Real Wedding: Sarah + Zach

Sarah and Zach were married in Orlando, FL on June 30, 2012. Their ceremony was held at the beautiful (and newly-renovated) First United Methodist Church of Orlando. After the ceremony, guests traveled a few blocks to the Abbey in Downtown Orlando for cocktail hour. The cocktail hour was fabulous and included a "Claywelltini" signature drink (their new married name), passed hors d'oeuvres, a Mashed Potato Bar and live entertainment by J & R Productions!

Beautiful photo by Castaldo Studio 

After cocktail hour, guests traveled upstairs to the MEZZ! for the reception. I think Sarah's jaw dropped when she walked into her reception. It was absolutely stunning. From, the tuxedo damask linens to the hanging centerpieces by Suzanne Nichols Design Group, everything was picture perfect. After a heartfelt speech from Sarah's Dad, the Maid of Honor and Best Man, guests dined on a stacked Cobb Salad and a dual entree of Filet Mignon and Chicken Chardonnay by Arthur's Catering. There could not have been a more perfect "icing to the cake" than the wedding and groom's cake that Party Flavors designed. It truly was divine and the wedding cake seemed to go on for days! I, of course, loved that Sarah chose to use Zach's uniform as the groom's cake design! 

Hanging Centerpieces by Suzanne Nichols Design Group
Floral by Apple Blossom Florists
Wedding Favors were Rum Cakes made by the Mother of the Bride

Marquis outside of the Abbey! 

Cake By Party Flavors Custom Cake
The linen on the cake table was actually the Mother of the Bride's train that was made into a linen.
This wedding had tons of touching details!! 

Sarah and Zach have moved to California to begin their lives! I wish them nothing but happiness!! Sarah and Mother of the Bride, Christa, truly made me a part of their family during the planning experience! I truly love my clients and really become a part of their lives! Don't worry, Sarah, I will definitely call you when I come to Cali!

Real Wedding: Anne + Cary

Anne and Cary got married on March 24, 2012! They are the cutest couple and so sweet!! Anne is a manager at Starbucks and Cary works for the Orlando Police Department. They chose Paradise Cove in Orlando as their wedding venue and it was absolutely beautiful!! The weather was absolutely perfect on their day!

The ceremony took place overlooking Lake Bryan just as the sun was setting. One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was the sand ceremony. Anne grew up in Atlantic Beach and Cary grew up in New Smyrna Beach. So, for their sand ceremony, they used the sand from their respective hometowns. Guests enjoyed tropical drinks and caribbean themed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour! Then, guests enjoyed a dinner of chef attended stations, including one with a whole smoked pig!! Guests danced the night away thanks to Chrisanne with Crystal Lake who provided great music!! Anne and Cary made their grand exit via boat from Paradise Cove!

Thank you to the following vendors who made this day so wonderful for Anne & Cary! 

Arthur's Catering

Milanes Photography 

Kelly's Flowers and Photography

Reverend Teresa Knox

Paradise Cove 

Crystal Lake DJ 

Congrats to Anne and Cary on their marriage! We wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness! 

It's Happening....

You may be asking yourself, what is "it".....

Well, as you can see from our Facebook page, one of our bride's had to move her wedding date from October to June. We made the decision to move the wedding about 21 days before the actual wedding date, without actual confirmation that the groom could make it!

The groom is a Marine who is stationed in California and is currently undergoing training and school at 29 Palms. He will be deploying at some point and that is why they decided to move the wedding up so they could officially be married.

Honestly, when the idea was brought to my attention, I thought it would NEVER work. However, when you work with amazing vendors, it is all a breeze! Our biggest concern was if the church and venue were available, and they WERE!

With June being incredibly hot in Florida, weddings are few and far between. We were pleasantly surprised that all of our vendors were available or sub-contracted the services so that it worked! We were so GRATEFUL, to say the least! I will sing the praises of these vendors forever!!!

I am giddy as I type this post because I can't wait to see this beautiful wedding to come together on Saturday afternoon! Think Black, White, Damask, with a touch a Red! It is going to be beautiful and I am so glad to have been a part of this wedding and get to know such an amazing family! Many pictures to come!!!

Real Wedding: Amanda + Joe

Amanda and Joe got married on November 18 at Paradise Cove in Orlando, FL! It was an absolute pleasure working with this sweet couple! Amanda is a Reporter for Channel 13 News and Joe owns Jimmy Johns franchises (yummy)! Amanda looked ABSOLUTELY gorgeous and one of my favorite details of the wedding was her cake that was mirrored after her dress!

They had a great team of vendors that carried out the vision of their day!

Damon Tucci Photography

Lee Forrest Design

Anna's Cakes

Caribbean Crew- Steel Drums

James Duchon, DJ & ceremony guitarist

Arthur's Catering

Amanda and Joe had a beautiful ceremony on site at Paradise Cove. After the ceremony, their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour and the sounds of the Steel Drum Band. Arthur's Catering provided delicious appetizers as well as a signature drink, "The Tropical Bouquet". It was a hit with the guests!

Amanda and Joe chose a stations menu for their dinner and guests enjoyed a Caribbean Station, Italian Pasta Station and a Carving Station.

Thank you to Damon Tucci for the beautiful photos!

A Baby Shower!

My best friend(and sister) is expecting her first child in April! I, of course, immediately started planning the baby shower! She is having a precious little boy and has chosen to decorate the nursery with Pottery Barn's "Eli the Elephant" set. So, it was a natural choice to choose invitations that played on this theme as the shower is being held at her home in Coral Gables.We ordered precious invites from Tiny Prints and they are just perfect! I am in the process of making the diaper cake (so fun) and bought the baby's initial for the topper of the cake and painted it blue with green polka dots! I also got an adorable pastel green mailbox where guests will write advice for the mommy-to-be!

The invites with more inspiration from tinyprints.com

I also created my own little pinboard on pinterest to catalog some ideas! Pinterest is so wonderful!! It is beginning to be a staple on my computer everyday!

Real Wedding: Sarah + Zach

My sweet client Sarah is marrying her fiance, Zach, in October!! I especially love their story because Zach is about to graduate from Marine Boot Camp, so they are going to have a military wedding and I just LOVE that!

They have chosen some AMAZING vendors and their vision is coming together perfectly! Sarah has chosen to use the blue of Zach's dress blues( the uniform he will wear at the wedding) and also incorporate her favorite color, yellow!

Sarah was looking for a contemporary venue and the Mezz immediately came to my mind and was the perfect fit! There are going to be so many wonderful details about this wedding, but the best, in my opinion, is Sarah's dress! It is to DIE for! But, my lips are sealed on this one!

We love the Mezz! One of the best features? You can customize the lighting on the columns and in the room to your wedding colors!

I will leave you with this, a sweet email from the mother-of-the-bride, Christa! I think her email says it all! We are not just your wedding planner! We really do become part of your family! :)

"Allison-just know that you are young enough to be my daughter but have the wisdom and maturity of woman beyond your years!! I will pray daily for your business as you develop it and also for how God will lead you in the development of your family!! I'm always up for a baby shower lol and I hope that this will be the beginning of a long relationship between our families.

I truly believe things just don't happen and that knowing Darlene led us together for a purpose. Please know how truly blessed I feel when you walk in that front door!!!"

This is truly why I love my job!

Have a great weekend!!

Pinterest

What can I say? I LOVE Pinterest! So many great ideas! No matter what you are looking for, you can always find something to catalog! I found this pin today and fell in love! If I got married again tomorrow, this would be my theme! Love it!

Source: luxefinds.com via LuxeFinds.com on Pinterest