Dream wedding day launches a family business

When Chelsea and her mother Theresa Grund started collecting decor for Chelsea’s September 2023 wedding at Hillview Farms Wedding Barn in the Town of Pine River east of Merrill, they never imagined they were building the foundation for a business. But as they transformed the empty space into a rustic French country dream, something unexpected happened.
“She had wanted a rustic kind of French country look, so we just kind of started from there and did a lot of research,” Theresa said. Piece by piece, they purchased or created the components and set the scene for the wedding of Chelsea’s dreams.
The result was so stunning that two couples booked them to decorate for their weddings before Chelsea’s wedding weekend was even over.
“It actually was very surprising. I never expected the outcome that we got that day and even after,” Theresa said. “I mean ... We’re still hearing about the wedding, so it’s rewarding in itself just for the amount of time that we put in for her to make her signature wedding come to life.”

A business is born

The seeds of a new business venture were planted when, during the setup for Chelsea’s wedding, another bride visited Hillview Farms to tour the venue.
She looked around at the beautiful decor the Grunds were arranging and asked, “Does all this come with it [the venue]?” Chelsea said. The couple’s color scheme was similar to Chelsea’s, and they wanted a similar look.
Another couple getting married the following weekend also inquired about renting the decor. When they learned the decor was not included but the Grunds would be willing to rent it for the day and set it up as a part of the deal, the mother-daughter duo realized they might be onto something.
After the wedding, they started brainstorming about the business, and Theresa came up with the name “This Day Forward For You,” representing the moment when a couple begins their life together. She said the name just clicked for both of the women.

Building the inventory

What sets This Day Forward For You apart is their collection of unique, carefully curated pieces available for rental for events. Popular items include wagon wheel chandeliers with remote controls, ceiling green rings that pull a space together, and refinished vintage furniture.
“I think the wagon wheel chandelier has been a hit. And the green rings,” Chelsea said. “The green ring just kind of ... pulls everything together so you have ... kind of a focal point that’s not all the draping.”
Theresa has put her creative skills to work refinishing antique pieces she finds on Facebook Marketplace. She transformed an old school desk into a secure card box, redid dressers and vanities for buffet tables, and created outdoor furniture with custom cushions.
“It’s basically just unique pieces ... something that you don’t normally see,” Theresa said, and that’s a large part of the appeal.
Theresa’s husband also contributed his woodworking skills by building crates, centerpiece boxes, wooden lanterns, and the entry doors used at Chelsea’s wedding.

More than just wedding decor

While weddings are their primary focus, This Day Forward For You is available for other events too.
“There’s other things we can do besides weddings,” Theresa said. “Showers, baby showers, anniversary parties, retirement parties, graduation parties. So there’s actually a lady that spoke to me at the craft show from the school district, and she asked if we considered setting up for homecoming.”
The team is also willing to source or build custom pieces if clients have a specific vision that’s not currently in their inventory.
“I think if there’s something that somebody is really just looking for that they can’t find, we’d certainly be open to try to make it happen ... if someone needs something built or a different unique piece that’s within our reach to do,” Theresa said.

A family affair

Chelsea works full-time at Church Mutual while helping with the business on evenings and weekends. Theresa handles the marketing, sales, and day-to-day operations.
“This hopefully will be a full-time job for myself, just between the marketing and the sales and getting that out there. I mean, that’s a job in itself,” Theresa said.
The best part of their new business?
“Working together,” Chelsea said when asked about the most fulfilling aspect for her. “And then just helping other couples with their wedding.”

Theresa agreed, adding that she loves “seeing the joy in their faces when they know that part of the weekend, they don’t have to worry about. Someone else can focus their time on other things. Helping people and just letting them know that they’re not in it alone.”
She said knowing what they went through for Chelsea’s wedding, she understands how much work and stress goes into planning. With This Day Forward For You, couples can simply describe what they want and let someone else handle the setup.

Growing the business

With some help from Kevin at Icon Merrill, This Day Forward For You now has a professional website showcasing their inventory and past work. They participated in their first craft show in spring at the Enrichment Center, where they set up a full wedding dessert display that drew considerable attention.
“People, when they came through, actually they thought we were selling baked goods because we had it fully stocked,” Theresa said. “We had a wedding cake. We had all the cupcakes that we had for her wedding.”

The business has drawn strong interest from their listings on wedding planning sites like WeddingWire and The Knot, with more than 700 views and inquiries from as far away as Door County as of about a month ago. They’ve already booked weddings for next June and are planning to attend wedding expos to connect with more couples to fill even more weekends.
They’ve also partnered with Chris Schulz at Hillview Farms Wedding Barn, where many of the photos on their website were taken.
“He’s sent a lot of people our way, and we kind of reciprocate that way,” Theresa said. “We tag team very well together. He’s been helpful, and I’ve been helpful for him.”
This Day Forward For You’s service area extends about 60 miles from Merrill, covering communities like Rhinelander, Antigo, Wausau, Tomahawk, Marshfield, and Stevens Point.

A needed service

While some venues have their own basic decor, Theresa sees their business filling an important gap in the local market.
“It’s something that’s needed,” Theresa said. There are so many people that don’t want to invest in all the decor, because there’s no way to get their money back out of that investment after the wedding or other event is over, she explained.
By renting the decor from This Day Forward For You, couples can have the wedding of their dreams without breaking the bank or being stuck with boxes of decor afterward. The company handles delivery, setup, and takedown, with pricing that reflects the labor involved while remaining affordable for the area.
“We just wanted to make it convenient for people, as well, because that’s the point of renting,” Chelsea said. “You don’t wanna go broke.”
Looking ahead, Theresa and Chelsea plan to continue expanding their inventory with more color options, additional draping, uplighting, and more floral arrangements. They’re also considering investing in a Cricut machine to offer personalized touches like custom vinyl lettering on mirrors and signs.

For now, though, they’re focused on building their reputation one wedding at a time, creating signature celebrations that couples and their guests will remember for years to come.
Theresa and Chelsea believe a business like this will be a welcome addition to the Merrill community. They are already seeing the interest.
“I think it’s an important part of community growth,” Theresa said. “... knowing that services like this are provided in our area where there really isn’t a service like this that I’m aware of.”
More information about This Day Forward For You is available at thisdayforwardforyou.com. The business serves venues throughout the area and is available for weddings, showers, and other special events.