Friday, July 30, 2010

How to do a formal beach wedding...

In Florida, we obviously do a lot of beach weddings. Couples from here and from out of town love the idea of fun in the sun while they say "I do". But not everyone wants barefoot-in-the-sand, umbrella-in-your-drink beachy. Many couples want to combine an elegant and formal wedding with that Florida beach feel. So how do you accomplish that? Here are some inspiration photos from some of our favorite photographers that really set the tone of beachy elegance.

photo credits: Jason Angelini Photography, Stephanie A. Smith Photography, Kellie Day Photography, and Erin Chris Photography


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Back from Abroad

You have probably been wondering where all the blog posts have gone! Beth, Christina, and I have all taken a bit of time off to do some traveling. I promise I will post some more fun blogs asap.

I just got back from a 10 day trip to Europe and it was amazing! It was my first time going abroad and I got to see so much in such a short time. We went to Spain, Italy, France, and Monaco.

Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. We visited its capital, Palma, in the latter part of our trip. Palma is a huge tourist destination with beautiful beaches and fabulous shopping. There were also an abundance of bridal and wedding related shops that I couldn't help but snap photos of for the blog! You'll notice that the trend right now for wedding gowns in this part of Europe is definitely ruffles and lace - very elegant, and very Spanish influenced. Their cakes are more modest but looked delicious.. enjoy!








Sunday, July 11, 2010

Wedding Wire Rated

We were recently informed that we have been Wedding Wire Rated. This is Wedding Wire's way of saying we have a certain amount of reviews posted on their site. We are at their highest status because we have 25 or more reviews on our page! We would like to thank all of our wonderful clients for their kind words and thank you for posting your reviews to help other future brides and grooms.

Destination: Florida

Flawless Occasions loves destination weddings! TheKnot.com lists Florida as the #1 destination wedding location in the United States. Here is what they had to say:
With its sunny weather and beautiful beaches, Florida competes with the Caribbean and Mexico in beach appeal and is likely to be cheaper and easier for your guests to travel to. In addition to sand and surf, it boasts world-famous amusement parks and great access to golf and other outdoor sports. Each Florida location is a unique experience: Head to Palm Beach for a preppy country club-style affair, Miami for an event with international flavor, and the Keys to soak up a laid-back island vibe.

Although Flawless Occasions is based out of Tampa, we love to travel all around Florida to help our brides and grooms with their destination weddings. Here are some of our favorite wedding locations throughout Florida~

The Florida Keys
Beachside Marriott, Key West Florida
With it's private beach area and poolside cabanas, this Marriott in Key West has a laid back yet elegant vibe. They have several options for the reception including classic ballrooms and a modern dining room. It's just 10 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Duval Street so you can still visit all of the sites but your wedding will not be overrun by tourists. We can't wait for Morgan and Adam's Key West wedding in April!




































































Miami
Ancient Spanish Monastery
There really is no way to show the beauty of this location with a few photos. It's a huge piece of land in North Miami surrounded by gardens and trees. There are several areas available for rental including an indoor chapel, outdoor gardens, and the main hallways where most receptions are held around the courtyard. For a Miami location, this venue is very reasonably priced, however you need to bring in everything as it is a blank slate. If you are looking for historic and unique in the middle of a bustling city, this is your venue.
















































































Palm Beach
The Omphoy Ocean Resort
Upon first look at this hotel, I was immediately intrigued because on the outside, it almost does not look like a hotel. The Omphoy's exterior is about as odd as it's name, however when you step inside it's like walking into a different world. The entire hotel is dark, modern, and zen (they say it is water-inspired), which is a sharp contrast to the sunshiny beach outside. I think that is why I liked it so much - because it's so different. The Omphoy is Palm Beach's only boutique hotel, and since it's only a year old, it's still a hidden gem along the east coast. Your ceremony can be held on their outside terrace overlooking the ocean, or in their upstairs rectangular room which almost has a gothic feel to it. The reception room has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Atlantic ocean as well as buddha statues and awesome damask chairs. If you are looking for a zen wedding by the water, this venue is for you.





















































































Central Gulf Coast
Sanibel/Captiva
South Seas Island Resort
Heading over to the southwest coast, Sanibel and Captiva islands are a very popular destination wedding choice because of the laid back feel and the beautiful gulf beaches. South Seas Island Resort prides itself and providing a private beach setting for your wedding. There are several gorgeous spots to hold both a ceremony and reception, including the beach itself, the lawn overlooking the beach, an outdoor terrace, and several dining room and ballroom options depending on the size of your group. South Seas Resort actually can accommodate the most guests out of any other resort on the island.











































































Central Florida
Orlando
Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel
















Many couples choose to get married in Florida to be close to Disney. If you love Disney, but don't necessarily want a "Disney wedding", the Universal Resort hotels offer an alternative to the typical Disney feel but still have that magical touch. The Lowes Portofino Bay is a replica of the Italian Riviera, so you can get a European feel in Florida without a passport. :) There are multiple courtyards and ballrooms to meet your ceremony and reception needs. There are also several other restaurants on site to host a smaller reception or rehearsal dinner. Their authentic Italian restaurant, Mama Della's, has the yummiest polenta I've ever had!














































North Florida
St. Augustine
The White Room Loft
You may remember Beth coordinating a wedding at this venue last January. It is such a unique and cool site in St. Augustine, which is the oldest city in Florida. The White Room Loft is an addition to the White Room, and it's located on the 3rd floor of the building with an outdoor terrace that gives you sweeping views of the city of St. Augustine and the water. It has a minimalist look with exposed brick walls and dark wood floors. It's a great space with or without a lot of decor. There are several cute historic inns and hotels nearby so your guests will have plenty of choices for accommodations.





































The Panhandle
Destin
The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
The panhandle is located in Northwest Florida, and although the oil spill in the gulf has started to affect them sadly...they need our support now more than ever. There are several beautiful options that do not rely solely on their gulf beaches. The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is a huge and gorgeous resort in Destin, Florida. They have many options for your ceremony and reception, including picturesque lawn and garden ceremony sites, quaint verandahs, and many elegant ballrooms. Do not write off the panhandle yet - these cities are still wonderful choices for your Florida destination wedding! (photo credit, Sandestin website)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

NoHo Bistro Summer Bash Event
























The Flawless ladies were recently invited to the wedding and event planner "Summer Bash" get together at NoHo Bistro in Tampa for an evening of delectable dining and drinks. NoHo Bistro does fabulous catering on site or at your location, and they pride themselves on unique presentation and fun food items.

We were treated to some delicious treats set up in a station style. There was an Americana station with mini porklet sliders "roasting" on a grill, an Asian station with Chinese takeout boxes of stir fry noodles complete with a zen fountain of bamboo, and a sweets station with mini flavored popcorn cones, mini pies, and twinkie bites. There were also some delicious drinks set up at a drink station. We got to see some of our local wedding planner friends and chat with the owners about the many options that NoHo Bistro could provide for our clients.

Basically their philosophy is, if you can dream it up, they can create it, and they can provide the guidance in helping you to plan your unique event at their adorable restaurant or at the location of your choice. Here are a few photos I snapped of their fabulous food presentations. And a big thank you to Jessica and the staff at NoHo Bistro for allowing Christina and I to experience your creative cuisine.

The Noho Bistro
1714 N. Armenia Ave.
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 514-0691
www.theNoHoBistro.com