Going to the Chapel: Kari and David

This Friday, the 12th, we're soooo excited to have the honor of providing flowers for Kari and David! Enjoy their adorable story!!!

image courtesy of JK Photography

Kari Perez - Medical Office Specialist

David Rawles - College Head Volleyball Coach/Director for his AAU Volleyball Club

Tell us about the first time you two met!

"The very first time we met was at Grand Valley State University for club volleyball tryouts. I arrived early to the tryouts (for once in my life I was early) and Dave walked in shortly after I arrived. Dave said to me "I am glad you're here" and that is where our friendship started, 8 year ago now. We developed a great friendship over the years and began to fall in love without really knowing it. When the time was right, Dave let me know how he felt (what a happy surprise for me and a relief) and we haven't left one another's side since then."

What is your idea of the "perfect" date?

"My idea of a perfect date is spending the day in Chicago having lunch, dinner, of course shopping and walking hand-in-hand with Dave. One of our first weekends together was in Chicago and it is special to us."

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

"I am most excited to be able to call Dave my husband finally and for our daughter Peyton to be able to spend that special day with us. And of course I am so excited to see my bouquet and tables set-up at the reception - it's a vision I can't wait to see come to life!"

Tell us about your proposal story!

"Dave and I knew we were going to get married it was just a matter of when it would happen. We had been discussing getting married and I knew that Dave was looking for rings. I am a very aware person and not easily surprised - this made it a difficult process for him. Dave told me that it was going to be longer before he would be able to  buy me a ring so he asked if I wanted to go to dinner. Of course I said yes - anytime I can eat salmon I am there! We ate at Dockers in Muskegon which is right on the water. We sat along the patio where it was very private. Amidst conversation, Dave asked if I was disappointed that he could not get a ring yet and I replied "no, I know that we will get married eventually." With that, Dave replied, "you know I love you right and I want to spend the rest of my life with you - so how about now?"As he said this he opened up his hand and had my ring in it! It was very sweet and I was surprised. It was the perfect proposal for me, I didn't want a big affair or a lot of people around - it was perfect with just him and me. I have to admit at first I was taken aback and asked Dave if it was a ring from a cracker jack box - I was totally thrown off course."

Wedding Recap: Kelly and Dave

On May 22nd, we had the pleasure of designing for Kelly and Dave! Their ceremony was held at La Grave CRC right downtown.  I don't know about you but I love colorful stain glass windows and this sanctuary is loaded with them.  

The fabulous bride and groom!!! They were absolutely WONDERFUL to work with and had an incredible sense of style... 

This little lady is just a year old... seriously they don't get any cuter!  Can you say, "I see a fabulous wedding for her in 20+ years!!!" I love how she's rockin' that mini bouquet!!

The reception was held at the B.O.B.'s Eve Lounge... a swanky and super-mod venue. We LOVE it! To keep with the fresh, clean-lined, and modern interior we used simple flowers, dynamic wheat grass, and attention grabbing grasses along with barked willow. The white glass pilsner vases were the PERFECT fit with the interior!

The unique head table configuration at the Eve is one of our favorite attributes...The spin on the tradition layout is refreshing and gives couples a modern and unique set-up.  The rich teal leather banquette seating is uber cool not to mention super comfy, double bonus! 

Thanks Kelly and Dave for allowing us to share in your special day and to Dan for the amazing images.  Warmest wishes as you journey through life together!  

all images courtesy of Dan Johnson Photography

Featured Flower Friday "PEONY"

Your Must-Know Info...

Colors Available: White, Pink, Magenta, Red, Burgundy, Peach, and Yellow
Seasons Available: Spring (March - June)
Lasting Quality: 5 - 7 days
Pricing: $4.00 - $8.00 per stem (varies depending on growing location and time of year)

image courtesy of Jen Kroll Photography

This miraculous centerpiece was truly that... Peony in January crazy I know but everything came together for this fabulous event!  

image courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

image courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

The above two images are from our sassy guest blogger Alishan's wedding last June.  We used over 700 peony to create her lush bouquets and centerpieces.  We loved this bride so much she has become our "Dear Abby" for our brides.  :)  Who better to offer advice than a bride who planned for nearly 2 years long distance!

image courtesy of Jen Kroll Photography

image courtesy of Coastline-Studios

 In November we designed a spectacular event and rather than throw all the lovelies away we recreated hand-tied bouquets...95 to be exact!  We spent over 2 days redesigning and delivering to area nursing homes.  Thanks to the generosity of our client, we were able to pay it forward.  

Have a great Friday everyone!  Time to get back to designing our wedding for the weekend and of course we're using PEONY!  LOVE IT!!!!

Taking Center Stage: Bella Signature Design

I have made some fabulous twitter friends from all over the country.  It's amazing how the internet has made the world such a small place!  Just a few months ago I started tweeting with an amazing floral designer out of Seattle and although this may sound funny I knew just after a few "tweets" and reading her blog,  this girl was my kindred spirit.  Daniela has honestly and openly offered her expertise and for that I'm so grateful.  She is an industry leader, has been featured in Bride and Bloom, Seattle Bride, Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom, Elegant Bride and Grace Ormonde and has one of the most fascinating stories I have ever heard... without further ado, I introduce....

Daniela Isabella Ferdico Faget of Bella Signature Design , Inc

location: Seattle, WA

years in business: 10

photography by Jane Lee Photography

What first sparked your interest in Floral Design?

"My obsession with color and flowers."

What is your must-have item on the job?

"Floral tape and wire - I can do anything with a bit of stem tape and wire!"

Any great business advice that you swear by?

"Only design what makes you happy. If you agree to do someone's event and the style clashes with your own, it will show in your work. I'm not saying that everything has to look the same, or that you should not create what the client desires and is inspiring to you create - that is what it is all about; but if something is making you cringe, it's not for you, and you should pass it on to someone else. If you get excited about the project while talking to your client, then it's a good fit."

Any current blog obsessions you want to share?

"Besides Modern Day Floral? The smart planner, Sean Low's great blog, as well as Seth Godin."

Are there any weddings or traditions that make you cringe?

"I think every bride should follow her heart and create what she wants, but I tend to only accept weddings that fit well with my style, as that way, I can really get into it and be passionate about what I am creating for them. Anything too "wedding-y" is not very me - I'm definitely not traditional when it comes to design, much more of a lover of "modern lush." You won't find me creating centerpieces with greens and filler flowers. EVER."

photography by Azzura Photography

What is the most important personal satisfaction you get with your job?

"I LOVE what I do. I enjoy the fact that I am now at the point where I can pick and choose which events I take on, and that those events inspire, as do the brides themselves. I am surrounded by beautiful things and put them together to create a beautiful day for someone else on one of the most important days of their life. How cool is that?! AND I get to be home when my kids get home from school every day. Perfect!"

If you could work with anyone, who would it be?

"Preston Bailey - it would be fabulous to watch his creative process!"

If you could have anyone as your client, who would it be?

"As cool as it would be to do a big celebrity name wedding, I really just love it when I have a great synergy with a bride and I get to be creative. Some of my most amazing weddings have been for clients who "let me do my thing" after we have collaborated on color and basic design ideas. I love exceeding people's expectations."

What does your normal day consist of?

"Catching up on email/blogs/twitter, checking out what's new at the wholesale flower markets, processing flowers, designing, finding inspiration from a variety of places."

Days off and down time are cherished in the industry. How do you spend yours?

"With my fabulous husband and two amazing kids, who always manage to put me in my place!"

photography by Kurt Smith Photography

A special thanks to all this Seattle photographers for allowing us to use their images and for Daniela for sharing her talent! It is always refreshing to see what is going on outside our region!!! I hope to meet her in person someday...I'm sure she would feel like a childhood friend.   

Your Petal Palette: Orange

This fun color reminds me of warm, gorgeous Michigan sunsets, tropical fish in Hawaii, and pumpkin pie in the fall. Oh how I love it! Orange creates energy, warmth, and fun in everything! Orange flowers add these elements to weddings and events everywhere! 

image courtesy Jen Kroll Photography

Oh so tropical!!!

image courtesy of Jen Kroll Photography

This beautiful pomander balls of cherry brandy roses is resting upon a cut crystal vase! This combination shows a mixture of fun and sophistication!

photo courtesy of Amy Carroll 

These dahlia boutonnieres were one of my favorites we have ever designed! The variegated lily grass wrap, hypericum berries, and the bold color of this mini dahlia still gives me chills!

The Members of Team Alishan: Ben Harrison Photography

Having never been one the little girls that always dreamt about her dream wedding, I had very little idea of what I wanted my day to look like. I did however know what was important to me. That list included the following: An early summer wedding date, incredible food, flowers, pictures and a venue like nothing I had ever seen. A quick trip back to Grand Rapids to see my mom shortly after the engagement provided us with all of these things. Unfortunately, as Jill mentioned (side note: If you’re not reading Jill, you should be) a lot of venues and vendors don’t take bookings more than a year out. Now you may be saying “uhm…why didn’t you just get married in early summer 2007? You’d only have to wait 8 months then.” And in theory, you would be correct but that’s simply not the way this event was going down. I’m not one of the most low maintenance people by nature (shocking I’m sure, to those that know me!) so the idea of rushing around and having to deal with the possibility of not getting the vendors I wanted simply was not an option. We decided to have a long engagement so that we could enjoy the planning process and each other during this transitional time in our lives. After research, we found what we believe to be the cream of the crop of Grand Rapids wedding vendors and wouldn’t trade them for the world. The services they provided leave us in awe almost a year later and I am lucky to consider many of them friends. Their professionalism and the fact that I trusted them to do their jobs without me having to nag truly made our day as seamless and perfect as it was.

 

*These reviews are not in order of awesomeness as they all rocked my socks*

 

I found Ben and Laura of Ben Harrison Photography (B+L) on theknot.com within weeks of getting engaged and scheduled a quick meeting with them when I came home a few weeks later. Now if you have met with my mother and me at the same time, we can be a bit of a handful. We both talk really fast, jump from subject to subject, and like to get down to the nitty gritty of whatever we’re dealing with. From the minute B+L greeted us, we knew they could handle whatever we threw their way. Drawn in by their incredible work, we were hooked by their tremendous personalities. They made us feel welcome and I knew I would be comfortable spending my wedding day with these two. Mike and I wanted someone to capture moments that we will look back on years later and feel the emotions of the day. We wanted innovative individuals willing to step outside of the box of what has already been done and look towards new creative ways to shoot. We wanted fierce, fun and 100% awesome. That’s what we got with Ben Harrison Photography. We met with other well known Grand Rapids photographers just to make sure we weren’t rushing into anything (seriously wanted to book B+L before even leaving their studio) and after a few of those meetings we had to stop ourselves from literally running back and throwing our money at them. Enough of me yammering on look for yourselves.

Pretty good, right? The details, the moments, the laughs. We have hundreds of pictures and these are just a few of my absolute favorites. Ben Harrison Photography can be found here and their blog can be found here. Next up, our very own Modern Day Floral. Also, please leave whatever questions about ANYTHING in the comments. The best resource I had was friends that had already gotten married and were open to answering all of the questions I didn’t want to bother my family with!

 

Until next time,

 

Alishan

all images are courtesy of Ben Harrison Photography

BIRTH FLOWER OF THE MONTH: June..."The Rose"

I hope all of you had a fantastic weekend.  Although June 21st marks the first day of summer I can't help but celebrate when it finally arrives.  June means wedding season is in full swing, days get longer and nothing tastes better than steak on the grill! 

This month we celebrate all you fabulous June babies and your hopelessly romantic flower...the rose.  Roses come in many different varieities from garden to spray, sweetheart to standard with endless colors available. I don't know about you but I love reading about the different rose color meanings!

Eufloria Flowers is by far my favorite rose grower.  They have the most amazing color selection and the quality is unparalleled.  In November they introduced a stunning new novelty rose called Hypnose.  It is a petite, copper brown and green rose which works beautifully in vintage weddings...finally a rose with a chocolate undertone!   

This sweet bouquet was designed using sophie, a soft pink standard rose and cream spray roses.  The pink rose means grace and elegance which beautifully describes this bouquet.

This classic bouquet is a combination of black magic roses and stephanotis.  Red is the traditional symbolism for love and romance.

image courtesy of Brianna Graham

Sweet little cake topper using open burgundy spray roses, touches of Italian Ruskus with a tiny kiss of bling!   

image courtesy of Lynell Snook

I don't know about you but I'm hopelessly in love with pomander balls especially ones made o lush open roses.  Here we created the design using 75 Anuschka roses.

image courtesy of Jen Kroll Photography

This last little beauty is by far my favorite, the cherry brandy rose!  It's a scrumptious rose with a yummy sherbert orange color and hot pink ruffled petals...can you say LOVE!  :)  This rose is playful and a perfect compliment to almost any color palette. 

image courtesy of Jen Kroll Photography

So for all you June babies (and hopeless romantics), enjoy the flower of the month and Happy Summer - just a little bit early!