Hi from Boston!

Sorry I have been MIA lately! I arrived in New England bright and early Monday morning and it's been go go go ever since. Annmarie Swift invited me up here to do the floral arranging for a stunning styled shoot. The details are under wraps, but trust me I CANNOT WAIT to share! EEEK! Spending 3 days with Annmarie was lovely. Lots of girl talk, boss lady talk, and overall fun. We visited Rockport Massachusetts yesterday (where The Proposal was filmed) and it was the prettiest nautical town I've ever visited. 

Isn't it gorgeous!! 

Today I woke up smack dab in the middle of Boston and did some exploring on my own (pit stop at Starbies of course!) this morning. After this post I am headed over to Newbury Street to do some shopping before Chris arrives tonight. Love this trip! On Saturday we are driving down to Rhode Island where my best friend and her husband are having an intimate vow renewal. Guess who's doing the florals?? Eeek! 

Talk to you soon!

Love,

Michelle 

July Goals and a HUGE announcement

So June kinda flew by huh? I know I've said it a dozen times, but June was wonderful! It was more of a down month for me and I was able to focus a lot on where I want One Sweet Day in May to go. I put some June goals up a month ago and I stuck to pretty much all of them. Super proud of myself actually. There are a few exceptions...the gallery walls did not get done, but the frames are ready to go! Progress...The One Sweet Day in May newsletter is still in the works because some exciting things have been happening that have to wait to be announced and what better way than with a newsletter?! So I wanted to wait a little longer on that and it officially launches August 3rd! It's going to be bursting at the seams with upcoming adventures and behind the scenes sneaks! 

Photo by Andrea Pesce

July Business Goals

I have a few business goals this month. Continue to blog, book 2 more 2016 brides, send out all client and vendor gifts. There is one HUGE goal however and I'm not going to lie, it makes me a little nervous. One Sweet Day in May has just been me so far. I'm proud that every aspect of this business has been created by yours truly. This moment has come way faster than I ever imagined, but it makes me grateful. OSDIM has grown in leaps and bounds in both small and big ways. I've been told by many industry friends that what has been working and what is presently working will change and friends, it has. So I'm happy to announce that my July goal is to create a One Sweet Day in May team. I am officially looking to bring on 2-4 interns for the Fall wedding season. Fall is jam packed with floral filled weddings and having a small yet mighty team will help me keep balance and allow my business to keep growing whilst in the midst of the busiest season to date. I am also looking to hire a part-time office assistant every other week for about 5 hours a week! I'm so excited! 

Photo By Andrea Pesce

So let's get to the details...

This internship is a unique behind-the-scenes experience. Here you will learn how a floral studio operates, manages work flow, and you will learn techniques through hands on floral design. Positions will assist with all hands on areas of One Sweet Day in May during wedding weeks. 

Internships are on a trial basis. After the Fall season, positions will become paid starting Spring 2016. 

Internship Requirements

No floral experience is necessary, but you must have an interest in the wedding industry and have a desire to learn about floral design. 

You must be hardworking, loyal, and trustworthy.

I would love to find people who are relatively close to the Richmond area for the weekdays when we will be prepping florals and containers. This requires about 10-15 hours on wedding weeks. Schedules will be made a month in advance. Out of town ladies are welcome too for day of setups and installations! 

Must be ok with traveling to and from wedding venues on event days. Most of my weddings are setups only and usually Saturdays mornings through mid-afternoon. Must be ok with possibly using your vehicle for floral transport. You will be paid mileage and gas.

Loving Taylor Swift, Starbucks, laughing, and not taking yourself too seriously is a huge plus. I want this to be an educational yet fun environment. 

To Apply

Please send in your resume, cover letter, your social media links, and a 500 word essay on why you'd be a great addition to the One Sweet Day in May brand. Please send all applications or inquiries to Michelle@Onesweetdayinmay.com by July 31st, 2015

Office Assistant Job 

This is something i've thought long and hard about, but the truth is having an part-time office assistant is needed. I've been consumed with office work recently and quite honestly, it's drowning me and I'm not afraid to say HELP ME! I am looking for someone for about 5-10 hours starting every other week to keep One Sweet Day in May up to date. Again, this is a fun environment and I want to welcome someone into my home and make them feel like family.

Starting pay is $9/hour. 

Requirements

Must have 5-10 hours every other week to dedicate to One Sweet Day in May. Schedule will vary and will be created 1 month in advance. 

Must have computer skills and have adequate knowledge of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Plus. 

Have basic knowledge of Squarespace

Knowledge on how to run a blog

Must have people skills, have a positive attitude, be energetic, and eager to learn about the administrative side of the wedding industry.

Thrives on building relationships with clients as well as other industry vendors. 

Post to all social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus. 

Send and reply to emails when needed

Time management skills

Schedule meetings

Help organize office when needed.

To Apply

Please send your resume, cover letter, social media account links, and a 500 word essay on why you would be a great addition to the One Sweet Day in May brand. Please send all applications or inquiries to Michelle@Onesweetdayinmay.com by July 31st, 2015

Thank you and I can't wait to hear from you!! 

Happy Wednesday and Happy July One Sweet Bloggies!

Love,

Michelle 

One Sweet Spotlight- English Tea Paperie

I am over the moon excited to have one of Virginia's most talented invitation designers here today! Meet Chloe Minyon from English Tea Paperie! Chloe designs stationary and wedding invitations. Like really amazing, creative, anything you could ever dream of on paper kind of wedding invitations. She's incredible! I was lucky enough to ask her some questions about her custom invitation boutique last week and her interview has made me wish I was getting married all over again!

OSDIM- Tell us a little bit about what English Tea Paperie is and how it got started.

English Tea Paperie designs completely custom wedding invitations and papers that tell each bride and grooms unique love story. 

 In 2006, when I was looking for invitations for my own wedding, I couldn’t find anything I truly liked, so I created them myself.  Having been an art school student, I figured what better solution!  Word of mouth spread through my friends and family and before I knew it, I was creating invitations full time for couples all over the country!

OSDIM- What makes English Tea Paperie different?

The bride and groom get complete design control. Everything I have to offer is a la carte and there is no minimum ordering. Couples get exactly what they want with just the right quantity they need. I act as a personal paper stylist and guide the design process from beginning to end. I offer several printing processes, over 100 color options and inks, custom graphic, and illustration and watercolor design. There are thousands of options for personalization (custom dyed silk being a current favorite!).  The options are endless! Gone are the days of picking a design from a big book or online store.

OSDIM- Can you tell us a little bit about going through the wedding invitation process with a bride?

First the bride (and sometimes the groom!) and I will meet for coffee and chat about their big day.  I go over my portfolio and design options and listen to what they have in mind for their wedding papers. Once a custom order has been placed, I create a vision pdf of everything we discussed and this is the first step in the design process. I compile color boards, font pairings and hunt out the perfect accessories (ribbons, jewels etc). Sometimes it can take days, other times weeks to get to a place where the bride is completely and utterly in love with their custom creation. Once we hone in on the perfect pdf design, I pop a physical sample of the invitation in the mail and this becomes the final proof. Upon approval, the custom invitations are ready to be made!

OSDIM- Any words of wisdom for current brides?

Try and stay true to who you really are. When you look back in 10 years, you may regret going with “trendy”.  Everything about your day should reflect you and your groom; Your story. Pinterest is your best friend when designing a wedding (I say pin until you realize you’ve pinned the same things over and over!) as this will really help define the look you are going for.

OSDIM- What advice can you give stationers just starting out?

Really research the materials you wish to use and find ones you absolutely love. It took me 2 years to find the perfect linen paper and even longer to find the envelopes I feel worthy of sending to guests. Ask fellow vendors for advice and find what makes you unique in the bridal market. Always be kind and follow your own heart.

OSDIM- What have been some of your successes as well as some of the challenges you’ve faced?

When designing custom invitations, you spend a lot of time (either face to face or via email) with your clients and they really become like friends. It’s hard to say goodbye to them once you deliver their order! I’m very happy to say that many of my brides have become good friends and I still connect with them long after the wedding day!   

 I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced was not asking enough questions in the initial consultation, so I would spend too much time trying to figure out where a design was going. I’ve since learned to ask lots and lots of questions, so I really get to know each couple I work with. 

 Successes – it’s going to sound cheesy, but every single order I send out I consider a success! When a couple signs off on the final proof, I know I’ve helped them design something they absolutely love. It’s exactly the reason I do what I do!

OSDIM- What are your favorite projects to work on?

I love contributing to styled shoots. It allows my creativity to go wild and sometimes forces me to think out of the box. I recently worked on a peach themed shoot and I made the rsvp card in the shape of a peach – it was so fun and photographed fabulously!

OSDIM- What can we look forward to from ETP in the future?

I love where I am right now and I’m honored to be a small part of each client’s big day.  I’m excited to see where the Lord takes me with my business and with him, there’s no guessing my future!  More blush, more romance and plenty of pretty!

Many thanks to Chloe for being a part of the One Sweet Spotlight!! 

Photos by Shalese Danielle Photography & Libby Selle Photography