Trouvaille: Education, Glamour, and Surprises Along the Way

On our first day at the Trouvaille Workshop, we found our seats in an elegantly designed room at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan after we were hugged by Rhi of Hey Gorgeous Events, welcomed, and told to take a sparkling strawberry drink on our way.  We found beautifully styled gifts at our place settings, and we oficially began the two-and-a-half day educational storm of a workshop.

I stole this Juliet from a centerpiece from our welcome dinner.  I couldn't resist!

I am proudly a person who loves to learn.  I love to hear why people think the things that they think, especially if those things are innovative and applicable to my own life.  I was definitely in the right place to hear lots of things that I needed to hear.  Knowledgeable speakers were booked for all three days, educating us about legal issues for creatives, cohesive branding, wholesale floral purchasing, how to form strong relationships with other vendors, and so much more.

Throughout the entire workshop, Rhi was extremely attentive to the needs of the attendees.  She had lots of little surprises along the way for us, and made sure we were well fed and comfortable all the time.  I mean, we had a coffee station available at all times - I definitely appreciated that!  (I also had a major caffeine withdrawal after the workshop, but that's the risk that I took and it was totally worth it.)

King protea, astilbe, veronica, and jasmine vine together in harmony.

I don't want to ruin any of the details for people who are thinking of attending, and I also want to be respectful of the boundaries that lie within workshops and conferences.  Meaning, it wouldn't be fair for me to blab about everything we learned.  That was one of the best things about Trouvaille - since many attendees and speakers were not from the same region, it's a little bit safer to share insider information, because I'm not really competition to someone from San Francisco or Ann Arbor.  I felt privileged and so lucky to learn from some really successful and passionate people throughout the workshop, attendees and speakers alike.

Something new for me was tablescape design and the consideration of 

rental items, such as linens, flatware, glass, and china. 

This was a beneficial part of the workshop - I hadn't had the chance to do this before!

As an attendee, I feel that I was encouraged and forced (in a loving and supportive way) to seriously consider the direction and purpose of Demure Birch Design.  I was given helpful insight and answers when I was confused or curious, and I felt encouraged the entire time.  Like any other workshop, you'll get out of it what you put into it.  I feel like I had so much wonderful, uninterrupted time to seriously consider each topic that was presented to me, which is invaluable to someone who is finding a challenge in "free" time to work on my business, while having a full time job.

The orphan flowers made a beautiful bouquet all together!

I am truly grateful for being able to attend, and I'm so excited for the next one to happen!  Perhaps I'll be visiting Michigan again sooner than I had ever thought.  Will you be attending the next Trouvaille?

Love and light,

Alyssa