A Delightfully Bold + Colorful Summer Wedding at The Ovation Chicago — mustard yellow, Apricot, and coral colored blooms

As a florist, one of the best things to notice is when wedding planners take the time to get to know who we are, our design style, and appreciate the quality + work ethic we put into every wedding. Midwestern Bride has truly been one of these planners, and it is always an absolute pleasure working with this team. We worked together A LOT throughout 2022 in Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee areas. It was one of the busiest wedding seasons for everyone due to Covid overflow, but each wedding went off without a hitch. The Midwestern gals always get sh*t done, and we love them for it!

Before Midwestern Bride recommends their client to a florist, they always take into consideration the couple’s event needs, budget, and overall style + personality to make sure that they are paired with the perfect match. We really appreciate this because it allows us to already take the guesswork out of whether or not we will be a good fit for the clients they send our way.

Photography by Anna Zajac

The moment Midwestern Bride put us in touch with Shelby and Ever, we knew this was going to turn out to be the most epic day. The keywords were playful, editorial, and bold citrus colors. The chic, industrial style of the venue and the inspiration for this wedding had our name written all over it, so we were thrilled to work with such an incredible vendor team to make it happen.

Shelby and Ever live in New York, so we were not able to meet in person before the wedding day, but we instantly hit it off over the phone. We remotely work with a lot of couples, so we were confident we could help put them at ease and make the flowers a fun and stress-free part of the planning. The couple shared a few of their ideas and colors they liked, and then we took the reins from there to create them one unforgettable party!

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Photography: Anna Zajac ❖  Venue: The Ovation Chicago ❖ Planner: Midwestern Bride

Hair & Makeup:  Goldust Woman ❖ Florals: 1209 Creative ❖ DJ: Rendezvous Music

Catering: Hearty Boys ❖ Dessert: Dipsy Desserts ❖ Transportation: The 312 Limo

Romantic Garden Wedding at the Royal Palms Resort

Melissa and Andrew were looking to have a romantic garden-style wedding in Scottsdale, AZ. They chose to get married at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa, which couldn’t have been a better choice since it would be guaranteed they would be surrounded by lush greenery in every direction. When it came to floral and color choices, Melissa simply shared that they really wanted to incorporate mauve tones. We suggested to add a pop of a gold or mustard to really make the arrangements and bouquets pop against all of the greenery.

When it came to her ceremony decor, Melissa didn’t have much of a vision except that she really wanted to see twinkle lights and geo lanterns used. So we constructed a suspended design filled with bay laurel and tree fern, a variety of florals, and of course, twinkle lights and custom-made paper geo lanterns. It definitely added to that romantic, garden vibe that they wanted to see.

I have to say that Melissa and Andrew were such a pleasure to work with and the ideal client to have. When someone has so much trust in a florist, it truly helps us thrive and deliver the best quality designs!

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Jeanine + Ankur’s Warm and Colorful Memorial Union Reception

The Memorial Union is a special place because it’s where so many couples meet for the first time, whether in passing or attending school together, so I can see why many go back to get married there. It’s a very special place to me personally because it’s where my mom and dad went to school together, and I spent a lot of time there with my family, feeding popcorn to the ducks by the lake and eating lots of ice cream. So it’s surreal to be there working on weddings for 1209 and watching our clients reminisce about past memories too while creating new memories together.

Being a part of Jeanine and Ankur’s wedding last summer really opened up some amazing doors for this upcoming summer. I get so wrapped up in each wedding we are currently working on, that I often forget that that vary wedding could somehow connect us to future weddings and new friendships. I was so ecstatic that I finally got to work with Kate Senger Photography on this wedding after meeting almost a year prior. She is a talented photographer that truly vibes with and captures the most precious details for her couples. It is because of her that we were able to meet Jeanine and Ankur and be a part of their wedding day. And because of this, we got to meet Julianne from Glitter & Twine Events. We quickly became friends and are going to be working on another wedding together this June. I love the universe and how one connection leads to the next!

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“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

— Dr. Seuss

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Photography: Kate Senger Photography ❖ Event Coordinator: Glitter & Twine Events 

Church: Blessed Sacrament ❖ Venue: Tripp Commons | The Memorial Union

Florals + Decor: 1209 Creative ❖ Hair: Jenna Steir ❖ Makeup: Brittany Esser

DOLLS

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“ “Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are, that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of the year. You can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. Summer just opens the door and lets you out.”

―Deb Caletti, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart”

Photography: Sandy Goldstein ❖ Flowers: 1209 Creative  ❖ Location: Tremaine Ranch
Makeup: Lillian Fogel ❖ Hair Styling: Zach Glielmi ❖ Styling: Caroline Jackson + How Sweet It Was Vintage  Models: Bryce Gressley, Gwen Lindvig + Maddy Welch from The Agency Arizona

7 Ways to Not Lose Your Cool As a Small Business Owner

You tend to often hear about how owning your own business can be "awesome," "amazing," "the best thing ever" ...but business owners tend to not share what it can really be like. It's an extreme challenge, even when you are doing something you truly love.

Creating flower arrangements and working on events and weddings are not our only responsibilities behind 1209. We have part-time jobs (plural... jobs), on top of motherhood, personal obligations, random life events that come out of nowhere... all while juggling a very real and very important career path in this industry. I literally LOL if the term "work-life balance" is tossed our way. Work-life balance? Ha! Don't make us laugh. Learning to master that would just be another thing "to-do" on the already never-ending "to-do" list. 

Never-the-less, when you're a small business owner, you just gotta keep it together. Don't let the people see you sweat because no matter what, you got this. It's what you signed up for; it's what WE signed up for. No one told us it was going to be a cakewalk. And in all honesty, I don't think I fully thought it was going to be as difficult as it has been. I've learned that when you start something of your own, you don't get to pay yourself right away, and you work harder than you have ever worked, AND you most certainly do not have an abundance of free time for yourself. Did someone say vacation? Nope. I think they actually said overtime... all the time. 

Time is of the essence, and time is probably one of our most valued possessions. We do what we can in our time because after all, it's OUR time. It belongs to everyone, yet each individual has the choice to use it how he or she chooses. So here are 7 ways to use your time while running a business so that you can stay mostly sane and (almost) never lose your cool.

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7 Ways to Not Lose Your Cool As a Small Business Owner

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1. Creative Outlets: Do something creative when you have the chance. Bored? Build something, write something, draw something, cook something, plant something... DO SOMETHING. And whatever it is, make sure it's for fun. For example, when we're bored we tablescape and play with leftover flowers. We are humans and need to find healthy ways to express ourselves other than working. 
2. Keep Up on Communication: Ummmm... it's everything to us. It's what makes the world go round! Don't get behind on emails, follow-ups or phone calls with clients and colleagues. It will all catch up with you, and even if you hide under your bed, it's allllllllll still going to be there when you eventually crawl out. An email a day keeps the headaches away! Just sayin'.
3. Coffee Breaks: Caffeine? Foam? The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting in the air? We're there... first in line. Oh, but have you tried spicey coldbrew?? If you haven't, you've been living under a ridiculously heavy rock... literally, in the depths of an undiscovered crater. You'll find this amazing bad habit at Be Coffee. Life is not the same without it.
4. Schedule In Finances: Ok, it's not exactly fun or glamorous, but "Finance Day" is the best day because once it's over, there's an over-sized glass of wine filled to the brim waiting for you... *clouds parting* and *rays of sunshine* happening. There's a light at the end of the tunnel... until the next month when it starts all over and you want to run away. Just keep up on your expenses, taxes and all things dollar bill related. It's important to get better at that boring stuff because you learn the ins-and-outs of what's going on within your own business. Organized spreadsheets will (may I repeat, WILL) become your besties.
5. Networking: Chances are there are people out there just like you... trying to make a dollar doing what they love. And chances are there is a possibility that you can work together and somehow help one another out. AND chances are they love alcohol as much as you do. So we say go out, have a drink and make sh*t happen!
6. Pet Therapy Sessions: At the end of the day, no matter what, hanging out with your pet is pretty chill. They don't judge, they don't talk back, and they think that you're the best ever. Don't have a pet? Go buy (or better yet, adopt) one. You'll have something to vent to 24/7, and they always think you're right. And the best part is you don't have to pay for them to listen (because you'll probably be broke for awhile being an entrepreneur). It's a win-win!
7. Netflix Binges: Sometimes we need to escape reality and give our overworked brains a rest... soooooo, what better way to do that other than to find a new show on Netflix to binge watch until 4am?! YAY! It's the only way to keep some sanity and partly escape dealing with the outside world. Shameless, Blacklist, Peaky Blinders, American Dad, Stranger Things... give us all of the shows!

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About the photos above: We did a styled photo shoot with BTS Event Management this past April (photos soon to come), but had a ton of leftover flowers from it. We hate to see flowers tossed away when they are still so beautiful, so we decided to do something with these super cool carnations. We will be the first to say that carnations definitely get a bad rap (seen as the sad grocery store flowers) BUT carnations are making a comeback. We've been seeing a variety of them coming in from our wholesalers in these amazing colors... plus, they last forever  and are easy to work with. As florists, we're into all of that. So for fun (and #1 on our list above) we chose to partake in a creative outlet and create a Southwest-inspired tablescape with these carnations, a vintage China and crystal set, Crate & Barrel napkins and silverware, copper mugs, and a few decorative pieces from our 1209 decor collection. Ta-da!

photos by Nicolas Alexander