Rain or Shine...Creating Your "Plan B"

They say rain is good luck on your wedding day. I'm not sure who exactly said that.. maybe it was a wedding planner back in the early 1700's who was just trying to calm down an upset beach bride when she woke up on the morning of her wedding to a torrential rainstorm. Who knows? All I know is that I've been hearing it since I was a little girl from my mom, whose wedding day it poured on, and she and my dad celebrated their 30th anniversary yesterday, March 30th, so I believe them. But with Florida's unpredictable weather, you may want to plan ahead so someone isn't trying to console you on your big day with the "good luck" schpiel.

Couples love to get married in Florida. There is such a variety of options -- beach weddings, park weddings, garden weddings, farm weddings. And with our fabulous climate, you can potentially do an outdoor wedding any time of the year. This year, Flawless Occasions coordinated outdoor wedding ceremonies in December, January, and February, while other parts of the country were stuck in snowstorms! This is one of the reasons why Florida has become such a popular wedding destination for out-of-town couples and locals alike.

That being said, It's always good to have a "plan b". Although it could be in the 80's one weekend in Florida, the next weekend could be raining and in the 60's. If you really want to feel stress-free on your wedding day, then you need to choose a venue that has an alternate rain option - one that you actually like. This could be a covered terrace, an indoor ballroom backup, or even reserving a tent just in case. The last thing you want to do the week of your wedding is constantly check weather.com wondering if that front is coming through. As wedding planners, we can ensure you that we will do whatever is possible to make your wedding day the best day of your life... but unfortunately we can't control the weather, so the best advice we can give is to have an indoor backup and give yourself a little more peace of mind. Contact us if you need help with YOUR plan B. :)

Above Photo by Jason Angelini: our former bride Farrah lucked out; she didn't need any umbrellas for her beach wedding. Below Photo: Tampa Palms Country Club, where Beth will be coordinating a wedding next month, has a covered terrace for ceremonies. You are outside with the beautiful scenery, but you are protected from the elements. A perfect, stress-free compromise!

Alicia and Steve: Traditional with a Twist!

I've been working with Alicia since June of '09 on her spring wedding and it was so great to hear her say on the morning of her big day, "Shawna, I'm marrying the most wonderful man today". It really made all of the hard work worth it to know that Alicia and Steve are so much in love and will definitely be having a great life together.

Alicia and Steve were married on March 27th, 2010. Their ceremony was held at the Palm Harbor White Chapel with their reception following at the Eastlake Woodlands Country Club. Alicia chose a color palette of pool blue and lime green, accented with purples and deep pinks. Her Alfred Angelo gown had a stunning train with the pool color and lace appliques. Kristine from Fabulous Faces finished off Alicia's gorgeous bridal look with flawless makeup.

The beautiful bouquets and altar piece (which we later used on their sweetheart table) was created by Scott from Apple Blossoms Florist. He was great to work with and we can't wait to collaborate with him again. We did the centerpieces for Alicia ourselves because she wanted something classic with a touch of modern on a budget, so we did a combination of submerged orchids and orchid sprays in cylinder vases of varying heights. Thairific Orchids provided us with the bulk orchids, which they grow themselves at their shop in Gulfport. Beth helped with the decor and setup, and we always have fun doing weddings together. Thanks, Beth!!

During the ceremony, musician Victoria Garcia played the harp beautifully, and for the reception, John from Prolific Productions kept the guests on the dance floor all night. One of my favorite details was the cake (of course...) which was made by Le Cheesecake. I am a huge cheesecake lover so this was right up my alley, but for those who were not fans of cheesecake, the couple also had a dessert table with a variety of cakes and confections also created by Le Cheesecake.

I was able to snap a few photos here and there, but I can't wait to see the real deal from Carrie of A Fly on the Wall Photography. She and her husband Pat are a really sweet and fun couple and I really enjoyed working with them again. I will be sure to post their photos as soon as we receive them. For now, enjoy some of mine! Congrats Alicia and Steve. Alicia, I will miss our many late night phone chats so stay in touch!! :)

Brandon and Liz's Professional Photos

Thank you to Vadim Photo for sending us over this professional slideshow and photos from Brandon and Liz's wedding. It was great working with them and their photos turned out fabulous as you can see!

Liz & Brandon from Vadim Photo on Vimeo.

Liz and Brandon's Black and Pink Wedding

This wedding was a first for us... it was the first wedding where one of us coordinated while the other was a guest. Beth was hired as the day of coordinator for a wedding that I was invited to with my husband. It was interesting helping her set up all day and then changing into my party clothes and attending while she continued working. Beth did an amazing job with this wedding. It was definitely one of the more complex weddings we have had to put together, but with the help of some great vendors and Beth's hard work, this wedding was a success from both a coordinators perspective and a guest's. :)

Brandon and Liz were married on March 20th in Tampa. Their ceremony was held at the South Tampa Fellowship Church in Ballast Point with their reception following at the Embassy Suites in downtown Tampa. It was a beautiful day for a wedding, and everyone was so happy to see the sun and feel the 70 degree weather after this uncommonly cold season we have been having.

After the ceremony, which was very personal and included a photo slideshow during the pre-ceremony music, the guests headed over to the cocktail hour on the Embassy Suites' roof-top pool deck. There, they were treated to delicious appetizers and music performed by Levi from Bella Musica. There was also a cigar roller from Nicahabana Cigars on hand making cigars for the guests' enjoyment. Another special detail at the cocktail hour was the shrimp and grits served in a martini glass. The groom used to own a restaurant and loves to cook, so he customized some of the menu items with the Embassy Suites and this appetizer was his own personal recipe.

The reception followed indoors. RJ Vida did an amazing job transforming the neutral ballroom into a fuschia night club, with gorgeous lighting, a custom gobo, and cake table lighting that really made the wedding cake pop in the room. He also did the DJ'ing for the event and got everyone out on the dance floor. The bright and bold linens were provided by Linens By the Sea, and the cake, by A Piece of Cake, emulated the damask patterns on the table runners. The florals were provided by Fishhawk florist. The 2 ice sculptures in the room also brought out the swanky mood - one was a martini luge for their signature drink, and the other was a gator sculpture, a nod to the groom's alma mater. The ice sculptures were made by Arctic Ice. Vadim Photography and Movie Magic videography captured the entire wedding and we can't wait to see how everything turned out because they were both really wonderful to work with.
For now we would like to share a few of our personal photos from the day - enjoy!!

Travis and Valerie's Fabulous Westin Wedding

Last Saturday, I had the honor of coordinating Travis and Valerie's wedding at the Westin Rocky Point. Valerie was one of the calmest brides I have ever seen. When I walked into her "getting ready" suite that day, the mood was so calm and serene yet you could feel the excitement in the air. It was so nice that Valerie was able to focus on the true meaning of the day and share special moments with friends and family while everything came together.

They picked a great location to celebrate their big day! Their banquet room at the Westin had large windows that made the room light and airy. The room also included the use of a huge lanai with cozy lounge furniture and amazing views of the Tampa Bay area. There was a stunning sunset that evening too!

One of my favorite aspects of the decor Valerie picked was the centerpieces. She collected some beautiful vases and we filled them with tiger lillies and orchids. The variety of vases and floral arrangements made a really nice impact on the overall look of the room. Valerie's adorable table numbers that she made were also a nice touch.

DJ Jody Bowers from Grant Hemond was there to keep the crowd on the dance floor...and this crowd could really dance! They were having a blast!

Jamie and Amy of Couture Wedding Studios photographed all the details and captured all the special moments of the day. I really enjoyed working with them and can't wait to see their pictures.

The Westin staff did an amazing job and were very accommodating. A special thanks to Alexa, Lewis and Paul who helped work through the weather challenges (it was VERY windy that night) and make sure all the guests were well taken care of.

Travis & Valerie - I really enjoyed being part of your day. You are a wonderful couple and I wish you a lifetime of happiness.

Here are some of the pictures I took! I hope to have some professional pictures from Couture Wedding Studios to post in the near future too, so stay tuned!!