Farah & Mike's Saddlebrook Wedding

On Saturday, May 23rd I had the pleasure of handling Farah and Mike's wedding at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. What a great location! Saddlebrook is a hidden jewel that offers many options for both ceremony & reception sites plus it also offers a spa, golf, a variety of restaurants and luxurious accommodations for guests.

When I arrived for Farah's wedding she was sitting in the pedicure chair after just having a massage. As you can imagine, she was really relaxed. Now that's the right way to start off your wedding day! After the pedicure, Farah also had her makeup and hair done at the Saddlebrook salon. Mike and his groomsmen spent the morning by the pool which they said was also very relaxing.

For the ceremony, Farah and Mike selected an outdoor patio. Despite a lot of rain that day, the sun peaked out just in time for the ceremony. Farah carried a beautiful bouquet of black magic roses and stephanotis which was created by DD's Blooms .

Photography was very important to Farah and Mike so they chose Philip Lloyd to capture the special day. I really enjoyed working with him and can't wait to see how the pictures turned out!!

The DJ was John from Prolific Productions and he did a great job keeping the crowd on the dance floor! Farah and Mike's friends and family really know how to dance!!

For favors, Farah rented our candy jars. We filled them up with delicious treats like M&M's, Swedish Fish, Hershey Kisses, Twizzlers, and Gummy Bears. The guests loved filling up Chinese take out containers with all the yummy treats!

The food and cake were both by the chef at Saddlebrook. Everything was delicious and the banquet staff did an amazing job! I sure hope I get to work with them again soon!

Speaking of cake, this couple had a GREAT time with the cake cutting! Thank goodness I had the banquet staff bring over extra napkins "just in case"! Here are some pictures from the cake cutting:


They were both really good sports about the cake smashing!!! What a fun couple!!

Farah and Mike are both doing their residency - so they have had their hands full with planning a wedding and working on their careers. I am so glad I was able to help bring their ideas to reality and be there on the wedding day to make sure everthing went smoothly.

Congratulations Mike and Farah! I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon cruise!

Here are some of the photographs I took at Farah & Mike's wedding:

In the Media - Wedding Planning Tips!

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After Beth and I were mentioned in an article recently in the Tampa Examiner online magazine, we were contacted by another reporter who wanted to write an article with us for her section of the magazine. Melissa Valdez Fitzgerald is the Examiner's Tampa Bridal Fashion reporter, and her article "Where Do I Start? Advice From the Pros" addresses some questions that a new bride-to-be in our area may be asking as she embarks on the planning process. It was really fun doing this article with Melissa and we feel so flattered that she chose us. Check out the article here, and make sure you keep up with Melissa's future articles - we know we will be checking back for sure!

Stephanie and Louis Part 2

Check out some of Stephanie and Louis' professional photos on Jason Angelini's Blog. They are fantastic and as always, Jason really captured the emotions and beauty of the day.

Stephanie and Louis' Sunken Garden Wedding

This weekend Flawless Occasions had 2 weddings again, and both were wonderful! I coordinated the wedding of Stephanie and Louis at Trinity Lutheran Church, followed by their reception at the beautiful Sunken Gardens in St. Pete. I was excited as this was my first time doing a wedding at Sunken Gardens, and it turned out to be a fabulous place. The room is simple and contemporary with windows overlooking their gorgeous botanical gardens which we were able to enjoy until the sun went down. I also really enjoyed working with the staff there.

This couple definitely had a funky and fun style, which showed in their hot pink and black color palette. The hot pink lighting made a huge impact on the ambiance of the room, and it was provided by the DJ, Rob Sword of Sword Sounds. The florals were created by Dana Dineen who we love working with, and Stephanie designed them with Dana at her studio. She was so excited to see how amazing they turned out. The delicious food was catered by Delectables who also made the double hearts ice sculpture. Le Cheesecake made the wedding cake - a rasberry swirl cheesecake that was to die for. Last but certainly not least, Jason Angelini was the photographer and of course, he's one of our faves. He's just fun to be around in general, not to mention his photography skills are awesome. Anyway, I snapped some photos of the details of the day to share with everyone - the pink lighting, the breathtaking floral arrangements, the sign-in guitar, and a few others - so enjoy! Steph and Louis, you guys are rockstars and I wish you the best in your life together. Have fun on your honeymoon to Canada and good luck with the move!

Congratulations Amanda & Caton!!

On May 9th, I had the honor of handling Amanda and Caton's elegant wedding at the Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach. The weather turned out amazing and they were able to have their evening ceremony outside. Amanda looked beautiful in her Vera Wang gown that seemed like it was made just for her. Her hair and makeup were done by Julissa Mercado at Beauty Brought Out.

Their guests were able to watch the beautiful sunset from the North Terrace patio while Mello Vibes played the steel drums. Amanda's colors were orange and white so even the sunset matched the theme!

Amanda & Caton had a wonderful team of vendors to make their day extra special. I really enjoyed working with all of them! DJ RJ Vida from Advanced Entertainment had the crowd dancing all night long with great music and lights. Jason Angelini,was there to photograph the special occasion and he took some amazing shots (as always!). The delicious cake was made by Chocolate Pi. The flowers by Dana Dineen were stunning. The couple planned the wedding from New York but everything really came together beautifully!

It was great working with the Don Cesar staff again. They really know how to make everyone feel special - even the vendors! The food was delicious and the service was top notch.

Some other great details from Amanda & Caton's wedding were the personalized items that Amanda's two aunts, Lisa and Andrea, worked hard to create. They made the menu cards, favor boxes, place cards, napkin rings and etched glass candle holders which truly made the room come alive! Andrea is a graphic designer and Lisa has an Etsy store called Abbey & Izzie Designs. You can see some of their awesome work in the pictures below.

It truly was a fabulous event and I am so glad I was able to be part of it!
Congratulations Amanda & Caton! I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon in Italy!

Here are some of the pictures I snapped. (Don't forget to look on Jason's Blog for the professional shots!)

Get Together at the Grand Hyatt

Yesterday Beth and I and a few other local wedding planners were invited to a nice little event at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. We were treated to an amazing lunch in one of their restaurants, Oystercatchers, that was personally prepared for us by their head chef. The theme was peaches, and each dish we were served was infused with the peaches that were locally grown about 10 miles from the resort.


The Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay is a wonderful resort venue that basically can house all of your wedding needs. They have elegant ballrooms with windows overlooking their tropical gardens, outdoor ceremony spaces in a gazebo or on their private beach, and 3 signature restaurants that can hold rehearsal dinners, smaller receptions, or a day-after brunch! The options are endless, and with the beautiful, scenic locations and a free airport shuttle, guests will love this location, too.

Alexis Zangari is the wedding catering manager at the resort and invited us to this lovely event. I've known Alexis for a few years now and it was great to see her - I hope we get to work together again soon. If you would like more information about planning a wedding or other event at the Grand Hyatt, please contact us and we would be happy to assist you! Here are some fun pics from our get together! And check out the menu cards, they were from Stationary and Such (Westshore Mall) and so adorable!

Chastity and Paul's Tropical Tradewinds Wedding

This Saturday Beth and I split up to coordinate 2 different weddings, but we were right down the street from one another! I spent the day coordinating Chastity and Paul's wedding at the Tradewinds Island Grand. We met Chastity several months ago at a bridal show and I have really enjoyed working with her in the months leading up to her wedding. She and Paul were going for a relaxing, casual, and tropical outdoor wedding. It started off as a hot one (and I got a little sunburned during all the setup.. oops), but the sunset was beautiful as we overlooked the Gulf of Mexico from their reception deck.

Rick, Jennifer, and the banquet staff at the Tradewinds were very helpful. I got to work with Patrick and Jackie of Captured Images by Augie and they were really wonderful! I can't wait to see their photos, they got so many great shots. The florals were done by Thairific Orchids in St. Pete and I attached them to our bamboo arch for the ceremony. Chef Nelson created their blue beach-themed cake. Chas and Paul worked really hard making many of the decorations themselves, and everything looked amazing. Chas's sister Ashley made the treasure chest card box, complete with a buried treasure map - it was so cute! Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time and their family and friends were just so welcoming to me the entire weekend, I really felt like part of the family. Chas and Paul, thanks for making me your new "BFF" - you guys are awesome and I wish you a happy marriage with lots of laughs and lots of beer ;) And I hope you liked all the little surprises I left in your room... Here are some of my personal photos from the day, enjoy!