Heather & James

March 24

Dade City, Florida

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Q & A with the Bride: 

1. Which three details from your wedding were your favorite?

1. The altar: We wanted a “sweet country” feel, so we stacked 3 large round hay bales on top of each other and adorned each one with a white and yellow floral wreath in the center.
2. The favors: We created “make your own butter” favors by providing each guest with a mason jar with a marble in it (for better mixing); and preset the tables with cream and mixed herbs. Our guests had a good time watching the butter form (and the noise created a fun atmosphere).
3. The escort cards: We took 150 small wooden cows, painted them white and used tracing paper to transfer the names in a cursive font onto them. We painted a picket fence yellow and
gave it a rustic treatment to rest the cows on. We had unique cow table numbers to coordinate (each one was printed in a different pattern for an eclectic feel).

2. Give us the one moment in your wedding that you can’t stop thinking about. 

I can’t stop thinking about the moment when the horse and carriage pulled up to the start of the aisle and my dad helped me down. The aisle was so beautiful with yellow rose petals in the shape of hearts, buckets of babies breath lining the white wooden chairs and the large hay bales with gorgeous wreaths–all of which faded into the background as I was walking towards my future husband.

This is a first–an animal-themed wedding at a zoo! A creative styled shoot that uses prints for every detail, including the jewelry, attire, linens, games and desserts. No wonder the model bride and groom blended in with their venue, guests (and animals) so well.

Danielle & Michael

March 24

Florida

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Q & A with the Bride:

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

Neither my husband nor I are religious, so we made the ceremony more casual and romantic including photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day, which was important to us. I also loved the way our bridal party turned out.  I gave them a color palette and told them to make a decision themselves! It turned out better than I could have chosen myself. The guys were handsome and the girls were beautiful in their knee-length, one-strap dresses. In addition, the food was phenomenal. The chef, who is one of our friends, did an exquisite job making all the appetizers and dinner as well as the midnight snacks.

Give us one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

The one moment I can’t stop thinking about from our wedding was when we began our first dance. My husband, who is a musician, insisted we do a waltz so we took all these classes leading up to our wedding day. Then as we began our dance, I realized he had composed a waltz for us! I lost it and literally cried until the song was over. It was the sweetest thing I could have ever imagined. 

Carla & Aaron

November 5

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

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Q&A with the Bride:

What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

Our venue is beautiful from the second you pulled onto the grounds.  Their landscaping was perfect and the club house was gorgeous.  We wanted a destination wedding and our venue made you feel like you were at a resort.

 Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. Having all-white decor made everything very elegant
   
2. I loved the overload of candles -so romantic.
   
3. No cake!  I had an ice cream machine and dessert bar instead.

If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be? 

Be different!  I stayed away from a traditional wedding and made it my own.  You can keep some traditions that are important to you, but add something different that your guest will always remember.

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

The dancing!  From our first dance to shaking it all night.

Meghan & Jonathan

November 11

St. Augustine, Florida

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Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

Only three?  All the DIY stuff was an obvious choice, we’re a little partial. Our take on northern and southern details and the things I wore were our favorites also. My groom built our cake dock to match our coastal theme, and it was so incredible. He and my dad found all the driftwood for our arch and then they built it…so special!

We assembled everything to match our coastal theme with nautical rope and our monogram. Our top favorites had to be the eight knot boutonnieres, mini faux docks that we used for the table names, and our escort cards that were a mini message in a bottle.  My aunts, sisters, dad’s girlfriend, and bridesmaids helped me do everything. Since we both lost our mothers before we were engaged, the time these ladies spent with me meant more than they will ever know.Everything was a labor of love, and it was awesome to see it all come together.

All the little things we did that were a northern and southern touch were also a favorite. Since I grew up in a real small, southern town, and my groom straight from the big apple, we wanted to express that in our style and food. Ahi tuna, spanakopita, and shrimp and grits were a few foods on our menu; we used southern mason jars instead of vases for centerpieces and our antique bottles were all from New York City.

My something borrowed, blue, and old was also a favorite. I wore my childhood best friend and matron of honor’s veil, our names and wedding date were embroidered in blue under a ruffle in my dress, and I wore our late mothers’ jewelry: my mother’s engagement ring and my mother-in-law’s bracelet,  it was very meaningful to have a piece of them with us that day. We were completely surrounded by sentimental details everywhere on our wedding day.

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

Um, the whole day? Gosh, being surrounded by everyone we love was a feeling impossible to put into words.  The surprise dance with my dad was priceless, but for just one moment, it was when the doors opened and we saw each other the first time. My groom was set on us not seeing each other before the wedding, not even for a first look, and I’m so glad he was. There was nothing like that door opening, looking straight down the aisle directly to him. He had the sweetest, proudest look on his face, and I had a perm-a-grin.  It was a moment we will never forget.