The Power of Flowers Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht shares the art of floral design at Planterra Conservatory By Mickey Lyons | Photography by Jen Boris Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht has had a wildly varied life. Born and raised in Detroit, he left at a young age and has since lived on a bus, traveled across the U.S. while performing in the musical Rent, and has lived briefly in New York, Boston, London, and Seattle — where he founded his [...]

How Sweet It Is A Northern Michigan florist dedicated to spreading joy through flowers By Kerri Molitor   |   Photo by Michael Murphy IV Photography Kalin Sheick started Sweetwater Floral with $500 and a hand-me-down Ping-Pong table in her basement — but her passion for spreading joy through flowers grew the business into a successful wedding and event florist, a retail shop in Walloon Lake, and a schedule full of private workshops. Today, the Sweetwater Floral [...]

Preserving memories one petal at a time By Rebecca Voigt When Brianne Janer launched Petal Archive in 2020, her floral preservation business had a much different focus. “My older sister was getting married in 2019, and I wanted to create the perfect gift for her,” Janer says. “I made small resin keepsakes out of her flowers, and back then, I thought I did an amazing job. Let’s just say I should have practiced before I [...]

Whether your wedding is at the peak of summer or during snowy mid-winter, four Michigan florists share their favorite flowers for your celebration By Rebecca Voigt With so many beautiful blooms to choose from, picking the perfect flowers for your wedding can seem a bit daunting. Here, we ask four Michigan experts — Ashley Brunette of Brunette Blossoms, Rachel Chaffee of Eastern Floral, Josephine Brown of Michigan Flower Barn, and Libby Hogan of Lilies of [...]

Floral artist Lindsay McWhorter combines unexpected elements for designs unlike anything you've seen before By Giuseppa Nadrowski | Photography by Erin Schmidt Lindsay McWhorter, owner and creative director of metro Detroit-based Niche Hitch — a boundary-pushing, experimental, and eclectically cool floral art and styling studio — does it all.  Serving clients in both metro Detroit and California’s Joshua Tree and Palm Springs communities, McWhorter designs unique floral art for weddings and events, editorial shoots, and [...]