Matthew and Courtney's Country Club Wedding

I had such a great time coordinating Courtney and Matthew's wedding on June 18th. Courtney's mother hired me several months before the wedding to help her tie up loose ends with the planning and coordinate on the day-of. Courtney and Matt currently are living in Tallahassee as they get their post-graduate degrees (she in education and he in law), so Courtney's mom was doing a lot of the leg work for the wedding and needed some extra help.

On the day of the wedding, Courtney and her ladies got ready at her parents' home in South Tampa. Michele Renee Hair and Makeup gave everyone a fabulous wedding look. The bridal party looked beautiful, and I have to say they were all so sweet and friendly and genuinely wanted Courtney to have the perfect, stress-free day. Don't you think Courtney looks just like Reese Witherspoon? When I asked her if people ever say that, she told me she gets that all the time. :)

The style of Courtney and Matthew's wedding was slightly traditional with a modern twist. They were married at Hyde Park Methodist Church in South Tampa. The Jolley Trolley took the wedding parties to the event, which was such a great element for fun photos. The Bride's Bouquet did all of the florals for both the ceremony and reception which consisted of lush roses, lilies, and hydranga in whites and pale pinks. The bouquets looked especially amazing next to the bride's Paloma Blanca gown and the bridesmaids' Priscilla of Boston pewter dresses. In the reception room there were a variety of centerpieces that really brought the room great dimension. They also did the amazing flowers on the cake from Wright's Deli. Debbie and her staff did fantastic job as always - they are such a pleasure to work with and truly are a full service florist.

The reception followed at Palma Ceia Country Club in South Tampa. A1 Foliage provided the pink uplighting and PKS Rentals provided the silver chivari chairs and barstools. The linens by Connie Duglin were pewter pintuck on the larger tables and light pink organza on the cocktail tables. As a nod to the groom's love of golf and the location, the favors were chocolate golf balls on personalized tees - adorable and delicious! The couple chose to go a little untraditional when it came to the reception - there were no assigned seats, a large stations buffet, and a cocktail party vibe where guests could mingle and be relaxed the entire evening. They were formally introduced and shared the traditional dances accompanied by the musical talents of their band, Full Circle. This crowd really partied it up which was great. There were also some special touches throughout the night, such as when the Groom's father and uncle played a song with the band and when Courtney's Chi Omega sisters sang a special song for her (I'm a former sorority girl myself, so of course I loved this).

At the end of the night, Courtney and Matthew said goodbye as their guests cheered them on with pom-pons while they drove off as husband and wife.

For this wedding I was given the opportunity to work with photographer Marissa Moss for the first time. It was so wonderful to work with her and when she sent me these photos, I was really blown away. They are so gorgeous, I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do. Best wishes to Courtney and Matthew, I hope you have a beautiful life together!!

Cindy and Evan's downtown Tampa wedding

Cindy and Evan hired me over a year ago to coordinate their downtown Tampa wedding on June 11th. This was a semi-destination wedding - the bride and groom and most of their guests lived a few hours away in the central Florida area. Cindy and Evan met while they were teaching at the same middle school and Evan spotted Cindy standing outside of her classroom. As he told me at their rehearsal, he noticed this "hot chick" standing there and said "I gotta meet her". They are an adorable couple with family and friends who love them very much, and I really enjoyed working with them and executing their intimate and beautiful wedding.

The ceremony was held in the courtyard at the Hyatt Regency downtown. This space is such a hidden jewel in Tampa with it's urban park-like feel, brick grounds, and breathtaking fountain backdrop. Cindy wanted the space to feel very modern but elegant, so we had white satin chair covers by Custom Linens and a white arch along with simple white potted mums lining the aisle and area. Evan's best man played double duty by also being their officiant and did a great job.

Following the ceremony, everyone headed over to Jackson's for their dinner reception. Custom Linens created a modern look with their diagnol teal chair sashes and runners, and Scott from Apple Blossoms created zen centerpieces with bamboo, hydranga, and orchids. The cake was very modern too with black designs and amazing sugar orchids that looked so real. Cakes Plus did a fantastic job with the look and the cake was delicious as well. Speaking of delicious, Jackson's did a superb job as always. I really love working at this venue - they always go above and beyond and their food is excellent. The guests especially enjoyed getting to view the summer sunset from the 3 walls of floor-to-ceiling windows in the Waterfront Room.

To capture this fabulous day, the couple hired Tony and Lesley from Reign7 Photography. This was the first time I have worked with this couple and I hope to work with them many more times in the future. They are just wonderful - awesome photos and a calming presence. I was so excited to get to share their photos on our blog!

Cindy and Evan, thanks for letting me share your special day with you. I hope it was everything you hoped for and more.