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!

It's been a few days since I blogged... the bridal show at Cove Cay was very nice and we'll post some pics soon! We have TWO weddings this weekend.. both are going to be fabulous and we will definitely take some photos to share with everyone. But until then, here is a cute list from smoothweddings.blogspot.com to explain the top 10 reasons of why you should hire a wedding planner. They are all excellent reasons and very descriptive, but I think #'s 6 and 7 are especially important reasons that people don't really think of.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER/COORDINATOR

10. Because the coordinator will create a very detailed schedule of events. This is a very important instrument for the wedding party and all of the major vendors. The schedule ensures that all activities during the reception happen in a timely manner.
9. Because your coordinator will act as your liaison and handle any unforeseen circumstances, so you, your groom and families can rest and enjoy time with your guests.
8. Because your coordinator will ensure your desires for the day are just what you envisioned and planned.
7. Because you want your best friends to remain your best friends after the wedding and not have to “work” on your wedding day.
6. Because you still want to have a relationship with your mother after the wedding. No need to have her running around checking last-minute details, resolving any problems and end up exhausted before the wedding even begins.
5. Because you want to be worry-free and stress-free.
4. Because you want to breathe and relax.
3. Because you want to enjoy your day just like the rest of your guests.
2. Because your Wedding Coordinator will orchestrate your wedding from the rehearsal through the end of the reception. She will ensure everything and everyone is in place from having the ushers ready to seat guests to cueing the musicians, plus much, much more.

…and the number one reason for hiring a day of coordinator…

1. Because you can’t afford not to. (See reasons 2-10 above)

FREE Bridal Show This Weekend!

Come see Flawless Occasions this Sunday, November 16th, at the Waterfront Bridal Showcase at the Cove Cay Golf and Country Club in Clearwater!

2612 Cove Cay Drive
Clearwater, FL 33760
12pm-4pm
Cost if FREE


We would love to see you and discuss how we can assist you in taking the stress out of your wedding planning process! Hope to see you there!

photos from Cove Cay website

Jacqueline and Doug's Beach Bash Wedding

This past Friday, November 7th, we coordinated the wedding of Jacqueline and Doug at the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach. Although the couple is local, most of their guests came down from Ohio and made a whole vacation out of the affair. This was one of those weddings where we were SO lucky to have both of us available because Jacqueline had tons of decor and unique details that we had to set up. Not only that, but we couldn't get into the ballroom until 2 hours before the wedding due to another event being held! Needless to say, we were on a major time crunch but we totally pulled it off and all of this couple's beautiful ideas and details made the wedding very special. We have to give a lot of credit to the Tradewinds' staff because they were a pleasure to work with and extremely helpful. We also got to work with Doug Decker of Grant Hemond DJ's, Jamie Olsen of Flowers by Design, and the girls were "done up" by Julissa Mercado.
Here are some amazing pics by the oh-so-talented Beth - don't they look like professional photos??? FYI Click on the picture to enlarge it. Enjoy!
Adorable details... shoes, ring,
starfish hairpin, undies, etc.












This is me (Shawna) in a mad dash
to get 80 chaircovers on and tied in
about 15 minutes. But I'm calm
enough to pose for Beth for a photo, ha!














Beautiful centerpieces created by
Jamie Olson of Flowers by Design.
They were both tropical and elegant.










A great picture of the Island Ballroom setup.
Both the linens and the lighting were
provided by A Linen Valley, along with the
awesome gobo dance floor light!















The fabulous cake was made by Chef Michael of Let Them Eat Cake. We actually got to eat a piece and let me tell you, it was delicious!!!










The palm tree ice sculpture was made by the Tradewinds staff and was a great decorative element.






















The guestbook was filled with engagement pictures that were taken by the couple's wedding photographer, Joelle Macik of Just Peachy Photography.





And, borrowed from Joelle's blog, here is a pic from the sparkler send-off we organized at the end of the night. Getting a bunch of inebriated guests to line up in 2 straight lines and hold a bunch of fireworks can be risky, but you can't beat the photo-op it provides!

Congrats Jacqueline and Doug, may your marriage be as beautiful as your wedding definitely was! :)

Another Summer Recap: Danielle and Kirk

Danielle and Kirk were married at the Sirata this past June and we just recently received some photos from their photographer, Britt Mccallister, so we thought we would share a few! This was a destination wedding for the couple who live in Virginia, and many of the bride's family members came all the way from Sweden! There was a great group of vendors working together at this wedding, including DD's Blooms for flowers, A Linen Valley, Jeff Torquinto from Grant Hemond DJ's, and our friends from Trinity Video. The ceremony was officiated by Jayne Alford. It was a beautiful and sunny day on St. Pete Beach, and we hope you enjoy some of these photos from the day!!



















Danielle's makeup was done by Valerie of Beautiful Brides



















































Congratulations Danielle and Kirk!!

Got Vows?

We are not all professional writers, so if you are stressing about what you are going to say on your big day, this site has some beautiful vows that are religious, non-religious, traditional, non-traditional.. etc. And remember, you can always substitute some of your personal ideas into the framework of these vows. The site also has great readings so if you want to involve some family or friends in your ceremony, take a look. The website is www.myweddingvows.com.
Here are a few of my favorites...

I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort
you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard
These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

Here is a more traditional one..
On this special day, I give to you in the presence of God and all these witnesses
my promise to stay by your side,
in sickness and in health,
in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
comfort you in times of distress,
encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit,
always be open and honest with you,
and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

And here is an example of one of the nice poetry readings they have:

I cannot promise you a life of sunshine;
I cannot promise riches, wealth, or gold;
I cannot promise you an easy pathway
That leads away from change or growing old.
But I can promise all my heart's devotion;
A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow;
A love that's ever true and ever growing;
A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.






Flashback photo from Rachelle and Tyrone's beautiful ceremony

September Wedding Recap: Jessica and Del

So this is another late post but we got some great pictures from Jason Angelini and his wife today (shout out to Lucia for her hard work in trying to send me photo files when my email kept rejecting them for some reason!). Jessica and Del called on Beth a few weeks before their big day when they realized their need for a DOC. Luckily Beth was able to save the day and helped them pull together their lovely wedding ceremony at Hollis Gardens and reception at the Peggy Brown Building in Lakeland. This couple had chosen some excellent vendors - you know a vendor is great when they start willingly assisting with jobs that do not normally fall under their job description. In this case, DJ Rob Sword and Photographer Jason assisted Beth as she quickly had to assemble the catered food buffet before guests arrived to the reception from the ceremony. Well, everything all came together wonderfully and here are some images from the wedding of Jessica and Del.