When feels like forever ago (was actually mid-March), this room filled with 100 determined people looking to change their lives, start businesses, revive their current businesses, or simply get fired up to conquer their fears.

It was the first Making Things Happen TWO DAY conference and I was honored to be a guest speaker.

You might know that one of the big reasons I started this wedding design business is the kick in the pants I got when I attended Making Things Happen two years ago. Being a speaker gave the opportunity to share my experience in starting a business based on what I love and the tips I’ve learned on personal branding. Which really means, I talked the truth with a bit of sass to a group of 100 ladies and gentleman who were craving honesty without sugar coating.

There I am, with my lipstick and sequin Chucks, going through the exercises with the rest of the group. Not only was I able to teach about my last year and a half owning a business, I gained further clarity on how (with more focused work, less social media breaks, and collaborating with other wedding pros with my similar aesthetic) and why (to create artistic celebrations of two families coming together, to make my own schedule, to make colorful, quirky decor and florals) I’m going to grow this wedding design company to serve creative and modern couples.

I also learned I love public speaking and feel as though I have a viewpoint and a no-nonsense approach that people crave. It’s probably the New Yorker in me. I want to teach others how to start a wedding design business – since the term “wedding designer” is kind of a made up job that didn’t exist a few years ago. Would you be into that? If I started a blog series on how I got started and how I keep building? I mean, I don’t have all the answers, I’ve only been at this for a short while. But I do have the viewpoint of a brand new business owner, which I’m thinking might be more relevant and relate-able than getting tips from Martha Stewart.

This Thursday, May 2nd, I’ll be participating in a fun wedding event at Lion In the Sun stationery store in Park Slope. Have you ever been to Lion In the Sun? I literally want to buy everything they have. It’s beautifully curated and they carry a TON of made-to-order wedding invitation suites.

Stop on by on Thursday for some sweet treats, yummy drinks, and pretty paper. I’ll be designing a reception table mock-up full of quirky details, handmade touches, and whimsical flowers.

Last summer, the girls over at Revel (who I blog for each week) asked me to make colorful floral arrangements and help them style an inspiration shoot they were putting together based on masking tape. Of course, I said, “hell yes let’s do this thing.” Bklyn View Photography captured these bright images on a sweltering day on a roof top in July. Yes – the Revel offices have access to a private roof deck in NYC. Let’s just let those words sink in for a moment – private. roof deck. NYC.

What I love most about this shoot is that it was truley a hand crafted masterpiece. Each element was created with an artistic touch that made it one-of-a-kind. Like this striped runner here – it was conceptualized to this exact table setting and hand painted using painter’s tape to create the straight lines. These are the kind of decor pieces that are my favorite for weddings – the kind that could be seen as art, as well as decor.

Emily from Lael Cakes, a true artisan herself, created these custom striped mini cakes from dyed fondant to match the theme. These are the types of details that make bring personalization to a party. Sure, standard cupcakes with pink icing would have been fine, but there is no substitute for paying an artist to create a dessert for you that is 110% custom to your event. Honeybee brownies brought delicious blondie bites to round out the dessert table. This shoot, along with a fun DIY, was featured on Wedding Chicks.

Blondies: Honeybee Brownies

Mini Cakes: Lael Cakes

Styling and Flowers: Michelle Edgemont

Styling and Decor: Revel

Photography: Brklyn View Photography

This is where the awesome stuff happens. Welcome to my studio. In November of last year, My husband and I were lucky enough (or the landlord got tired of me pesting him) to move into a three bedroom apartment just one floor above our current apartment. Besides the easiest move of all time, the higher rent was worth it for both of us to be able to have our own spaces. He plays heavy metal music in his studio and I make pretty flower arrangements, decorations, and run my business out of mine. brklyn view photography took these amazing photos. She is super talented. Hire her for your wedding.

The photos of my studio and an interview about how I started my business were featured over on The Everygirl a few weeks ago. Below are the nitty gritty personal details of the decorations in my favorite room in my apartment. Everyone needs a giant pair of scissors on the wall and a pig planter.

My office/studio is filled with projects that I created to give the space a bit of personality. I jazzed up a basic office chair by reupholstering it in black and white polka dot fabric. The Michelle Edgemont logo sign above my inspiration board was handmade with hundreds of push pins. You might remember it from The Cream! The Hello sign and arrow on my door was a game-time decision that I crafted during the studio shoot – it’s made of colorful felt and metallic gold Duct tape.

This is my inspiration board behind my computer. It’s filled with images and fabrics and mementos that fire me up. Looking at this reminds me what I’m working so hard for when all I want to do is quit and stuff my face with ice cream.  A quick tour around the board: 1)  a card from Making Things Happen, this is one of my favorite business and life mottos, 2) a photo of me and my dad from a family beach vacation. One day I’ll post the story about how he passed away from lung cancer, but for right now, let’s just look at these pretty pictures, k? 3) A photo of the Duomo in Florence. This is my favorite city in the world – so much so that I have it’s symbol tattooed onto my leg. I studied art there my junior year of college and it’s where I learned that textile design is a job that people actually do. I transferred to the Fashion Institute when I got back and moved to NYC, 4) me and Adam in a photo booth this past summer. None of this would be possible without that guy and his sexy beard.

5) this is the photo that my mom took of me launching this business in a Starbucks, 6) the first dollar I made. Ok, ok, it’s probably not the actual first dollar – I took it out of my wallet the day I booked by first wedding and pinned it up on this board, 7) encouraging cards from family and friends that I like to re-read when I feel deflated.

The striped doors and the bookcase are from Ikea. The doors come with a glass panel and a back panel – so I slipped some striped fabric in between them and tada! Pretty doors that hide all the craft supplies.

The giant E was a decoration at my wedding. The pig planter was a gift from Adam. I have a crazy amount of love for all things pig.

Clockwise from left to right: The Eagles pennant was my dad’s. The geometric garland was from an engagement shoot that I styled last year. The giant, scary scissors were my grandfather’s, he worked as a tailor. The pink and gold photograph is by Rebecca Hansen of my feet on the dance floor of The Cream NY last year. It was my first, big wedding showcase and I love how this image shows the fun of the gold confetti and my tattoo of the symbol of Florence. This art print is of all things Coney Island. Life Is Too Short To Play Small – yes, yes it is. 

Two weeks ago I was honored to, A) make the decor and flowers for Blogshop, B) spend the day in Patina Rental’s studio, C) eat dinner with Bri and Angela. It was a great day. Have you heard of Blogshop before? Sometimes I forget that not everything spends most of their day cruising around the internet learning about cool stuff and cool people. Blogshop is a class offered by graphic designer extraordinaire Bri Emery and photographer extraordinaire Angela Kohler.

I took the video class, where we learned about shooting video and editing it in cs6. Yep, no more janky imovie for me.

I made this backdrop using balloons, string, and glue. Three super cheap supplies and some elbow grease to make a colorful installation that looks great in photographs. Decor doesn’t have to be complicated!

Leather confetti decorated the tables. One of the best part of designing decor is supply shopping. I discovered the best leather stores in the garment district here in NYC. The leather for these came from the scrap bins in the back of an overstuffed leather store on the 4th floor in the garment district. $25. Yes please.

I (kind of) figured out my camera. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the video I put together with all my new skills!

HERE IT IS! My first crack at a decent video. Don’t make fun of it.

Blogshop Video NYC from Michelle Edgemont on Vimeo.

It was a chilly night in December when Chris and Alexis threw, what their guests thought, was an engagement party at the chic Wythe Hotel. Yep, you read that right. Everyone at the cocktail party thought they were there to celebrate an engagement, when in reality, they were about to witness a WEDDING. Chris and Alexis knew the look and feeling they craved for their surprise wedding: a speakeasy vintage aesthetic, brightly colored flowers, personal details, a lounge feeling, and the most delicious food. Patina Rentals brought beautiful furniture for guests to lounge on, The Wythe passed around yummy food, and I provided fun flowers, an overall speakeasy aesthetic, and special personal details.

Their first look, against the Manhattan skylight at dusk. The Wythe Hotel has the best views of the city.

Patina Rentals killed it with the vintage furniture and rugs.

I created lush, whimsical floral arrangements that sat upon custom made black and white Ikat runners.

Alexis, the bride, gave me the challenge of creating a hanging floral installation over the bar. Using hundreds of fuchsia carnations, I made a custom installation piece that ran the length of the space. It turned out to be one of my most favorite pieces I’ve ever installed. So pretty and dramatic.

The view when a guest got a drink was dramatic.

SURPRISE! Oh, you thought that the bride’s brother was just getting up to make a quick toast, huh? Just kidding. This is a wedding. I was so nervous waiting for him to reveal the big surprise.

It’s not a Michelle Edgemont wedding without some colorful, custom confetti bags – amirite?

In addition to their traditional wedding photographer, the couple also hired a photographer to only shoot Instax photos throughout the night. By the end, Chris and Alexis had hundreds of moments hanging on display with glittered clothespins, which I made. An instax photographer is such a wonderful way to have a huge pile of photos of all your loved ones to sift through the next morning. Instant gratification!

Design and Flowers // Michelle Edgemont

Venue // Wythe Hotel

Photographer // Stacey Simpson for Levi Stolove Photography

(additional photos in this post were taken by Jacquelyne Mae)

Videography // Kiss The Bride Films

Vintage Rentals // Patina Rentals 

Etching cream is like magic in a jar. Paint it on, wash it off, and magically glass is transformed into a slightly opaque matte version of it’s former self. Block off the glass first with heart stickers and create a pair of polka dot (technically, heart) glasses for a romantic Valentine’s day dinner. Or in the case of my husband and I: thai delivery on the couch complete with red wine in frosted glasses. Here is a the quick version of this DIY – for more details, see it on HGTV. 

Supplies you’ll need:

• Armour Etch
• painter’s tape
• a foam brush
• heart stickers
• two wine glasses

The super quick instructions: 1) cover the stem and the inside of the rim of the glass with painter’s tape, 3) place the heart stickers all around the glass in a random pattern, 3) cover the glass with Armour Etch.

Let the Armour Etch sit on the glass for fifteen minutes and do it’s secret magic. Wash off under running water. Use a sponge to make sure all the Armour Etch of cleaned off.

Peel off the heart stickers.

If you’re going to enjoy your Valentine’s dinner at a table like civilized people (unlike my eating-dinner-on-the couch style), set it with a bold runner, simple gold flatware, some pretty flowers, and the etched heart glasses you made so beautifully.

Welcome to one of my first weddings. Nikole and Lance were married last year at Silver Button Farms in Pennsylvania. Nikole was the second person to hire me to style her wedding and I loved every second of it. She loves scouring antique fairs and estate sales and brought hundreds of milk glass containers for all of the flowers. We collaborated in ideas and I styled her venue and ceremony space so everything looks beautiful and exactly how she envisioned it. The photographer, Chris Leary, took amazing photographs that blew me away. I’m certainly grateful for this shot, showing me putting the finishing touches on the ceremony aisle:

When HGTV asked me to design a few Valentine’s Day DIY projects I jumped at the chance. Come on, any holiday where I can craft with neon pink paint and metallic anything is for me. String art is having a come back these days. Along with hammer pants and Boys II Men getting back together, apparently what I was into when I was ten years old is now the next big thing. Here’s my take on how to use string art to create a Valentine’s Day artwork. Neon pink paint, thin metallic gold thread, and a hammer. Let’s get to it.

You’ll need supplies:

• a 20″ x 20″ piece of mason board. (really, any size and any wood that’s tickling your fancy at Home Depot will do)
• a piece of kraft paper the same size as the wood
• neon pink paint
• gold metallic thread (I bought mine by the spool)
• 1″ white nails
• a hammer
• scissors
• pencil
• paint brush

Unfold the kraft paper and it has magically turned into a big heart stencil. Trace the heart onto the painted board (which is now dry). 

Follow the traced line and hammer in a nail every inch or so. Watch your thumbs.

Pick a nail and tie on the gold metallic thread. Any nail will do. Double knot it for extra security.

Wrap, wrap, wrap. Keep pulling the thread across the heart in different directions and wrap around each nail. Double wrap around the nail every now and then for added security. Keep the thread taught and try not to let it go.

This Wednesday, I’m hosting a free DIY event at the West Elm in Chelsea! It’s on 18th street between 6th and 7th avenues. It’s part of West Elm’s Spring Social initiative and we’ll be making fun floral crafts.

Have you seen the awesome selection of hand made paper flowers that West Elm has right now? So pretty!

Come make pin on boutonnieres with West Elm’s selection of air plants, their handmade paper flowers, and some pretty greenery I’m bringing in. It’ll be a fun night of chatting about flowers, crafting, and nibbling on snacks. Will you be there?