Photo by Keepers by Kelly Planning and designing a wedding can be both complex and expensive — however, Amy and Doug Collins have launched Blue Sky Event Rentals to offer couples an affordable way to plan the weddings of their dreams. The duo combines decades of wedding planning and design experience with trendy and affordable rental products, all chosen with their couples in mind. Amy and Doug are the couple behind The Collins [...]

Looking for a sustainable — but beautiful — option for your wedding stationery? West Michigan stationery designer Kayleigh Dumond has created a line of eco-friendly invitations printed on seed paper that blooms into wildflowers when planted. Available in her Etsy shop alongside traditional stationery, Dumond’s seed paper offerings were inspired by a book she read in college, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. “It explained the [...]

With its charming mix of fashion, gifts, florals, and a modern-yet-timeless bridal loft, downtown Holland boutique Spring Sweet is a favorite with brides looking for their dream dress. Now, with the introduction of a new private label collection called La Femme, there’s even more to love at Spring Sweet. “Like most things in the shop, La Femme was inspired by our love of all things feminine and French — beautiful textiles, timeless silhouettes, and [...]

While scrolling through Instagram or the real weddings on our website for inspiration, you may have noticed something uniquely artistic at some recent celebrations. Live wedding painters are an increasingly in-demand form of capturing wedding memories and turning them into one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Here, we chat with artist Samantha Conrad-VanRanden about the finer points of this growing trend. Tell me about your background in art — when did you know you wanted to be [...]

Photo by Dariane Sanche Photographe Finding the perfect gown isn’t the only fashion decision you need to make for your wedding day. Whether you’re planning a lakeside bachelorette weekend or an epic honeymoon escape to Bali, you need to find the perfect swimsuit. Launched in spring 2024, Marina Marina is a luxurious, sustainable swimwear line focused solely on brides. “Brides are hungry for bridal wear across all areas,” says co-founder Nicala LaReau. [...]

Photo by Raquel Lauren On a whimsical property at the tip of northern Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula lies the picturesque gardens of Svenja Parotat, the creative force behind floral and jewelry design studio Svenja & Company. But it wasn’t always gardens and gemstones for Parotat. At 17, the Berlin-born artist was scouted by an agent and soon found herself modeling across the world and living in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. [...]

Photo by Niki Marie Photography Since launching Motor City Vintage Rentals in 2011, Kymberly Andren has curated a fleet of beautiful, Detroit-made classic cars from the 1940s that includes multiple Packards and a Ford Deluxe Convertible. But recently Andren stretched beyond her Motor City roots to add a bit of European flair to her collection of iconic vintage cars, introducing a 1957 Porsche Speedster named Caspian. “I’m obsessed with Detroit auto history, it’s [...]

Photo by Tylee Shay With more than 3,000 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes and thousands of inland lakes within the state’s borders, boating holds a special place in the hearts of Michiganders. Former WZZM 13 anchor and current Saugatuck mayor, Lauren Stanton, is no different. A longtime Saugatuck resident, Stanton and her husband own and operate Retro Boat Rentals, a boat rental service that offers pontoon boats, duffy boats, donut boats, [...]