Florals and Food - A Great Combination

This Wednesday, Flawless Occasions is helping to coordinate a large charity gala for a non-profit organization in Tampa. The group, SHARE Florida Food Network, gets food straight from the growers so they can offer it at significant discounts for needy families. As we helped design the event and decor, we decided on a food theme since that is what this organization is all about. When it comes to adding food to florals, there are several great options of items you can utilize, from fruits like lemons, limes, apples, and kiwi, to things like coffee beans or berries. The bright colors and interesting textures add a unique design to an event centerpiece. For the SHARE event, our floral arrangements that are being donated by a local florist will involve fruit elements to carry out our food theme. So in the spirit of our upcoming event, here are some inspiration photos! (All photos courtesy of TheKnot.com)

Mercy and Christian's Sunset Safety Harbor Wedding

Mercy and Christian hired Flawless Occasions about a year ago to plan their wedding, and we basically started from scratch. I hand-picked the venue and each vendor for their event that I thought would meet their needs. Mercy and Christian wanted a traditional Catholic church ceremony followed by a high-energy party with spicy Latin style and an elegant ambiance. They also planned to infuse some Army traditions such as the sword exit, since Christian is a soldier (and it was so special to see many of the guests in their formal Army attire). The ceremony was held at St. Brendan's Catholic Church in Clearwater Beach and the cocktail hour and reception followed at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa in their Bayshore Ballroom.

It was really exciting to see this wedding finally come together after all of the hard work and planning, however the reason it was such a success was because of the amazing vendors I worked with for this event. This was truly a team effort and we all pulled it off together.

The entertainment and amazing lighting scheme was done by RJ Vida of Advance Entertainment - he is always such a pleasure to work with and just to be around! A Fly on the Wall Photography and Hearts Video captured the memories for the couple and were just so easy to work with. I appreciated their flexibility and positive attitude - Carrie and Debbie are fabulous. I caught them all in action in some of my photos below!
The cake was provided by Chef Nelson and it was delicious and beautiful, especially after the florist, Dana Dineen, added her special touches. The centerpieces and all of the florals really impressed the guests. The linens were by Connie Duglin, and the gold chair sashes really added that special touch to mimic all of the gold accents in the room. We also had gold chargers to carry on the color scheme.

The dance floor was packed, the bride and groom were so happy, and everyone had a great time. What more can you ask for? Mercy and Christian, best wishes to you on your marriage and we hope you have many happy years together. Here are some of my personal photos from the day!

Ruth and Greg's Wedding - Rain or Shine!

I am a little behind on posting this one! Sorry! It has been very busy lately! :)

On September 5th, Ruth and Greg were married at the Rusty Pelican in Tampa. It started out as a gorgeous day, but unfortunately the rain came just as the ceremony was about to start. No problem though - the Rusty Pelican Staff, the florist (Bride's Bouquet),the DJ(Jody)from Grant Hemond, the officiant (Pastor Jerry Rittenhouse), and I all worked together to quickly save the decorations and set up inside. Ruth and Greg were very good sports and realized that the most important thing was that they exchanged vows regardless of the location.

The rest of the day went perfect! They still had an amazing backdrop for their ceremony since the Rusty Pelican has gorgeous views inside and out! As if on cue - a huge rainbow even appeared in the sky just as they were starting the ceremony.

Jason Angelini was there to capture every moment. Since this was a large group and there were more than 20 people in the bridal party - Jason brought a second photographer to help. The second photographer was Chris from Erin Chris Photography . I had never worked with Chris before and I enjoyed meeting him.

All in all, it was a wonderful event! Jody really kept the party going and the dance floor was packed all night long. There was a huge candy buffet which was enjoyed by all the guests (and vendors!). The gorgeous cake by Chantilly was another wonderful sweet treat. The unique custom topper which was made to look just like Ruth and Greg was super cute!!

One of my favorite touches at the event was the adorable card holder. It was a very large bird cage which was adorned with crystals and had two love birds hanging inside with a sign that said "For the Love Birds". The pictures just don't do it justice!

Ruth and Greg were so much fun to work with and it is obvious that they are surrounded by wonderful, loving family and friends. Congratulations Ruth and Greg! I hope you had a blast in Italy!!

Don't forget to check out Jason's blog for the professional pictures!

The photos I took are below. As you can tell, I really thought the dancing kids were really cute! The ringbearer was quite the charmer!

Enjoy!

Affordable Decor Elements

If you are looking for a unique decor element, but you don't want to overspend what is left of your wedding funds, there are many options out there to create an amazing look without breaking your budget. Here are a few ideas that will add interest and elegance to any space.

Specialty Linens - There are so many unique linens out there, and they are more reasonably priced than people think. Try adding an overlay to your existing basic table cloth in your wedding color or a different texture/design. Overlays not only bring color and style to a room, but they are also very reasonably priced at typically around $8-$10 each. You can also do a napkin to add that pop of color. Our favorite linen companies: Linens by the Sea, Connie Duglin Linens (photos courtesy of Jason Angelini Photography)






























Chargers - Chargers are plates that go under your china. They are larger so they create a nice border around your dish, plus they are set up before your meal arrives so they create a pop of color on your table. Chargers usually range in price from $1-$2 each to rent, so they are also an inexpensive option to create an elegant look. Where to rent chargers - Rent All City of Tampa (photos courtesy of 1ofakindevents and Theknot.com)










































Lighting - Lighting is so popular right now in the wedding industry. Specialty decor companies and DJ's as well as some other wedding vendors are offering lighting packages that range from a gobo light (personalized with your monogram or any message), to uplights, LED washes, etc. Lighting can completely change the look of a room as it immerses it in your color choice, and it is great for hiding cheesy or tacky carpeting, wallpaper, etc. that might already exist in your reception space. Uplighting can start at around $15-$20 per light, so even if you are on a tight budget you can still usually find some room to add a few, and they really do make a huge impact. Some of our favorite lighting vendors: The Production Crew, Inspire Entertainment, Soundwave Productions, Concept Bait (photos courtesy of The Production Crew)































Candles - Candles are the very budget-friendly way to add that soft, romantic glow to a room. Consider doing a mix of votives, floating candles, and tall pillars. Group several on a table, float them in bowls, or line your ceremony aisle with tall cylinders with pillar candles. This is such an easy way to create a mood - just make sure your venue allows candles! (photos courtesy of Brides.com and TheKnot.com)