Christina and Tyson's Selby Gardens Wedding

We are a little behind on blogging - but this one was worth the wait!!

Christina and Tyson hired our Christina (from Flawless Occasions) to Coordinate their Selby Gardens wedding on April 30th. This was a great match because this wedding had a lot of DIY (do-it-yourself) elements and both bride Christina and coordinator Christina are very crafty. Kelly and I assisted Christina with the coordination and I am so glad I was there to see it all come together first hand. Everything turned out absolutely gorgeous including the weather!

Speaking of gorgeous - Christina was breath-taking in her gown from The White Closet Company. It was the perfect dress for this garden wedding and the bride was glowing. I love the way she added a touch of color with the most adorable shoes! The bridesmaids, who also wore gowns from The White Closet Company, looked beautiful (and comfortable!) in their robin blue dresses. Four super cute flower girls almost stole the show!

The ceremony was held by the Gazebo which is surrounded by very lush gardens and performed by Rev. Rick Lacore. Rev. Rick did a perfect job of personalizing the ceremony for them. While the flower girls almost stole the show, the ring bearer DID steal the show. The ring bearer was Lucy, Christina & Tyson's dog. She was dressed in a little doggie tux and she went down the aisle right on cue. I must say that we were a little worried about how this would turn out - but she was absolutely perfect and very well behaved! The photographer,Johnna Brynn, captured some adorable pictures!! Make sure you check them out on her blog!

After dinner, the guests enjoyed cocktail hour with views of Sarasota Bay and a reception behind the mansion. Affairs in the Air hung lights that added the perfect romantic touch once the sun set. Christina's theme included birds, nests and robin eggs. This worked perfectly with the natural settings. Her cake from Publix was my favorite element of her theme. It was so unique and delicious too!

Dinner was prepared by Affordable Catering and it was scrumptious! After dinner, the guests danced the night away under the stars to music played by DJ Mike from Phaze Entertainment , enjoyed treats from the candy buffet, and played corn hole. The corn hole boards were customized just for Christina and Tyson. Another truly adorable touch that made this wedding personal and fun. The night ended with yet another surprise for the guests - sparklers and a really fun get-away car!

This was our first wedding at Selby Gardens and we truly loved this venue. Dan and his staff were very helpful and the it is a gorgeous place with beautiful views, lush grounds, and several unique event spaces. We hope to do another one there again soon!

Christina and Tyson, the Flawless Occasions staff enjoyed being part of your special day! Thank you for hiring us. We hope you had an awesome honeymoon in Alaska!!! Congratulations!!





Pictures above by Johnna Brynn Photography.

Pictures below snapped by Christina Garatina:

Christmas in July at the White Closet Bridal Company!

If you are newly engaged or just haven't found "the dress" yet, then save the date for the July sample sale at The White Closet Bridal Company store in Tampa. We love the personal attention and great service that Cindy and her staff give to brides at their salon, and at their sample sale you can get this AND a beautiful gown for 30-50% off the regular price! They are calling it Christmas in July, and it's coming up soon so call The White Closet Bridal Company store today to make an appointment. They will even check to see if the sale dresses are in your size ahead of time. Tell them Flawless Occasions sent you! See their flyer and some sample dresses below!

Do I Really Need a Wedding Planner? from Weddzilla

The Weddzilla blog posted a nice little article about why brides should hire a wedding planner. Here is an excerpt, and you can click here to view the article in its entirety.


Here are some typical thoughts you might have when considering whether you need a planner:

1. I can’t afford it.
2. What will you do that I can’t do on my own?
3. My sister, friend, mom said they will help me with everything.
4. The venue will coordinate the wedding for me.

Here are my top 6 reasons why you need a planner:

1. Planners can customize packages to meet the needs of your wedding, and they know how to think creatively to save money and get you what you want!

2. You can’t do everything by yourself – brides, moms, friends – they are working and have their own lives. You can’t keep on track with your job and the jobs of others for such a big event.

3. You need a professional who can help you make decisions and be impartial. Your wedding planner doesn’t know Aunt Betty or your BFF Jennifer and will help you make decisions that are pleasing to you – not others. The planner is a good mediator between the bride, groom and relatives.

4. Contacts — A successful wedding planner should have relationships with top-notch vendors at discounted rates. They will be more apt at getting a better deal on those floral arrangements than you, so utilize their resources!

5. A venue will only be partial to the preferred list of vendors who may have ads in their marketing brochure. Your planner will know a variety of vendors and choose ones that are in the best interest of the client and their budget.

6. Wedding planners are known problem solvers and are built to solve emergencies and have contingency plans.

Photo by Victor Junco at one of our recent weddings (not part of the weddzilla article)