If you’ve been following along with me on instagram you’ll know there’s a fabulously fun wedding coming up on the HGE roster. It has a lot to do with unicorns and glitter, and rainbow and cowboys. And it’s been nothing sort of a wonderfully creative challenge that’s truly opened my eyes to a whole other level of artistry and design. Janet and Jon are both artists hailing from the Windy City with a sense of imagination I’ve come to so respect and admire. These two will be getting married at long last on June 2nd, and last week we finally joined forces with Kelly Braman to bring their fairytale fantasy to life. Their engagement session had some styled elements in it like the floral crown I created (and secretly want to wear in my office every day,) Janet’s bouquet, Jon’s cowboy-esque attire and the unicorn inspired hair piece and tulle tail fashioned by make up and hair artist Rebecca Gohl.  There’s so much eye candy here captured beautiful by Kelly. Janet and Jon, this whole planning process has been such a pleasure and the countdown is on!

Janet’s bridal bouquet will look similar to this mock up but with the addition of purple kale, blue, purple and red anemones, thistle and a few other quirky additions. Pretty blooms have been important to the couple throughout the planning process and I had such a blast designing their florals based around such unique and out of the box concepts and colors. The ribbon streamers will also be a design element used throughout the event as a nod to the whimsical fairytale themes Janet so loves. Oh and those are mini pineapples in that bouquet! Fun stuff right, guys?

Princess Janet.

This photo is my all time favorite of Janet. I’m thinking it should be a canvas in the girl cave, no?

We found this adorable pink trailer out in the Rockford countryside and decided to use it as a backdrop with Janet in her unicorn costume. It fit perfectly with her brightly hued highlights and gorgeous make up thanks to Rebecca’s artistry. And the sun was setting fast at this point in the shoot giving us the most delicious light. How handsome is Jon in a cowboy hat? Wait until you see both the bride and groom’s big day attire. The day of photos are going to be rad.

Happy Wednesday, friends! xoxo

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Photography: Kelly Braman Photography / Florals and crown: Hey Gorgeous Events / Make up and hair: Rebecca Gohl / Moss chair: Events by I Candy / Unicorn horn: Firefly Path / Headpiece faux flower: Loulou Loves You / Pink gloves: Jye / Sparkle shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Claire La Faye

If you pick up the latest issue of The Knot Michigan, you find a section in the middle called Tradition with a Twist. Guys, that is SO Hey Gorgeous isn’t it? Traditional with a twist. Playful with the pretty. Gorgeous with the unexpected. I had no clue what the story would be about prior to receiving my sneak peek copy but I love how they highlighted the juxtaposition-style of my florals and events. And seven pages? Of my work, blooms and my big old heart? HGE in print! To the editors at The Knot who told me I have something special to offer here in Michigan, thank you reigniting that fire in me that here in Michigan I am needed and understood. If you’re reading this and you’re in Michigan go grab a copy too. It’s really a gorgeous issue filled with amazing vendors and ideas from here in the Mitten.

Oh and the above double page spread is from our Little Black Dress Bridal Shower editorial. You can see more here. Amy Carroll shot the spread and did a wonderful job. Ashley from Lemon and Lavender created the lovely paper goods and I did the styling, concept and florals. Have a happy Tuesday, friends and go out there and do something wonderful! xoxo

It’s not a special age by any means. I’m not 25. I’m not in my last year of my twenties or turning the big 3-0. I’m just 27. Yet I feel like this is a good number for me. It fits. I’ve felt so much clarity leading up to 27 and for the first time in a while feel content in my own skin. I have a small business that I adore, goals and dreams I’m working towards, an amazing husband, and a family and group of friends that’s small, but I’m a quality over quantity kind of girl anyways (unless it’s a bunch of blooms; you can never have too many blooms). I can’t emphasize enough how much I mean it when I say my life is far from perfect but leading up to 27 I’ve accepted – and learned to love – the imperfections.

My Mom asked me last night, what my plans were for today. I told her I wanted to take Zoe for a walk, get caught up on some laundry, take a trip to Target for some new foundation (and a new pouf for our front porch that Andrew doesn’t yet know we are bringing home) and enjoy a 3:00 pm surprise that Andrew planned for me. Maybe we’ll enjoy a nice dinner later and then I’ll prep for a new work week starting tomorrow. It’s funny how our birthday celebration desires change from year to year. But ultimately, my birthday wish for this year? To be happy. 27 I think I like you already.

Photo above from the incredible Mindy and Ben at Studio 6.23. Can’t wait to share more from our session :)

If I had to be honest guys, I’d tell you this week was overwhelming. Despite all of the pretty blooms and endless prop building that consumed my days and nights, it was a long one. Case in point: I haven’t even blogged since last Friday. I’ve also been reading a lot about businesses ownership and this blog post here really struck a chord with me. Those Sage Wedding Pro chicks really are some of the wisest and smartest pros in the industry. They ALWAYS have something to learn from. For a while I suffered from the comparison symdrome where it felt like everyone around me had it figured out and I swore I wouldn’t ever be able to have ‘it’ myself. But truth is everyone has business problems behind closed doors. And nothing is ever as it seems. Does it mean everyone is miserable in this industry? Not necessarily, but the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and this article was a sweet reminder of just that. Go read the post now :)

With that I’m off to assemble invitation box mailers for a June client, then I have to tackle some more paper cone garlands and finish up some timelines. Tomorrow we’re hoping to stain the deck and soak up my second to last weekend before wedding season officially begins for HGE. Did I mention it’s my birthday on Sunday too? I have a special little post planned for that so check back later. Happy weekend, beauties. Make it a good one xoxo

Fragrant, fluffy, soft pink and white stock. Guys these are the things my dreams are made of. And I’ll keep this short today because these buckets of blooms over here are just dying to be arranged for Mother’s Day, but did I mention I’m way excited for a weekend away from the office and emails? If you missed it, yesterday I dished on my current studio space search (I’d love to hear your thoughts if you haven’t left them yet) and there’s been a whole boat load of fun and spray paint over on Instagram so follow along to catch more sneakies of upcoming events. What is everyone up to this weekend? Whatever it is, give a Mom a hug for all of her hard work :) That could be a bumper sticker quote huh?

Catch all of you beautiful people later! xoxo

But something didn’t feel right. And I don’t just mean that iPhone photo above. Ick sorry!

I forgot to mention that sometimes in addition to being very decisive, if I’m on the fence about something (which hardly happens) I tend to lean on others to gauge their opinions and ultimately what they would do if they were Rhi. Such was the case a few weeks ago when almost every single person in my circle had an opinion to share; and let me point out I am so grateful for my smart, wise, courageous and smart friends. I value their opinions and trust their judgement. But then I thought I should call my Dad. You know, the one who started his construction business alone with a young entrepreneurial business loan 25 years ago. The one who worked his tail off over the past 25 years to go from a small business that served small construction needs to an Incorporated business with a fleet of vehicles, 80 plus employees and a roster of business across the country and internationally. And most notably he’s the one that move after move, would make his office work in a spare room or the basement of our home. Here’s a man selling multimillion dollar building contracts from the comfort of his small, cozy, home office, and one who continued to do so until he absolutely had to move to an outside space that could accommodate his needs. Surely my Dad would have advice for me.

The thing I love about my Dad, and my Mom, is they tell me things I don’t want to hear. I used to hate that but as I get older and wiser (ha!) I learn to secretly love learning from and taking their advice and opinions to heart. My Dad’s initial advice on the space, before I could even tell him about those beautiful windows and that yummy light and the cheap rent, was ‘Don’t do it.’ Then this weekend he had a chance to see the studio, the building, the surrounding area, the whole nine yards. And and Sunday before him, my Mom and my Grandpa left he told me, ‘Remember Rhi, increase your revenue, decrease your overhead. And don’t do it.’ Wow. Talk about getting the opposite of what you really wanted.

I have a sweet friend and together we have accountability dates once a week. We talk about our goals, challenges and one thing we did well from the week prior. My one thing I did well from last week was taking my Dad’s advice and more notably my Mom’s points to heart as I continue to sit on the fence with this studio space. In the heat of my excitement I didn’t think about the things I should have like the lack of running water, at all, in the studio. My flowers wouldn’t jive well with that. I didn’t think it would be a big deal that our Michigan winters will absolutely freeze my tail off and probably drive me to crank the heat resulting in a ridiculous heating bill; when a big, grown man who leases the space next to your potential one tells you Michigan winters are miserable in said building, that’s gotta count for something.

These next few weeks will mark the start of my 2013 wedding season. My first wedding this year is my unicorn themed wedding and ironically enough the first event under my new brand. I’m. So. Excited. I’m also trying not to make a decision on a space (which I’ve decided I do absolutely need whether it be separate from my home or a revamped basement space) just because it’s exciting and fun. I want this to be a smart move and something that feels so good in the end because I did it the right way. In the meantime, I’ll be spray painting more cones for the unicorn inspired garlands you’ll see at June 2nd’s event and reviewing some pricing and plans to redo our entire unfinished basement. The smart biz move here would be to review all of my options before making my final move right? Right.

If you’re a business owner with a studio of your own I’d love to hear about your experiences! Obviously there are variables in every business wedding industry related or not (how much you make, how often you meet clients, what your inventory is like, what market you’re in, what your future business plans entail) but I’d still love to hear different perspectives and stories :) Happy Thursday, friends! Soak up that gorgeous sunshine out there xoxo

I woke up this morning and there was a sweet text on my phone from a friend and colleague that read “Yay for taking risks! Have fun with your intern today!” And instantly I felt like as scary as risks are they are often so worth taking. I’m currently sitting here on my front porch with my new intern Kendra (give her a warm welcome below guys!) and can’t even tell you I’m so excited about having a new person to work with here in the office even if it’s just a couple days a week. Kendra is a senior at a local university here in Grand Rapids, studying hospitality and tourism and I’m only hoping she’s more than thrilled to tackle some unicorn-inspired garlands today (look out for those guys in action on June 2nd!)

In other news, my adorable parents and my Grandpa are visiting Andrew and I for the weekend. I can hardly stand the suspense waiting for them to get here.  Hurry up 5:00 pm! It’s been a year since they were here last and they’ve yet to meet Zoe. Is it lame to call Zoe their grand dog? No? OK cool. We’ll be having a small grill out tonight, enjoying this beautiful spring time weather and hitting up some favorite stops around town over the next couple days! Hopefully you’ll have a marvellous weekend too and if you’re up for it, give a social media free few days a shot. xoxo

I love May. May just might be my most favorite month of the entire year, guys. For a multitude of reasons. Not only do I celebrate my birthday each year on the 19th but May in the Midwest is truly the changing of seasons. For example, this morning I woke up and boom. The loveliest of natural light was streaming through our windows and the birds were chirping outside in the tress. I think I may have even heard a lawnmower from down the street. And this was all around 7:00 am! Talk about motivation to get out of your bed and start your day! For as nasty as our winters can get and unpredictable as the climate may be here we really do have the loveliest of springs and summers. I could hug a stranger or two today because it’s May and I’m not just saying that because I’m typing this from a patio overlooking the water with a delicious and fruity martini by my side :) Shall we move on to this month’s goals now? Yes please.

Healthier Living This was one of the goals I made back in January (like most of the world I am sure) and I actually did really well with making healthy choices in my life up until I returned home from our vacation to Jamaica last month. I’d like to get back on track with my work outs, eating balanced meals (again, someone please convince me Starbucks isn’t a balanced meal) and just getting up and out there especially now that the weather is nice. Zoe loves going on walks so I’d like to take her on more and I enjoy working on some landscaping so I’m game for kicking it up a notch this month.

Smarter Living With the possibility of signing for this studio space soon, I need to continue to keep on track of my finances and where my money goes. Last month I made it a goal (thanks to the sweet Nancy Ray here) not to spend any money on things I do not need, and with the exception of some Starbucks at meetings, I succeeded. I purchased items from Home Goods for a client without walking through the remainder of the store, I walked by the decorative accent section at Target and left only with some cotton balls and Q-tips, and while it was painful not to buy myself or our home nice new things it was refreshing to stick to my guns. Less stuff equals more money in the bank. For rent. Right?

Happier living I’ve been feeling really good lately just about with everything in my life. Things aren’t perfect but wonderful. I made it a general goal for 2013 to just be purposeful in all I do whether it be with my marriage, my business or my personal life and I finally feel like four months into this year, things are where they should be. I’ve been trying to really live in the present and be content with things as they are and I feel like those efforts are paying off. So in May I’d like to continue feeling that way and continue to build off of this wonderful momentum. Feeling happy and content.

So let’s hear it! Who has some May goals they’d love to share? P.S. Go here and snag yourself a copy xoxo

It has been a whirlind of a week here in the HGE office. Tons of client and vendor appointments, tours of potential office spaces, I finally hired an awesome intern (yay!), booked two new clients and glittered my little unicorn-loving-heart away for a rad wedding coming up in about a month. I also recently made some back end changes to Hey Gorgeous (which overlaps a little with my office space search; more soon I promise!) but I’m feeling content about things right now. Like I’m on the other side of this invisible barrier I had build up for myself sometime last year. I met these guys yesterday (what a treat) and Aimee and I were talking about how this year has sort of been a turning point for us in our late twenties. And how we see life a little bit differently even in just being another year old. Or young I suppose. Because I don’t feel old! I just loved being able to talk to someone else who shares the same views on me.

I’m off to a client taste test for the afternoon, and another appointment to view a design and floral studio, then this weekend will be spent in Benton Harbor confirming design plans for next month’s event (you can follow along with me on instagram here). If you’re in the Grand Rapids area and would love to buy someone special some lovely blooms for Mother’s Day check out this post. And with that I will see you all next week! Dish below on your plans this weekend too; if you’re here in the Midwest I can bet it involves anything to do with that glorious sunshine :) xoxo

But because I happen to think I have the best Mom in the whole entire world, and I’m thinking most of you out there probably think the same thing about yours too. So to celebrate all of those amazing Moms out there this Mother’s Day I thought it would be appropriate and oh so fun to offer lovely pre-ordered arrangements for customers in the Grand Rapids and Rockford, Michigan communities. I’ll be designing and selling arrangements like the one above, filled with peonies, roses and other yummy pretties your Mom will love, all tucked into a sweet little clear hobnail vase (for pricing on an arrangement of this size with these blooms please contact me). The vases will be packaged with tissue and ready to go either late in the afternoon of May 12th or the morning of May 13th. Delivery to certain areas is available at a minimal fee but if you can pick up your blooms in person, I may have some fresh baked cookies for you as a treat. And a high five for being so awesome and supporting a small business much like the one run by yours truly.

To order an arrangement for your Ma, email me over at hello@heygorg.com and we can chat about all of the details! I can’t wait to infuse my surrounding community with a whole lot of Hey Gorg goodness. Have an amazing morning, friends and stop by Kelly Braman’s blog today to say hello! She took that beautiful photo you’re seeing up there xoxo