When A Florist Plans Her Own Wedding
A Soft Spring Garden Wedding in Michigan
Growing up, I was never the girl dreaming about her wedding day, I was the girl dreaming about flowers and becoming a florist.
Believe it or not, my sister and I used to watch the animated movie The King and I, and when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I confidently said, “the florist.” It was one of those childhood memories I had long forgotten until my sister brought it up during her wedding speech, a little detail that somehow made its way full circle. So where does a florist even begin when planning her own wedding?
Naturally… with the flowers. And secondly, with the calendar.
Choosing an Early Spring Wedding Date in Michigan
I knew right away that I didn’t want to get married in the middle of wedding season. In Michigan, that essentially runs from May through October, which also happens to be the busiest stretch of the year for florists.
That left early spring.
Early spring in Michigan, however, can best be described as very risky business. But there was one thing I was completely sure about: I wanted to get married outside – aka I’m crazy.
If you know anything about Michigan weather, you already know where this story could have gone. Planning an outdoor wedding in April is not exactly the safe route. There were many nights spent refreshing weather reports like a maniac and wondering if I had completely lost my mind.
But I did it anyway.
And somehow, it worked.
The morning of our wedding started with a light sprinkle — just enough to keep us humble — but by the time guests began arriving, the clouds lifted, the sun came out, and the temperature climbed to a perfect 70 degrees. For an April day in Michigan, it truly felt like a small miracle!
Planning My Own Wedding While Designing 23 Others
Before the wedding day even arrived, I had made another slightly questionable decision. I decided to plan my own wedding.
At the same time I was preparing for 23 other weddings that season.With the first one taking place a week after my own. Looking back now, a year later, I can confidently say… I don’t necessarily recommend that approach.
There were moments where I would spend the entire day designing my dream wedding, only to get a quick reality check once quotes started coming in. That usually meant replanning, shifting things around, changing color palettes, and sometimes starting all over again.
It was strange for me, because I’m typically a very decisive person. I have no problem guiding my clients toward what they truly want and helping them narrow down choices with confidence. But when it came to my own wedding, I felt like a bit of a lost duckling — probably because I didn’t have a “me” to lean on. And being in the industry means, quite frankly, I know too much. Which is both a blessing and a curse.
It was a season filled with spreadsheets, flower recipes, and more late-night brainstorming than I care to admit. But planning my own wedding also gave me a perspective I hadn’t fully experienced before.
As a florists and designer, I spend so much time creating for others, translating someone else’s vision, priorities, and story into flowers. Planning my own wedding ended up being more of a reality check than anything else. It gave me a firsthand look at the decisions, adjustments, and compromises my clients navigate while trying to balance vision, priorities, and budget. It also opened my eyes to the many layers that come with planning a wedding that have nothing to do with design —family dynamics, and the emotional side of bringing so many people and opinions together. As a florist, I’m usually able to stay focused purely on the creative side, but planning my own wedding reminded me just how much couples are juggling behind the scenes while trying to create a day that feels meaningful to everyone involved.
A Soft Spring Garden Meets Old-World Elegance
My vision from the beginning was to bridge spring abundance with an elegant old-world aesthetic.
Every design decision for the wedding started and ended with the flowers. Spring has always been my favorite season for flowers. After a long Michigan winter, those first blooms feel magical, delicate hellebores, airy spirea, ruffled ranunculus, fritillaria and tulips that feel like they’re stretching toward the sun after months of dormancy.
Everything feels full of new life and new beginnings. I felt especially connected to that idea of “new beginnings,” knowing my husband and I were about to step into marriage together for the very first time.
I wanted the color palette to feel antique, soft, and neutral with just a touch of moodiness — and I eventually landed on what you see here. Color can be a tricky thing when you’re working with flowers. Undertones always come into play, and what you see one week isn’t always exactly what shows up the next. You can look at a bunch of blooms the week prior, fall in love with their color, and then see that same variety arrive the following week looking slightly different. It’s part of the beauty and unpredictability of working with something that’s grown rather than manufactured.
With that in mind, the ceremony florals were designed to feel lush and abundant, layered with soft textures and blooms that felt true to Michigan’s spring. I loved the thought bridging old and new incorporating elements like dried hydrangeas as a nod to what came before, while fresh blooms emerging from them symbolized new life beginning to take shape.
At the reception, I carried that same philosophy forward: lush, garden-inspired arrangements paired with classic details that brought in the old-world elegance I love so much. Soft candlelight, layered textures, and flowers that felt like miniature gardens scattered across the tables created a warm, immersive atmosphere for our guests.
Flowers Set the Tone for Everything
How This Shapes the Work I Do at Sycamore Design Studio
Planning my own wedding, especially while designing so many others, reminded me why I fell in love with this work in the first place.
Flowers are more than just something beautiful to look at; they have this quiet but powerful ability to shape venues, ballrooms, tented events, massive industrial spaces, or intimate rooms.
At Sycamore Design Studio, that belief guides everything I do. When I design for my couples, I’m not just thinking about what flowers look beautiful together, I’m thinking about how they will transform a space and how they will make people feel the moment they walk in.
Every couple has their own version of what that feeling should be:
- Sometimes it’s romantic and timeless.
- Sometimes it’s whimsical and garden-inspired.
- Sometimes it’s elegant, modern, or minimalistic.
But the goal is always the same: creating an environment that feels intentional, curated, and unforgettable.
Because when flowers are designed with care and meaning, they don’t just decorate a wedding day, they help tell the story of it.
Stationery, Event Design, Floral & Styling: Sycamore Design Studio
Venue: Watermark Country Club
Photographer: Kellie Helter
Day of Coordination: All Buttoned Up Events