Dream Day Productions

Wedding Wire Rated

2011-06-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all our past clients that have written review for Dream Day Productions.

We are Wedding Wire Rated again this year, that means that we have had positive reviews this year. I am pleased to report that we have never gotten less than 5 out of 5 stars

in all categories on ALL reviews!

I love what I do and it shows in the reviews!

www.weddingwire.com

Check out our great feedback and there is also a coupon on the site if you are waiting to book our services!

Meghan and Thomas June 11, 2011

2011-06-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Meghan and Thomas had a beautiful sunny day in June for their wedding in Venice. They started the day at Venice Church of the Nazarene. What a friendly welcoming church and pastor. Meghan chose a beautiful wood arch from All Event Rental and Design and it was the perfect backdrop for her theme. Pomander balls of flowers in white, blues, and lavender adorned the arch and the first 2 pews. The flower girls also carried a smaller version.

Large vases of white Monte Casino and Curly willow set off the reception space and later added drama to the entry way.

At the reception the brides colors of green and blue were played out beautifully in both linens and decor. The kids weren't forgotten with a special table of fun things to do! The adults had fun too with wax lips and mustaches and glow bracelets that I set out after the sun went down.

The cake table was breathtaking and my picture does not do it justice! It smelled Divine! The bride had a small 2 layer cake for cutting adorned with her grandmother's cake topper. The guests indulged with delicious cupcakes made right here in Venice and they were displayed on several silver and crystal pedestals. Each cupcake had a colored gum paste flower that denoted what flavor it was. The bride thought ahead and had adorable plastic to go containers so may guests had 1 for now and 1 for later.

The bridesmaids wore a lovely cornflower blue color and linens were blue and white. The bride's dress was lovely with rhinestones at the neckline and a thin belt, it also had a pretty skirt with pickups.

Much of the ceremony decor was reused at the reception. Here a pomander ball from the arch is reused on top of an extra tall vase with just a few silk branches inside.

The couple had a wish tree in addition to the signature mat that was signed by the guests.

Meghan's overall theme was a woodsy earthy look with lots of adorable birds and pastel colors, blue being the main featured color. Silver was her accent. I loved the use of the shutters painted blue for the place cards! As you can see the moss letters from the ceremony were also repositioned here.

Guests needing to get comfy had some adorable sparkly flip flops to wear compliments of the couple, displayed here on this stand. It has a sign above that the mirror makes it hard to see.
The "Tweets" were a hit with guests. Many left with a full bag of candies! I saw some interesting varieties like grape licorice and banana split popcorn.

Here is the happy couple tasting their cake for the first time. Now guests can dig into those yummy cupcakes.

They were pretty friendly but a bit of icing ended up in places it shouldn't :)

My favorite part of the wedding was the bride serenading her new husband to "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" with her bridesmaids as backup singers, complete with hot pink lace gloves. Too much fun!

The girls had gorgeous silver heels for the ceremony but mom was smart and talked them into a pair of silver comfy shoes for the reception!

All in all the wedding was gorgeous and full of beautiful details. I didn't manage to snap a picture of the unique centerpieces. Each table had their own ceramic plate adorned with a bird cage and moss. Each guest took home a hand painted champagne flute, bar of handmade soap in the wedding colors, and some sweets. There were birds, moss, burlap, and raffia to add to the homey country feel of the wedding. Even at the cocktail hour the guests could quench their thirst with pink lemonade or tea in large silver dispensers and set it down next to a unique bird cage on each cocktail table. Chalkboard signs welcomed guests to the ceremony, told them what was for dinner, and invited them to have some candy. It was a cohesive look that proved to be a hit !

The fabulous vendors were April from Bradenton D.J. It was my first time working with April and she did a fabulous job. Joe and Suzanne were there photographing the wedding along with their videographer and did a great job as usual, it is always a pleasure to work with them. The reception at Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club was perfect and Franklin and his crew were amazing. I love working events there. Franklin even waited there after midnight to come open the gate for me when I was making my last runs to the bride's parents house with decor.

Congratulations to Meghan (great name by the way) and Thomas on a beautiful wedding and marriage!

Caye and Bill January 29th, 2011

2011-02-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

What a pleasure it was to do my first wedding of 2011 for a couple as wonderful as Bill and Caye. I have know Caye for a few years through my church and their love story was absolutely amazing. Caye and Bill had a beautiful wedding in Venice with help of family and friends on a small budget with a big guest list! It was a fantastic joy filled day!

Below one of the flower girls and the ring bearer were eagerly peeking through the crack in the door to catch a glimpse of the processional, how sweet is this?
Caye had a close friend and father figure walk her down the aisle.

The ceremony was beautiful, touching, and gave all the glory to God! We started the ceremony with an awesome time of praise and worship. Bill and Caye sang a duet to each other during the ceremony, there was not a dry eye in the house!

The centerpieces for the outdoor reception were simple, beautiful, and very cost effective! We borrowed bowls from the church, dropped in a few gems, water, bear grass and 1 gorgeous sunflower. Also on each table were 2 engagement photos of the couple with their verse on the back.

The bridesmaids wore different dresses all in the same shade of blue from David's bridal. The yellow flowers really popped against the dresses. I was the florist for the wedding and had so much fun since Caye allowed me free reign using sunflowers, fun greens, and some blue ribbon.

The bride's beautiful bouquet of sunflowers, blue delphinium, dusty miller, and lots of other fun greens.

The couple headed off for a honeymoon in the Caribbean! I hope your marriage has even half as much joy as the wedding day! It will be awesome!

Jessica and Kris- spotted :)

2010-12-28T06:18:00.001-08:00

If you search on this blog for Jessica and Kris you will find photos of their beautiful Port Charlotte wedding from December 2 years ago. It was such a pleasure to run into them while out and about in Port Charlotte the day after Christmas. They now have a beautiful 1 year old son Carter! He is absolutely adorable. It was a joy for me to see their new family start at their wedding, and now to see it grow. That is what this job is all about.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful day with family and friends! Merry Christmas!

Giselle and Julio Nov 6th

2010-12-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

As promised the professional shots from Giselle and Julio are now available on the blog so I wanted to post the link for you to see the gorgeous turquoise and red wedding the couple had on Madiera Beach and the gorgeous (but chilly) reception they had at Island Bamboo Gardens in Pinellas Park. Angela was the coordinator for this event as I was at Nicole and Jeff's affair in Ybor City on the same day. We both had amazing couples to work with but I have to say I won on this particular night because it was quite cold on this November night and my event was all indoors and Angela's was all outdoors.... Sorry Angela! :)

Island Bamboo Garden is a great location for an intimate party, reception, or gathering. They are tucked away right in Pinellas Park but when you enter the gate you are quickly transported to a lush tropical garden right in the center of a busy town. It is beautiful and Karlyn was wonderful to work with there as we planned with Giselle. She also has bamboo arches to rent, as you can see in the photos from Giselle's wedding on the beach.

Barefoot Beach Resort was the backdrop for the couple's ceremony and where the majority of the guests stayed. I had never been to Madiera Beach and when Angela and I checked it out on one of our consultation trips we were delighted to drive down the main road surrounded by tons of walkers dressed in Pink! It was the Breast Cancer Walk and it was heartwarming to see all the men and women and BRAS out walking for Breast Cancer Research!

Please check out the photographer's blog for some great shots from the gorgeous wedding!
http://www.ktcrabphotography.com/blog/

Nicole and Jeff November 6th

2010-12-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Nicole and Jeff's 1 month anniversary I finally found a few free minutes to blog about their lovely Ybor city wedding. Nicole and Jeff planned a beautiful event in historic Ybor city at the Columbia Restaurant. They held their ceremony at the Historic Columbia museum just adjacent to the actual restaurant. The couple chose a sweet and meaningful addition to their ceremony, a "ring warming". They had the best man pass the couples rings around on a small dish for each guest to offer a blessing, prayer, wish over them. They also included the engagement ring as part of the exchange of rings in the ceremony. The museum has a beautiful octagonal mahogany bar in the entry that was a perfect backdrop to their cocktail hour following the ceremony. The couple had a rich color scheme of reds and yellows to accompany the blustery cool fall day!

Nicole and Jeff had 2 stones put on this walkway with their name and date, one in front of the restaurant and one in front of the museum!

Nicole is a cake baker at home and designed the couples cake herself. It was delicious! The cake design had scrabble tiles on it , what a cute fun touch!

The Columbia is a wonderful venue for a wedding because truly the decorating is done for you! You really only need centerpieces and you are all set- look at that stunning chandelier in the center of the room! The staff there was absolutely wonderful to work with and I can't wait to do my next event at the Columbia.

I absolutely fell in love with Nicole's dress, it was stunning and she was beaming all day.

Patrick Burley of Captured Images by Augie was the photographer and has offered some professional shots, so I will update this blog when I receive those.
Congratulation Nicole and Jeff, I wish you many years of happiness together as you begin your new life as husband and wife!

Emily and Ted professional pics!

2010-12-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

You can now view the amazing photos from the couple's professional photographer on Jason Angelini's blog- they are gorgeous!

Emily and Ted October 28th, 2010

2010-11-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here are the before pictures from Jason Angelini, I am definitely not a photographer so I thought I would start off with these great shots from Emily and Ted's Engagement shoot and one of the teasers from their wedding before my own shots... a tough act to follow :)

I absolutely adored Emily's purple and green color scheme, it is truly one of my favorites, even when I was designing I would always end up with that when it was "designer's choice"! I loved Emily's dress, it was beautiful and simple and perfect for a balmy October beach wedding!

Stephanie from Fish Hawk Flowers did an amazing job on all the florals, something I am very particular about. I had no complaints with her gorgeous work, especially loved the arch of curly willow.

I had the pleasure of officiating for the couple while Angela got everyone down the aisle safe and sound. The couple wrote a touching, personal, and meaningful ceremony with some help from me and it had a great poem in it that the bride's nephew recited-

To Keep Your Marriage Brimming – Ogden Nash

To keep your marriage brimming,

With love in the loving cup,

Whenever you’re wrong admit it;

Whenever you’re right shut up.

I think Angela was working on her photojournalistic skills with the sea oats billowing in the breeze in the foreground here...

The couple had a fun little mini theme incorporated into their wedding. Along with the color scheme Emily created a little Monty Python tribute with a wooden sign that was first at the ceremony and then we moved over to reception, along with Yay! Flags for each guest to wave at the recessional and again when the couple was introduced. The table names were titles of some of the couples favorite movies, Uncle Buck and Dumb and Dumber to name just a few... LOL

A simple and elegant cake from Chef Nelson, did I mention yummy too?

There was a gorgeous sunset as we began the reception on the deck at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Petersburg, I always enjoy working there- the staff is great to work with.

Just as the sun was down Rob Vollmar from Grant Hemond was there to introduce the new Mr. and Mrs. You can see a peek of the 85 lanterns and several string of lights that Angela and I hung to denote the reception space and dance floor. It was HARD work but it looked amazing! A whole day's work right there :)

All in all it was a great day! The couple was so fun to work with and the day was amazing. Best wishes for a happy marriage as you head back to chilly Vermont!

A busy week of blushing brides

2010-10-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I haven't been blogging lately. Life has just been a whirlwind!
We have lots of things coming up in the next week!
Tomorrow Angela and I head to the beautiful Tradewinds resort to see Emily and Ted tie the knot!

I know it will be a fabulous event because we are working with top notch vendors from Grant Hemond and the incomparable Jason Angelini! I can't wait to set out a table name frame with "Dumb and Dumber" on it ;)
Friday I meet with a Nov 20th bride and Saturday Angela and I are off again to visit a new venue, meet 2 brides and get ready for a double wedding weekend on November 6th.

Whew, just thinking about all that lies ahead makes me tingle with excitement and reminds me to turn in early so I have boundless energy to tackle it all!

Tungsten Wedding Rings

2010-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be looking for your wedding bands- for Men this is sometimes a difficult task. Men want a durable, attractive, masculine ring, and unlike women they usually don't want to spend a fortune on it. Tungsten rings are a great option. They are super durable, very classy looking, and all the ones featured here are less than $200.00! They do have some designs with gold incorporated that are closer to the $500-700.00 range but there are tons of styles to choose from.
Tungsten Carbide is the only rare and exotic metal that can promise a permanence in polish and finish that will endure until the end of time. The original pattern and design in many gold rings will all but disappear after several years. Tungsten Rings will maintain an everlasting beautiful and shiny finish. The heavy weight and the enduring finish of a tungsten carbide ring, speak of commitment, security and an everlasting bond.

These great designs are from Tungsten World and they are running a sale, use code Plunge10 to take 10% off your entire order!

http://www.tungstenworld.com/Tungsten-Wedding-Bands/

Tungsten wedding rings for men and women are sure to instill a sense of commitment and integrity upon your marriage. Tungsten carbide wedding bands flawless features and virtually indestructible nature will create an everlasting bond between you and your partner. We have a wide selection of women's & men's tungsten wedding bands and matching tungsten wedding band sets in all price ranges to choose from

VACATION~!!

2010-06-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

I don't get to say this very often but I am off on vacation until Wednesday July 7th. I will respond to all emails and messages upon my return. I hope everyone is getting a little R&R this summer too!
Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Meghan

Allison and Lance June 18, 2010

2010-06-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

I am not sure where the time goes, sorry for blogging this wedding late... I did not have my camera with me but I took some photos with my blackberry and will try to get some of those on here. For now here are 2 teaser shots from Evelio of Longboard Photography. www.longboardphoto.org Please do not use without consent from the Photographer. Longboard Photography:

Allison and Lance I met 2 years ago in June when I did her sister's wedding. Nick and Allison's sister Emily were married in June at the beautiful Crosley Mansion in Sarasota. You can see a photo of them on our packages page taken by Just Peachy photography! This year when I saw Nick and Emily they were accompanied by their ADORABLE son Will that turned one the day after the wedding. It was a pleasure working with this set of families again and getting to see their family growing!

Allison and Lance were married at the Tampa Bay Watch and even though rain was threatening it was dry for the ceremony and cocktail hour. It was toasty warm though :) The guests stayed cool with a water station, program fans, and parasols for the ceremony. I officiated for the couple and Allison crafted a beautiful ceremony that I just helped put finishing touches on .

Evelio of Longboard Photography was there capturing the day on film and ironically the last wedding we did together was also at the Tampa Bay Watch.

The couple had a wonderful guitarist play during the ceremony, Daniel Giron, through Delite Entertainment. He did a wonderful job and it added such a nice feel to the ceremony.

Once the reception began Delectables catering had a great Antipasto station and passed hor dourves, a stations buffet, and later with cake an ice cream sundae bar! It was a great summer wedding treat!

Jude of Grant Hemond was there to emcee the night and played great dance music that had the crowd, and lots of adorable kids, up dancing all night! Since Allison didn't want to do the traditional Garter/Bouquet ritual I suggested an Anniversary dance and after Lance removed the garter the longest married couple received the garter and bouquet. Very sweet! It turned out to be Nick's parents!

The cake and pretty pink flowers were provided by the Apron's Publix and the Navy and pink beach inspired theme were all pulled together. It was a pleasure to work with the family and friends again, and though I think all the daughters are now married hopefully I will see them again in the future. Best wishes Allison and Lance! Angela and I were glad we could be there to share in your day!

A Midsummer Night's Dream- June 12, 2010

2010-06-13T11:52:00.001-07:00

Jamie and Tristan had a beautiful Shakespeare inspired wedding Saturday at the Mirror Lake Lyceum. Jamie and Tristan had so many unique details to make the day very special for them and the guests.
A friend of Jamie's, Roya Millard officiated the ceremony. It was truly one of the most beautiful and meaninful ceremonies that I have had the pleasure to hear.

In lieu of a guest book, guests signed quilt squares that will then be turned into a quilt by the couples church quilt guild.

The happy couple! The thunderous applause lasted for quite some time, everyone was truly happy for Tristan and Jamie!

Jamie and her bridesmaids did the centerpieces themselves. Pink satin fabric, votives, along with a slender cylinder of ranunculus, silver branches, and butterflies completed the pretty look.

Stephanie from Delma's The Flower Booth created the rest of the flowers for the bridal party, cake, and these lovely pieces that graced the romantic columns for the ceremony area.

This picture really does not do justice to the beautiful cake serving set that the couple had.

A Better Cheesecake created the simple and delicious cake, and it is adorned with lilies and pink roses from Delma's.

I love the Unity candle set that Jamie found! It was well traveled, she gave it to me at our last consultation and I had another appointment later that day. I obviously couldn't leave this beautiful piece of art in the blazing car so it came to lunch with me, my appointment, and to pick up my daughter... LOL

I just wanted to show off the lovely inset work inside the Lyceum, it has the stunning chandeliers and atrium area, and the pink and purple lighting was so pretty.

I made sure that Lucia Angelini got some of the homeade cookies from the cookie buffet. I forgot to take a picture of the 1200!!! cookies that the Bridal Party, Bride, and Moms baked.

The dance floor was full all night with RJ Vida playing a ton of fun requests. I can't wait to see the trailer video from Hearts Video, Cara was there for the whole evening.

Jamie's gown from CiCi's was stunning!

Instead of placecards, the couple used the booklet of recipies to let guests know what table they were seated at, of course tables were names after Happy Ending couples from Shakespeare's plays!

At the end of a magical evening Tristan had planned a surprise Horse and Carriage send off for Jamie. It was a great wedding!

Congratulations Jamie and Tristan, it was a pleasure working with you over the past year!

Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World

2010-04-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day to all my clients! I hope you did something to show that you love this beautiful planet we have!

Kristin and Anthony March 28, 2010

2010-03-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Kristin and Anthony chose the lovely Plantation Golf and Country Club to exchange their vows today. I was the officiant. They composed a beautiful and meaningful ceremony! Kristin's dress was stunning! It was very similar to a good friend of mine and I always loved that dress!

Flowers were by Addington's and Angela did a great job on Kristin's bouquet. The D.J. was Black Tie D.J.'s

The bridesmaids wore pretty butter yellow dresses with long black ribbons.

There are some great spots for pictures at Plantation.

As I looked at the gift table it struck me that all the gifts were primarly dressed in the couples wedding color scheme of black, white, and yellow. So cute :)

Congratulations to Kristin and Anthony and may you have many years of happiness!

Mixon Fruit Farms

2010-03-25T17:23:00.001-07:00

Today I had a chance for both parts of my professional life to come together. I took my class on a wonderful field trip to Mixon Fruit Farms in Bradenton. I already knew that they had a great venue for weddings, rehearsal dinners, and parties... but I got to see it for myself today. Below are a few pictures, taken by me today, and some from Jason Angelini from previous weddings.

A fun place to visit if you have family visiting and want to give them a "Florida" experience!

The gazebo by the Koi Pond.

Beautiful gardens!

The Koi Pond

Visit www.mixon.com if you would like more information, the staff there were so nice and helpful! They also have an indoor room they rent.

Valentine's Day Proposals

2010-02-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was for some the most Romantic Day of the Year! Valentine's Day!
I hope that my already married couples had a wonderful day and showed their loved one just a little extra love yesterday.
But perhaps yesterday was one of the most exciting days of a woman's life! Did you get engaged on Valentine's Day?

I would love to hear your proposal story! Send me your proposal story and you will get a $50.00 credit on any of our services, include a picture and get a $60.00 credit! Sorry new clients only, does not apply to couples already booked with Dream Day Productions. Stories may be published on this blog.

So if you are now an engaged couple and your mind is racing with ideas and excitement for wedding planning email Dream Day Productions now and get started on the right track! Visit our website at www.dreamdayproductions.com for full package information.

Congratulations and we look forward to hearing your engagement stories!

2010 Bride's Choice Award Recipient!

2010-01-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

I was so pleased to receive the following email this afternoon from Wedding Wire:

Dear Meghan, Congratulations! We are excited to announce that Dream Day Productions has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism. The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.

Thank you to all my past clients that have left a glowing :) review! And to any of my former clients that have not left a review, future brides always appreciate hearing from you! If you are not currently using Wedding Wire to plan your wedding it is a great tool!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

2009-12-25T16:24:00.001-08:00

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful and restoring day! I certainly did. I love this time of year! Maybe a little more this year because I wasn't chained to a workstation in a flower shop from mid November until today :) I did fill in at a VERY busy flower shop this past week and will be there again for New Year's and Valentines day (and probably more to come) so I got a reminder of what I am NOT missing working like crazy every holiday! But I do love to design so it was fun to get back to playing with flowers. I am enjoying my little break from teaching and can't wait for some upcoming weddings. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and A joyous New Year! See you in 2010! All of my brides and grooms will soon be able to say " I am getting married THIS year!" I know that is exciting!

Kiley and Matt Professional Pics

2009-11-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of working with a Photographer new to me... Justin Demutiis of Justin Demutiis Photography.com his work is beautiful and he was a pleasure to work with. He has some stunning photos on his blog, that make mine look even more shabby... I will never have a career as a photographer! :)
Check them out here:
www.justindemutiisphotographyblog.com

Kiley and Matt, Nov. 21, 2009

2009-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Kiley and Matt were married at Church of the Reedeemer in Downtown Sarasota. After the ceremony I could only think of the Sound of Music as the bells rang for quite some time announcing the new marriage! :) For the first time I worked with Justin DeMutiis and his assistant. He was a true pleasure to work with and the engagement photos were amazing! I can't wait to see the final portraits!

After the ceremony guests headed over to the Van Wezel for cocktail hour on the bay with Dan from Steel Pan Sounds, and into the gourgeous ballroom for dinner!
Bee Ridge Florist provided the lovely centerpieces, with my favorite Bells of Ireland and Circus roses. Michael's on East was the caterer and the service was top notch! They provided the gold chivari chairs and clear chargers with gold beading. Under the charger were circular gold menus. The favors were my favorite 2 choices rolled into one... The couple are avid pet adopters and chose to make a donation to an animal shelter close to their hearts, and represented that with delicious sugar cookies shaped like dog bones from their baker.

Affairs in the Air did some beautiful satin draping and uplighting which totally transformed the room! The bride and groom are enjoying the touching toasts!

The "lounge area" was so pretty!

My camera was acting up all night, but this shot still looks kind of cool with the special lighting that Felix the D.J. provided. The dance floor was packed right up until the end. Mom seen below in the black dress was on the dance floor all night and it was so cool to see how happy she was for her daughter!

Pastries by Design in Sarasota made the cake and the cookie favors, it was stunning! And yummy!

"All the single ladies..." There were quite a few!

This fairytale day for Matt and Kiley was made complete with a sparkler send-off and a surprise from Mom: A horse drawn carriage get-away to take the couple to the Hyatt.

I hope Matt and Kiley enjoyed the little surprises I left in their suite... Angela worked at the farmer's market earlier that day and brought me the best smelling roses to decorate their Honeymoon suite! :)
Congratulations Matt and Kiley! Your wedding day was wonderful and Angela and I had a great time helping you have your Dream Day!

5 and a half years already!

2009-11-15T08:57:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that yesterday marked 5 1/2 years that Dream Day Productions has been helping brides and grooms to have dream weddings! Here are a few pictures I loved as I took a walk down memory lane...
Kendra featured below is about to have a baby any day now!

I love this shot from Kellie Day!

To mark this little piece of history in our company, any bride booking before Dec 14th, 2009 will be eligible for our 5 .5 year special pricing... 550.00! 2 coordinators will be 700.00. Both packages include 10 hours on the event day, unlimited email assistance, and 2 consultations in person. Travel for areas outside the established radius is 75.00 (one time fee) and rehearsals (when available) are 50.00.

Just a tip

2009-11-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Many times when you have an offsite caterer you are able to take any remaining food home with you. Great, if you have family staying in town, or a get-together the day after the wedding. Only problem, is that most caterers don't provide anything to put the food in. So be sure to ask to see if you need to bring a few disposable or Gladware type containers for extra food. You paid for it right? :)

Erin and Kyle October 17th, 2009

2009-10-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Erin and Kyle had a beautiful nautical themed wedding at the amazing Tampa Bay Watch Saturday. The wind had really picked up throughout the day, presenting some challenges, but overall it was a wonderful day.
Most of the family was from out of town so Travel Lovers Tours provided transportation for the couple's guests. The driver was great and he even was my Knight in Shining Armor as I was lost at midnight in Down Town St. Pete! More on that later... Erin's dress was beautiful with a lace halter and sheer train!

Cakes by Carolyn made the Delicious cake with raspberry filling. You can't see from the picture but in addition to the fan coral in the navy wedding color, were also little yellow fish! So cute!

Longboard Photography gathered everyone on the lawn after the first dance to get this group shot.

The lighting in this picture is a little weird, but honestly it was during Michael Jackson's Thriller, so it seems oddly appropriate! Man, could this crowd dance! The floor was packed the entire night with young and old dancing their hearts out! There was even and old school dance off! James King from Grant Hemond and Associates did an outstanding job!

Each of the bridesmaids wore a different Navy dress and they all looked amazing! I love that color, it flattered each of them, and having each choose their own dress made them all look great!

The flowers were made by the bride's sister and were in blues, whites, and yellows, they looked great and the freesia smelled amazing! Rev. Virginia Bishop was the officiant and the bride surprised the groom with a cigar roller during the cocktail hour. Overall it was a great day and it was a pleasure to work with Erin and Kyle on their special day, they were so laid back and obviously in love!

Now for my wonderful end to the evening... being lost was completely the fault of me and Mapquest... I had offered to drop the couple's things from the wedding at their vacation rental. I got directions from the internet and was on 7th Ave in St. Pete, down by the Vinoy and the Pier, for over an hour, trying to find the house number in the dark. I asked the neighbors I saw walking dogs and was told that the numbers skip around at every cross street but there was such a number... finally in desperation I called the poor shuttle driver at midnight and he was my savior!

I was supposed to be on 7th Ave in St. Pete Beach- not far from where I started... oops! I did find it finally and all's well that end's well!

Britton and Steve Oct 3rd, 2009

2009-10-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

On October 3rd I had the pleasure of seeing Britton and Steve get married. The Best Man and Maid of Honor said it best in their toasts, they are simply great people! Britton's laughter lights up a room! She was actually a co-worker at the flower shop for a while, now she is finishing her education to become an RN. I did meet Britton and Steve long before I knew who they were when I did the flowers for her now sister-in-law, and Steve's sister a few years ago. It was great to see Kari and Dirk at the wedding yesterday and see how their family of 2 has grown to a family of 4! :)

Britton chose the beautiful Crosley mansion for her backdrop, and the mocha colored bridesmaids dresses were so pretty! Her colors were buttercream, green, and mocha. Lovely!
To make the ceremony so persnal, Britton's aunt officiated the ceremony.

Affairs in the Air created a beautiful look for the ceremony and later the dancefloor with the hanging lanterns. So cool!

Lynn Morris, who Britton found through Nellie's was the photographer. Look at the beautiful sky right after sunset! Crosley has such an amazing view!

Britton had a cute candy buffet, of old fashioned candies. Please follow her example and don't buy too much, a little goes a long way! Interspersed through the dessert room were old wedding pictures from the couple's famillies. In the dinner room were pictures from Britton and Steve as children. It made it so personal, it was "her house" for the day!

This was after many guests had already enjoyed the cupcake table. Let me tell you, this was the best cake I have had in a loooong time- cupcake or not! Delicious! Cup Cakes A Go-Go in Sarasota created the adorable and yummy cupcakes!

I apologize I didn't get a picture of the Bride and Groom's cupcakes before they were wrapped to go, they were amazing!

The partied till the very last minute when they had to jump on the trolley for home.

The beautiful flowers were from Addington's and the D.J. was Lazarus Fernandes.

Congratulation Britton and Steve! I am so happy for you!

Getting back into the swing of things!

2009-09-21T17:58:00.001-07:00

So this summer has certainly come to an end on a busy note! Fall begins tomorrow, I always know that one because it is also my birthday... I have been teaching for 5 weeks now and I love it! I also have been having meetings with my fall brides and soon you will see some new wedding postings. I am excited for one of the next weddings- it was a designer at Addington's who is tying the knot in just few days! Below are some pictures from my star themed 1st grade classroom for anyone that is interested. I am back to taking bookings and I look forward to hearing from you!

Job Board

My front door

View of the front of the room, it was still unfinished. Note the clock sitting on my stool...

My behavior board.

My newest chapter in my life!!

2009-08-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

So some of you may know that I have been working on finding a teaching job for some time. It took me 10 years to get my degree as I worked full time and was raising a daughter for part of that as well. I had always had the goal, long before children, that I would be teaching before my child would start school so that I would have the same schedule as my kids. Well, I was becoming more and more depressed as the days ticked by... Madison starts kindergarten August 24th.... Back in April I finally had my first teaching interview. The position was not for sure going to be filled, so I waited patiently (well not really...) and got a call Wednesday asking if I could come interview again on Friday. I did, and waited anxiously the rest of the day for the call back. They said they would make a decision that day as their school begins on Aug 17th!

So you may have guessed from the title of this blogpost--------I got the job!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am now a first grade teacher at a Private school, just as I always wanted, and before Madison starts Kindergarten. Can I just say how awesome it is to fulfill such a long term goal????? God does answer prayers, just not always on our schedule! (But sometimes He does!!!)

So what does this mean?
Well for me=
- I start Monday morning at the school getting my classroom ready for Meet the Teacher on Tuesday! School starts the following Monday!
- I also have a kindergartener to get off to school!
- I am also starting a Girl Scout Troop for my daughter that needs to get going!
- I am a first year teacher, in a new grade-level for the school, so plenty of kinks to work out, right?
For my Brides=
-As of Friday I no longer work at Addington's Florist. Some of you that have inquired about bookings there I have already talked to about this possibility.
-For bride's booked there currently, there is NO CHANGE... I am still going to be connected to the shop for your bridal work.
- My current bride's will probably notice that for 2 weeks or so as I settle into this huge change in my life that my contact is a little slower than usual, I also will not have access to the computer all day as I did before, so I will get your answers as soon as possible, I promise!
- For prospective brides, I can no longer take bookings on Fridays.
-Current Friday weddings will be factored in to my schedule and nothing changes.
- Current Friday rehearsals are not be affected. New Friday rehearsal bookings will be made as I am able.
-Dream Day Productions is still in business and I will be taking new bookings after September 15th. I need a few weeks to get organized and readjusted.
-Lastly, I must postpone the Bride's Summit, as this is no longer a "quiet time" for me! As you can see from the information above!

I hope that as the end of the summer draws near you are all doing well! If you have questions please feel free to email me!

The Chuppah girl visits Sanibel Island

2009-07-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday July 5th I traveled down to Sanibel Island to Casa Ybel for the wedding of Todd and Carolyn. I was so nervous about the beach ceremony becuase we haven't had the best weather lately, but it was lovely out!
The Thistle lodge is so charming!

So here is the illustrious Chuppah in all its glory. I tediously hand stitched a cover for the Chuppah and now it is available for rental. I do think it came out pretty well! I would also love to see it with greenery and some floral on the front corners....

The very first person I spotted when I arrived at Casa Ybel was Jason Angelini. I felt bad for him so far from home with his baby so far past her due date. Luckily she held out for a few days and he was safe! She is adorable and home healthy by the way... Here I stole one of his posed shots :)

This was a beautiful bit of sky I shot from the car on the way home over the Causeway leading off Sanibel.

Until next time...

Orlando Vacation

2009-07-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you blog watchers are enjoying your summer and hopefully finding a little time for R & R. I am taking full advantage of the summer being the least popular wedding season in Florida to sneak in a few days off here and there. Seems like from September through June I am go, go, go with weddings for Dream Day Productions and Addington's Florist, sometimes both at the same time.

Hope you enjoy a few pictures from my recent tript o Orland with my daughter and my 2 oldest nieces. We had a blast but came home very tired! I need a vacation from my vacation!

At the Hanes Make a Tee store at Downtown Disney, it is new and really cool!

We had to try on all the silly hats...

I never get tired of looking at Cinderella's castle, especially dressed up in color at night.

Have a happy 4th of July everyone!

My adorable daughter

2009-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

My daughter Madison is a total Ham! So for a Father's Day surprise I took her to a few different locations for a Modeling session. I then used the pictures for a storybook on Shutterfly. I haven't received the final product ( I know we are late, Daddy saw the online preview) but it was a super easy program to do and I loved all the different layout options. It would be great for making a parents album or a guestbook for your wedding, using engagement or photos from your courtship.
Below are a few from the 150 pictures I took. I will say that I have even more respect for the photographers I work with, especially ones that do lots of kids! Her Daddy is a huge superman fan so she wore her Supergirl Dress and cape for some of the shots, as well as the feather boa I got for her a the Chonda Pierce comedy concert and the everpresent princess tiara~ It's a bird, it's a plane, it's SUPERMADDY!

Me and my girl!

It was rainy and windy so the hair was not soo good... the sky was really cool though!

Umbrella shots are great for rainy wedding days too! Get them at the Dollar store and have the whole bridal party assemble under umbrellas, super cute shot!

Look at that stormy sky, good thing Supergirl is on the case!

See you back on the blog soon!

The last one is one of my favorites.. I just told her to pose and this is what I got! :)

Vacation!

2009-06-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I just want to let all my current and prospective brides and grooms know that I am headed on vacation. It is long overdue and much awaited. I will be off from June 24th through the 29th. I probably won't have acess to email until the 30th. I will be sure to post a few pictures and hope all are having a great summer!

Michela and Nathan's professional pictures

2009-06-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few teasers from their wedding in Tarpon Springs, see below to get a peek at the rest!

I just found that Michela and Nathan are featured on the amazing Kellie Day's blog. She posted a bountiful amount of beautiful pictures! Check it out, and if you haven't booked your photographer definitely check her out!

http://kellieday.blogspot.com/

Lauren and Greg Tie the Knot 6-6-09

2009-06-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Lauren and Greg were married at the Beach House Restaurant on Bradenton Beach. The banquet coordinators Nichole and Shawn are awesome, sweet, and super helpful! It was a joy to work there again and I can't wait until I get to go back! When I woke up early Saturday morning I was filled with ominous foreboding! It was thundering, lightening, and raining cats and dogs! Not picture perfect wedding day weather! Well look at the day that Lauren and Greg got! Absolutely beautiful! Not to pat myself on the back but ehmmm... that is 2 weddings in a row with 60% rain chances and not a DROP of rain !

Above, the happy couple married at last. Rev. Shook, an Anna Maria resident performed the ceremony. Below, the beautiful ceremony site, Only Sarah and I appreciate how nice those rows of chairs look, wink, wink... ;)

Of course the sun, sand, surf, and rocky bank, make a picture perfect spot for post ceremony formal portraits.

The water was an amazing color that day.

Bride and Groom share their first dance to a live performance of Over the Rainbow by Isreal... can't pronounce the last name... you know who I mean. The couple's DJ was John Rinell, a regular fixture at both the Sandbar and Beach House, he was great to work with and plays the steel drums, ukulele, guitar, sings and d.j.s... talk about a great value!

The bride and her father danced to Have I Told You Lately, also performed by John.

There was a sweet moment when the floor was opened up for all fathers and daughters to "Butterfly Kisses". Lots made their way onto the dance floor.

The cake was courtesy of Matt and Dom's Pastry on the island, it was very pretty! Flowers were by Tropical Interiors and they did a great job.

I caught a few pics of Sarah, a former bride of mine. Her 1 year anniversary was just 2 weeks ago. She is thinking of trying her hand at wedding coordination in Jacksonville and I was more than happy to have her help out to get some experience from this wedding. Her help was very appreciated and she did a great job. Maybe we can do it again soon Sarah.

The bride tossed her bouquet to a lucky recipient who still had it in hand the next morning at the farewell brunch.

Going, going, gone!

It was a great wedding, and I can't wait to see the trailer video that Sage at Starfruit Productions produces! Congrats Lauren and Greg and have a great honeymoon in Hawaii!

Tip of the day for guests

2009-06-06T06:26:00.001-07:00

So I have run into a problem a few times but a particular bride just reminded me of it yesterday. Many guests, especially at a destination wedding, opt to write a check as a gift instead of bringing a more tangible gift. This is a great idea and always very appreciated!

Here is the tip part...... While so exciting to see in print for the first time, writing a check to the bride and using her new last name is rather troublesome.... The bride can't cash the check until she gets the marriage liscense back in the mail which depending on the county and how fast it was put in the mail can be quite a while. Checks written to the bride and groom, with the new last name can also not be cashed for the same reason!

So I offer this word of advice, write their new last names on the envelope but use the bride's maiden name on the check...

Michela and Nathan, May 24, 2009

2009-05-25T19:05:00.001-07:00

On Sunday Angela and I had the privilege of working with Michela and Nathan in Tarpon Springs for their wedding held at the Spring Bayou and reception at the Zone Lounge. Amazingly we dodged a bullet with the weather! The ceremony was held outside and it was beautiful.... though I have one question to all the residents of Tarpon Springs! Why when you see a lovely wedding ceremony going on would you Honk repeatedly and scream and hoot and holler? Over and over... almost everyone that drove by! So very rude, so please never do this! :)

The happy couple!

The bridal party was a perfect size! Bride, Groom, a brother, a sister, and 2 adorable flower girls.

I never get this shot! My camera is too slow, so I am super excited that I see air under all those feet, and well done bridal party.

The couple drove to the reception in style, a vintage caddilac. Soo cute! Complete with beer cans tied to the back. (Now you can honk if you want...)

This is the VIP area in the art lounge, it was nice to have a relaxed spot amidst the busy full lounge. The band called it for inside because the weather was too iffy, but there was still a great crowd inside and outside the lounge and all had a great time.

Michela's sister gave a touching toast and here they share a sweet moment, welcoming her new brother to the family.

Not to be outdone the Brother of the Groom shared a few memories, and got in a few jabs :)

Cheers to the bride and groom.

I loved Michela's dress, not only is she gorgeous but the dress was simple and classic with a contemporary twist, the kimono like detailing on the back. Soo pretty !

Michela and her dad dance to a little Frank Sinatra.

The "Black Honkeys" the band the couple booked was awesome to work with and really got the crowd dancing.

The groom and his Mom took a spin on the floor to "What a Wonderful World". I love the sweet moment Michela and her dad share in the background.

Party time!

Unfortunately my camera went on the fritz so I didn't get a shot of her adorable cake but the rest of the wedding was great. Kellie Day and her husband Clint were there capturing the day on film and it is always a pleasure to work with them, they are so sweet! I did the flowers through Addington's Florist and had fun with the Hot pink, Orange, and lime green color scheme.... my current favorite! I have to thank Angela for helping me on this one, I couldn't have done it without her!

Congratulations Michela and Nathan, I wish you a long and happy marriage!

Angela is a year older!

2009-05-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Shh....... don't tell Angela she is on the blog... On May 18th Madison and I joined Angela to celebrate her birthday. Madison loves to blow out birthday candles!

A beautiful wedding with Southern Charm

2009-05-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of working with Stephanie on the florals for her beautiful Southern wedding at the Crosley Museum. I absolutely loved her palate of pastels infused with fruit. The bridesmaids wore light blue and the men were dapper in Sand colored suits. Angela worked with me on the centerpieces and they came out great. The long family style tables were graced with 4 arrangements of different sizes and 3 different containers of fruits in the same colors.

A first for me, the ceremony was on the far end of the property overlooking the bay.

Many have wondered what a tented wedding would look like at the Crosley so here it is. I think it gave it such charm, and kept guests out of the impending rain...

Shephards hooks lined the walkway of the aisle, hung with Mason jars and hydrangea in a light blue.

The flower firl and 2 ringbearers were so adorable.

Here is baby Chase, a friend of mine was a guest at the wedding and I offered to cuddle her baby during the ceremony since I was just there for flowers.

Below is Sarah a bride whose wedding we did last year on Memorial Day weekend, she said she was more nervous as a bridesmaid than she was on her wedding day! It was great to see her and J.P. again.

What we have all been waiting for! The stunning bride, her dress was gorgeous and she looked amazing.

The walkway was lined with luminaries.

The talented Christi was there from Limelight photography catpturing the day on film and I can't wait to see her photos on their blog. www.stepintothelimelight.com

Oodles of thanks

2009-05-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have been a crazy person lately and have neglected the blog. I have quite a few thank you's to post to the testimonial page on the website, be sure to check those out. I also have a beautiful Southern wedding that I did the florals for and the bride and everything she chose was too pretty not to share so I need to get that up on the blog.
Also I have a wedding tomorrow in Tarpon Springs that I will try to post sooner rather than later.
Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend!

Intimate wedding on Siesta Key

2009-04-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Karen and Todd were married on Siesta Key on the lawn overlooking the white sand beach at their rental condo. It was a beautiful tranquil setting. Even though the wedding had been planned for quite some months, Karen and Todd were eloping. It was a beautiful, relaxed, and meaningful ceremony for the few of us involved. I was sort of the one-stop wedding shop for Karen, as I did the bouquet, music, videotaped, decorated their suite, picked up the cake, decorated the ceremony site, and helped her find the vendors she needed. Her bouquet of Pink calla lilies and white cymbidium orchids was so pretty and fresh looking, the charm was added as a personal touch for Karen.

The ever talented Jason Angelini www.jasonangeliniphotography.com was there to capture the day but also played a special part of the ceremony by reading a beautiful verse for the couple.

Karen had a friend officiate and it was a truly touching ceremony.

Todd mentioned that he had proposed on the same spot that they got married so the site had such special meaning for the couple, it was a gorgeous sunset and the sandcastle was so neat in the foreground.

The newly married couple!

It was really neat, the onlookers- though there were few, as it is a private stretch of the beach, all stood and toasted the couple as they walked by with Jason for photographs!

The sand dunes make a great photo op.

A bit of decorating to add a little romance...

Champagne and strawberries. They smelled so sweet!

The cake was built for 2 but was sooo cute and the price was definitely right from Publix at Stickney Pointe.

The happy couple cut the cake just after sunset. Karen was looking beautiful with the help of Julissa Mercado of Beauty Brought Out.

Congrats to Karen and Todd, your wedding was truly a pleasure and I wish you all the best in your marriage!

Liz and Steve are married April 25, 2009

2009-04-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

Liz and Steve were married Saturday on a beautiful sunny day on Sanibel Island at the West Wind Resort. Besides it being a bit challenging for me to get from one place to the other it is a beautiful tranquil resort and great for an intimate wedding like Liz planned. As you can see in the picture below Danny Morgan played the steel drums for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Also is the bamboo chupah that we built at Addington's for Liz. She was having trouble finding something that was reasonable to rent, deliver, and set up!

Love Inspired was the photographer, and AMC was there to capture the wedding on film! There were a lot of cameras there, the couple probably felt like paparazzi was there , but guaranteed they will have some beautiful shots!!

Liz created a beautiful blue, white, and silver color scheme that mimiced the sky, sand, and water beautifully.

I love the last minute addition of the shephard's hooks, tulle billowing in the breeze and pomanders for the aisle. I was the florist for this wedding as well as the coordinator.

The cake was from Mason's bakery and it was beautiful, smelled delicious, and tasted just as good. The cake was served with miniature cartons of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. What a cute touch!

I love the hexagon shape, it gave the cake a unique twist.

There was plenty of delicious treats available as Liz had scoured the stores and probably online too to create a beautiful and yummy blue and white candy buffet! Everyone's sweet tooth was satisfied by the end of the night.

I was told that it was a beautiful sunset so I can't wait to see their professional pictures to see for myself! Congratulations Liz and Steve !

Bridal show at Jacaranda West

2009-03-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

This past sunday I hosted a table at an initmate bridal showcase at Jacaranda West gold and Country Club. It was not a huge turnout but the interest seemed very genuine. I did a wedding showcase in the season's hottest colorscheme and also my favorite- Orange, Hot pink, and green. It was amazing to see that the colors, in some combination were also being used by several other brides at the show.

Above, tall and short centerpiece ideas, bridal bouquets, and flowers to wear.

A simple yet striking cymbidium orchid bout.

An array or bouts in the color scheme.

A bridesmaid bouquet or orange roses, orange sprayroses, with a hint of hot pink on the edge, accented with green hypericum and a pink and lime ribbon treatment.

Bridal bouquet with orange roses, white calla lilies, hot pink ranunculus, stargazer lilies, hypericum berries, and accented with bear grass loops. This time with a white satin and white sheer ribbon treatment.

A trio of centerpiece ideas, use the whole grouping together to offset the tall centerpieces, or the tulips on the bar, the stargazer and rose combo on a table, and the mini cube with fuji mum on a cocktail table. So versatile and fun!

I also had several of our silk bouquets displayed so that brides could see a broader cross-section our our work and different ribbon treatments and size bouquets.

Overall the show was a nice way to spend a few hours on a Sunday!

Claire and Shai, Mar 22, 2009

2009-03-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Claire and Shai were married on Saturday the 22nd at the Mirror Lake Lyceum. They had a gorgeous Apple Green, Purple,and ivory color scheme accented with crystals. It was sooo pretty! Claire and Shai were also looking fabulous.
Darla Stafford was there to get all of the bridesmaids and the Bride looking wonderful, the bridesmaids dresses were such a pretty shade and matched the orchids used so well! Angela finally figured out how to do the chair sashes so I had to show off some of her handy work, this is the look we get requested so much, the no bow look! The sashes really set off the room, and since the same chairs were used for ceremony and reception it was a 2 for 1 deal! I love the color! The groom actually walked in and noticed immediately and admitted that now he knew why Claire had wanted the colored sashes and the chivari chairs!

Above is the beautiful Chuppah adorned by the talented Dana Dineen. The orchids were stunning and plentiful. Cantor Marci Vitkus delivered a heartfelt and personal ceremony, and Scott Zinna from Starstruck video was on hand to capture all of the moments of the day, both are a pleasure to work with.

The low centerpieces accented with Claire's crystal votive holder.

The lovely tall centerpieces accented with hanging crystals and more orchids.

The cake was simple, elegant and beautiful, not to mention yummy! Sweet Memories designed it for Claire.

Below is one of my favorite pictures of the night, Jason Angelini working on his own re-mix while Rob Sword the d.j, had left the table for a moment.

As as surprise for her guests, Claire and Shai had prepared a salsa dance that was to Suavamente. She changed into her reception dress and the couple did an amazing job! There were so many great dancers among Shai's Columbian guests. The groom's sister was really wowing Angela and I and I saw here give a few lessons.

After a bit of instruction from Angela Clair and Shai cut into that beautiful cake and got back to the party. We had the cake cut and put on a table with the ice sculpture so that guests would stay in the reception area and not go plant themselves at their seats in the other room. It worked like a charm, they munched on cake at the bar tables and got right back to the dancing.

Claire and Shai had a beautiful wedding and I wish them much happiness! They were one of the most sincere couples I have had the pleasure of working with. My only regret of the whole wedding was not having any leftover Oreo Bon Bon's that Claire had made from her own recipe! They were awesome, maybe I can convince her to let me post it on the blog!

Visit to the triplets

2009-03-23T19:50:00.001-07:00

I have seen the girls several times but never had my camera there to capture the moments, except that first trip to the hospital when they were still in isolets. Mike, Madison, and I went up to Bradenton to babysit so their Mom and Dad could take care of some things.
So as an extremely proud Aunt, I present Abigail, on the left, and Katrina, on the right, the identical twins. Mike sure looks like he is hating this huh? Here Katrina is on the left, Abigail on the right.

The trifecta! Katrina, Abigail, and Zoey, funny Zoey has the most hair of all 4 of them!!!

Madison was a great babysitter, she replaced binkies and found sleep buddies for them all night, here she is with the girls all swaddled.

I am truly in awe of the 3 sweet babies! I never can wait until the next visit!

Katrina and Kirk March 14, 2009

2009-03-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Katrina and Kirk were married on Saturday the 14th at Davis Island Garden Club, a jewel right in downtown Tampa on the water! Katrina had a stunning color scheme of turquoise and Hot pink! I am ashamed to say that I did not bring my camera, and was sooo busy that I didn't even notice till about 9:00p.m.

R.J. Vida was the D.J. and after we made the excutive decision with the bride to bring the bar indoors where R.J. was set up, the party really got rolling! R.J. got a lot of very varied requests and played them all and really got the crowd on the dance floor. It is always a pleasure to work with him.

Todd Gilman was the photographer and it was only my 2nd time working with him so I can't wait to see the photos!

Katrina's dress was ABSOLUTELY stunning! I really wish I had a picture, maybe I can get one from the bride to add later.

Banquet Masters handled the buffet dinner and did a nice spread! The bride trimmed costs by handling her own bar and cocktail hour. The weather could not have been more perfect for an outdoor ceremony and I wish the couple many years of wedded bliss!

Horribly behind in Blogging!

2009-03-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I am so behind at blogging lately, I have been on the run for weeks it seems. Angela and I are gearing up for weddings this Saturday and next Saturday. First one is at Davis Island Garden Club and the second at Mirror Lake Lyceum!

I have also been trying to steal a few hours here and there to visit my beautiful triplet nieces, Abigail, Zoe, and Katrina! They are so precious!!! I love to just sit and stare at them, and of course help out their Mom, my sister in law Alison, and Dad, my brother Ryan!

Also, I have just found the coolest song, and I forsee it being a popular new wedding song! It is a duet with Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat- two of my favorites! It is called Lucky and one of the lyrics in "Lucky I'm in love with My best friend" and it just has a great sound to it.

I have no idea how to post a video that I did not tape with my own camera but here is a link. Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAZhTHPgIZI

The Triplets are here!!!

2009-02-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

I am the proud new Aunt to 3 beautiful nieces!
Zoey Lin, Abigail Morgan, and Katrina Dee were born on January 31st at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the same place I was born and my daughter Madison! The babies were born at 33 weeks and 1 day so they are doing splendidly seeing as they were quite early. Mom Alison (my sister in law) was quite the baby incubator! I can't wait until I can hold them!

Limelight Photography

2009-01-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Check out the teaser pics from Carleigh and Brendon's wedding on their blog, Great job Christi!
Limelight Photography

Budget Brides Advice

2009-01-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well, by no means am I an expert on Budget weddings, however I think that I have some insights to offer, so here they are....

~Set a budget!!!!!!! Talk you your future spouse, both sets of parents, and your bank account. Decide what you can afford to spend and work on a budget. You can't just have a ballpark amount. That is not a budget... You need to break it down by vendor or category. Some may be more important to you than others. You can always decide to add to a category as the planning goes if you find extra money. Don't mortgage the house for a one day event, save the huge investment for marriage not the wedding!

~ Can you do a Friday or a Sunday wedding? Almost all of your vendors will offer a price break for the off days. Weekday weddings are even cheaper if you can swing it. Also avoid the peak wedding months of March, April, May,and October.

~ Beware the clearance aisle! What is this lady talking about!?!?!?
Just because it is on clearance does not mean it is the cheapest you can get something. I worked in retail for 7 years. Clearance is a great marketing tool to move unwanted product because people think it is cheap and don't even check the actual original price.... Do a little research when shopping. I find this is the biggest problem in the decor area. I find that "budget" brides or "clearance" brides often spend hundreds of dollars more than other brides because they buy soooo much clearance stuff. Not really having a clear plan for the item's use, it was "just too good to pass up!" If you buy it know what you are using it for!

~ Before you buy anything for your wedding please do 2 things:
1) Ask everyone you know if they have it, have seen it cheaper, or know where you can borrow it! P.S. don't forget to ask your day of coordinator too....... Can you rent it instead of buying? Is it on Ebay or Etsy?
2) When you find something you love for your big day email the picture to yourself, cut it out of the magazine, ect... STOP, do not buy it!!!! Now, your mission begins, FIND IT CHEAPER!
Find a tiara at the bridal salon, look on ebay!
Find chargers you love, search Craigslist!
Find Votive holders on clearance, look on the KNOT trash to treasure board!
Find a veil you love, ask your friend that just got married 6 months ago!

~ Decide what is really important to you and your future husband.
Is the cake not so important but the honeymoon night hotel is?
Is videography not a priority but photography is?
If you skip favors (I highly recommend) can you get your hair and makeup done on site?
If you skip hand calligraphed place cards and do a seating chart printed with a nice font can you have the shoes you love?

I promise you that I have seen beautiful weddings that were $2,000.00, $4,000.00, $12,000.00, and $38,000.00. You just need to decide what is important to you.

If you have other questions ask away!
Happy Planning!!!

Carleigh and Brendon 1/10/2009

2009-01-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

First off, I have to apologize that there are no pics of this wedding.... I sent Angela with an assistant and a camera to this wedding, however the battery for the camera would have been helpful!

Anyway, I did get to sneak a quick peek at Marina Jack where the reception took place since I snuck out of my wedding to decorate the honeymoon suite at the Ritz Carlton. So I can personally attest that the wedding was beautiful and that Carleigh looked beautiful! The room at Marina Jack is a little small but the view makes up for it. The centerpieces were all white with coral and tall glass votive holders and really set off the tables. Addington's did the flowers through the shop in Venice.

Wayne Delair was the d.j. and works the resturant a lot. Limelight was also the photographer for this wedding and Angela worked with Christi. I can't wait to see the pics since I missed out on this wedding. Angela got a phone call from the father of the groom at the flower shop and got rave reviews! Thanks Angela, and congrats Brendon and Carleigh!

Megan and Josh Crosley 1/10/09

2009-01-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Well our first weddings of 2009 have come and gone. Angela had a wedding the same day that I will get to next... !
Megan and Josh had a vintage and beautiful wedding at the Crosley Mansion on Sarasota Bay. Megan's dress was beautiful and fit her venue and style perfectly! The girls started the day at James Griffith Salon in Venice and all looked great! The ceremony was on the patio at the mansion and started right on time!
A friend read a poem during the ceremony.

The new Mr. and Mrs. looking radiant!

The bridesmaids wore smoke dresses and the color scheme was ivory, green, and yellow. Not one that I have done before but I really loved the fresh look. The bridesmaid on the left is Sarah and we did her wedding back in February of 2008. Sarah and Jason are expecting their first child, Congrats! It's a Boy!

Nellie's Deli in Sarasota was the caterer and they did an outstanding job, adding extra touches to the fireplaces, window sills, and such. The florals were through Addington's Florist. Melissa did a great job on the centerpieces.

The banyan trees are a great spot for photos and Limelight Photographers Ela and husband Jason took some great ones, I can't wait to see them. Check their blog at www.stepintothelimelight.com

The beautiful and simple cake, adorned only with cymbidium orchids. We used the bridesmaids bouquets to decorate the table along with some petals and votives. Publix on University designed the cake.

Megan and Josh look so serious before cutting the cake!

I have to commend Megan and all of the vendors that she chose! The D.J. was Brian Pentacost with Jay Goodley and he played a great mix and the dancefloor was full the entire night, he passed with me when his first cocktail hour song was Michael Buble'!!!

The wedding was truly a wonderful evening and it was flawless. She planned the entire wedding in just about 5 months! Congratulations Megan and Josh!!!!!

Limelight's Holiday Party

2008-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Limelight Photographers Rebecca and Michael threw a terriffic holiday party at their ranch in Odessa. I brought my daughter Madison and we had a terrific time! Here she is visiting with Santa. I am not sure the name of the band but they were great.

The bonfire was great because it was only about 50 degrees and we made smores and kept warm around it.

Madison was in her element getting to make her own hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows, whip cream, and sprinkles! She took a while to fall asleep!

Hercules was a beautiful but HUGE horse! I was very proud of my brave cowgirl!

The holiday party was a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Thanks Limelight! Look forward to working with you in January.

Jessica and Kris, Dec 6th, 2008

2008-12-09T18:56:00.001-08:00

Jessica and Kris had a beautiful wedding at Kingsway Golf and County Club in Port Charlotte. The couple was so sweet and appreciative, even though things were a teensy bit hectic in the beginning. They had the right attitude and the day turned out great! The Photographer was Bridget Lopez and she was super sweet and the engagement pics were awesome that were displayed at the reception. I hope we can work together again soon. The couples dog's Emma and Bentley were also attendants at the wedding, they were the best dressed dogs that I have seen!

I did the flowers for this wedding and the couple had a great idea for a modern look for their flowers, there were orchids everywhere !

The chocolate bridesmaids dresses were soooo pretty!

Baked Occasions in Port Charlotte did this amazing cake!!!! It smelled sooo good and was truly the best cake I have ever had at a wedding.

The Bridesmaids bouquets.

The awesome arch that Jessica and Kris designed.

Congrats!

Baby Shower for Alison and Ryan

2008-12-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

I had the privledge of throwing a baby shower for my Brother and his wife and their impending TRIPLET GIRLS!!! I am so excited for them! Here are a few pics from the big day. The theme was 3 peas in a pod and Jungle Babies, as that is what they chose for the nursery. A guest that couldn't make it made the adorable diaper cake! I will post a pic of the cake as soon as I have one, because it was super cute (and yummy too) !

Julie and Tom Nov 22, 2008

2008-12-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Julie and Tom were married at the Tradewinds in St. Pete Beach. It was a red and white color scheme with the beachy accents. I think that their cake was one of the best I have seen! It was a gorgeous sand castle!

Mark Plaster officiated the ceremony and was a pleasure to work with once again. Renee at the Tradewinds was great at making sure Julie and Tom had everything that they needed, and made sure to thank me which I thought was so nice.

so far behind...

2008-12-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone, if you are out there... I have not had a moment to blog about anything, I have not had a moment to do much of anything. I am 2 weddings behind in my blogging. I did want to mention that I was invited to a wonderful party hosted my Rebecca and Michael of Limelight Photography. They are the nicest people and I had an awesome time, so did Madison.
I will try to post some pics soon. I finally got a new camera and I have to figure it out.

Kristin and Michael Nov 15, 2008

2008-11-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Kristin and Michael were married on Big Hickory Island, a private spot off the Bonita Springs coast. It was beautiful -yet hot- there. What a great and unique spot for a destination wedding. It did create some new challenges from a coordination aspect, so we had a crew of 4 for this wedding! I also did the flowers for this wedding which added another aspect to the day. The weather was beautiful and we had one little spot of rain ( at the perfect time... didn't interrupt a thing) Some pretty bridesmaids bouquets in shades of pink! One of my fave color schemes.

Kristin and I did all of the planning for the flowers via email only so I think we did a pretty great job, the flash makes it look like daylight in the country club, however when you saw these centerpieces in person with all the candles glowing it was beautiful!

Publix did the cake and Angela did a great job dressing the cake table!

The great GOBO that Felix the D.J. put on the dance floor. The couple had one of the best dance groups of any wedding that I have ever done and Felix did a great job creating a club vibe. We had a hard time getting people to stop dancing just to eat dinner!

Since we had the extra crew we had a bunch of photos of Angela and I working, most completely unflattering! Here we are consulting the timeline and keeping things flowing.

"Welcome to our wedding" sign and the altar pieces that I schlepped from :

1) car to ferry

2)ferry 3/4 of a mile to the ceremony spot- through the sand

3) 1/4 mile down a ramp to the ferry boat

4) back in the car

5) into the country club

Seriously, now that is a full service florist!!!

Congratulations Kristin and Michael! I can't wait to see Jason Angelini's photos on his blog very soon. He was cracking me up when in the bushes on Big Hickory Island he discovered a rather large snake and still kept on shooting! Now that is dedication to a shot! Sort of reminded me of a guy on safari trying to hide in the bushes and photograph wild rhino or something! It was a fun 3 weeks Jason!

Kendra and Brandon Nov 8th, 2008

2008-11-08T22:28:00.001-08:00

Kendra and Brandon were married at the Ybor City State Museum and had a beautiful reception at the Don Vincente Inn in Ybor City . The day started off a bit hectic but Kendra had assembled a great team of vendors and the day turned out to be a great one! Kendra was so beautiful. Her daughter Imogen was a doll, her dress matched Kendra's so well and she was extremely well behaved all day. I made sure to tell Brandon that he was a very lucky man to have 2 such beautiful women in his life!
The cake was from Le Artisan Cake Atelier and was simple yet elegant, and that seemed to fit the theme Kendra had created very well, as you can see she also had a yummy dessert bar. Kendra wore a Mantilla veil for the ceremony but then changed into a pretty hair flower for the reception. Her dress was truly stunning and it looked like it was made just for her. It had one of the prettiest bustles!

The party was led by D.J. Frank Lebano.

Here a picture of Jason Angelini taking pictures, I thought that was sort of funny, especailly since we have and will be together 3 weeks in a row for weddings....

Both Kendra and Brandon were nice and did no cake smashing! A smart choice, I am sure the beautiful airbrush makeup that Julissa Mercado had done would have survived though.

One of the sweetest moments of the night was when Brandon danced with his new daughter and then Mom joined in. I also teared up during the ceremony when the couple presented Imogen a necklace.

I loved the couples music choices, Van Morrison for first dance, Someone Like You, and Everythihng by my absolute fave Michael Buble' for the recessional.

Some beautiful details, Kendra did the bouquets herself using hydrangea and roses, and did a great job! Her candleabras, blue and chocolate linens, and little gold elephants for the placecard holders were all so pretty and matched the decor of the inn well. I am sure the video that Hearts Video shot will be beautiful, as will the shots out in Ybor city that Jason Angelini captured.

This was a great moment while I bustled Kendra's dress, the bridesmaids serenaded her to Pat Benetar, notice the use of bouquets as microphones.

Congratulations Kendra and Brandon, enjoy your honeymoon! You planned a beautiful wedding and it was a pleasure to work with you to make it all come together!

Lauren and Jason November 2, 2008

2008-11-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

A few more pics now that I am not sooo tired! ;)

I promise Angela and I did not mean to wear practically the same shirt but we had so many people tell us that it was really helpful, when they needed something they just looked for someone in black and white! Ha Ha

Getting ready for the Hora

Love the beams in the ceremony space!

Lauren and Jason November 2, 2008

2008-11-03T18:42:00.001-08:00

Whew, finally a wedding with a working camera- I had no battery at the last wedding ;(

Well, Lauren was a stunning bride, she honestly looked like a magazine bride. Thanks in equal parts to her beauty and Darla Stafford and her assistant. I am sure that the happy couple will have lots of great photos because the awesome Jason Angelini was there to capture the important moments all evening.

The venue was perfect and I will be writing the staff at the Vinoy hotel in St. Petersburg to tell them that they have honestly the best catering staff that I or Angela have ever worked with. Everyone at the resort was incredibly helpful! The cake tasted awesome and it was provided by Celebration cakes.

Rob Sword had his work cut out with the battle of the dads, LOL, one wanted the music quieter and one louder, it was lots of fun though, it was a good dancing crowd.

I have to say that Angela and I are VERY picky when it comes to the flowers since we manage a flower shop, and if you read my blog (this is a test) you will know that I am a Master Designer. Delma's the Flower Booth did an AWESOME job on the flowers, I could not find one flaw!

As far as Dream Day Productions was concerned everything fell perfectly into place, except the few raindrops that interrupted photos a few times. I hope that Lauren and Jason agree because it was an absolute pleasure to help their wedding come together, I wish them a long and happy marriage!

Holiday Extravaganza

2008-09-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
This year at Addington's Florist we are going to have an open house like none other!
The event will be Thursday December 4th from 3p.m.-8p.m. (rain date Friday December 5th 3p.m.)

Some of the features include:

Sale on floral merchandise and holiday orders
Tons of raffles and door prizes
Craft Ideas
Bake Sale
Demonstrations
Holiday Gifts
Gift making centers
Silent Auction
Gift Baskets
Teacher and co-worker gifts and ideas
Refreshments
and much more!!!!

If you know someone that would like to have a booth at the Holiday Extravaganza feel free to forward this information.
Crafters and Artisans will need to provide their own table, chair, cash for making change, etc. We will provide you with a location, shoppers, and refreshments.
Cost to set up from 3-8 p.m. is $25.00 Craft booths will be set up outside, remember it is Florida in December so we are hoping for a lovely and cool afternoon and evening. Rain date will be Friday the 5th of December.

Even if you are not looking to participate in a crafty way:) please tell your friends and come and have a fun evening with us! More information is to come!
Thanks,
Meghan

Finally pics from Emily and Nick's wedding

2008-09-19T21:11:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Just Peachy Photography here are some pics from Nick and Emily and their beautiful if not busy wedding at the Crosley Mansion. Emily was a beautiful bride!

Just catching up a bit on blogging

2008-09-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not kept my promise as of late... I meant to keep you all up to date on my life and times and then I realized that no one cares....! I also have realized that I use ... way to much. It just seems to convey that I am thinking that there is more to say and why do I need words.
I am trying to think if anything even exciting happened today. Well Angela and I entered to win Free Lunch Friday from 92.1 lite fm and we had a tasty lunch from Bella Cucina resturant today at Addingtons! So that was mildy exciting.
I have booked several new brides in the past 2 weeks so the calendar is filling up. It is not too late to take advantage of our special pricing. Also if anyone has seen my camera (i.e. the banquet staffer or wedding guest that stole it) please return it so I can get the beautiful pictures I took of Nick and Emily's wedding! Well by for now and make some comments people, no more browsing... ;)

Missy and Ryan Aug 22, 2008

2008-08-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Missy and Ryan were married in Venice on Friday the 22nd. I have know Missy for a while so I did a ton of stuff to help her with the wedding. I did a bunch of DIY projects that were really fun but totally unecessary... I did the flowers for her and made her french bustle. The ceremony was at Grace Community Bible Church and the recpetion was at the Venice Gardens Civic Center. The cake was from Publix. We did most of the rest ourselves. Here are a few pics.

The very cute flower girl was my very own 4 1/2 year old Madison. I should rent her out, she was an excellent flower girl!

Natalie and Shawn August 10th 2008

2008-08-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 10th Natalie and Shawn were married in my hometown of Venice. It was a small intimate ceremony on the beach. I was a bit of a jack-of-all trades for this wedding, as I coordinated with Angela, did the flowers, and officiated. I was sort of sweating it Saturday because I had very little voice from a cold. By grace, it was much better on Sunday and the rain went away as well. Hopefully a camera will appear for my birthday next month because mine never turned up from when I lost it back in June ;{ So sorry no pics again. I hate that.
Natalie and Shawn were such a great couple. They looked like they had a great day and were really able to relax and enjoy their guests. The cake was from Publix and it was really tasty! Their ceremony was touching and they wrote most of it themselves. I wish them all the best and Congratulations on your marriage!

Floral Design Lessons

2008-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

So since the beginning of July I have been teaching Floral Design Lessons at the shop where manage. I have truly been loving it! I have found that I am not a half bad teacher either because my students have been doing really well! So here are a few pics of them hard at work! The next session begins on August 5th is anyone out there is interested.

Anniversary Special!

2008-07-14T19:02:00.001-07:00

Anniversary special!
Our 4 year anniversary is upon us! For a limited time we will be offering a special rate on our 'day of' coordination packages. An 8 hour package including our usual unlimited email assistance, initial consultation, final consultation, and rehearsal coordination will be at a discounted rate of $400.00
Due to the price of gas being much higher than 4 years ago :{ the travel fee for areas outside of Venice will be a one time charge of $75.00 for all meetings, rehearsal,and event day.

If you desire to take the full benefits of our 2 coordinator packages the rate would be $600.00

Offer will only be guaranteed for one booking per month for weddings through March 2009

Kelly & William July 12, 2008

2008-07-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

I say it honestly when I say that Kelly and Will were by far my most fun couple to work for. They are obviously in love and had each other laughing the entire day. Kelly looked gorgeous and Will was not too shabby either! The ceremony and reception was at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. The weather was looking like it wasn't going to cooperate but in the end (and after many desperate pleas with Mother Nature) the rain cleared up and the ceremony went on sans rain.

I will post pictures of the wedding soon. I was fortunate to work with Joe and Suzanne from A.J. Mills photography and they graciously offered to furnish a few photos for the blog.
The flowers were by yours truly, Music was provided by Jennifer Slaughter accompianied by a bass player and piano player. Linens were in a beautiful Tiffany blue and were from BBJ linens. During the ceremony and cocktail reception Josh from Steel Pan Sounds played the Steel Drums.
The food was delicious, the Jerk Chicken Salad on a plaintain chip appetizer was to die for! The staff at the Ritz was wonderful and very accomodating. I hope that Kelly and Will had the day of their dreams!

Florida State Florist's Association Annual Convention

2008-06-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was away this weekend in Orlando for the annual convention. It was at the Regal Sun Resort in Downtown Disney. It was so amazing for a florist. My senses were amazed and intrigued the whole weekend. I saw an awesome wedding show and some cool new design ideas. I love continuing my education with the floral industry. You have to keep current!

In other news; I tested for the Florida State Florist's Association Master Designer Certification. Out of 15 applicants, 6 passed both the written and design portions. I was one of the lucky 6 and was pinned at the President's Gala on Saturday night. I took literally hundreds of pictures and will share some of my favorites as I have time.

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Emily and Nick June 6, 2008

2008-06-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Emily and Nick were married at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church on Friday June 6, 2008 in Sarasota. They had the their beautiful reception at the Crosley Mansion.
The Priest was interesting (let's leave it at that... ;)
The reception was green and yellow my first wedding with that combo and it was beautiful. They had a lot of nice touches, a Cigar Bar under the pavillion (with a very easy on the eyes cigar roller, Angela agreed!) and Cappuccino Bar in the dessert room with the candy buffet and the Viennese table. The day was great and we worked hard but I hope that Nick and Emily had a fabulous day!
Photographer Joelle with Just Peachy Photography
D.J. Ray Myers, A Night to Remember
Caterers- Delectables
Cappuccino Bar- The Cappuccino Guys
Cake- Publix on University (best I have seen in a while and yummy!)
Cigar Bar- Sarasota Cigar Company
Video- Take One Media (Pat was great!)

There are unfortunately no pictures because I lost my camera at the wedding.... I can coordinate everyone but myself! LOL Hope it turns up!
Congratulations Nick and Emily

Lyssa and Ryan May 30, 2008

2008-05-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Lyssa and Ryan were married just a few short hours ago at the Grand Plaza hotel on St. Pete Beach. It was a pristine (though a tad warm) day! Lyssa looked absolutely gorgeous! Her dress was beautiful and the orchid in her hair suited the look perfectly! (Ryan looked nice too!) Here is the first glimpse of the new Mr. and Mrs. Stealing a quiet moment alone after the ceremony, no mistaking that they are on St. Pete Beach with this as a backdrop!

The lighting in the ballroom was great as the bride and groom share their first dance.

The cake decorator was Chantilly cakes, the groom's cake below was also Chantilly but in cheescake.

Since the Presidential ballroom and the penthouse suite are literally next to one another I had time to "reallocate" resources to do a little decorating... (wink)

Even during their last dance, Ryan and Lyssa were all smiles. I approve of the song choice, Michael Buble', if you don't know what I mean go down to February's posts!

It's time to go home everyone...... A very tired ringbearer!

The D.J. for the evening was Rob Sword of Sword Sounds, Kellie and Clint Day were the photography duo and the bride DIY her flowers from Thai-riffic orchids.

Congratulations Lyssa and Ryan!

Sarah and JP May 25, 2008

2008-05-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Sarah and JP and I have been planning together for just a year almost exactly. We began our planning together with a search for a venue. After looking at 9 venues, I do believe that Sarah picked exactly the right one. The wedding was flawless and couldn't have been better! Here is the first (sorry it's dark) picture of the happy couple! A large, very cooperative, great looking bridal party!

This was another wedding that I did the flowers for, Sarah is an interior designer and decided on a green, cream, and chocolate color scheme. It came out quite beautiful!

Below is one of the tall centerpieces, it had 3 small arrangements around the bottom.

My favorite piece of any wedding! It is an arch that was painstakenly made of curly willow, pussy willow, cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchids, and hanging candles (and a little cement and wire) ;)

Both Sarah and JP had a lot of college friends at the wedding. The sorority sisters are here holding JP in the middle of that pile!

And here is Sarah with her girls.

Cutting the cake!

Sarah and JP decided not to do a garter toss, but there was quite a group of single girls lined up for the bouquet toss!

I must say that Sarah had a great collection of vendors. The ceremony was held at Faith Lutheran Church in Sarasota. Strings Attached played the touching and ecclectic assortment of music for the processional. The reception was at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The hotel was newly renovated and looks absolutely amazing! The catering staff was top notch and I could not have asked for anything better! They were truly on top of every detail. Limelight Photography was there to capture each image. D.J. was Rob Vollmar from Grant Hemond and Associates. I have to say one of the best D.J.'s that I have worked with! The dance floor was packed (literally- people were dancing on the carpet) all night. He talked when needed and didn't when he didn't!

Congratulations Sarah and JP for a job well done with your planning! Working with you was a complete pleasure!

Tracey and Jason May 24, 2008

2008-05-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

Here Tracey and Jason share there first dance as husband and wife, they both looked completely lost in the moment.

Tracey and Jason rented a beachouse on Treasure Island (just north of St. Pete Beach) for a private beach ceremony and reception. I officiated the ceremony that was quick, meaningful,and painless. Angela was there to coordinate. The bridesmaids and the bride did the flowers, and for 2 florists, Angela and I had to say they did a great job!

Here is a shot of the beachouse that they rented. It was a neat venue and gave them a place to stay so they were ready for the ceremony.
I love this shot of the bridal party on the beach! Corey Conroy was the photograher, I hadn't worked with him before but he was a pleasure and did a great job catching memorable moments.

Tracey and Jason had a fun food wedding! They had apps, a buffet dinner, a fondue station, and late night snacks with an ice cream bar, nachos, and popcorn. While honestly the catering staff and d.j. had their multiple snafu's throughout the evening Angela and I were able to get them back on track and they had a great wedding. Congratulations Tracey and Jason!

Kathy and Brian May 17th, 2008

2008-05-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

So first off, I am sorry that I am so dreadfully behind blogging weddings. I have had so many in May with many more at the flower shop! So on to Kathy and Brian. They were married at Venice Church of the Nazarene in my hometown of Venice and had their reception at the Jacaranda West Golf and County Club in Venice. Kathy, her Mom, and Mom's friend Tammy put many hours into planning and it showed. Kathy had one of the prettiest church weddings that I can remember and they put a ton of detail into the reception.
This was another wedding that Angela and I did the florals for. Angela put her "big and showy" talents to use on the centerpieces. It was a great wedding. Here are a few photos from the day.

Johanna and Aaron May 2, 2008

2008-05-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

My next set of congratulations go to Johanna and Aaron, who were married
on Friday at the beautiful Don Cesar Beach Resort. Aaron is a lucky man
because his bride was absolutely stunning. This was a double wedding for
me as I coordinated and did the flowers, though I must give props to Angela
for help with the tall centerpieces and Elizabeth for help with the short
centerpieces. The rest was my labor of love.
{ a quick note to photographers on that one, he 3 times tried to lay the
bouquets on the floor or have the girls put them down in the sand- EEK!
A florist's nightmare. If I put his camera in the sand I am sure he would
feel as I did, appaled:) }

Sorry the pics aren't quite in order, bad blogger, anyway here are Johanna
and Aaron looking like they are having a great time. They were on the dance
floor almost the entire evening so props to them! D.J. was Frank Lebano.

Cake was by Publix and flowers from me. It was one of the most expensive
toppers I have made to date...
As I said, a little out of order- Mr. and Mrs. sharing their first dance

as husband and wife... P.S. loved her earrings!

Three fun designs to incorporate my fave color scheme of all time,

PINK & GREEN! Johanna let me have a little creative freedom on

these pieces and hopefully it paid off for her. I think they were pretty cool!

The bridal party was looking great in lime green and hot pink. The girls

all had dresses that suited them from the same designer. They looked great.

I loved Johanna's unique and fun design for the place cards. It was 2

canvases with coordinating ribbons that the cards hung on. Simple, fun,

and easy to make and utilize. She could use the boards later at home for photos.

I also loved her unique idea for the guest book! It was a "my publisher" album

that she made with pics of her and the groom that everyone signed. Something

they will actually like to look at later... Very cool.

Here a quick glimpse at the tall centerpieces...

So another couple ride off into the sunset, by the way the weather was perfect

and they had a beautiful sunset. Great job planning Johanna, it was a pleasure

and the wedding was beautiful!

Congratulations!

Ahh, vacation how sweet a word!

2008-04-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

As all of my lovely brides know Angela and I were on a much needed,

and much enjoyed, vacation this past week. I have attempted to

find a few photos that are blogworthy!

We cruised the Carnival Inspiration visiting Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

I have to say, I have cruised a lot and this was not the best ship I have

been on by far. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast, but it left some

things to be desired.

(small photo size on bathing suit shots!)

We did eat, drink, and make merry for 5 lovely days though!

Cozumel would make a great honeymoon destination, it is

absolutely beautiful and you can just lay on the beach, or there

are really adventurous things to do there as well. I did a little

adventure and came home with a (gasp!) tattoo! If you email me

I will send you the photo! So I am back in the real world and ready

for a worldwind month of May with weddings galore!

Meghan

Courtney & Nate March 29th

2008-03-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Courtney and Nate were married at South Venice Baptist Church and had a beautiful reception at Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club in Venice. It is not too often that I get to work a hometown wedding so that was a nice treat.

The day went absolutely perfect in my humble opinion. We were on time for everything and all went exactly as planned. I have to give kudos to Courtney for a job well done planning.

The staff at Pelican Pointe were on point:) and did a great job!

Vendors were Beautiful Cakes by Ron, Available Sound, Moments in Time photography, and floral designs by me and my fellow designers at Addington's.... can you tell I had a busy weekend?

Congratulations Courtney and Nate!

Joanna & Dave March 28th

2008-03-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday Joanna and Dave were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa and the reception was at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The church was beautiful and the colors at the reception were beautiful. Turquoise and Hot pink were beautiful in the outdoor setting.

Darla Stafford did a great job on the hair and make-up, she is a sweetheart.

Kellie Day was the photographer and is as nice as everyone says, I hadn't had a chance to work with her yet.

Scott Zinna with Starstruck video was on hand capturing all of the special moments of the day.

R.J. Vida was the D.J. and kept the crowd dancing until the very last song. A word of advice, when you hire a great d.j., hope your guests let them do their job....

The flowers were compliments of yours truly... done at my flower shop Addington's Florist. Great job on the bubble bowls Angela!

Congratulations Joanna and Dave!

Floral Expo

2008-03-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I will try this again, I posted a witty enlightened blog about the Floral expo that I attended on the 24th of February and as I hit post, it disappeared. I will see how take 2 turns out....

Angela and I, along with another co-worker from the flower shop went to Teleflora Live, an industry expo. I thought that some of the new wedding designs would interest you all a bit.

Above is a new twist (haha) on a wrist corsage, pretty cool for a wedding or a prom.

A pretty cool Mother of the bride nosegay made of mini green cymbidium orchids.

Here is a cylindrical bouquet that is very natural... Yes that is silk lily of the valley. It is so expensive and doesn't hold up very well so the silk is a great option.

Sarah & Jason

2008-02-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

So far so good on keeping up with my promises... Here are a few highlights from Sarah and Jason's wedding this past Saturday. I have known Sarah for a while now. She is the sister in law of one of my good friends. She booked me just a few days after getting engaged last year. (Smart girl)

The ceremony was at Venice Presbyterian. Rev. Stepp did a wonderful job and was as sweet as could be. The reception was held at the Venice Yacht Club. Ray from A Night To Remember was spinning great tunes all night (including some Michael Buble' of course!!!)

Joe and Suzanne from A.J. Mills Photography were there capturing all of the smiles and tears of joy. They are wonderful to work with and produce a beautiful product! Publix provided the cake.

I did the flowers through my flower shop, Addington's florist, in Venice. Tulips, calla lilies, and stargazer lilies were the stars of the show. All in shades of pink to compliment the Black and white theme Sarah envisioned.

Sarah looked stunning and they looked like they had a great time at their wedding. Jason is a firefighter and volunteers at the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department. They added a few special touches to personalize their ceremony and reception. A fellow firefighter read the Fireman's Prayer during the ceremony, the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Dept. provided a fire engine to provide a few photo ops, and during the reception the bride and groom had a slideshow prepared of family and friends that was really touching. The favor for the guests was a donation to the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department.

Congratulations Sarah and Jason!!!!!!

Can't resist , more Buble'

2008-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

It seems that my digital camera makes the sound speed up a little, but it takes decent video for a camera! We had such a great time. I love you MICHAEL~!~! This is his new, soon to be a new #1 song, Lost.

Michael Buble'

2008-02-24T20:17:00.001-08:00

Anyone who has spent 5 minutes in a room with me will be surely aware that I am a huge Michael Buble' fan! My sister in law Alison and I went to the concert in Tampa on the 22nd of this month. WOW what an awesome concert. Michael has an awesome voice of course, but man is he funny!!!!! HTe group that opened for him was awesome too. They are called Naturally 7. Google them. They are an acapella "vocal band". That means that they create the instrument sounds with their voices. Really cool! I will try to attach a short clip of my baby Michael, the photo is not good but maybe you can hear a bit.

Amanda & Bryan February 9th

2008-02-17T08:48:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

As promised I am going to try to keep up posting a few pics and vendors, etc. from recent weddings. This past Saturday Amanda and Bryan were married at the beautiful Selby Gardens. The rain threatened to put a damper on the day but come ceremony time it was just drizzling so we forged ahead. Amanda and Bryan wrote the ceremony themselves and it was meaningful and touching.

I met a few vendors that were new to me. First, photography was Chad from CMS photography, http://www.cmsphotos.com/. He seemed to be all over and on top of enerything. Video was BCMedia Group, Syd Krawcyzk. He has a cool new idea to put the ceremony and reception on a podcast to let those that could not be there to see the day!

Ceremony music was by the talented quartet from Stings Attached, Flowers by Beneva Flowers, Affairs in the Air came and transformed the ceiling in the Great Room at Selby. The cake was by Publix and they did a great job applying the flowers, it was beautiful.

Catering was Sarasota Catering Company. They do an outstanding job on offsite catering and the food was awesome! They even let you bring everything for your own bar and then offer you bartenders. A great way to go! Rob Sword of Sword Sounds was the D.J. for the evening and he is as super as everyone says. He had everyone dancing for hours!

Congratulations Amanda and Bryan, it was a pleasure to be there for your special day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

2008-02-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am a head floral designer... SO this is not one of my favorite weeks on the calendar. It is nice to read all the card messages though, of people in love. I jsut wish that men knew there was something besides baby's breath and that unless you signifigant other has specifically told you that they LOVE carnations, this is not the holiday for them.
SO again, off my soapbox. Have a great Valentine's Day and kiss the one you love!

vendor spotlight #1

2008-02-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

I am going to start featuring a few of my favorite vendors. I hope that they are somewhat helpful to you.

My favorite, favorite, would marry them if I could, Photographers:
Limelight Photography.
http://www.stepintothelimelight.com/

I have done a few weddings with them and am always amazed. Even when I stand next to them as they take the picture I am always amazed at the images they create. Rebecca and Ela are truly talented and extremely sweet to work with. I love their photojournalistic style. Honestly with Limelight as your photographer you don't need a videographer.
Check out their website and see for yourself.

Wedding ettiquette

2008-02-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

If you are waiting for a long list of do's, don'ts and should do's don't look here... I am such an anti-etiquette girl. Martha Stewart won't be at your wedding, nor will Emily Post. I meet with so many brides that have themselves all upset because they want to do something a certain way at (ehem) their own wedding!
So that was the rant, here is the advice.
> Is is seriously going to hurt someone's feelings (ex. your mother...)
> Is it going to make you the laughing stock of the family for years to come?
> Will it make your fiance' question the very reason he proposed?

If you have not answered yes to any of the above questions I say forge on!
>If you want to have conktails before the ceremony- go ahead!
>If you want to have 2 Maids of Honor and 3 flower girls, go for it!
>If you want to cut the cake before the toasts, well my friend, I commend you for being an individual.
Weddings should be a time for demonstrating the immense love you have for each other, celebrating with family and friends, and making memories. If not following a decades old ettiquette rule will allow you to do the preceeding then why not?

So off my soapbox I go... Have a great Super Bowl Sunday!
Meghan

So let's get this party started

2008-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

I will start with some hopefully interesting news. I am a floral designer and I do a ton of weddings. So I thought that you might want to fire some questions my way about flowers, pricing, color schemes and seasonal flowers, pricing, etc. I will do my best to provide a quixotic and exciting answer. So fire away, I can take it...

1st Adventure in blogville

2008-01-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies,
I too have caught on to the blogging craze! I thought that you may want to see some of the details, pictures, and vendor reviews from our weddings. I will try to update as frequently as possible. If you have something to add, lay it on me.
Meghan