Happy New Year = New Logo !

Happy New Year from Flawless Occasions! 2008 brought many successes to us and hopefully the new year will bring us just as many. We have so many 2009 upcoming weddings that we are excited about, including our first '09 wedding this weekend, as well as many other great things happening with the business. Flawless Occasions is going to have a new look, starting with our new website which is going to be launched in the next few days so keep checking back! For now, we'll just share with you our new logo created by the great graphic designers at Toucanpress.com.

Hot Hues of 2009

It is almost 2009 and with the new year comes many predictions about what will be hot and trendy in the wedding industry. Color choice is always a popular topic, so while scouring the internet for current news on wedding colors, I came across this article from www.completelyweddings.com - a great resource for brides. It will be interesting to see if these predictions are true with our upcoming 2009 weddings.

The Hottest Hues of 2009

The next debate in the wedding industry right now is what the hottest hues of 2009 will be. While the last two years have seen a plethora of pinks and browns, along with the stark contrasts of black and white, the newest wedding trends seem to be mixing it up a little.

Grey is the New Brown

2009 Grey Bridesmaids Gowns from Melissa Sweet

There has been several predictions that gray will enter the scene as the new neutral of choice – taking the place of brown. This fits well with another popular prediction that bright bold colors will be popping into the scene with force. The most popular selection may well prove to be a combination of the two. Muted shades of gray can bring a cool, classic feel and offset brighter, more daring accents.

When pairing gray and other bright colors, they key is to use the brighter hues in your accessories and other details. Muted gray bridesmaid dresses with a splash of color in the sash and a bright bouquet can bring just the right touch of color without seeming overwhelming. Use bright colors in the trimmings on the cake, the centerpieces, and the place cards, but stick to gray for tablecloths and other larger features.

Viva la Pink!

Viva La Pink!

Pink has always been a popular on the wedding scene. The beauty of this color is in its versatility. You can select everything from a pale pastel hue to a screaming neon. Hot pink is slated to be the most popular hue in the upcoming year. Pairing this shade of pink with a dusty gray can give your color palette the perfect sense of balance. Black is too stark of a contrast, and bringing in another bright color can be overwhelming.

Glittering Purple

Glittering Purple

Another up and coming color combination for weddings is silver and purple. This is a cool, royal-looking selection. You can play with different shades of purple. Silver will lend to glittering, shimmering fabrics, jewelry, and makeup. This choice is perfect for a cool winter or early spring event, or any fantasy theme.

Sunshine Colors

Sunshine Colors

Other colors on the scene may be bright oranges and yellows. Orange and peach are predicted to be a popular wedding scheme for 2009. This warm and welcoming color combination can be used on everything from the bridesmaids’ dresses to the flowers and would be the perfect selection for an outdoor spring or summer wedding. These colors can even lend to the flavors used in your reception meal. Bring on the tropical fruits!

Whatever your color scheme, keep in mind that first and foremost is your personal preference. Make sure that your colors compliment your taste, your venue, and your overall wedding theme. Don’t be afraid to experiment and bring in some of these bright colors of 2009.

Photo Credits: Bridesmaids Grey Gowns - Melissa Sweet; Viva La Pink - Bridal ‘N Beauty; Glittering Purple - Tastefully Entertaining.

Nikki and Steve - Sneak Peak!

Today was Flawless Occasions' last 2008 wedding, and it was the wedding of Nikki and Steve at the Renaissance Hotel at International Plaza. Debbie, Jeff, and the rest of the staff at the Renaissance were absolutely wonderful and so helpful. This was a special wedding for me because I met Nikki back when I was still a bridal consultant for Alfred Angelo, and at that time she hired me to do DOC and a little planning. I also picked out her bridal gown and her entire bridal party's attire so it was fun to see everything come together. I did a partial planning package with Nikki, so I recommended several of her vendors including the wonderful Michele Renee for hair and makeup, the professional and talented DJ RJ-Vida, and Carmen's Flowers for the floral decor. Nikki had some great choices of her own with Chef Nelson Cake Studio and Jason Angelini for photography. Nikki was SO excited to marry Steve, her theme for the wedding was "Love at Last" and her color choices were jewel tones with purples and golds. Her 9 year old nephew played "Here Comes the Bride" on his violin as she walked down the aisle which everyone really enjoyed. Nikki also had a great surprise for Steve, a special performance by a barbershop quartet called Crosstown Express during the lunch! Jason will be sharing his usual amazing photos for us soon, but for now here is a sneak peak of stuff from my camera during setup! Enjoy and Congrats Nikki and Steve, I hope your marriage is filled with as much love as your wedding day was!!

Saying goodbye to the 2008 wedding season...

Well we are just days away from the beginning of a new year, which will hopefully bring us as much success and joy as 2008 has. We have seen some wonderful weddings, complete with amazing details that our brides worked hard on to make their wedding unique and memorable. They may be "trends" but it looks like they are going to be sticking around for awhile, so we would like to know -
what are your favorite details from the weddings of 2008?










photo by Jerry McGaghey
monogram by blissweddingsmarket.com

Limelight Photography's Festive Farm Holiday Party

We were graciously invited to a holiday party at Rebecca and Michael's farm in Odessa this weekend, and what a party it was! Most of Limelight Photography's photogs were there, in addition to other wedding vendors we were happy to see, and some of their family and friends. It was a beautiful party complete with a smores bar and bonfire, appletini's, a pig roast, and hay rides. Entertainment was provided by Roberto Debourg, whose band I have enjoyed at the South Tampa bar scene for quite awhile. He kind of sounds like Jack Johnson in my opinion, so check out his website because he would be great to book for a ceremony, rehearsal dinner, private party, etc. Anyway, enjoy some pictures Beth took, and thanks for inviting us Rebecca, we had a blast!!!

Need a party gift?

If you are invited to a party, it's always polite to bring the host a small gift. With holiday season upon us (YAY), you may be invited to some holiday parties and looking for ideas of something unique to bring. Why not bring a nice bottle of wine from a local winery? Keel and Curley Winery is located in Plant City, and they have a variety of festive wines, perfect to tote along to a holiday party. I recently tasted some of their homemade wines and they are delish! Try their Wild Berry Pinot Noir or their Strawberry Riesling. They also have Blueberry Wines that are actually very good for you because of their high levels of anti-oxidents! The best thing is, you can buy these wines at your local Publix in Hillsborough county if you can't get out to the winery itself.
This winery also hosts weddings, private tastings, bridal showers, etc. We haven't coordinated a wedding there yet but it looks like such a cool place to have one!! Check out their website for more information - http://www.keelandcurleywinery.com/

Special Moments Shared on Video

We got such a nice surprise today-- our friends over at Trinity Video made a wonderful video for us to post on our blog! This video features footage from Joanna and John's Nov. 23rd wedding. And an extra freaky coincidence - the background song they used, "This Kind of Love" by Sister Hazel, was used in both my wedding and Beth's wedding (mine was our first dance and I think Beth's was as she walked down the aisle). It's such a beautiful song and you can really see how beautiful this wedding was.. Check it out, it is fabulous! :)

Mmmm Cupcakes!

Cupcakes have recently become extremely popular in the wedding industry. We've done several weddings lately that featured cupcakes as a wedding cake or wedding dessert. While traveling to North Carolina this Thanksgiving holiday, I got to spend some time with my brother-in-law's fiancee whose wedding I will be coordinating this coming June! She is also incorporating cupcakes into their wedding, not just because of the hot trend that they are right now, but also because it represents her - she has a career in cupcakes! Lauren works for Sweet and Sassy Cupcakes, which is a very popular shop in Delaware that is opening a new branch in Charlotte, NC this summer. Lauren will not have a cupcake wedding cake, she will actually be giving away the cupcakes as favors. And let me tell you, she brought some samples with her and the red velvet with cream cheese frosting is TO DIE FOR.
Sweet and Sassy ships nationwide, so check them out on the web - www.sascupcakes.com
Here is a pic from their website, they come with the most adorable little flags on top.


2 recent Flawless Occasions weddings that featured cupcakes!

Maria and Bryan's Slideshow

Check out Maria and Bryan's professional picture slideshow from their Nov. 22nd wedding. It was created by their awesome photographer Jerry McGaghey, who also took this hilarious picture. Click here for the slide: http://www.weddingstampa.com/schaus/

Joanna and John's Big Fat Greek Wedding

One of Joanna's bridesmaids read an email during the toasts that Joanna had written to her after meeting John. It was a very touching email that I won't share to the world, however it did at one point refer to the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" because John and his family are Greek. So I thought it fitting to title the post with that.

John and Joanna were married this Sunday at St. John's Greek Orthodox church in Hyde Park with their cocktail hour and reception at the Rusty Pelican. Joanna was such a radiant bride - she did not stop smiling the entire day. She worked hard to represent John's Greek heritage in some of the details in their wedding, including naming the tables after Greek cities and having Greek pastries and cookies at their candy buffet (YUM). Once again we got to work with some awesome vendors including the talented Michelle Renee who did hair and makeup, DD's Blooms who designed the florals, DJ Eric Hardy who got the party going, Trinity Video who is always a pleasure to work with, and the newlywed photography team of Ela and Jason from Limelight Photography. Limelight is always so generous sending photos to us so we are just going to give you a sneak peak of Joanna and John's wedding with a few photos Beth took.. but stay tuned because pro photos will be coming soon!!!

Maria and Bryan

We had a whirlwind weekend of coordinating TWO weddings - one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The first one was Maria and Bryan's wedding on Saturday which was an all day affair that started at the Espirito Santo Church in Safety Harbor and finished with the cocktail hour and reception at the Davis Island Garden Club in Tampa.

Maria and her mother, along with a few other friends and family, really put a lot of effort into the little details to make the day extra special, and it showed. Some of the highlights from this wedding-- their favors were little cakes, a tradition from Trinidad to represent Maria's family; Maria made hanging silk orchids with crystals which were strung from the main window; and Maria and her mother made the pew buckets with fresh hydranga which we also utilized to decorate the buffet table. Speaking of buffet, Delectables Catering provided the delicious food and amazing ice sculpture. The patio of the Garden Club had beautiful drapery by Soundwave Productions and we hung paper lanterns and lit candles to create a lounge-feel. Dana Dineen designed the beautiful florals and surprised Maria with the fantastic sweetheart table arrangement. We also had the pleasure of meeting Jerry MaGaghey and his crew, his lovely wife Mandy, and second shooter Jerry Moores. They were such a fun group and we can't wait to see how the professional shots and slideshow come out because Jerry's work if fabulous! For now, here are some of Beth's photos to hold you over until we get Jerry's. Enjoy!