2009 in Review - Best of Flawless Occasions' Weddings

2009 brought us so much success and joy, it will be hard to top it in 2010, but I have a feeling it's going to be a great year. We are even starting off the New Year with Beth coordinating an out-of-town wedding in historic St. Augustine, Florida. There are many things to look forward to, but before we move ahead, we are going to look back on some of our favorite times of 2009.
We had the honor of planning and coordinating so many amazing weddings and events, and we wanted to do a little recap for the blog. But instead of just showing some pictures and reminiscing, we decided to give out a few Flawless Occasions awards! So - for the first time - we present the Best of Flawless Occasions' Weddings of 2009!




Best Magazine-Cover Potential -- There is something about this photo that looks totally out of a magazine. I think it is a combination of the hotness of our couple, Holly and Ryan, and the talent of their photographer, Shem, from Blue Lane Photo. Either way, this photo from one of Beth's October weddings could and should end up on the cover of a magazine one day.



























Best Reception Exit -- Amy and Griff had a very elegant wedding at the Mirror Lake Lyceum in May. Their sparkler exit was executed flawlessly by Beth and the staff at the Lyceum, and captured beautifully by Joelle of Socialite Studios.

















Best Ceremony Exit -- 2009 was a year of firsts for us - this was our first military wedding. As a nod to his army career, Christian and his bride, Mercy, exited St. Brenden's Catholic Church under a sword salute by his fellow army members. Thanks to Carrie from a Fly on the Wall Photography for catching this moment on film.


























Best Bouquet -- Megan's bridal bouquet by Dana Dineen was breathtakingly beautiful in shades of purple roses, white orchids, and stephanotis.


























Most Unique Guest Signing Idea -- Stephanie and Louis had guests sign one of Louis' guitars, which was a great way to personalize their wedding.























Best Wedding FOOD -- Everyone who knows me knows my obsession with food. Since we usually spend at least 10 hours at each wedding we coordinate, we always make sure to eat a meal during that time. Otherwise, we just would not even have the energy to last that long. So I can honestly say that I have had a LOT of wedding food. The best food of our 2009 weddings would probably have to be the meal we had at Kristen and Jeff's Island Way Grill reception. It was a filet, king crab legs, and wasabi mashed potatoes. I liked it so much that I went back a few months later for my birthday I ordered the same thing. :)













Most Unique Getaway Car -- Meagan and Ryan are a special couple, and they wanted to leave their reception in a unique mode of transportation, so they rented a pedicab. It was an adorable way to leave their wedding and photographer Jason Angelini got a great picture of their last wedding day kiss!














Best Way to Deal with Florida Heat on Your Wedding Day -- Farrah and Paul traveled to St. Pete Beach from England to have their beach ceremony and reception. I'm not sure if they anticipated how hot it would be in May, but they definitely figured out how to deal with it... they (along with the rest of their bridal party) ended their wedding by all jumping in to one of the Tradewinds' pools, wedding clothing and all. Luckily Beth caught some of the craziness on camara.













Best Candy Buffet -- Ariel and Ricco's candy buffet was both beautiful in looks and in meaning. It was pink and white, and it was dedicated to the bride's mother who had recently passed away from breast cancer prior to their October wedding. It was created by Chic Sweets and provided a wonderful treat for the guests as well as a way to honor such a special person.















Best DIY Project -- Chastity and Paul's May '09 beach wedding at the Tradewinds resort featured a unique card box: a treasure chest complete with gold coins, jewels, and a treasure map on burnt and aged paper. This was a DIY project done by the bride's sister, and it was a unique and fun feature.

















Best Bride and Groom "Look" -- Kristen, one of our March '09 brides, looked amazing in her white taffeta gown. Her hair and makeup were done by the talented Darla Stafford, and as a last minute addition, we ran to the store to pick up a white flower to add the finishing touch to Kristen's stunning look. Jeff looked very handsome as well in his tan suit, which was perfect for their elegant beach wedding and reception at Island Way Grill.















Best Centerpieces -- Ashley and Nate hired Botanica Florists to design their large and striking centerpieces of gold orchids, branches, and hanging votives, which made quite a statement in the Rusty Pelican Ballroom for our first wedding of last year.















Best Mini Bride and Groom -- Ruth and Greg had a Labor Day weekend wedding at the Rusty Pelican coordinated by Beth. Their cake featured a very unique topper created to look just like the bride and groom. Even the bride's dress details were replicated!























Best Hardcore-Party Guests -- Athena and John's wedding in February was a fun time, even after the party was over. As the DJ was packing up and I was cleaning up, guests were out on the patio of the St. Petersburg Women's Club doing keg stands (even the bride in her gown!). Another highlight of the evening was when the groomsmen stripped down to just their vests and did an impromptu lip synch to "It's Raining Men".















Best Theme-Without-Going-Overboard-on-a-Theme -- Sarah and Aaron's wedding, our last of 2009, had a lovely underlying theme that was classy and not overdone. Lovebirds made an appearance in a few places throughout their wedding, including their cake, wishbowl cards, and favors. It was tasteful and cute.










Best Color Scheme -- When Amanda and Caton were married in May at the famous Don Cesar hotel in St. Pete Beach, they went for a tropical color scheme that popped against the bright pink of the historic building. Their white and bright orange flowers and decor looked so great together, along with the orange bridesmaid dresses from Jcrew.













If you are one of our blog followers, we would love to know what you think the best wedding was from our blog in 2009. Please post a comment and let us know your favorites! We wish you all a happy and healthy 2010, and thanks for continuing to support us and Flawless Occasions!