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.

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)