Angelique & Matt (11.08.08)

It was an interesting week as we prepared for Angelique and Matt's wedding.  Angelique had planned a gorgeous reception in the Cummer Museum's Gardens, but by Wednesday the weather was not looking cooperative.  After several revisions, her vendor team gave her a beautiful wedding, which you will see in the photos by Scarlett Lillian. (The one above is from Scarlett's teaser blog post!)

Aime Peterson of Riverside Event Design was instrumental in creating Angelique's vision.  From a photo pulled out of a magazine, Aime crafted a garden party design that worked even when we moved the reception to the Terry Gallery.

Aime and her team created a beautiful tree in the center of the Loggia to display Angelique's beautiful escort cards.  They were crafted from a piece of heavier card stock in a white and gold pattern, and then the guests' names were added on gold vellum by Cami Franklin of Calligraphy By Cami.  The card stock was tied with a ribbon to the tree, and then accented at the bottom with a crystal.

Angelique looked beautiful in her gown, which she just purchased a few weeks ago after losing a ton of weight!  Casey Powell and Kimtasha Armstrong did a phenominal job with her hair and makeup as well.

The ceremony was held at St. John The Divine Greek Orthodox Church, with The Reverend Father Nicholas Lough officiating.

Alan Franco from DJ Connection provided great entertainment throughout the reception, including lots of lively traditional Greek music!  Greek Orthodox weddings are always some of my favorites, and two of my very good friends in the same church a few years ago.  Martha Bush of Have Harp Will Travel provided wonderful music for the ceremony, and then also for the cocktail hour at in the Cummer Museum's Garden.

Matthew's provided a delicious four-course meal, and Chef Matthew Medure was kind enough to serve us lowly vendors the same meal.  We truly appreciated his hospitality!  Catering manager Elizabeth Van Nuys did a great job working with Angelique and Matt to customize the menu.

(That means "congratulations on your wedding" in Greek)

Chronicals of a Bride

I've spent five wonderful years within the events industry going to fittings and tastings.... picking out colors and linens.... and making sure that everyone gets down the aisle sans a crisis.  I've hand-crafted bouquets and hand-sewn faulty zippers.  I have helped dozens of brides find a voice and determine how to translate it into the wedding of their dreams... And now- it is my turn.  That's right... I am getting married Spring 2009. So what is it like to be a coordinator and a bride?  Well, the truth is that it really is not unlike any other girl that gets married.  I am still have a real budget that I must work within.  I still have cultural and traditional elements that I must respect- and others that I must respectfully decline.  I have a guest list that needs a bit of trimming and a wee little issue with control that I must learn to overcome.  Thus, for the next few months, I invite you to join me on my journey to the alter.  I'll take you along throughout the process in hopes that it will make your own planning a little easier- knowing that we are in this together...

Cheryl & David (09.14.08)

So Cheryl and David weren't technically married on 09.14.08.  They actually renewed their wedding vows today, 36 years after they originally exchanged rings in Hawaii.  It was a touching ceremony (that I actually got to perform!) to reaffirm their love for each other.

Cheryl is the best wedding officiant in town, so it was interesting to see her on the other side of the ceremony!  She surprised David with a performance by Prince Pele's Polynesian Revue, beginning with the Hawaiian Wedding Song.  The show ended with Cheryl, her sister, and I getting a hula lesson!

I feeling truly honored to take part in this special day!

Planning a Bachelorette Party

Last weekend was my sister-in-laws wedding, and it was a beautiful, fun and exciting day.

I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid and also coordinating the Bachelorette party.

I wanted to do something fun but also a bit different to the traditional Bachelorette parties that l had attended in the past. I decided to do some online research to get some fun party ideas. After some intensive research, l decided to order a Tarot Card Reader / Belly Dancer to attend the party. I was a little skeptical of how this would work out, not knowing how entertaining a Tarot Card Reader/ Belly Dancer would be. The company found at this web site: http://www.aleena.com/magi/ was very professional and leading up to the bachelorette party promptly returned any of my phone calls or emails.

On the night of the Bachelorette Party, I decorated the house with some fun items from Party City! Melanie, the Tarot Card Reader/ Belly Dancer arrived right on time. She immediately made everyone in the room feel comfortable and got straight down to business. We all got to have individual readings, which l must say were incredibly accurate. Everyone in the room was buzzing with excitement about their readings. Once the readings were complete, Melanie then gave all of the girls a lesson in Belly Dancing, which was quite a work out!

Melanie stayed for a little over two hours, and l feel like it was money well spent. She fit in with the group of girls splendidly! Everyone who attended the party had so much fun, especially the bride to be!!

Kimberly & Victor (03.29.08)

I've been a little behind in posting photos from our spring and summer weddings! Here is a slideshow with photos from Kimberly and Victor's gorgeous wedding.

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Ceremony Venue: Bethel Baptist Institutional Church Reception Venue: Omni Hotel Jacksonville Floral and Lighting: Wilson's Ltd. Seating Group Rental, Movie Premier Lights and Red Carpet: PRI Productions DJ: McGee Entertainment Cocktail Hour Music: Biva Jazz Linens: Connie Duglin Photography: Kris Graham Photography Videography: Turner Classic Weddings

Kristen and Matt's Photos By Agnes Lopez

Super wonderful photographer Agnes Lopez just sent Danielle and I the link to her blog post with some of Kristen and Matt's wedding photos. Love them!

Melissa & Drew (4.5.08)

Video by Chris Kennelly of Kennetic Productions - it may take a minute to load, so please be patient!

Brittany and Michael Live!

5:00 am Here I am, in my car heading to the wedding of Michael and Brittany! I'm sure the Channel 4 crew is already hard at work at Le Jardin on Park.

6:00 am

I’m at Le Jardin on Park, axiously awaiting the arrival of the bride and bridesmaids. They have been at Casey Powell’s studio having their hair done, and Kimtasha Armstrong has been doing their makeup. Very exciting!  The caterer, Katerlady, has arrived with her team to begin setting up the buffet and preparing the food, which smells absolutely delicious!

6:30 am

The bride and two bridesmaids have arrived, looking gorgeous.  The cake is here too, a beautiful creation by Classic Cakes.  John is busy putting the fresh flowers in between the layers while everyone from the tv station talks about how yummy it looks!  The groom is outside with his groomsmen, and some of the guests are even starting to arrive.

7:00 am

One hour til showtime!  The adorable flower girls, Eva and Lana, just arrived with their mom and baby brother.  Casey Black, one of The Morning Show anchors, has arrrived to begin interviewing the bride and groom before the ceremony, and the team from Alfred Angelo has begun getting the bridesmaids into their dresses.  Brittany is next!

7:30 am

In just a half-hour we will go live on Channel 4.  The bride and groom are both cool as a cucumber, but Brittany's mom is a little nervous about tripping as she walks down the aisle.  DJ Brian DeFoe has his equipment in place, and is ready to play the music for the beginning of the ceremony.  The guests are all seated, the flower girls got some practice walking down the aisle, and so far everything is going exactly as planned.

7:55 am

It's almost here!  The bridal party is lined up, waiting for their cue to walk down the aisle.  We're axiously watching the producer from Channel 4 for the signal!

9:00 am

The televised portion of Brittany and Michael's wedding is over, so everyone can relax and have fun!  The live events went very smoothly - from the ceremony to the toasts to the cake cutting to the first dance.  Now Brittany is dancing with her dad, and Michael will dance with his mom before heading inside to enjoy the yummy brunch buffet.

9:45 am

Just as I predicted - the food is fabulous!  Videographer Jenny Turner and I got to sit down for a minute to eat and catch up, which is always a treat. We're not done yet though, after brunch it's back to the alter for formal photos.

10:00 am

Brittany and Michael finally got to have their unity sand ceremony - because of the limited TV schedule, we had to cut it from the actual ceremony, but Jenny and photographer Michael Myatt both captured the moment for the couple.

11:00 am

It's time for our bride and groom to say goodbye to their friends and family.  After leaving Le Jarding through a shower of bubbles, the Rolls Royce supplied by Majestice Limo will take their to their honeymoon suite at the Seawalk Hotel in Jacksonville Beach.  I'm going home to take a nap!  :)

Be sure to visit The Morning Show page on News4Jax.com for more highlights from Brittany and Michael's wedding!  http://www.news4jax.com/morningshow/index.html

Brittany and Michael's Live Wedding Update

This week is very exciting as we begin the final preparations for Brittany and Michael's wedding, live on Channel 4's Morning Show! We have not only a rehearsal, but two rehearsals scheduled for Thursday.  It will take quite a bit of coordination to have not only the wedding videographer and photographer but also four cameras from the station and the audio crew as well!  Thursday morning the entire crew will be on-site to walk through all the festivities with the bridal party, and then we'll get started at 5:00 am with preparations on Friday.

Be sure to tune in Friday morning at 8:00 am to see the beautiful wedding ceremony, the cake cutting, and the first dance!

Lynsie and Alex (05.03.08)

What a gorgeous couple! Not only could they both be models, but their love truly showed every time they looked at each other. I got to work with both Lynsie, who lives in Tampa, and her mom, who lives in Georgia, while we planned this special weekend. Lynsie has a very contemporary style, but still wanted to incorporate some of the more traditional wedding elements.

Her biggest concern was getting a priest's blessing during the ceremony, which is not an easy feat at a non-church location. Thanks to Rent-A-Priest.com, we found Rev. Tom Koester, and he did a fabulous job incorporating some of the more religious aspects into the ceremony. We even rented a kneeling bench so that Lynsie and Alex could pray together during the ceremony. It was a moving and beautiful moment! The Magnolia String Quartet added the perfect musical touch to the ceremony.

After the ceremony at The Lodge and Club's courtyard, the guests moved to a Cuban-themed cocktail hour, with coral-colored table linens, mojitos, and hors d'oeuvres. Local Latin trio Le Monde played background music to entertain the guests before they moved upstairs for the reception.

The reception kicked off with great music from The Atlanta Showstoppers while the guests enjoyed the ocean view. The tables were covered in white linens, paired with mahogany chiavari chairs, and topped with sleek calla lily centerpieces from Liz Stewart Floral Designs. The diamond-patterned wedding cake by Classic Cakes added more contemporary drama, but the small pearl details added that touch of tradition that Lynsie is fond of.

At the end of the evening, the guests moved down to the beach to send Lynsie and Alex off to their suite through a path of sparklers. Photographer Gary Denman of Naturally Photography captured all the highlights with an artistic and creative eye.

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Shannon & Josh (4.5.08)

The weather was less than ideal, but Shannon and Josh still had a gorgeous wedding!  Their ceremony was held in the beautiful St. Joseph's Historic Church in Mandarin, and a reception followed at the Cummer Musum of Art and Gardens.  The original plans called for the dance floor and DJ to be outside, but with the heavy rain showers it had to be moved inside.  Aime Peterson and her team at Riverside Event Design did a fabulous job with the last minute changes, and Susan Mahla's team at the Cummer was great as well.  Susan is so wonderful to work with! The food from Designed Events was to-die-for, even when I got to eat it an hour after the guests did!  Oliv'r Twist kept the drinks flowing, while two DJs from The Pros kept the guests on the dance floor.

Luckily, Shannon and Josh met photographer David Allen at the Cummer a few days before the wedding for a photo session before the rain moved in, and got some great shots in the gardens.

Kimberly & Victor (3.29.08)

Wow.  That's all I can say about this wedding.  In fact, I'll say it again.  Wow! Kimberly and Victor have a wonderful story, and are a very special couple.  It's hard to believe it has been a year and a half since I first met Kimberly and her parents to talk about her wedding.  The ceremony was in the beautiful Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, which dates to the early 1900's.  And the reception that followed at the Omni Hotel's Florida Ballroom was amazing!

I use the term "dream team" a lot when referring to a wedding's vendors, but this event truly had the best!

• Photography by Kris Graham Photography
• Videography by Turner Classic Weddings
• Cake from Edgewood Bakery
• Floral and decor by Wilson's Ltd.
• Additional decor by PRI Productions
• Entertainment from both Biva Entertainment and McGee Entertainment
• Transportation from Carey

Kimberly really has an eye for detail, and this wedding was packed with them!  Monograms were created on the aisle runner, programs, banners on the church doors, menu cards, dance floor, favors... wow!  The "Old Hollywood" inspiration was carried through the color palette of black and ivory, accented with pale pink.  As an added touch, a red carpet and "movie premier lights" were added to the ballroom entrance.  A stunning gazebo structure framed the cake table, and soft pink uplighting made the ballroom glow.

I can't wait to share photos and video!

Congratulations to Brittany and Michael!

The winners have been chosen for WJXT's "Reveal Your Romance" Dream Wedding!  Congratulations to Brittany MacPherson and Michael Doss for being selected.  The First Coast Weddings team is looking forward to working with you!

Melanie and Eric's Video Highlights

Our friend Wes at Scenecrafters sent an exciting email this morning!  It had the link to the highlight video for Melanie and Eric's December 1st wedding in St. Augustine. http://scenecrafters.com/wood.htm

A great job as always, Wes.

WJXT's "Reveal Your Romance" Wedding Giveaway

Local TV station WJXT (Channel 4) does a contest each Valentine's called "Reveal Your Romance."  This year, they will be giving away a complete wedding that will be live on the Morning Show! The contest was announced this morning on The Morning Show.  Engaged couples will be asked to write the story of their engagement, and send it in to the station or drop it off at Jacksonville's new Alfred Angelo store.  The producers will read through the submissions and narrow down the field to 10, then to 5. They will be looking for great, romantic stories. 

The winner gets a wedding in mid-May for up to 75 guests. It will be a weekday morning wedding and it will be shown live on Channel 4's Morning Show.  Everything will be provided, from catering to flowers to entertainment.  The "dream team" of vendors includes:

• Wedding attire from Alfred Angelo 
• Le Jardin on Park will be the venue 
• Wedding gown and bridesmaids' dresses by Alfred Angelo
• Catering by Katerlady
• Cake by Classic Cakes
• Photographer Michael Myatt
• Videography by Turner Classic Weddings
• Floral design by Katrina Cox of Le Jardin on Park
• Hair stylist Casey Powell
• Makeup artist Kimtasha Armstrong
• And of course wedding coordination by First Coast Weddings and Events!

Watch our blog for updates as we begin working with the winning couple to produce their spectacular wedding!  Be sure to visit News4Jax.com for complete contest information.

Doreen & Andrew (1.26.08)

As a wedding photographer, Doreen has seen lots of weddings, and she created a simply stunning wedding for herself and Andrew! The most stunning element was the bridal party's attire - Doreen wore a pale blue wedding gown, while her bridesmaids wore  individual styles of ivory gowns. Gorgeous! And the groomsmen were equally handsome in their khaki suits.

The ceremony at St. Michaels Catholic Church was beautiful, with Doreen's brother escorting her half way down the aisle, and her father escorting her the remainder of the way to the alter.

When the guests arrived at the Golf Club at Amelia Island for the reeption, they were greeted by a photo area where each guest's picture was captured.  At the end of the evening, the photos were displayed in folders with a photo of the bride and groom from the wedding.  Wonderful!

The tables were lined with sheer gold runners and chargers.  Simple floral arrangements lined the runner, and a variety of containers held candies in shades of white, gold and pale blue.

Another truly unique element was the escort cards.  Each card was tied with ribbon and hung from branches in the center of a round table, but the truly special touch was at the bottom. Each card had crystals attached to it that were from an original chandelier at the Ritz Carlton next door.  Doreen had purchased the chandlier and took the crystals off individually to create this special momento for her guests.

The wonderful video below is by Chris Kennelly of Kennetic Productions.

James & Jessica (09.22.07)

Emma,

I intended to send this weeks ago... I have tried endlessly to find the right words to thank you enough for making sure our wedding day was fabulous.  From beginning to end, it was everything I dreamed and more.  While it was all over in a blink, everytime I look at the pictures an enormous smile comes across my face... Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work and dedication to our wedding day.

(My mother thanks you as well - you guys kept her sane)

~ Jessica West

Melanie & Eric (12.01.07)

Melanie and Eric had a beautiful wedding day in St. Augustine!  The day started with the bridesmaids relaxing in the bride's suite at The Cozy Inn while they were pampered by extraordinary hair stylist Casey Powell and fabulous make up artist Kimtasha Armstrong.  Photographers Kris and Kate from Kris Graham Photography arrived at the Inn to take final getting ready shots, and then beautiful photos of the bride with her bridesmaids and family. Meanwhile, the guests were boarding the Old Town Trolley for a fun ride to the Oldest House for the wedding ceremony.  The bride's bouquet by Anything With Plants and Flowers was absolutely stunning, and officiant Cheryl Raby performed a touching and lovely ceremony.

The guests re-boarded the trolley for a quick trip through downtown before arriving at The White Room.  The reception was beautiful with the bride's candle and rose petal centerpieces and sheer silver table cloths.  The gorgeous cake from Publix (San Jose Blvd.) tasted as great as it looked, and the groom's brownie cake was a big hit!  DJ Carlton McGee kept the party going while videographer Wes Taff of Scenecrafters captured everything on film, including a very funny toast from the best man.

Instead of the bouquet and garter toss, Melanie and Eric opted for the Anniversary Dance - the couple married the longest had been married for over 50 years!  The couple offered advise to the newlyweds as the bride presented them with a small version of her bouquet.

At the end of the night, everyone (including the bride and groom!) climbed aboard the trolley one more time to enjoy the Nights of Lights on their trip back to their hotels.

The bride sent this terffiic email to all of their vendors:

Eric and I had an amazing wedding day on Saturday! And you all played a huge part in making it such a special day for us. We wanted to thank each of you for your hard work, guidance, patience, and professionalism. Everyone seems to really love what they do and it really shows!

We will highly recommend each of you to anyone who asks; and even those who don’t.  :) Feel free to give our contact information to anyone asking for references.

Thank you again for making our wedding day unforgettable!

Mark & Melissa (11.03.07)

Maggiano’s at the St. John’s Town Center hosted a very classy wedding for Mark and Melissa. The beautiful couple celebrated their marriage with over thirty out-of-town guests, including family members and friends. Some of the guests traveled from as far west as Colorado, and as far south as the southern tip of Louisiana, to attend this delightful destination wedding.

Mark and Melissa’s family arrived just in time for a quick rehearsal and then set off at record speed to do some last minute wedding shopping around the St. John’s Town Center.  Their most unusual find was a fabulous leather couch and chair set from West Elm, which they brought over to Maggiano’s to use during the actual wedding.  The gorgeous leather set was meant as a seating arrangement for their parents, but it unwittingly brought an extra touch of class to the already beautiful aesthetics inside of the wedding ballroom. 

On Saturday afternoon, both Mark and Melissa stopped by Maggiano’s (thankfully not managing to see each other), each wanting to check out the gorgeous arrangements of the yellow, pink and green cymbidium orchids from Anything with Plants.  They were also able to catch a glimpse of their delicious custom made cake by Piece a Cake, which was also donned with the breathtakingly beautiful cymbidium orchids.

At 6:20 pm on Saturday, November 3, 2007, a beautiful wedding ceremony was performed by Craig Grandstaff of Clergy Wedding Services, in which Mark and Melissa exchanged vows.  The couple personalized their ceremony and reception with yet another unusual find; Aaron Bing, a sax player that they ran across at an unsuspecting location, the Jacksonville international Airport! While Aaron was wowing the guests with his musical talent, they dined on delicious pasta and indulged in a sinful chocolate display.  

Also throughout the evening, Bassal Jadda, the wedding photographer, maneuvered his around the wedding guests snapping some great candid shots. Mark and Melissa’s wedding proved to be an ultra-classical affair, filled with joy and well wishes from friends and family near and far.       

Jillian & Jason (10.19.07)

       

With the success of the book "Offbeat Bride," and the spawn of DIY Weblogs, a new generation of indie brides are whipping out their sewing machines and craft supplies in hopes of an Etsy-worthy wedding.  While I have seen some frightening DIY projects, and it is my experience that this very special occasion is best left to the professionals, every once in a while a bride is able to manage the perfect balance of personalization and sophistication.  Such was true with the wedding of Jillian and Jason.

Jillian is an uber-talented indie fashion designer, with her line of SIMONE all over Etsy.  Jason is equally accomplished in his love of music, playing percussion for a local band.  Together, they are one talented rockstar couple- and anything but your typical bride and groom.  Thus, they took cues from their relationship and a little guidence from great vendors... making a destination wedding to remember!

Their 80 guests travelled from as far as Boston to be a part of the Sunshine State wedding- and by some grace of God... the rain held out.  It poured for miles and miles for hours and hours- and then the clouds parted just in time for their 5 o'clock ceremony- and it was nothing but blue skies, sunshine, and rainbows for their vows.  Guests were greeted by bagpiper, and invited to toss their heels aside for the barefoot beach ceremony.  The ceremony was officiated by the couple's close friend... and the highlight of the whole day was seeing Jillian walked down the aisle in her hand-made wedding dress.  It was stunning!

Guests were then treated to a casual reception at The Finch House... just a brisk walk from the beach.  Here, they dined on a tropical-inspired menu created by Smashing Pans atop tables with custom linens sewn by none other than the crafty bride.  They ooed-ahhhed over the cake (Publix) which was designed by- you guessed it- the bride!  The ecclectic blend of reggae, punk, and rock and roll love ballads (One Voice Productions) were so indicative of the evening's lighthearted mood... with guests lining up to leave their well-wishes in the retro polaroid guestbook.

As the evening drew to an end, and Arte de Palm Photography prepared for their money-shot... the couple danced to one last song all alone.  This was my favorite part of the entire night... the bride was so giddy with glee- the groom in his yellow and black nike sneakers and tux... dancing to "You are my sunshine"... and then they made a mad dash down an aisle of sparklers to their antique get-away car (Majestic).  Off to St. Lucia for the honeymoon!