New Rental Item - Bamboo Arch!

We are constantly adding to our collection of rental items!

We have now added a great new piece to our decor rental: our new bamboo arch! We had many brides renting these from florists in the past and paying a very hefty fee. Since we are always trying to save our brides money in any way that we can, we thought this would be beneficial to our clients for us to acquire an arch to rent out to them for a significant discount in price. Here are some photos of our new arch- it is a cherry-wood bamboo and is a blank slate for you to decorate as you please. Florals or fabrics can be easily added to the sturdy arch. We have a few fabrics available in different colors that are available with the arch, or you can supply your own decor. Contact us for more information on how to rent this arch for your upcoming wedding.





























Of course, we still have all of our other rentals available, some of our most popular rentals being our beautiful and ornate cake stand, our small beach-inspired centerpieces, our bronze and glass lanterns, and our cupcake stand. We are currently having a photo album created for our website to feature more of our rental items, so keep checking back to our main website for more information.

Eat, Drink, and Be Married!

We already know you are going to look fabulous on your wedding day, but are you going to feel great as well? Your wedding day may feel like it's flying by, but in actuality it's a very long day involving hours of preperation, countless photos being taken, and dancing and socializing for hours, sometimes well into the night. Your body needs to be at its best to handle such a long day, and that means EATING on the day of your wedding. Brides often skip meals on the day of their wedding for several reasons: they are too nervous or anxious to eat, they are worried about fitting in to their gown, or they are just too busy, among other things. It is imperative that you hydrate and feed yourself not only in the days leading up to your wedding but the entire day of your wedding as well, so you can keep up your energy level and feel great all day and all night long. Let's not forget about your bridal party either - they are usually with you most of this time and they need their nourishment too!

One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to have snacks wherever you are getting ready. Places like Publix, Panera Bread, Einstein Bagels, and Chick-Fil-A have delicious party trays that are perfect to feed you and your hungry wedding army. I mention these places in particular because they have healthy options such as fruit salad, veggie platters, and sandwich wraps that will make you feel good while you are eating them and afterward. If you are getting ready at someone's home or a hotel suite, have a friend run out early in the morning and pick up some pre-ordererd party trays from one of these stores (in my case, my wonderful dad went and got our delicious food for us in the morning). If you are getting ready at a salon, some even offer the option of having food brought in for you, or they will allow you to bring in your own. Here are some ideas if you are trying to choose a wedding day snacking menu...















Getting married early in the day? That means you will be up even earlier getting ready, so start the morning off right for everyone with a bagel bucket and flavored cream cheeses and coffee from Einstein Bros. Bagels. Carbs are the #1 source of energy so eat up and enjoy!









The perfect snacks to start your day - veggie tray, spinach dip in pumpernickel loaf, and pinwheel wraps - all from Publix.













Who would have thought fast food could be so healthy? Chick-Fil-A offer this fruit salad platter and chicken salad tea sandwhiches on wheatberry bread, perfect for lunchtime munching. And FYI, Chick-Fil-A has a delivery option as well so visit their website for more info.

And I just had to share this - I came across this website while on my search of wedding day food options, but unfortunately they are located in Pennsylvania! It's called Wedibles (see their website here), and it's a service that comes and sets up a cute little buffet for you and your bridal to enjoy while getting ready. They have tons of baked goods, fruit salads, veggies and dips, and sweets... so yummy. If I find something like this in our area, I will definitely let you all know!

Vendor Spotlight - Jason Angelini

A few days ago one of our clients told us that she saw a vendor spotlight feature similar to ours on another wedding planner's website and sure enough it was true! Who would have ever thought I would start a trend with my little blog posts? Well here is our third installation of our vendor spotlights and there are several more to come so definitely stay tuned..

In Florida, especially west and central Florida, we are lucky to have a large pool of talented photographers; however, over and over again we find ourselves working with Jason Angelini. Our clients love him because not only is his photography fresh, fun, and beautiful, but his prices are affordable for the average couple, which is who we typically work with. To top it off, his personality is great and his wife, Lucia, is wonderful as well. So here is our vendor spotlight interview with one of our favorite photographers, Jason Angelini.















1. Company Name:
Jason Angelini Photography

2. Job Description:
I am a photographer who gets to share in some of the most important
moments in a person's life, from their wedding day to pregnancy to the
birth of a child and more. I get to capture all the memories you
don't want to forget.

3. How did you get started in the business?
I took photography classes throughout high school and college and
developed a portfolio. When I graduated from college I was able to
get a job with a national company which sent me around the country doing
portrait photography work for business and medical professionals. It
was fun, but I was gone for months at a time and missed my girlfriend
who was soon to be my fiance. After I asked my wife to marry me we
began talking about starting our own photography business focusing on
weddings. Just after we were married we moved to Florida and
officially began as Jason Angelini Photography.

4. Where is your favorite venue to shoot weddings?
Any venue in the snow or mountains! I bet you didn't expect that
answer from a Florida photographer who does lots of weddings on the
beach :) Florida has many terrific venues with beautiful places to
photograph and great staffs to work with, but I love to travel!

5. What is the craziest thing you have seen at a wedding?
What haven't I seen?! Naked people, people getting arrested, wedding
crashers, you name it! One of my favorite crazy moments was at a
wedding for a couple whose family friend was Jerry Springer. At the
end of the night, the guests wanted Jerry to give his "Final Thoughts"
and the crowd started loudly chanting, "Jer-ry, Jer-ry" over and over
until he came up to take the mic. He handled it with class and simply
said, "I hope you two never end up on my show."

6. How would you describe your style of photography?
This is a tricky question because people can use the same label for a
photography style and mean completely different things. Many people
use the term "photojournalist" but a true photojournalist does not
take any posed pictures or focus on any details. They do not have the
goal of making the bride and groom look good and do not want to
interact with the bride and groom or any wedding guests. In its pure
form, a photojournalist will just document what is happening around
them.

I think I have a contemporary approach that brings together different
styles of photography. I like to combine modern and classic, edgy and
romantic, fun and sexy. I can have just as much fun shooting a traditional
engagement session on the beach as I can one in an alleyway downtown.
Photography is an art form so I always try to get a feel from my
couples as to what their tastes and preferences are and I keep their
individual style in mind when I am photographing them.

7. What do you love about your job?
Would it be too cheesy to say everything? I work with couples who are
in love and I share in one of the most important days in their entire
lives. The moments and emotions I capture for them are going to be
what they pass on to their children and grandchildren to tell their
family history. I imagine the future generations of my couples
looking through a wedding album and getting to feel like they are
sharing in that wedding day as well. I love the couples I work with
and their families, I love being surrounded by love and happiness and
calling it work, and I love the significance of what I am creating.

It is also a blessing to be able to have a true family business. My
wife and I both devote ourselves to this business full time. Many
people don't realize how much my wife does since she is behind-the-
scenes, but it is awesome to have her as a partner in every aspect of
our lives including our photography business. And of course our sons
help us out by doing all of our blog updates for us :) We are blessed
to make a living doing what we love and to be able to do so together
as a family.














8. What advice do you have for brides and grooms when it comes to
choosing a photographer?
Pick me! Really though there is so much involved in choosing a
photographer. Photography is an art form so two people can look at
the same photographs and have completely different reactions. Be sure
you connect with the photographer's work and love what you see.
Experience is very important for wedding photographers who have to be
ready for anything and everything, so definitely hire a professional
who conducts him or herself as such. Look for quality and consistency
in the images and find a photographer whose personality fits with
yours since you will be spending your wedding day with him or her!
Visit Jason's website here!

New...Officiating Services!

Flawless Occasions is always trying to save our brides time and money. In our quest to meet our clients' needs, we have now added officiating to our list of available services. If you are looking for someone to officiate your wedding ceremony, Flawless Occasions can now provide a notary public - coordinator Shawna Berger (me) - to perform the ceremony which is legal in the state of Florida (Click here for more information from the state of Florida about marriage ceremonies performed by a notary).

We have created a few standard packages that will soon be appearing on our website, but like all of our services, we can also create a custom package. If you have already booked a wedding with Flawless Occasions, we can add-on our officiating services for an additional fee based on availability. Our officiating services, however, are not just limited to our wedding planning and coordinating clients either.

We will be happy to perform this service for anyone who wishes to get married in the Tampa Bay area, whether it be an intimate and private ceremony at a local beach or park, or a ceremony with all of your family and friends in attendance. Let us help you plan your dream wedding ceremony, from the beginning stages of picking a location and a date, to the final stage of actually tying the knot and making it legal.

We have several complete ceremony scripts available, or you can create your own with our guidance. The options are endless, so contact us today so we can get started on creating a memorable marriage ceremony together!

A Mansion Fit For A Wedding... (AKA my future home)

This weekend we had a little break from weddings... but we have 3 coming up this month! So we took advantage of the free time and I met with Tricia and Scott at their venue on Saturday morning. Tricia and Scott have booked us for their October wedding (another busy month for us with 3 already booked as well) but I hadn't gotten a chance to see their venue yet and I was very excited. They have rented out a modern Mediterranean-style mansion for their ceremony and reception. They actually have it for a week, a few days before and a few days after their wedding day, so they are really going to get to enjoy it with their family and friends. This home sleeps 16 people and has a pool and large land surrounding it. Basically after we saw it, I was ready to move in.
It's a beautiful and secluded space, however it is a blank slate which is why Tricia and Scott pulled us in to help. Everything will be brought in, including a large tent, tables and chairs, bar areas, and several other rentals. It's going to end up being a really fabulous and unique wedding. I snapped some pictures of the property while the owner, Justin, was giving us the tour. He was very helpful and if you are interested in booking this home - which he rents out for weddings, bachelorette/bachelor parties, corporate functions, etc. - contact us and we can get you the info. For now, check out these photos I took on this gorgeous day:



Here is where the ceremony will be held


















Cocktail hour will be set up around the pool area















This is another part of the pool area that leads out to the reception area.

The reception will be held under a tent in this large area on the side of the house








Now do you see why I'm ready to move in? The inside is even nicer by the way - gorgeous woodwork and ceiling beams, granite in the kitchen along with beautiful cabinetry, and the master bathroom... well basically it is the size of my current master bedroom. One day... :)

Brides (and Wedding Planners) Against Breast Cancer!

This weekend the Making Memories organization is putting on their annual Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale event. This is a chance for brides-to-be to purchase beautiful gowns at a very discounted price. Some are new gowns donated by designers and some are used gowns donated by brides, but either way, they all are gorgeous. The best part is, this organization uses the proceeds to grant wishes for those who are losing the battle against breast cancer. Breast cancer affects so many people... it seems like everywhere you turn people have a friend, co-worker, or family member who has gone through or is going through this terrible disease. As I am typing this, I have an acquaintance who is in her 30's and is currently going through treatment for stage 3 breast cancer.

If you know someone looking for a bridal gown, spread the word about this great event so we can help this wonderful organization. This year's gown sale will be taking place at the Howard Johnson Plaza hotel Thursday-Saturday. It will be my 2nd year volunteering during the gown sale so I can tell you from firsthand experience that this really is a fabulous event. I will be volunteering on Friday in case you want to stop in and see me. Here is the flyer for the event, or you can click here to go to Making Memories' website:































And here is our lovely bride Meagan (whose wedding and rehearsal dinner photos can be seen in some of our previous blog entries). Meagan bought her dress at last year's Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale event - and I actually met her there for the first time! I got to witness the tears and excitement as Meagan found her dream dress, along with many other women who really made a difference that day by helping out this cause.

Budget-Friendly Flowers

The amount that brides spend on their florals seems to vary. Some brides spend much of their budget on elaborate centerpieces while others forgo the flowers entirely and opt for something more economical such as candles.
If you are one of those brides in the middle, you are looking for beautiful flowers that will not bust your budget. There are some flowers that are always on the less expensive side, like the carnation or the rose. You can also make a floral arrangement look fuller by adding interesting greenery. Another way to achieve this is by using flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding. One type of flower does not always cost the same amount - its price depends on whether or not it is easy to attain at that time. Elegala.com has published a list of flowers by season which can be very helpful when you are deciding on what flowers to include in your wedding.

Spring Wedding Flowers In Season

Apple or cherry blossoms
Daffodils
Dogwoods
Forsythia branches
Hyacinth
Iris
Larkspur
Lilies
Lilacs
Lily of the Valley
Pansies
Peonies
Sweet Peas
Tulips

Summer Wedding Flowers In Season

Asters
Calla Lilies
Dahlias
Daisies
Delphinium
Geraniums
Hydrangeas
Iris
Jacobs Ladder
Larkspur
Queen Anne’s Lace
Roses
Shasta daises
Stock
Sunflower
Zinnias

Fall Wedding Flowers In Season

Asters
Chrysanthemums
Zinnias
Gerbera daisies
Marigolds
Roses
Sunflowers

Winter Wedding Flowers In Season

Amaryllis
Camellias
Forget-me-nots
Jasmine
Orchids
Poinsettias
Holly

Making a bouquet larger with the use of greenery will make it look gorgeous but will keep it affordable.

Calla lilies are a favorite among some brides, however they are a more expensive flower. If you love them, try putting a few mixed in with other flowers instead of a full calla lily bouquet like this one.

Brides still love the class rose bouquet.. and because of their abundance, roses are always an affordable option.

photo credit: Brides.com

Vendor Spotlight - DJ R-J Vida

This is our second interview in our series of vendor spotlights that we are featuring on our blog. This time we talked to R-J Vida, a local wedding DJ who owns his own DJ company as well as event production company. R-J is one of the DJs we like to recommend and work with because of his professionalism, his responsiveness, and his talent for putting on a great party! Read on to find out more about R-J and to get some great tips as well, and visit his website here.

1. Business Name- Advance Entertainment Productions Inc.

2. Job Description- Owner / DJ

3. What is your hometown? North Arlington, NJ

4. How did you get started in the business? At 16 I DJed a teen club in New Jersey. After my relocation to Florida I was discovered by a local entertainment agency who thought I would be great at weddings. Over time their chance turned out to be a great investment.

5. What are the popular songs right now for a bride and groom first dance? Brides are really trying to think out of the box. Songs like I’m Yours by Jason Mraz and Better Together by Jack Johnson are making their way into many of my beach-style weddings. On the classic side, At Last by Etta James is still a favorite by many. If alternative rock is what you like, many times the songs that may not be appropriate for a first dance can be found in their acoustic version which works very well.

6. Have you witnessed anything really crazy happen on the dance floor? I have seen nearly everything over the years...some of which is not even appropriate for me to say. However I just recently did a wedding at the Marriott Waterside that even took me by surprise. The bride and groom also hired my sister company, The Production Crew, which specializes in LED up- lighting and custom GOBO’s, and we had over 30 LED fixtures and 2 custom GOBO’s to accent the two rooms. They went all out on every aspect- string quartet for the ceremony, acoustic guitarist for the cocktail hour, and myself for the reception. We also provided the sound for the ceremony. When I arrived, I was shocked to see two dance boxes on either side of my riser. Yes, even at this 5 star wedding we had dance boxes. When the dancing came around we had a packed floor for over 3 hours. At one point even the mother of the bride got on one of the dance boxes. Go figure, and I thought I had seen it all.

7. If you could only play one song for the rest of your life, what would it be? Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman’s "Come What May" (I guess I am a bit of a Romantic)

8. Do you have any advice for brides and grooms when it comes to selecting music for their wedding? Remember that it is your wedding and it should reflect on the two of you. Any good DJ will be able to integrate music that you enjoy. At the same time don’t go overboard picking out every single song for your wedding because you are now hindering your DJ’s creative talent in which you hired him for. A good DJ should be able to read a crowd and constantly think on their feet by maintaining a consistent dance floor by playing to your guests tastes.

The Groom's Cake.. Then and Now

If you try to research the origins of the groom's cake at a wedding, you will find several stories that claim to be the true basis of its existence. Many say that the groom's cake was a gift to the groom from the bride, but, there seems to be a discrepancy on whether it was supposed to be a chocolate cake or a fruitcake. Some sources say the cake started off as a fruitcake but since many people preferred chocolate cake, the custom eventually changed into chocolate cake. Others say that in the past, the groom's mother typically made the cake. I did find several sources saying that the groom's cake began as a southern tradition in the U.S., and one of the most common explanations I found is stated here, in an article from www.online-weddings.com:

"The history of a groom's cake goes like this. The groom's cake was not to be served to the guests while at the wedding reception, but rather it was to be sliced up, placed into packages and given to them as favors when they departed. Single women at the wedding would take their pieces of cake home and sleep with it under their pillows in hopes of dreaming of their future husbands."

Regardless of the history of the groom's cake, it is currently a fun trend for the bride to surprise the groom with a cake that depicts his interests. The groom's cake is not just showing up at weddings either, it is also very often served at the rehearsal dinner instead. Many local cake shops can create almost anything you can think up, so bride's are getting extremely creative with their groom's cake ideas. Here are some pics of some great groom's cakes!

(photo credits: Traditional chocolate groom's cake from Publix, Crown Royal and Bucs Helmet cakes from A Piece of Cake's website; Xbox cake from Ashley and Nate's wedding taken by Beth Carrick; Univ. of Illinois cake from Meag and Ryan's rehearsal dinner taken by Beth Carrick; Mario Bros. cake from groomstand.com)

Meag and Ryan's Professional Pics

Jason Angelini was Meag and Ryan's photographer last Saturday at their fabulous wedding, and he (and his blogging guru wife, Lucia) posted some amazing photos up on his blog. You can really feel and see the emotions of the day in his photos.

These are just some of my personal favorites; there are so many other great ones on his blog. It was hard for me to not just re-post them all here! But instead I just chose a few so that you will have to go over to his blog to see more. :) Enjoy!