Mike and Jen - A Whimsical Garden Wedding

This past weekend I had the pleasure of coordinating the wedding of Jen and Mike at the Davis Island Garden Club in Tampa. Jen and Mike hired me as their day-of-coordinator a few months ago after selecting most of their vendors so that they could relax and enjoy their special day after all of the hard work of planning it themselves.
Their style was a mix of whimsical meets nature, with a color scheme of whites, creams, and grass green. There was a little bling thrown in there as well. There were several cute details such as the topiary placecards, the rice cake table (a nod to the bride's Korean heritage), and the elegant pearl balls hanging from the shepherds hooks which we later placed on the head table.
The couple started off by doing a "first look" photo shoot with their photographer, David, at the Westin on Harbour Island. The ceremony was then held at the Garden Club under the gazebo and officiated by the couple's pastor, accompanied by a string trio from their church. The guests then enjoyed a cocktail hour and reception with delicious food provided by Good Food Catering. I can say it was delicious because I tried some of it myself.. the filet and homemade mashed potatoes were so yummy.
In the reception, Ben from Grant Hemond DJ's entertained the guests with his dj'ing (and dancing) skills. He also did amber uplighting around the room which enhanced the romantic feel that Jen and Mike wanted. Jen made the centerpieces herself and they were impressive - hydranga, babies breath, and curly willow draped with crystals. The other beautiful florals, bouquets, and decor was created by Scott with Apple Blossoms.
I really appreciated all of the vendors' hard work on this event. It was truly a team effort and the wedding turned out wonderful because of it. I got the opportunity to work with David Krantzberg of Basia Mille photography for the first time (Beth actually worked with him the day before coincidentally along with Ben). He sent us photos within a few days and we were so thrilled. Not only was he professional and easy to work with, but the product is amazing. Enjoy!
Jen and Mike, I am so happy for the two of you and know you are going to have a wonderful marriage. Hope you are having an awesome time on your honeymoon right now!

A Middle-Eastern Destination Wedding

Melissa contacted me in November in need of some help planning her upcoming wedding in April. The only thing she had booked was the Grand Plaza hotel on St. Pete Beach, and she also had a theme - middle eastern to respresent her groom's background. Because she and her fiance, Kent, lived out of state, they needed someone who knew the area and could basically plan the entire wedding for them since they would not be here until the wedding day.

From there we selected some awesome vendors to help pull this concept together: Event Design provided the gold chivari chairs, gold chargers, and gold cake stand; Custom Linens provided the bright red and orange satin tablecloths. We chose this color scheme because it complimented the sunset that the guest viewed during the reception through the beautiful windows of the Presidential Ballroom, and it also went with our middle eastern theme. We had accents of deep blue and fuschia as well throughout the room. Melissa's favorite flowers are roses so this made up the majority of the centerpieces and awesome escort card tree created by Dana Dineen. She also decorated the hotel's bamboo arch with gorgeous organza fabric and roses. Before the wedding, the bride and her bridal party were given fabulous hairstyles from the amazing Cari of Kyle Lynn Weddings. Their custom ceremony was created and performed by John Melchinger of a Perfect Witness, which was accompanied by the beautiful music of Bella Musica.
For the cakes, Melissa wanted to do something very special and grand so we had a 5 tiered middle-easten inspired cake in bold colors with an intricate design. As a surprise to the groom, Laurie from A Piece of Cake also made the pillow cake which featured the couple's two cats on top and their monogram. It was so adorable!
The reception music and jewel-toned room lighting was done by Cory Barron of Grant Hemond dj's, and he's one of my favorites to work with. He is so professional and talented and the dance floor was packed all night. Later, Melissa changed into a sexy strapless dress so she could really break it down. Guests also enjoyed a slideshow video of the couple and a candy buffet. All of these amazing moments were captured on video by Randy of Celebrations and Jason Angelini Photography. It has been awhile since we worked with Jason and it was great to see him again - I was so excited when they posted all of these amazing photos on their blog. Melissa and Kent, thank you for trusting me to plan your special day from afar, may you have a beautiful life together!