The Revel Rose

I was approached by Ciccone Vineyard & Winery and MyNorth Media to assist the winery with styling and set up for a unique wedding event called Wine & Weddings, hosted by MyNorth Media on Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula in April. Wine & Weddings was intended to give couples, their friends, and family members a broad overview of the venue and vendor options that exist in Northern Michigan through a site-to-site wine tour experience.

 

I think this was a great idea for people who aren't drawn to traditional wedding expos because it gave them space to view each and and walk through each and every venue in person, rather than looking at a photo. It also was an opportunity for attendees to meet vendors and have a chance to talk with them and see some of their work.

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It was an honor and so exciting to be able to style an entire space for one day, and I was grateful to welcome my new friend Lindsey Rank, owner of The Windflower Design Co. to help me style the barn for the day.

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Lindsey is a floral designer with years of experience working for a shop in Grand Rapids, and she just recently went out on her own, working across the state to bring farm-to-table flowers to events and celebrations. She has a background in fashion and textile design, and was an incredible support and visionary as we planned for this space.

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I'll be honest, barns aren't my favorite venues. I LOVE historic barns, don't get me wrong. But they are a challenge design-wise because they tend to be dark, feel overtly rustic in nature, and people seem to have a hard time envisioning creative and alternative uses of space in such iconic structures.

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Lindsey and I hoped to marry (!) our preference for whimsical, natural, modern, and organic design with the venue and rentals available to us; on limited time and with a super limited budget. Thankfully, Alex Macdonald of Monstrey Macdonald had a wonderful farm table he dropped off for us, some black chivari chairs, and a bar that we turned around and used as a dessert buffet. Lindsey turned the barn's permanent bar into an impromptu design space and crafted the makings of a barn wedding, complete with archway decor pieces, billowing greenery that framed the windows overlooking the vineyards and Suttons Bay, three different tablescape arrangements, and a round wreath that hung in our open theater style ceremony area. 

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We outfitted the tables with a mix of items from our home, my plates with her glasses. My silverware with her candlesticks. My homespun wedding favors of Michigan Maple syrup and her flax linens. It ended up being a wonderful collaboration of style and my other new friend Josh Hartman Photography was able to come spend the day with us and take some of these gorgeous blue bird day photos!

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It was great to meet so many excited couples (and I'll be honest , lot's of people who aren't engaged but love Northern Michigan and an excuse to get out and drink wine), and I am excited to hear that this event will be happening again next year. 

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