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Floral Design in Northern Michigan
 
 

Welcome to Sweetwater

we design beautiful wedding flowers in northern Michigan.

 
 
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We are so glad you found our corner of the internet. Whether its flowering for your wedding day or hosting something special for you here at the farm, this brand is dedicated to making the special moments in life feel that way.


We are obsessed with Northern Michigan, flowers, lavender, jumping in the lake and bubbly beverages.


Sweetwater was born from our love of the fresh water that surrounds us. We cannot wait for you to experience a bit of what we do.

 
 
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Flowers

Wedding Floral Design
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Lavender Love
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The Team. The Team. The Team.
The Team. The Team. The Team.
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You see the studio and the tiny and the farm and the wedding flowers and the dogs and the house renovations and the blooms. ⠀ ⠀ "I want your life"⠀ "This is a dream world."⠀ "Its literally perfect." ⠀ ⠀ These are all really nice things to message me. And I do so appreciate them. But I always always remind people, its so much hard ass work. ⠀ ⠀ Someone reached out to me a few weeks ago with a very kind email. About how her and her partner were about to buy a tiny homestead and wanted to do it all. Pigs, chickens, flowers, a roadside stand, host events.. etc. ⠀ ⠀ These emails make me so happy. Because I remember so well when this place was just a zillow listing and we were making those same lists. ⠀ ⠀ Lavender, a tiny house, a flower studio, a garden, events, apple trees.... ⠀ ⠀ My sweet dreamer : You will do it. But please please please remember this is just the highlight reel. Even though I work so hard to be like 'this isn't just the highlight reel' at the end of the day it is. ⠀ ⠀ Be ready to work. And sacrifice. Then work some more. Be ready to build your business- no matter what it is or what service it provides- painstakingly from your couch and kitchen counter and with more emails than you ever thought humanly possible. ⠀ ⠀ And be ready to look at the numbers for said business and have hard talks with your person. About budgets and what projects are greenlighted this year and what needs to wait longer. ⠀ ⠀ All the power and advice and grit you need is in your tribe. Its in your partner. Its in books and podcasts and on YouTube. ⠀ ⠀ If it helps my favorite lines I repeat to myself all the time are:⠀ -If I'm not paying myself this is a hobby. ⠀ -If it wasn't hard everyone else would do it. ⠀ -Anything worthwhile takes time. ⠀ -I really love this crazy ass ride. ⠀ ⠀ Do the work & the work will get done.⠀ Sit and wait for your dream life to happen & you'll be sitting a long ass time. ⠀ ⠀ Clinks⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #brid
As your wedding day draws closer I want to gently remind you its all gonna work out. It really will. Best news: the people you've hired for vendors? We do this for a living. While its maybe the first wedding you've hosted- its not the first rodeo for us. We got you. We want nothing more than for this day to be perfect for you. ⠀ ⠀ If you're obsessively checking the weather forecast 30 days out and believing it to be true- let that go my sweet. Yes its been a rainy summer. Yes, it might rain on your wedding day. Yes its still going to be the most amazing day of your life. I promise you. ⠀ ⠀ You're over it. I know. I always laugh during my final call with our couples because they are all like 'I'm so excited and so.... ready for this to be over.' I say it all the time but the best part of your wedding is waking up the next morning married to your best friend and able to recount all the memories from the best day ever. It's like a magical bubble you never have to leave. You're so close to this moment!⠀ ⠀ So many people love you. Whether there's 4 of you at an elopement of 275 of you in a ballroom - the love people are sending you is legit. It's such a special time- that week of your big day. Enjoy every second. ⠀ ⠀ And lastly, remember to eat food and drink water on your wedding day. Like a normal amount. Yes the dress will fit you. I promise. ⠀ ⠀ I cannot wait for your day!⠀ ⠀ Clinks ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ Image: @kayymariephotos⠀ ⠀ PS- Breathwork tonight at the farm at 6! Learn how our breathing makes all the difference in our day & practice helpful tips to ease an anxious mind. $20 - no registration required. See you here. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
When I realized this baby was going all the way, I had a hard decision to make. ⠀ ⠀ It was the one where I have to schedule weekends off this summer in order to guarantee I can make it all summer at a good clip until maternity leave time. ⠀ ⠀ You know, like being an adult and respecting my body and stuff. Real fun. ⠀ ⠀ So I wake up today, a Saturday in June, not working. ⠀ And as badly as my 'busy brain' and 'business brain' say- 'man I wish we were loading the van right now'⠀ My body is saying 'thank you thank you thank you.' ⠀ ⠀ Today, I rest. Tomorrow too. Monday we start up on a 17 day run that'll bring more events than you can imagine and the largest flower order I have ever had delivered (that should be hilarious) + all the usual insanity of a fully booked tiny house and tiny farm to run. ⠀ ⠀ And my mom is back in town and she'll drop off cookies to the studio and tell me to sit down when I'm designing. ⠀ ⠀ I could not do any of this without our amazing team. Who I told to spend today and tomorrow getting 'rest. rest. and more rest.' ⠀ ⠀ You too. Rest rest and more rest. ⠀ ⠀ Big love babes⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral ⠀
Hey here's us. ✨The crew making your wedding flowers happen. ⠀ ⠀ We are creatives and athletes and peace corp alums and dog moms and partners and human moms and home cooks and more.⚡️⠀ ⠀ Things we love include; snacks, greenery, sweeping the studio, our siblings, designing bouquets and picnic lunches. 🌟⠀ ⠀ Don't ask me how but the universe granted me the exact team we needed this year. They are talented, hard working, funny & just real good humans. 💫⠀ ⠀ I can't wait for you to hang with them all. ⠀ Happy #fridayintroductions from the Sweetwater Squad.💥⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ Left to Right: ⠀ Emma, Lily, Erin, me, Mandy & Kristy ⠀ ⠀ image: @thecompasspointshere ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral ⠀
12 years ago this week. 12! I met this guy standing on the deck of the lodge at camp. ⠀ ⠀ He was returning but hadn't planned on it, I was new but it wasn't my first choice of a place to end up at. ⠀ ⠀ I stuck my long ass arm out and tilted my head to the side to shake his hand and said very loudly "Hi. I'm Kalin." For the record people were not introducing themselves to one another. Matt was standing quietly off to the side. I was just like - 'mmm gotta meet this guy' - this is extremely weird now that I think about it. ⠀ ⠀ To this day Matt does an impression of this moment that makes me laugh out loud. It involves this weird voice and he always always mentions my yellow gym shorts and enormous messy blonde top knot. ⠀ ⠀ We were so different. And still are. But over the last dozen years, our roots have grown so intertwined that the tree we hold down is unshakable.⠀ ⠀ There is no one I know who gives more to what they are working on. Matt for any project or job he's involved with is first to arrive and last to leave and I'd put money on it that he worked the hardest. ⠀ ⠀ Us becoming a thing was never really a thing. It just sorta -- happened. I was smitten with him- he was annoyed by me. We started hanging out. He thought I was really good at talking on the phone to people. I thought he was so sarcastic and smart and funny and I didn’t get why his chosen body position was always arms crossed in front of him. He intimidated people and didn't laugh easily at others jokes. ⠀ ⠀ But oh man did he laugh at mine. And I was like 'hey a new audience member I'm here for this and he's ...cute.'⠀ ⠀ So 12 years later we've got a farm and some dogs and a business. We've got a baby on the way and gazillion more years together. ⠀ ⠀ 12 years ago this week I had no idea what was ahead, except I met a guy named Matt who intrigued me. ⠀ ⠀ What a wild wild ride. ⠀ I love you endlessly babe.⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral ⠀
Why am I this way? We make the decision to move the studio and put the wheels in motion and suddenly as we get closer to concrete being poured in our new space and our beautiful barn doors have been ordered and I bought light fixtures and have an area rug and....I'm sad. ⠀ ⠀ This damn garage. We'll probably be here most of 2019 but its slowly hitting me that next year we won't be. That we'll be in a new space. And the 3 car garage where Sweetwater really became something will be - a garage.⠀ ⠀ I'm suddenly so emo about this. Even though the list of reasons to move is 2039283092 items long and we are literally going 500 feet away - it feels like the end of an era in here. ⠀ ⠀ Life is weird. And fun. And hilarious. And hard. And of course the studio build is taking 2039283029 months longer than we originally thought because everything is a lesson in patience when you have none. :) ⠀ ⠀ All good here.⠀ I still love the garage. Even the chipmunks 🐿. Sorta. ⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
Its really easy to look at any flower, event, wedding industry professionals group of squares on here and think about how beautiful it all is.⠀ ⠀ And it is, but there's a staging area. For every single person you're following and thinking about how beautiful and curated and the gorgeous blooms and unreal event lighting and glamorous tents. ⠀ ⠀ There is a staging area. And that 'staging area' is where 97% of the work happens. ⠀ ⠀ It happens at desks all winter, in the inbox, on the phone, in meetings. It happens in the studios; processing and cleaning vases and dumping out gross water and being pricked by rose thorns and trying every trick you know to get the _____ stems to open by the perfect time. ⠀ ⠀ It happens in kitchens. Where we stand and eat some bowl of something reheated while checking our phones and petting our dogs and then writing a list on the back of an envelope.⠀ ⠀ The flashy square with the perfect blooms, desserts, tents, paper goods, wedding makeup, is a flash in the pan of the work before hand. ⠀ ⠀ Someone asked me this week, "whats the plan with this pot on the driveway we are taking care of?" ⠀ ⠀ "Its for the picnic table out by the tiny house" I replied, shoving my face with a handful of almonds while simultaneously counting something in the cooler, "that's our staging area, we won't put it out at tiny until its guest ready." ⠀ ⠀ Event pros I encourage you; love the staging area. Love the in between moments where you've got an old wheelbarrow and a potted plant. Love how you've deemed something at your spot 'the studio graveyard' - this is creating and its messy and we are so lucky to be able to do it for a living. ⠀ ⠀ Happy Tuesday⠀ Clinks and then i've got work to do in the 'staging area' part of the process.⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
These two. Man oh man. 🐶🐶⠀ ⠀ This weekend marked a year since Wally joined the pack. ⠀ ⠀ My biggest fear was Maple being pissed. I remember crying the night before Wally came home because I didn't want her to think we were replacing her. ⠀ ⠀ How silly. ⠀ ⠀ They are literally best friends. They have such a sibling relationship its hysterical. Like Wally being faster and stronger so Maple just barking at him to show him she's louder. (oddly similar to me and my siblings 🤷🏼‍♀️)⠀ ⠀ Maple is the queen. She taught him VERY quickly how things work around here. She's also the one who is willing to break a few rules on occasion - ie: eating used kleenex out of trash cans, and dryer sheets & going upstairs when no one is looking & having selective hearing for everyone on the planet except Matt. ⠀ ⠀ Wally, as most of you know, is my shadow. And he is the definition of an 'annoying little brother' some days -his fun habit of picking up shoes and leaving a trail of them all over the house is something we're working on. But they love one another so much. ⠀ ⠀ Wally will only lay where he can see her. As long as he knows she's around - we're good. Sometimes Maple will get up from wherever she's sleeping and just go find Wall- and lay by him, tail wagging. ⠀ ⠀ I love their love and I love having two of them. ⠀ What a ride. ⠀ ⠀ Love you crazies. Thanks for making every single day of my life better. No matter the vet bills or moments you are both driving me insane— they pale in comparison to the moments I’ve been sad or worried and you’ve known to come find me and lay by me and make everything better. ⠀ ⠀ clinks to the boopings.⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ image: @thecompasspointshere ⠀ ⠀ PS- they are both Bernese Mtn. Dogs - yes lots of hair, yes good with kids, yes they are big, yes they shed, yes they are worth it. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral