporation doing the same... we want to hear it! The stories are always so incredibly motivating... we can't wait to do some reading!

Your Petal Palette: Pink

When I think of pink, I think femininity, gentleness, and oh-so-pretty. There is nothing more romantic than a lush combination of beautiful shades of pink flowers. Below are a few of our favorite designs that truly captured the sweetness and loveliness of our clients!

image courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

image courtesy of Motley Cat Studio

Pink paired with sterling silver really sets a romantic mood... throw in some candlelight and you really have something going on!

image courtesy of Motley Cat Studio

image courtesy of Motley Cat Studio

image courtesy of Brianna Graham

To add a twist of fun, we added spiky dahlias for a different type of textured. The varying shades also helped add depth to the bouquet!

And just in case you haven't taken the Susie Coehlo quiz yet, definitely try it! Find out what your style is... are you a pretty in pink romantic bride or sassy modern pink bride?

Going to the Chapel: Amber and Joe

Over the last several months, we have been working diligently to make Amber and Joe's wedding absolutely PERFECT. With the magic that is being created in our design warehouse right now, we already can't wait to begin setting up the venues!!

Amber Keegstra - Special Education Teacher

Joe Fischioni - Director of Operations

Tell us about the first time you two met!

"Amber and I met at a college party through a mutual friend. I looked once at her and knew that was the person I needed in my life. We talked most of the night and I called about three days later to ask her out to dinner."

What is your idea of the "perfect" date?

"Experiencing a restaurant that neither one of us have ever tried so a story is automatically created, great conversation and walking a downtown atmosphere... afterwards getting to know each other more. That was our first date..."

What is the one thing about your wedding you are most excited for?

"The ability to say I'm married to Amber and dance to a song that runs deep with us both - "God Blessed the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts."

Tell us about your proposal story!

"Amber and I had been broken up for two years living cross country form one another when we realized it was each other that we had been missing. We were together again for around five months, flying back and forth from Arizona and Maryland, when I knew I had to marry her. She flew into Maryland in the beginning of October 2008 and it wasn't three hours later I asked her to mary me at my apartment. It wasn't the most romantic of locations but it was perfect! I then took her out to dinner at a restaurant on the water and New York City the following weekend to celebrate."

Ceremony: The Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Reception: Eve Lounge in the B.O.B.

From Rendering to Reality...a drawing comes to life!

So I hate to admit I've never been a very patient person especially when it comes to surprises. What can I say I'm just a kid at heart!  And although I only have a few images I couldn't resist sharing a sneak peak of the transformed space.  

Thursday, the 2nd, the hard working Special Event Rental team draped white sateen fabric for nearly 8 hours while we worked hard at making sure all the chairs were straight and the crystal chandeliers hung in the just the right place.  

Bride and Bloom!

I'm so excited to finally post about our first national publication! Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the summer 2009 issue of Bride and Bloom magazine. What a great "pinch me" moment today!

In Any Event, Jen Kroll Photography, Sweet Cakes Design and my wonderful team at Modern Day Floral had the pleasure of working together to create our vision of an a "modern event with a vintage flair". The inspiration behind this gorgeous tablescape came from the amazingly talented Jodi Bos and this season's hot hot hot color, lemon yellow.  I loved how vintage came together with a modern twist.

The bridal bouquet contained cattleya orchids, craspedia, dusty miller finished with a custom couture handle with vintage crystal buttons.  Karen, one of my designers, did an amazing job sewing the custom made couture handle wrap.  Lord knows I couldn't sew a darn thing!  

This entire experience was amazing and I'm honored to work with such talented group of people. Thank you!

BIRTH FLOWER OF THE MONTH: July..."The Waterlily"

Happy Birthday July Babies!

With the warm summer weather finally here, we're able to swim, boat and see the beautiful lake flower known as the water lily! 

The water lily is found throughout the world and is also known as a lotus. If anyone shops at Pier 1, it is something you see all over their Asian decor! In many countries within Asia, the meaning of a Lotus or water lily bloom is rebirth or awakening to the spiritual/religious reality of life. 

This flower also can resemble someone who has been able to overcome a difficult obstacle in their life. The story behind this "personal/floral" growth goes like this: Water lilies roots are deep within the soil below the water line and begin at the bottom of a muddy, murky lake. They rise through the water and once they have reached the surface, bloom into an absolutely beautiful flower... talk about feeling motivated and uplifted!

On that note, have a FABULOUS Monday and an incredible month of July to everyone... and again - HAPPY BIRTHDAY July babies :)

Picture This! An early glimpse into our wedding this Friday!

This Friday, we have the honor of designing a full service wedding for Melissa and Marty.   This particular couple is actually holding both the ceremony and reception in the same room.  We will have a quick room flip as soon as the ceremony is over which will be no small task.  The entire Modern Day design team is excited to create this stylish wedding for this amazing couple!

I'm especially excited to share with you the rendering board that my unbelievable assistant Erin created.  For those of you who do not know Erin, let me do the honors.   Erin is a recent Interior Design graduate of Kendall College of Art and Design.  I have been blessed enough to have worked alongside her for nearly a year.  She is my dot the i, cross the t girl with a passion for the wedding and event industry.  During our 10 minute interview :) Erin shared with me her impeccable portfolio and I knew I had to hire her.  Since that time, she has been bringing my vision to fruition through these remarkable rendering boards. Depending on the scale of the perspective, rendering boards can take thirty to forty hours to create however it is so worth the investment!  People are visual and having the ability to share a tiny glimpse of the event this way is so exciting.

This particular perspective is in fact the set-up for the ceremony portion of the wedding.  The ceiling will be draped in a sheer ivory fabric and the couple will be married under a canopy dripping with crystal and orchid strands, black chivari chairs dressed in fresh floral and apple green lamour ties will provide elegant seating while the wheat grass containers and candle collections will create a modern, clean look down the aisle.  We made a few changes after the fact but I will wait to share until the event recap.  Trust me when I say it's gonna be good!  

Going to the Chapel: Melissa and Marty

One of our fabulous couples from Vegas is getting married this Friday, July 3rd!

Melissa Metzger - Second Grade Teacher

Marty Biles - Real Estate Appraiser

Tell us about the first time you two met!

"The first time we met was at a Starbucks on a blind date. We talked for a while and then went and watched an 80's cover band called the Yellow Brick Road. When the band was finished, we weren't ready to have the night end, so we decided to go out to Lake Las Vegas and walk around. Granted by this time it was about 3:00 am. We walked and talked some more. It seemed like we were trying to learn as much about one another as we could on that first night. We walked to a bridge that overlooked the lake and we were just hugging when Marty whispered in my ear, "I don't know how I found you, but I have to figure out a way not to loose you." Since that moment my life has never been the same."

What is your idea of the "perfect" date?

"Honestly, spending time together makes anything we do 'perfect'."

What is the one thing about your wedding you are most excited for?

"We are most excited about the gathering of family and friends and to be able to share our special day with those we love."

Tell us about your proposal story!

"Marty and I had gone shopping for my ring a few days before Christmas. The jeweler let us take the ring with us that day, so I knew he had it, I just didn't know when he was going to ask. Christmas day rolled around and we were with my family. Everyone had opened all their gifts and Marty presented me with a large box. I opened it and inside was a smaller box. There was a box inside a box inside a box inside a box. In all, I think I opened about eight boxes! I finally got to the box that I recognized as "the ring" box. I was so nervous I could hardly open it. Once I got past all the tape, I opened the box only to find a Kasey Kahne tree ornament inside. I was half laughing and half crying. Marty and I have an inside joke about my non-love of NASCAR. It was a cruel but funny joke. As I was trying to gather myself and my other family members were distracting me, he had my niece go to the Christmas tree and get an ornament off the tree to hand to me. My niece handed me an Angel ornament that said Christmas 2008 and around her neck was the ring. It had been in front of me the entire day and I didn't even notice it. He said some beautiful words to me and then placed the ring on my finger. It was truly a Christmas I will never forget."