Saturday, September 18, 2010

Top this Toast!

So last year the hot YouTube wedding video was the ceremony entrance dance performance to Chris Brown's song "Forever", and it went on to be copied by brides and grooms all over the world. But at the beginning of September, a groom went even further and turned the reception toasts into a scene straight out of a Broadway musical. Literally. The groom re-created the famous scene from Fiddler on the Roof where a groom-to-be and a father-of-the-bride are celebrating a recently arranged marriaged and everyone toasts, dances and sings "To Life"! Fiddler on the Roof just happens to be one of my absolute favorite musicals. Oh, and the groom just happens to be the creator and star of the new popular Broadway show "The Heights", so that helped a little too.

He secretly met with family and friends multiple times during the month preceding the big day so that the performance was fully rehearsed and ready to go, and the bride had no idea. It was a great surprise for the bride (her reactions are great), and the guests got front row seats to a Broadway-worthy performance. I really hope this gets copied as much as the ceremony YouTube video was because it's so fun. Click here to view the full article, and here's the video - L' Chaim! (to life!)

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Lovely Lange Farm - Open House Event

We were so excited to be invited to the Lange Farm open house this past weekend. We have seen so many photos of beautiful weddings at this location but had not yet gotten a chance to go out there and see it for ourselves. This place is such a hidden gem and so unique for Florida. It's tucked between rolling pastures and oak trees in the small town of Dade City, just outside of the greater Tampa Bay area.
One of the great things about Lange Farm is the multitude of options for ceremony and reception sites, and the staff at Lange Farm did a wonderful job of showcasing this by setting up all of the areas so we could see exactly how they could look. We were so impressed by the natural beauty of the farm and how many different locations there were within the venue. The ideas are endless! You could have your ceremony in a spot under a huge oak tree, under a gazebo, or in front of the Garden House, just to name a few. The Garden House is their largest indoor reception space and has a huge wraparound porch and large back patio with gorgeous chandeliers and an open and airy feel inside. For smaller receptions or even another event like a rehearsal dinner, the barn is a very whimsical and fun area that can be given a casual feel or elegant tone depending on your taste.
There were so many great vendors that we got a chance to mingle with at the event, and some amazing food from Olympia Catering, Good Food Catering, Delectables, and Catering By Design. Lange Farm does not do their own catering, so one of these fabulous companies would be a great choice. Not only did we see a lot of our old vendor friends, but we also got to meet photographer Justin DeMutiis whose work we have admired for awhile now. He was gracious enough to share these beautiful photos from the open house with us. He's shot many weddings at the Lange Farm and told us that it is one of his favorite venues to work at because of all the photo opportunities in the beautiful, natural settings there. Thanks for sharing your photos with us, Justin!
We would love to help you plan a wedding or event at this one-of-a-kind venue so contact us today for more information on our special wedding packages created just for this location!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

New Bridal Boutique!

Before becoming a wedding planner with Flawless Occasions, I first broke into the wedding industry as a bridal consultant for a local gown shop. One of the most important experiences I took from that job was the value in buiding a relationship with your bride and always giving her the utmost personal attention. This is why I love Tampa's newest bridal boutique The White Closet Company.
I recently sat down with owner Cindy Rivera who was kind enough to give me a personal tour of the boutique. It was such a pleasure listening to her speak about her new business venture and hearing how passionate she is about weddings and the bridal experience. Unfortunately Cindy did not have the best experience in her own wedding gown shopping which is supposed to be such an exciting and memorable time for a bride. It was because of this that Cindy was inspired to open The White Closet Company.

When I asked Cindy what she felt made her boutique unique, it was simple - the personal, one-on-one attention that every bride will get when she walks in that door. There will not be high pressure sales tactics or chaotic dressing rooms at this shop. She wants to build a relationship with her clients so they feel comfortable and enjoy every moment of the experience.

The White Closet Company is currently featuring 4 different amazing designers, with prices ranging from $700.00 a gown to $3,400, as well as some great bridal accessories and specialty items. Visit the White Closet Company's website or call to make an appointment at 813-249-GOWN.

Thanks, Cindy, for allowing Flawless Occasions to visit your beautiful bridal boutique! We wish you much success although it seems like after your fabulous grand opening this weekend, you are already off to a great start! Here are some wonderful photos of The White Closet Company boutique taken by the talented Carrie Wildes...