Jacksonville, FL Wedding Planning and Coordinating by First Coast Weddings and Events

Fall Internships

Heather — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:10:47 +0000

As experienced planners, we feel an obligation to help out those that have a passion for wedding planning. We offer two internships a year, one for the spring semester and one for the fall. We are currently accepting applications for our Fall 2012 internship; interviews will begin in July.

Interns must be enrolled in a Bachelor’s/Master’s program at an accredited college or university and provide documentation from their school stating they are able to receive academic credit for this internship. The internship requires a minimum of 12 hours in the office each week, and you must be

In addition to these internships, we also offer apprenticeship opportunities to our fellow members of the Association of Bridal Consultants. available on weekends.

You may be asking, what’s the difference? An internship is designed for a student to shadow in the office and during events for 4-5 months. An apprenticeship is an intense, hands-on two-day experience designed for those that have already completed coursework or have worked in the wedding industry.

For more information on these opportunities, please visit this page: http://www.firstcoastweddings.com/internships-and-employment/

Wedding Insurance – A Good Idea, Always!

Heather — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:45:45 +0000

Did you know you can insure your wedding? With the recent news of a popular wedding venue closing today, we are reminded that EVERY wedding can be protected by wedding insurance. Lost Deposits can provide coverage if a vendor goes out of business, declares bankruptcy before your event, or simply fails to show up. For example, if your band or your limo provider fails to show up, this coverage can reimburse your lost deposit.

We thought we would re-post an article we wrote on the subject not too long ago on the other benefits on wedding insurance.

There are several companies that provide wedding insurance, but here is some information from Wedding Protector Plan.

Some of the things that can be covered by wedding insurance include:

No Dress. You can get repair or replacement cost if the bride’s wedding gown or groom’s tuxedo is lost or damaged.
Lost Rings. You can receive repair or replacement cost if the bride or groom’s wedding bands are lost or damaged.
Severe Weather. If severe weather (such as a hurricane) forces you to postpone your wedding, we can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Call to Duty. If the bride or groom is unexpectedly called up to active duty, or has her or his military service leave revoked, forcing you to postpone the event, we can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Damaged Gifts. You can get repair or replacement cost if your wedding gifts are damaged.
Sudden Illness. If the wedding needs to be postponed because sudden illness prevents the bride, groom or their parents from attending, you can receive reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Venue Requires Insurance. As an additional option to your policy, you can add liability coverage to protect yourself in case a guest is injured or causes damage to property.
Liquor Liability. As an individual liability option to your policy, you can add this coverage to protect yourself against liability arising from alcohol-related occurrences (subject to policy conditions and exclusions).

Rates start at $165 for this company, and other companies offer similar prices.

If you would like to see a brochure, click the link below:
http://www.protectmywedding.com/pdfs/Wedding_Insurance_Information_Wedding_Protector_Plan.pdf
And for rates, click here:
http://www.protectmywedding.com/pdfs/wedding_event_insurance_rates_liquor_liability.pdf

Destination Weddings

ashleigh — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:48:34 +0000

Stephanie Ashwell Photography

Destination weddings have grown to be extremely popular in the wedding world. The fun of the destination allows a couple to combine the best of an adventurous honeymoon with their ceremony and reception. A big pro to having a destination wedding is that it creates an enjoyable atmosphere for your guests. Weddings bring together the people closest to you, so why not extend the time everyone’s going to spend together?

An ideal example of a wedding destination is the Florida Keys. To be even more specific, the Islamorada Key is a location many couples have experienced their weddings. Islamorada is perfect because it is a laid back and a relaxed destination with commercial amenities, tucked away in tropical landscapes and surrounded by clear, clean, blue water.

Here are a few tips for having a picturesque destination wedding in Islamorada:

Select a resort that will fulfill all your wedding needs that all your family and friends can stay in. An ideal resort is Le Siesta Resort and Marina. It has plenty of rooms, and has multiple locations to choose from for your ceremony and reception.
Be sure to have welcome bags filled with fun treats that represents the Florida Keys that your guests can use during their stay.
Make sure to have a timeline for all the events that will be taking place. Your guests will need to know when they’ll have time to relax and when they’ll need to be at important events.
Be prepared for all types of weather. The Keys can definitely have it’s fair share of heavy winds and rain, so plan to have a backup plan just in case.

Polaroid Escort Cards

ashleigh — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:43:32 +0000

Image from theknot.com

Today escort cards can be found in all types of shapes and sizes. They can be placed on fruits and vegetables like limes and pumpkins, objects such as keys or horseshoes; the possibilities are endless. It’s very easy to make your escort cards fit to whatever your wedding theme is.

One fun trend that couples are using is hanging their escort cards by string and mini clothespins. After the guests have taken their cards, they’re asked to replace their cards with a Polaroid of themselves taken in a photo booth. This is a fun way for new guests to see who’s already arrived by their pictures.

Wedding Day Do’s & Don’ts

ashleigh — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:40:56 +0000

Everyone wants their wedding day to run smoothly, so to insure that everything goes accordingly, it’s important to plan ahead. Here are some tips to be aware of to guarantee a successful day:

Don’t consume alcohol before the ceremony. If you do want to partake in the bubbly before you walk down the aisle, only drink half a glass. If you drink too much your buzz will show on your face for all your guests to see and will show on your wedding photos.
Arrive early to your venue. If it’s possible, get ready at the venue, because if something were to happen and you’re late to your wedding site, it could cause the whole schedule to run late.
Don’t forget to take any regular medications. It’s easy to forget taking a pill when there’s a hundred things going on.
Make sure to eat and drink plenty of water. You need to be hydrated to prevent headaches and fainting. Make sure to eat foods that won’t make you feel bloated.
Don’t go crazy and start taking your stress out on others. If you’re yelling at your vendors, wedding party, or family because things aren’t going your way, that’s all anyone will remember when the day’s over.

Wedding Wish Lantern

ashleigh — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:08:09 +0000

Looking for something unique to have at your wedding? Floating lanterns are a stunning visual effect that adds enjoyment and wonder to your event. The lanterns are a paper structure that’s fully biodegradable, nonflammable and easy to use. They symbolize hopes, dreams and wishes for the life of the newlyweds. They can also represent friends and family members who have passed.

The lanterns can either be released at the end of the ceremony to symbolize the new marriage, or the guests can release them during the reception. However you decide to use them, one thing is for sure; your guests will remember them for years to come!

Image from nsri.org

Future-Signifying Gifts for the Bride

ashleigh — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:08:02 +0000

Many couples exchange personal wedding gifts to on another to make their wedding day special and memorable. Gifts can either be exchanged at the rehearsal dinner or can be delivered by the best man and maid of honor on the wedding day.

A unique gift for the groom to give his bride would be something to symbolize their future together. Add-on jewelry is ideal for representing a couple’s future. The groom purchases a bracelet or necklace with a starter bead/beads and every year for the couple’s anniversary the piece of jewelry is added on to.

There are many jewelry brands that that hold this concept and range in price depending on what materials they’re made out of. Here are some examples of jewelry brands.

Chamilia Charms

Image from chamilia.com

Pandora

Image from pandora.com

Add A Pearl

Image from addapearl.com

Brighton Charms

Image from brighton.com

DaVinci Beads

Image from coppinsgifts.com

Wedding Gift Ideas For Your Groom

ashleigh — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:26:51 +0000

What is an appropriate gift for a bride to give her groom? Traditionally, the bride and groom exchange wedding gifts the day of their wedding. Whatever you decide to give your groom will depend on his interests and your budget. When you’re trying to select a gift for your groom ask yourself a few questions: Does he have a hobby or sport he enjoys? Is there something special he’s been wanting? Is there something that could be useful on your honeymoon? It’s important to remember it doesn’t matter the cost of the gift, the only important criteria is that the gift has meaning to your future husband.

Here are a few examples of great groom gifts.

Men’s watch

Image from citizenwatch.com

A day of golf

Image from strack.com

Tickets to his favorite sports team

Image from nflfootballstadiums.com

A tablet

Imagefrom amazon.com

A cigar bar at your reception

Image from elizabethannedesigns.com

Getting The Most Out Of Your Wedding Budget

maddy — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:29:43 +0000

I was going through our blog posts recently, and found this post that our former intern, Maddy, had written. Sadly, it got lost in WordPress-land and never got published! So I thought I would share it with you today.

By the way, Maddy has gone on to start her own event planning company in Arizona! We miss you, Maddy, but we are very proud of you.

The following tips will help you make the most of your wedding budget:

- Trust your wedding professionals. They should have suggestions for you about their area of expertise.

- Be honest when you are interviewing vendors. When you are calling around, tell them your budget and ask if they can work with it. As an example, many DJ companies may have different prices for different entertainers, so meet with ones in your prices range.

- Cut the guest list. Yes, it’s hard, and you may risk some hurt feelings. The best suggestion is to keep the guest list fair. If you invite one cousin, invite them all; or cut them all. Ask your parents to eliminate clients or friends from their lists, unless they are paying for the whole thing; if that is the case, you may want to show them your budget and see if they are willing to spend more for their guests to attend.

- When you are making selections, especially for floral arrangements and food, ask yourself. “Do we really need this? Would anyone notice if we didn’t have it?”

- Skip the champagne for the toast. Champagne can add several hundred dollars, and most people won’t drink more than a sip or two anyway.

- Keep your top priorities in mind and focus on them. If food is high on your list, consider spending the same amount on three courses instead of five-you will get better quality food for those three courses.

- Put your “wedding money” in a separate account or use a special credit card so you can easily track each expenditure.

image source

Incorporating Your Dog Into Your Big Day

ashleigh — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:35:27 +0000

Image from stylemepretty.com

It’s becoming more and more popular for dog lovers to include their dogs into their weddings; after all, they are a part of the family. People are finding that their pups make excellent ring bearers and flower girls. So if you decide to have your dog be a part of your big day here are some tips to insure everything runs smoothly.

Check with your wedding ceremony venue beforehand. Many churches or other religious institutions might not allow animals.
Make sure they’re accompanied by a human. It’s difficult to trust an off-leash ring bearer unless you’re 100% certain they can handle the responsibility.
Have someone take your dog on a walk beforehand. It’s important there’s no accidents during the ceremony.
Be sure the person chaperoning your pup has treats on hand, JUST IN CASE.
Have a post-wedding plan for your pooch. Schedule someone to pick him or her up from the ceremony venue and drop off at home or at a boarding facility if you will be leaving right away for your honeymoon.