Surprise! A new look for Sincerely, Ginger.

Today I got my final logo proof from Juliet Jones (aka my new BFF) and it looked so stinking amazing that I have decided to re-work my whole launch. Details tomorrow, but for now just enjoy the beauty above....

 

UPDATE: Good morning, lovelies! As you can tell, I got pretty excited to see my final logo yesterday. I joked about Juliet being my new bestie, but truly honestly I wish I could just hug her. I hired her knowing how beautiful her work was, but feeling pretty anxious and vague about the concept I wanted. Not only was she so open to my ideas, but she made them better than I expected. We're still working on a few final touch-ups, but you guys, Sincerely, Ginger is coming to life. And it's better than I imagined.

 

 

 

So in honor of being way too excited, not being able to keep anything mysterious or build any type of excitement or hype around anything as a blogger, I'm going to launch my new site early. It's going to be a "soft launch", meaning that I'm going to switch over my blog to my new domain sincerelyginger.com, and start using the new business name. This blog will reroute to the new domain so expect to be redirected! Hopefully monday. :)

 

I can't wait to share all about the little strawberry, it's significance, and the big story behind the name and why it's so important to me. The small version is that it's my heart & soul in the form of a business. I've spent a lot of time thinking through each little aspect of my brand. By the time it's finished, it's going to be big. I decided early on that I was never going to enter this field and be mediocre. Average isn't for me. If I'm going to do something, I do it full out. It's the reason I've been putting off an official launch for so long! I didn't want to start until everything was just right.

 

True love is a big deal. Celebrating marriage is important. There is no way I am going to settle for a so-so planning experience. It has to be amazing, filled with joy, trust, inspiration and encouragement. It needs to be beautiful, better than you'd expect- but somehow exactly what you'd hoped for. Weddings are a big deal. Being a part of the journey to marriage, at least for me, is sacred. It's exhilirating, exciting, and really FUN. Sincerely, Ginger was inspired by natural light, summers along the coast of Lake Michigan, locally sourced & farm fresh food, love letters, putting a spin on tradition, the first blooms of spring, soft & romantic color palettes, gorgeous calligraphy, and of course... a little bit of sparkle. It's a blend of meaningful and beautiful, just like a wedding.

 

I don't have it all figured out. I'm still working on branding, designing a website and building an office with limited time and a super limited budget. It's worth it though. Some days I wonder if I should just let the business go. I would have more money, more time with my husband and baby (once he gets here), less stress. I could just work my part time job at the flower shop! But then my heart sinks and I think about my long term goals and why they are important to me in the first place.

 

By planning and designing weddings, I'm fulfilling my calling. My business is worth the time I'm spending right now figuring it all out. Eventually it will get easier and I won't be working 60 hours a week, pregnant, juggling 3 jobs. We won't always be sharing one car, sacrificing food for sleep. I won't be at my full time job forever (even though it feels like it some days). There is a brighter future ahead. It's closer than I realize. So that is why I'm not wasting any time on getting the elements of my brand in place. I'm doing this my own way, taking physical steps to make what matters happen.

 

Thank you so much for reading and sharing with my in my journey! I can't wait to show you the rest of what I've been working so hard on. Juliet, thank you a million times for the thought and care you put into designing my visual brand. It's simply perfect. Current & past couples, you keep the heart of my business beating. You inspire me daily, and seeing your wedding day come together makes my heart sing. So much love!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Rachel

Branding Inspiration for Sincerely, Ginger Weddings & Events



Good afternoon, everyone! As you probably know, I've been working mega-hard on branding my business under my new name, Sincerely, Ginger Weddings & Events! The name fits me and my personal brand perfectly, and it's so important that visually that's represented. In my last post I talked about finding inspiration, and here I wanted to share more specifically how I was doing that for this huge project I'm working on. As Lara said in the webinar I attended, "A brand is not your logo!". I couldn't agree more.

 

I'm aiming to showcase who I am, and what I can offer brides as a wedding planner & designer. A logo is just part of that equation. Colors, images & how you write are just three little pieces of the equation. There's lots to thing about!

 

Sincerely, Ginger is about love. It's about appreciating and celebrating the little things that make life so special. Once I understood this, everything became more clear. I plan weddings in little Traverse City, Michigan to bring real love to the forefront of our daily lives, and I do it beautifully! I'm so proud to be able to do that for my clients.

Images sourced on my Pinterest Board

 

Here's a little snippet of my brand inspiration board. Before I even got to this place, I wrote my story. I thought about my grandma Ginger and what matters most to me. From there, I honestly just started pinning images that stood out to me, things that I evoked the feeling I wanted brides to feel when they're first introduced to me & my brand. Miraculously, a cohesive board came together... and I was like "this is the best thing ever". Looking at these images makes my heart burst.

 

Friendship, love, lightness, anticipation. Big smiles, happy hearts. Soft colors and big bold blooms screaming with color. Those peach juliet garden roses get me every time. :) I asked a few people for feedback about the board. I heard things like, "it's so YOU", and words like happy, feminine, inviting, pretty & pink. I think I got it right. Celebrate with me?

 

I could have probably made a smaller board to make it more aesthetically pleasing on the blog, but I didn't want to leave anything out. :) I can't wait to tell you all about who I hired to design my logo. She's pretty much the coolest, and I know she'll do a great job with such an important task. Because even though your logo isn't your brand, it IS a big part of it!

What do you think?

On Finding Inspiration as a Wedding Designer

In the past few weeks I've had the privilege of creating design boards for a few of my clients. In doing this I've realized how much the process of gathering inspiration, organizing it, piecing out details and finally presenting it to my clients truly does fire me up! Each stage has been so much fun for me. Color palettes, big blooming florals, perfect paper products... be still my little wedding planner heart.

 

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I wanted to chat a little bit about where I find inspiration. Obviously Pinterest is great. I know for a fact I'm not the only one who spends hours browsing through boards and organizing images to my liking. I'm also a pretty big fan of tumblr, which is where I save images that I'm going to use for this blog. Of course, there are other blogs out there that are regular reads. From fellow event planners & designers to Once Wed, 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty and you name it, I check them almost daily. Photographers are a great source of inspiration for my work too. Rylee Hitchner, Jose Villa, & Tec Petaja are easily my top three.

 

Most of the time, though- I need to get offline to find authentic inspiration. I get inspired when my husband and I take time for dates- away from our iPhones and other distractions. Relationships fire me up. Real conversation spurs real creativity.

 

I like books and magazines that I can hold in my hands. Exercise clears my mind, especially when I'm outside. A good hike in the woods does wonders for my creativity muscle. Relaxing is vital for me, especially when I take the time to do it right. A bubble bath and a good night's rest leaves me restored for the next day. And everyone knows that the best ideas are concocted in the shower!

 

Stories inspire me to get inspired. I love hearing love stories. I like telling my own. More often than not, clients inspire me with their own ideas.

 

Flowers get me fired up. The colors, textures and endless arrangements and opportunities. I also enjoy grocery shopping, my favorite is Oryana (our local co-op) or the farmers market in the summer. Picking and choosing fruits, vegetables and flowers season to season is a blast for me. (Note to self... peonies are coming soon!)

 

So essentially that's the first stage. Meeting with clients, hearing their ideas, getting out and about in the world to gather authentic inspiration. Once I do that it's easier to refine my ideas and source images to put together a cohesive design board, that's where pinterest comes into play for me. How do you do things? Where do you find your best sources of inspiration?

xoxo

Rachel

March Goals

It's March! Hello, March! I mentioned on Instagram on Saturday that this is usually my least favorite month of the year. I'm not in school (no spring break), the weather is awful and there's usually not much going on except the anticipation of spring. However I've been loving March so far! The past four days have been productive and exciting. I've started my third trimester (woah!), really nailed down some things in my business plan and have had a couple exciting opportunities thrown my way. I also had my first day at the flower shop.

 

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Looking back at February, I did so-so on my actually goal list. Midway through the month I wrote this post here. I've been trying to hard to focus and re-focus on grace not perfection. It takes a lot of effort.

1. Take photos! Even though I didn't use my camera, I did get on Instagram some! Counting it.
2. Host my 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Brunch Opted out this year. Read the post here.
3. Apply for my new Driver's License Okay, this is BAD. I have a date with the DMV on Wednesday...
4. Have a real date night with Isaiah We went to Siren Hall for Valentine's Day and it was perfect.
5. Clean out my office Not finished yet, but we made some serious progress!!!
6. Send letters to my BFF's Not real letters, but I did make some phone calls. Letters this month!
7. Go to the gym (even once) Didn't happen. I actually even put my membership on hold for 3 months. It's one less thing to worry about!
8. Check off 3 things on the baby list. Did it! I'll be posting an update on this soon.

In February a huge prayer was answered in the form of my dream job. As of June 1st, I will be a full time mama and full time wedding & floral designer. The way that these things were woven together is nothing short of a miracle. I wish I could explain in words the weight that was lifted, and the anticipation that follows. This is a dream I've been working towards for a long time and I couldn't be more thankful. If you missed those posts, check them here and here. :)

Okay, so March goals!

1. Finish outlining business plan & client experience
2. Finish logo & collateral design! (!!!)
3. File paperwork (LLC, bank stuff, Maternity leave, etc)
4. Check 3 more things off the baby list.
5. Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for the book club!
6. Re-organize our pantry
7. Finish designing website structure & wording
8. Contact vendors for my brand inspiration shoot!

This month is going to be all about preparation. Truly I think it's perfect considering that Easter is just around the corner. This season has the ability to be beautiful, which I'm now realizing. Instead of putting my head down to the do hard work, I'm going to forge ahead with my chin held high in confidence, ready to take on the days ahead and soak up the beauty in that.

 

What are your March goals? I would love to hear and cheer you on!

 

xoxo

Rachel

Saying Yes to What Matters.



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Today I wanted to share a little bit about a fear of mine. Although I'm not in the place yet with my business where a branding experience is necessary or even financially feasible, I have invested a little money, time and effort into a few branding webinars hosted by the Making Brands Happen ladies, Emily & Lara. To say they struck a cord with me is a vast understatement. They've taught me to be my authentic self, to examine what fires me up and then to translate that to business. Choosing my business name was a big step for me. Sincerely, Ginger Weddings represents my story authentically and I hope it shines a light on the type of service I provide.

 

One step in the process of designing my own brand, encouraged by MBH is to list your biggest fears in business. Well let me be the first to say that I have a lot of fears. I'm afraid of letting down clients, of not serving them to my best ability, of missing the mark somewhere. I'm fearful of being unhappy, of not making enough money to support my family or of dissapointing myself. I'm scared of putting myself out there in my community. While I was writing down these fears last night I wrote something down that didn't surprise me at all. I'm afraid of starting before everything is perfect.

 

I've written about this before but it still scares me because it's such a paralyzing fear. It actually stops be from making things happen and doing what I need to do to more forward. So I decided to get over it and do the hard work.

 

Obstacles are a natural part of life, and definitely expected in business. It's clear to see what's working against you and so difficult to focus on your abilities and strengths. To get over my obstacle and fear of perfectionism, here are a few things I'm going to do.

 

I'm saying NO to focusing on what I don't have. I don't have a brand new iMac, an office, photoshop, a gazzilion airline miles, 5 years of experience, 60 hours a week, a finished website, newly designed logo, business cards, collateral, vendor relationships, legality.

 

Most of these are a work in process, and I am saying YES to optimism and positive thinking. I do have a great attitude, brides who love and respect my work, a strong business education, a laptop that functions, a new opportunity to design florals starting this month, the ability to priorotize, ideas up the wazoo and passion. Boy do I have passion. Instead of staying home and pouting about my office not being finished I'm choosing to head to the local coffeeshop and set up camp for 4 hours and dream big for my clients. That's what matters.

 

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So that's a lesson I've learned and I know I'll have to learn it again. Choose to focus on what you do have, and not what you don't. Say yes to your future and it'll unfold right before your eyes.

 

And a note to myself... nothing will ever be perfect. There will always be new technology to buy, trips to lust after and people doing bigger and seemingly better things. It doesn't matter. Keep dreaming big and putting on your big girl pants every day. Work hard and authentic, true, lasting success will follow. Don't let your fears paralyze you.

 

With a sigh of relief,

 

Rachel

 

p.s. How amazing is Lara Casey? When I saw these downloads I immediately pimped out my phone, iPad and desktop with this inspiring image. What a positive message to look at several times a day. Thank you, Lara! You encourage so many of us with your wisdom and ability to sense what we're going through as creative entrepeneurs, moms, and women with hearts for dreaming big. xoxo

If you could meet one woman for lunch...

Who would it be and what would you order? Every morning after I get my coffee and settle in for the day I check my usual roster of news, blogs, and sites. Included in those is The Everygirl-- one of my absolute favorites. They usual ask the women they interview in their featured posts, "If you could meeting one woman for lunch, who would it be and what would you order?". Today they turned the question on us and I sort of ran with it.

 

This is a no brainer for me. My grandma Ginger passed when I was in 6th grade, but up until that point and even now she has a profound impact on my life. She battled breast cancer bravely for years, and even through that we had the best time together.
 

I named my business after her (Sincerely, Ginger) because she represents what I love most about bringing people together for love. Strawberry picking, swimming in the lake, dining al fresco and just simply being together. The stories of true love between family, friends, and partnerships usually start with something simple. Meeting at Starbucks for your first date, taking long walks after dinner. These little moments are so special. Ginger loved these little things.
 

I would opt to eat in her kitchen, for breakfast I hope. We'd drink coffee and tea (yes both) and she'd probably insist on making fruit pancakes even though I'd be fine with eating cereal. She likes to make every day special when we're together. We would sit in the breakfast nook, look out over the lake in Northern Minnesota and catch up. I like chatting over breakfast because that means we have the whole day to sit there if we'd like. I'd want to tell her everything about my wedding, marriage, business and little baby growing inside of me. So much to catch up on.

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 I'd ask for her advice on everything. On love first. I'd ask about the letters she mailed to my grandpa before their wedding, what didn't I know? As a truly young person I admired their love for one another. They created a beautiful life together- one my grandpa still lives out each day with Karen, his new wife (who is equally as lovely, might I add). Ginger was a brilliant designer, fabulous mother, the best in the kitchen, exerciser extraordinaire and fiercely dedicated to her family. What more could you ask for?

 

Don't think I'm naive. I see her in her best light because I was a child. She was brave and didn't show how hard things were most of the time. Our time together wasn't jaded by having to work or deal with stress. We spent our time creating with our hands, swimming in the lake, baking, and snuggling on the couch.

 

I remember once when she was going through chemotherapy, my sister and I were in elementary school. The three of us were going grocery shopping for dinner that night. We got out of the car and Ginger put on a baseball cap because had lost her hair due to treatment. I was only in fifth grade, but I understood why she put the hat on. My sister Bridget is two years younger than myself and asked "Grandma, why are you wearing your hat?". I was so embarrassed. Who would want to be seen bald in a grocery store? People would stare! I bet I shot her a look. In reply she simply said, "You're right, I have no idea why I'm wearing it". So she took it off and we went in the grocery store bearing her scalp, walking bravely in truth. She couldn't have cared less if people stared. I wasn't embarrassed because I was protected by her honesty. I want to be a woman like that.

 

More than anything I want to tell her about my life I want to hear more about hers. There's so much about her story that I don't know. If we had a chance to meet for lunch (or breakfast) I'd ask her to tell me more about her struggles. She was incredibly wise and there's so much I want to learn from her still. It's such a joy to remember my grandmother. All the little bits and pieces. What this question from The Everygirl really did for me this morning was open up a door to ask more questions. I'm positive my grandfather would be thrilled if I asked him to tell me more. Life is short. Cherish your loved ones and learn from them.

 

With Gratitude,

Rachel

 

p.s. Thinking about the importance of grandmothers today and praying for the loss of a dear friend's own grandma. Sending love & peace your way, K & J.

On Dreaming Big!

Starting to write this series of posts is giving me butterflies. It's a huge deal to me. As you know, it's my intention to be 100% real and authentic here on this blog, sharing my true life experiences (the good and the bad!). You may have read my tweets earlier this week that hinted at something big happening this week and I am so excited and ready to share the news with you all!

 

A lot of life had been packed into the past few years. Since 2010 I've figured out what to do with my life (kind of), completed an internship with an event planner, graduated business school, gotten engaged, moved across the country, stepped into massive student loan debt, married my best friend, had most of the debt paid off (a miracle), launched a business, gotten pregnant, and I am still dreaming bigger than ever before. I've had my fair share of obstacles in life and there are always things that stand in my way of pursuing my dream of planning weddings and designing florals full time. This is real life, people. We don't have unlimited money and we get really stressed out.

 

We are on a mission to pay off the rest of our debt by January 2016 using Dave Ramsey's snowball method so we can save for our forever house. Financially, I need to be working at the same income level that I am now at the bank for that to happen. The time I spend at work completely diminishes the potential I know I have for my business. I was just about to the point where I was generating enough business that we could afford for me to leave my full time job and pursue weddings with all of my time when we found out we were expecting. Obviously with the added costs of a baby it just didn't feel right to leave my job at that point. Not to mention I need the full coverage medical insurance.

 

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I was scared that I would be in banking forever just to get by. Even after the amazing gift that my grandpa gave us last summer, our bills were too high and our income too low for me not to work. We are both really smart, multi talented and have applicable higher education degrees but the fact is that we live in a small town and the economy is not in a good place. Traverse City is a prime location for weddings and I knew if I had the time I could be making a livable income once I got started.

 

I don't want to send my baby to daycare five days a week. It really works for some women but I know myself, and I know it would break my heart to leave him every morning for a job I hate. Isaiah, who is my number one cheerleader has always encouraged my dreams. We made the decision that I wouldn't go back to the bank no matter what the circumstances were. We would make something work. I prayed for an answer, for the perfect part time job that would allow me more time to be a mama and more time for Sincerely, Ginger. It seemed impossible that anyone would hire a pregnant girl who couldn't start a part time job for nine months.

 

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My fear was that I'd spend my maternity leave worrying about what I was going to do for work, applying for jobs endlessly with no results and eventually going back to my job as a personal banker. All I wanted was something secure for September, that wasn't at the bank. I prayed and prayed, I meditated on my dreams and I worked my you know what off to make something happen. And then, almost out of nowhere, miracles started happening.

 

The second half of the story will be up Monday! I'm excited to share where we are headed as a family. It's truly amazing to see your dreams coming true. I am so thankful!

To dreaming big and never looking back,

 

Rachel

Wow... Thank You!

Can I just say how good it feels to really put yourself out there? Posting my huge news, being authentic, and working from my core really does what they say it will do. It attracts the right people. It felt amazing to hear your support of Sincerely, Ginger.

 

I can't wait to learn more about her throughout this process. Currently I'm working on having a new logo designed and getting some housekeeping work done. Changing e-mail, URL and all that is a lot of work! I would love to design my own logo but am having trouble figuring out how to digitize my calligraphy. (If you have insight in this area, please enlighten me!)

 

Keeping on pace with my 2013 Business Goals, I am planning a brand inspiration shoot for early spring. The goal is to collaborate with other vendors and create something to showcase my work for my website. This will provide a good framework for the other weddings I have to showcase. So excited about this!

 

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Like I said in my previous post, I want to share some memories of Ginger and talk about how they inspire my work. She and my grandpa had always lived on lakes in Northern Minnesota. My sister and I (even before my other brother and sister were born) looked forward to going up north to grandma and grandpa's to swim in the lake and sleep in big beds with fluffy down comfortors. Every summer we looked forward to a real vacation, an escape from our day to day. Ginger always encouraged our creativity. There were mornings spent jumping in the lake and searching for shells, afternoons picking strawberries from their garden and evenings painting and helping her cook dinner. Whatever we did was lovely, because we were together. We also spent a lot of time outside.

 

The landscape of Nothern Minnesota is a lot like it is here in Traverse City. Beautiful lakes, lots of trees and amazing sunsets. At Ginger's we were encouraged to pick wildflowers and create arrangements for the dinner table. We didn't fight. We focused on loving eachother and creating things together. Summers with grandma and grandpa were my absolute favorite. Of course this is just a peek into some the experiences that shaped who I am and eventually what I envisioned our wedding day to represent. Our tradition is closeness, love, and relaxation. We value fresh flowers and local food. It's the way we lived and what better way to celebrate a lifetime ahead of us than doing those things with our closest family and friends.

 

Weddings are about stories. They are about tradition and love, and bringing memories to life in a whole new beautiful way. When I meet a couple for the first time, my first question is always tell me your love story. That's the only place I know where to start. I'm so excited about this new future. Thank you for being a part of it!

 

Sincerely,

Rachel