Your grandmother’s wedding dress, your father’s silk ties, antique jewelry, wine corks, broken tea cups, baby onesies and pocket watches. What do all these things have in common? They can all be incorporated into your custom-made bridal bouquet by Forever Brooch Bouquets. Ever since I met owner/creator, Michelle Levy-Phelan, I’ve been recommending her to brides so often, it’s amazing it took over a year for us to finally have a nice long chat. It was so interesting to hear Michelle’s story and how she got her start. And after only three years in business, her bridal bouquets handmade from the memorable fabrics of your family and friends, have been featured in Brides UK Magazine and Manhattan Bride.
Michelle’s path certainly led her right to where she was meant to be. Always an artist until she decided take break from it when her sister was diagnosed with cancer. She needed to be in the medical field to help people. A compassionate person by nature, Michelle worked as an oncology nurse, sitting by her patients’ sides, holding their hands during their treatment sessions. In time, her patient’s strength and stories inspired her and brought her back to her art.
When Michelle got married, she wanted to create a bouquet for herself that had a lot of meaning – something that would never die. So, she asked patients, her closest friends and family members to all donate something she could create this memorable piece with. What resulted was an entirely unique bouquet featuring multiple pieces ranging from a WWII brooch to a pink butterfly pin from a patient’s daughter.
Five years later, Michelle is bringing the same joy she felt with her own bouquet to other brides. She taught herself everything; from learning how to make a fabric flower by slowly destructing a real rose to working with wire to up-cycle broken jewelry. For Michelle, it’s so rewarding to see the joy and smiles she brings to her clients’ faces. Imagine that you are about to have the wedding of our dreams, except that a really important person, perhaps a parent or grandparent, is missing from this day. To be able to carry a piece of them with you is truly an amazing feeling. And then, to be able to look upon that same bouquet, displayed in your home, and recall those feelings again and again – priceless.
Michelle has expanded her creations offering headpieces, hair combs and wristlets. She can also transform a bridal item into a useful piece of home decor. Enjoy your bridal headpiece every day when Michelle incorporates it into a special picture frame or mirror. There are no limits to her creativity!
Looking for something unique, that honors your memories and those of the ones closest to you? Contact Forever Brooch Bouquets for a one of kind piece you will love on your wedding day and FOREVER AFTER!
