Melanie and Brad of La Dolce Vita Studio posted some images of Michelle and Jamaal on their wedding day - check it out on their blog!
Danielle & Jay (04.18.09)
After years of planning other peoples' weddings, Danielle finally made it down the aisle with her high school sweatheart Jay. I'm sure that Danielle will post a blog entry soon with her side of the story, but for now, we'll just say CONGRATULATIONS!
Check out more photos from the Oeil Photography blog.
Michelle & Jamaal (04.25.09)
I usually ask my brides, "Are you ready?" before we begin the rehearsal. Michelle's answer was "I've been ready for this day for a long time!" Michelle and Jamaal met in high school, and Michelle has stayed by Jamaal's side through high school football, college football at Clemson, and two NFL teams (the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons). Today, she finally got to hear the words, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Jamaal is so romantic, he even hired a photographer to capture the proposal!
We only had a short time to plan their dream wedding due to Jamaal's training schedule with the Falcons. So we set our sights on an April date and got to work!
We had several site visits set up before Michelle moved to Atlanta to be with Jamaal, but as soon as she and her mom saw The Lodge and Club at Ponte Vedra Beach, the decision was made. And what an easy decision it was!
Beautiful decor from Anything With Plants and Flowers added to the gorgeous venue and added the vintage-glamour touches that Michelle wanted. Check out the centerpieces, with feathers, crystals and pearls!
La Dolce Vita Studio's Melanie and Bradford Watson were selected as the photographers, and InMotion Video Productions was chosen for the videography.
Brooke Alford provided romantic violin accompaniment for the oceanfront wedding ceremony, and a saxophonist provide background music during the cocktail hour under the trellis.
As a sentimental touch, Edgewood Bakery created the wedding cake and groom's cake - the bakery had also created Michelle's parents' wedding cake for their wedding! The shop opened in 1947, and serves the best pastries and sandwiches in addition to their beautiful special occasion cakes.
A friend of the bride and groom, Rasheen Waring of Dynamic Musician ENT, kept the dance floor packed all night. Congrats, Michelle and Jamaal, I wish you many more happy years together!
(other than the engagement pics, the photos in the post are my snapshots, pro images coming soon!)
The Garden Club - Before + After
Everyone who has been to The Garden Club of Jacksonville knows that it is a blank slate! So I thought I would share yesterday's transformation for Kristin and Sam's wedding. (note: these are my snap shots with my camera, so not great images!)
THE GARDEN CLUB - BEFORE This is what the Garden Club provides, and how the room looked when we arrived.
THE GARDEN CLUB - AFTER Once we set the ivory pintuck table cloths, black chiavari chairs, and coral sashes and napkins, the room started coming together! Add in the ivory and gold china, gold flatware, and menu cards tucked into each napkin, and it starts looking great. Once the centerpieces from Wilson's Ltd. arrived, it was amazing!
Incidentally, so many couples think it is cheaper to rent a space like this than to have a reception at a hotel or country club. If you are one of them, be sure you are comparing apples to apples - look at all the extra costs involved, like renting china, glassware, flatware, bringing in serving staff, linens, bartenders, and catering supplies. You can easily spend an extra $3,000-$5,000 on these items for a wedding of 150 guests!
Elizabeth & Patrick (04.10.09)
Danielle coordinated an amazing wedding last weekend! Since she is busy with her own wedding preparations (CONGRATS, DANIELLE!) I thought I would share this link to a blog post from Oeil Photography about the wedding.
Check out the post for more AMAZING images!
Jill & Michael (04.04.09)
Jill and Michael are an eHarmony commercial waiting to happen! They are so wonderful together and their families are too. A highlight for me was getting to reunite with these girls - Jill had been a bridesmaid in Mandy's wedding (2nd from left), and several of the other girls had been bridesmaids too. It was great seeing them all again!
Jill and Michael were married in a traditional Catholic ceremony at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, the church the bride grew up in. Following the ceremony, the bridal party piled into the Hummer limo from Dynasty Limousine to take photos at the beach. Photographer Nikki McEneaney of Photography By Nikki got some incredible images!
The reception at Marsh Landing Country Club was beautiful! Jill chose ivory and gold, with orange accents and touches of hot pink and lime green. DJ David Hanscom of Y? Entertainment kept the crowd on the floor from the first dance to the last. Jill and Michael's first dance was perfectly choreographed to Frank Sinatra's "The Best Is Yet To Come" and was a definite show-stopper!
I can't wait to share the video from InMotion Video Productions!
Tiffany & Drayton (03.29.09)
As a wedding planner, I see a lot of rude wedding guests. I can honestly say that there wasn't a single one at this wedding! Tiffany and Drayton were married in a beautiful ceremony on the lawn at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, March 29, 2009. Wilson's Limited provided phenomenal decor for the entire clubhouse. Dr. Wayne Faison officiated the touching ceremony flawlessly, despite the windy conditions. The couple united their families with a sand ceremony - each mother, the couple, and their daughter all added sand to a beautiful keepsake vase.
The Fusion Band played beautiful jazz music during the ceremony and cocktail hour. The guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the lawn overlooking the world-famous golf course before moving upstairs to the Ponte Vedra Room.
In the ballroom, DJ Carlton McGee of McGee Entertainment kept the crowd dancing throughout the evening. These photos are my snapshots, but I can't wait to see the pics from Sheri Ebert and the video from Simply Wed!
We will really miss having Drayton as a Jaguar, but wish him all the best in Buffalo!
Abby & Ryan (02.21.09) - Part 3
Abby and Ryan are featured in The Florida Times-Union! Here's a little teaser of the article:
For Abby Dwyer and Ryan Beazley, going from friends to more-than-just friends was as easy as working in a restaurant right after college.
The two met in 2003 when Abby was hired to be a waitress at the Ale House in Davie, and Ryan, who already worked at the restaurant, was assigned to train her.
The two enjoyed an instant connection.
"She liked my sense of humor and dashing good looks," said Ryan, now 27, and a designer at Brown Enterprises, an architectural signage manufacturer in Jacksonville.
His height didn't hurt either. Ryan is 6 feet 6 and Abby is 5 feet 8.
"Tall men are hard to come by in Miami, and I was always looking for my tall guy," said Abby, now 28 and the manager of Professional Recruiting at CSX in Jacksonville.
The night after he met Abby, Ryan called his older brother, Chris, in Chicago. "Ryan told me he met this really amazing, vivacious girl," Chris said.
One week later, Abby called her father in Maryland. "I told him, 'Dad, this is it. I've met my future husband,' " Abby recalled.
Hsinyi & Kevin (03.15.09)
Hsinyi and Kevin met online in 2006, and a week later had their first date - a cup of coffee that turned into a three-hour breakfast. The rest, as they say, is history. Hsinyi is originally from Taiwan, but moved to the U.S. in 1999 for graduate school. It was very important to both she and Kevin to reflect both of their cultures in their wedding day.
Hsinyi and Kevin were married in a beautiful ceremony at The Lightner Museum Courtyard in St. Augustine. Our friends at The Wedding Authority provided the chairs, decorations, and officiant, which makes weddings at The Lightner so wonderful. The following photos are by Nikki McEneaney, Photography By Nikki, except for a few snapshots as noted.
I grabbed these two snapshots with my camera after completing the setup at The White Room - what an elegant reception! The delicious cake was created by Arlene Fores of Sweet Weddings.
The beautiful centerpieces were created by the bride's mom, who is very talented! Each table was numbered with Chinese characters rather than traditional English numbers.
Hsinyi and Kevin danced the night away to the tunes of The Faze.
A rare shot of me and the bride at the end of the night!
Abby & Ryan (02.21.09) - Part 2
Our friends at InMotion Video Productions just sent us an email to let us know that Abby and Ryan's teaser video is online!
Love Note: Abby & Ryan
Heather, the wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed possible! Everything was perfect and better than I expected! Thank you so much for all of your helpful recommendations and tips and for making sure everything was perfect on our big day!
-Abby
Read about Abby and Ryan's wedding!
(photo taken by one of Abby's awesome bridesmaids!)
Abby & Ryan (02.21.09)
"This is the nicest wedding we've ever been to!"
Ryan made Abby laugh with this comment, to which she responded, "Did you hear what my husband just said?" (Incidentally, I love taking the bride and groom into the ballroom to see it before the guests do - that's how we get fun comments like this!)
We loved working with Abby, and she looked amazing on her wedding day. The staff at Salon Cielo did a wonderful job on all the ladies' hair, and Sunshine Jones did an equally wonderful job with Abby's makeup.
The ceremony and reception at Deerwood Country Club could not have been more lovely. Abby chose a palette of black and white, accented with red, for her colors. The ballroom was dressed for the formal wedding in black and white, with red floral arrangements by Wilson's Limited. Linens were provided by Connie Duglin Specialty Linen.
Ryan is a vegetarian, so over their years together Abby has also joined in the lifestyle. But a lot of their friends and family have issues knowing what to cook when they come over for dinner, so they came up with these cute cookbooks full of their favorite recipes to give out as favors! Ryan actually made these himself - from the design to the execution. Way to go Ryan!
Paul Deland from D'Land Entertainment did a superb job keeping the crowd dancing through the night, with lots of great sing-along 70's and 80's music. And speaking of sing-alongs, the bride's mom Nina took a moment to tell the guests about Abby's grandmother, and then led a group rendition of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."
Kris Graham Photography and InMotion Video Productions captured every moment, and I can't wait to see the photos and video! (note: the photos in this post are my snapshots, not pro pics by any stretch of the imagination!)
Christina & Ryan (01.03.09) - Part 2
I just received some photos from Christina and Ryan's beautiful wedding at The Garden Club of Jacksonville! Thanks to Kris Graham Photography for these wonderful images.
Cristina & Ryan (01.03.09)
Our first wedding of 2009 was a great success! Cristina and Ryan couldn't have asked for better weather for their outdoor wedding at The Garden Club of Jacksonville. The simple but elegant decor in the courtyard was mirrored by the bride and groom's words to each other during the ceremony. Their moving vows were officiated by Cheryl Raby of A Vow, Two Keep in front of 60 of their closest family and friends. The bride and groom blended their families with the Sands of Unity ceremony, with Cristina pouring sand from Florida and Ryan using soil from Kansas. Kyle Wehner provided classic violin accompaniment that accented the sophisticated style the bride embraced.
After the ceremony, the guests moved inside The Garden Club for cocktails and hors d'ouevres while the bridal party posed for photos by the St. Johns River. Dinner was served after the bride and groom danced to "Fly Me To The Moon," and the bride's father gave a wonderful welcome speech.
Catering By Liz provided the scrumptious food, including Pistachio Crusted Chicken and Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Table linens in chocolate brown bengaline were topped with pale pink and green floral arrangements by Riverside Event Design. Cristina designed elegant programs, table numbers, menu cards, escort cards, and place cards in ivory and chocolate brown, accented with a gold stamped design and pink rinestone.
After dinner, DJ David Hanscom of Y? Entertainment provided a variety of dance music. The gorgeous wedding cake, provided by Etiquette of Chocolate, was pale green with small sugar flower accents and set atop a beautiful apple green bark table cloth. In lieu of a groom's cake, donuts were served.
Photographers Kris and Kate from Kris Graham Photography captured every moment with their artist style. Here is a post with more images!
Liz & Blake (12.27.08)
Liz and Blake are a very interesting couple, and their friends and family were great to spend the post-holiday weekend with.
The happy newlyweds live just outside Washington, D.C., where Blake is a Foreign Service Officer. (I had to look it up too - these are the people that staff embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions.) Liz is in law school, although I think she will be one of the most beautiful lawyers in the country!
Blake's parents live in Sawgrass Country Club, so the wedding weekend was hosted around Ponte Vedra Beach. After a short rehearsal on Friday evening, the bride and groom joined their guests for a rehearsal dinner at Cafe on the Green, at the Marriott Sawgrass Resort and Spa.
On the wedding day, the girls were treated to hair and makeup at a Sawgrass condo while Wilson's Ltd. prepared the ceremony and reception venues.
The entrance to the atrium at Sawgrass Golf Club was elegantly draped with chiffon, creating a curtained entrance for the bride. A beautiful arch and alter arrangements flanked the fireplace to create a romantic alter for the exchange of vows and rings.
After the ceremony, the guests moved to Sawgrass Beach Club for an sophisticated dinner reception. They enjoyed the stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean while the bridal party headed out to the beach for sunset photos with photographer Michael McNett. Cocktail hour featured a specialty drink called "The Liberty," a red, white, and blue mixture in honor of the groom's patriotism.
The dining room was a combination of white and navy blue, with tables named for landmarks around Washington, D.C. Each table featured a photo of the bride and groom at each landmark, and the escort cards where American flag themed.
The Faze provided excellent music to keep the party going. The giant five-tier cake by Etiquette of Chocolate was designed with the same motif as the bride's gown, and each tier was a unique flavor combination.
It was a beautiful day with beautiful people, and a beautiful way to end the year!
Angelique & Matt (11.08.8) - Part 2
Incredible photographer Scarlett Lillian has posted more photos from Angelique and Matt's wedding! Check out more, plus a slideshow, on Scarlett's blog.
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!!
