Katie and I met kind-of last minute. She was planning a wedding in a hurry because her husband has been battling colon cancer and wanted a perfect wedding day for them both. And it was! Beautiful at the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Country Club and Lodge with lots of wonderful friends and family. Thank you for including us and congratulations Katie and Jake! xo
Describe your wedding day style in one sentenceOur wedding style was classy and sophisticated Favorite memory of the day Where do I start!? I’d have to say my favorite was not doing a first look then turning the corner and seeing the love of my life standing waiting for me at the end of the aisle What songs I walked down the aisle to an instrumental of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home”. I also love our first dance song, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. The Lyrics are so “perfect” for us that we had everyone in tears, including my dad who still can’t get over that song Wedding day color scheme Dark purple, gold, and green Describe your wedding planning process Fast. My husband has been battling colon cancer for a couple years and due to health concerns we needed our day to be perfect and quick! I’m easing going so I made decisions without second guessing. With the help of friends I had the best team come together and get things done! What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day Don’t stress about the details, let the professionals do their job and your day will be perfect. (As long as you picked the right vendors of course 😜) Anything you would have done differently? Besides the uncontrollable no. If my husbands health was not a concern I definitely would have picked a winter month and done an outdoor wedding. Most memorable moment during the planning process I loved shopping for all the small things. I did not get the traditional dress experience but I lucked out with my dream dress that I ordered off of a pre owned dress site. It was unaltered in the bag never worn and PERFECT! Which moment are you the most excited to see in photos?I’m hoping we have some great “raw emotion” photos What was your wedding inspiration? I wanted to make sure the wedding fit “us”. My favorite color is purple, we love golf… it all is a part of us.
Liz and Joe’s wedding was so beautiful and fun! Starting at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park and then over to the Farmers Market for their reception. So much love, family and friends! And of course, a Millennium Falcon Grooms cake! Congratulations Liz and Joe! Courtney and I are so happy to have been a part of your amazing day xo
Describe your wedding day style in one sentence: Romantic
Favorite memory of the day Our first dance as Mr and Mrs. We were so unsure of what song to pick for our dance and we put it up for the end… It was already the last week prior to the wedding and we didnt have a first wedding dance together so I was getting stressed out about it. I had pictured my first dance to be like one of those of Dancing with Stars but it wasn’t a realistic thought. Finally on the last Tuesday we picked Stand by Me by Ben E King and we began to practice… but we had a tough time coordinating the right moves. Joe had found the Bachata version of that song too and he wanted to incorporate it in our dancing as well since I am Hispanic and it would have a little bit of worlds. Well the following days, we tried to practice but we didn’t do too good of a job so I started to feel a little bit sad that we didn’t practice much before and we just had to settle for what it was.
Friday night arrived and after the Rehearsal, we went back to our house and we did a last one dance in front of my family and to my surprise, Joe nailed all the steps and all the Bachata moves to what I was almost in tears. He said he knew our dance was super important to me and as he didn’t want to let me down he had secretly woke up super early that day and watched a lot of Youtube Videos and practice while I was sleeping and doing errands. Hence this became the moment I was waiting the most after being pronounced married of course! 😀
What songs: Stand By Me ( First Dance), Can’t Stop Falling in Love (Bride Entrance), A Thousand Years (Unity Sand)
Wedding day color scheme Blush, Baby Rose, Creme, White, gold! I wanted the romantic look 🥰
Describe your wedding planning process Fun and exciting! I am an engineer, I have helped designed major things in the engineering world… so for me it was a no brainer that for my wedding, I would be the person to design it and put all my wishes and vision into place! My mom, my matron of honor and my mother in law were also a lot of help and my wedding had a touch of them too. Like in the engineering world, I had reviews for my wedding too ha! But in this case it was more about inputs for design selections and colors that I had in mind.
Planning a wedding is a lot of work for sure! I have to say my matron of honor was a key person in my wedding. She always runs events that look like a million dollar events and she was always on top of my little details for my wedding. If it weren’t for her, I would have forgotten a few things here and there!
What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day? 1. Get mentally prepared to handle some type of bridal party crisis. Don’t sweat over and don’t let your heart be sad, real friends will stand next to you and will help you to make your wedding an amazing day without caring for their titles.
2. Get a wedding day coordinator! You’ll need an outsider control the hectic moments, the schedule and to call anyone out that might be adding stress ha!
3. It’s your wedding, if someone wants you to wear a princess gown and it isn’t your style, don’t be afraid of letting someone down. Also try on that dress you think might never fit you or might not enhance your body because you never know if that would be your dream wedding dress!
4. Make sure you write down exactly your photo schedule and who take priority! The day goes by so fast, take it all in because in the blink of an eye the magical moment will be gone. Take it all in, enjoy it to the fullest!
Anything you would have done differently? Hire a wedding day coordinator for sure! I’m thankful for my bridal party and my friend Sandy because they went above and beyond to coordinate my activities that day. But def it would have been better to have just a one designated person outside of family and friends that wouldn’t have minded be the strict hand for coordination that day.
Also, request a much earlier makeup schedule since we ended up running behind and then I couldn’t get all the pics with my bridal party as I was hoping.
And lastly but not least..putting together a more strict photo schedule ensuring I wouldn’t miss the pics with family first. Everyone was so excited after the ceremony that my order of photos changed; here’s where that coordinator would have helped a bunch!
Most memorable moment I have 2 most memorable moments. The day I found my wedding dress!! I always saw at the wedding shows those brides crying with their dresses and I never thought that a moment like that would happen to me but it did!!!!
Expect the unexpected they say! Every time I think of the first time I saw myself in a wedding dress with a veil, I just cry. It is one of those moments that you can’t express what it is… you wait for that one moment to come and for me, it had much more meaning than anyone can imagine. Seeing my parent’s faces and seeing them so happy to see me in a wedding dress was just unbelievable and unforgettable.
What are you most looking forward to as a married couple? Growing old together, expanding our family and raising a beautiful family. We look forward to family trips and all those little things in life that have more value than what money can have.
Which moment are you the most excited to see in photos? To be honest, all the moments hold a special moment for me. I look forward to seeing my groom with his groomsmen, my son, my parents, my bridal party, my family, me walking down the aisle with my dad. Every photo will capture a magic moment
What was your wedding inspiration? Well watching Saying Yes To Dress for so long shaped this image of what I wanted for my magical day, my wedding day. According to my amazing Florist, Steve, my taste for flowers and decor was very romantic, clean, very New York wedding style… hence it might be due to the wedding show ha!
I wanted to capture a mix of romanticism, elegance, contemporary and yet a bit of traditional wedding style. I spent a lot of time trying to find venues that would give me that inspiration until the Alfond Inn and the Winter Park Farmers market came into place. Both venues combined had all the charm I was looking for 😁
Describe some of your favorite wedding details and how you came up with them. Groom’s cake and wedding favors! Joe and I are Star Wars fans but Joe.. he’s at another level he’s the biggest fan ever!! With that said I wanted to put something that he liked as part of our wedding because the wedding already had a lot of things I liked. One night searching for unique cakes, I decided to google for Star Wars cakes and there the Millennium Falcon cake popped, it was like meant to happen.. it was a wedding cake and I wanted to surprise Joe. I sent it to my cake designer waiting to see a price for such a majestic cake, but when I got the quote… my heart skipped a little bit as it was def a well worth it cake but it was out of the budget.
When Nick, the best man, heard I wasn’t going to be able to gift that cake to Joe, he jumped to the rescue with no hesitation and offered to contribute and make this dream come true. Nick is not only a BIG Star Wars fan too but he’s also like a brother to Joe, and in his words. The cake was so bada$$ that it was worth so Nick and I got that increíble cake wooo!
As for the wedding favors, Etsy became my best friend and we figured coaster would be something that people could keep too! 😁
We loved Stacia and Kaden’s wedding at the Ford Pasture in DeLand! They are high school sweethearts and had so many great friends and family there, this couple is truly loved. Since Kaden’s mother is one of our dearest friends, this wedding was very special to us.
Thank you to:
Event Planning/Coordination: Courtney Ford Event Design
Catering: Free-Wil BBQ
Tent/Chairs: Special Event Services
Farm Tables: Cameron Lane
Floral: Lowe and Behold
Appetizer Station: Katrina Starling
Hair: Stephanie Castaldo, Style Works
Make-up: Cori Newhook Make up
Dress: Lilly’s Bridal Orlando
Jordyn and Gabe’s intimate wedding at the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora was filled with love, warmth, and romance. My favorite part was their first look and lakeside portraits. Jordyn wasn’t sure about the first look and decided it was a YES last minute. She was really happy she did. Congratulations Jordyn and Gabe! Here’s to your new lives together xo (See their New Smyrna Beach engagement here)
Emily and Jake’s wedding on New Smyrna Beach was so fun! One of our sweetest couples. Thanks for including us you two!
Wedding thoughts from Emily: My wedding was simple but everything I dreamed of! My favorite memory was walking down Flagler Ave and being the star of the show! My colors were sparkly gold and pale pink with some greenery. My wedding planning was very simple I did a lot of diy decor. I even made all my own flowers. My vendors were my hardest part because it was destination but I’m luckily picked out the best around! I had G&G Entertainment as my dj who I would recommend to anyone who wants a fun music and entertainment they were amazing! My photographer was The Canovas photography they were also amazing they were so friendly and captured every moment of my wedding and the best about getting our pictures to us quickly and they turned out so beautiful. We had Dustin’s BBQ and Ben & Jerrys for catering and they also were great we heard nothing but great thing about the food and everyone loves ice cream so that was a huge hit! My wedding dress I bought in Indiana where I live and it looked perfect, it was the only thing I would’ve changed about my wedding because my bustle kept coming undone and I tripped on it all night dancing. I loved how simple my wedding was but how elegant it looked all at the same time. My groom and I are looking forward and excited to travel together before we start a family! If I had any advice to future brides it would be to not stress, it’s very hard not to but the more laid back you are the easier/smoother things go! I planned a wedding living 18 hours away only seen my reception venue one time ever and it ended up being better than I ever planned because I feel that I didn’t stress I just made it all work!
We had been really looking forward to Kristin and Chris’s wedding ever since their engagement shoot in DeLand (see it here.) The wedding at the DeBary Golf and Country Club was beautiful, even though the rain refused to stop for it! So many friends and wonderful family. They had the best Dollar Dance ever! Chris recorded himself singing their song to be played for Kristin at their first dance as a surprise for her (he sounded great!) We are so happy for you Kristin and Chris!
Catering – DeBary Golf and Country Club DJ – Eddie Boscana Flowers – Bouquets and Boutonnières by Floral Boutique in DeLand.
The other florals were artificial and done by Kristin and her mother Cake – Publix Wedding Dress – David’s Bridal Shoes – Nina Bridesmaid dresses – David’s Bridal Menswear – Men’s Warehouse Make up/Hair – Sepulveda Hair Studio
From Kristin: Describe your wedding day style in one sentence: Our wedding day style was simple and effortless. Wedding day color scheme: Mint, Peach, Coral, Gold, Ivory Describe your wedding planning process: The wedding planning process was unlike any other. Event planning is part of my (Kristin’s) job, but it’s different when the event is actually for you! While there were a few stressful moments, in the end everything came together just how we wanted. What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day? Enjoy every moment. This is a once in a lifetime experience. Take a second to step back through the entire process to appreciate what you have been blessed with and all your hard work is important! Also – make sure you eat and drink the day of the wedding – you need your energy to have the best day possible. Most memorable moment during the planning process: I think the most memorable moment was finding the location. We weren’t exactly sure what we wanted when we started, but when we saw DeBary Golf and Country Club, it brought all our ideas together. It has also been special to plan our wedding the same time my future sister-in-law and cousin have been planning theirs. What are you most looking forward to as a married couple? While it’s simple, we are most looking forward to navigating what life brings us together. Which moment are you the most excited to see in photos? The first look and the bar photos. The rain kept us from doing outdoor pictures, but I think we are going to enjoy having something more unique. What was your wedding inspiration? Our wedding inspiration was to be light, simple, and elegant. I saw a few inspiration photos that had a just the right mix of simple with a touch of glamour and that’s what really drove the feel of the day. Describe some of your favorite wedding details and how you came up with them: One of my favorite wedding details were all the items I made with the help of family, including centerpieces, lanterns, and signs. After perusing the craft store multiple times I came up with a way to DIY a lot of the looks I loved and they came out fantastic! The other detail was Chris’s surprise recording of “The Way You Look Tonight” for our first dance – I had no idea what he was planning and it was such a sweet moment in our night.
I loved MaryBeth and DJ’s wedding on the beach! The weather and light were perfect. Their ceremony was so nice with a few family, friends and their sweet little sons.
From Marybeth: We met online! Haha. We were friends for a few months just talking and hanging out for a while then realized we had something more! I love him because he brings out the best in me, truly. I have never laughed harder or cried harder but I feel true passion with him. And he’s an amazing dad to our two boys. We wanted to get married on the beach because I adore sunset wedding pictures with the sea in the background I think they are gorgeous so I knew we had to do it there.
Darby has this amazingly great smile and laugh – we had so much fun with her and her fiancé Blake, playing on New Smyrna Beach for their engagement session. They are getting married in DeLand at Cafe Da Vinci‘s, (where Courtney and I got married!) Wedding planning by Courtney Ford Event Design <3
From Darbey: Blake and I met exactly where we are going to tie the knot, Cafe Da Vinci, I was the bartender, and he was a patron. We met years before actually going on a date (lord knows he tried to get me out on a date with him that entire time) but I always had a boy friend. Haha poor Mr. Blake! But, once I became single he jumped on the opportunity. Our first date was unlike any other date I had been on. He picked me up, got me flowers, opened the door, and from there on out I knew I was toast! I HAD FOUND THE ONE!!!! ??I look at him now and I see the rest of my life in his eyes. He is so kind, gentle, patient, forgiving, and loving. Words could never begin to explain the butterflies I get overtime he walks into the room. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my entire life! ???
If you missed Lowe and Behold‘s Wedding Showcase to celebrate their new Bridal Suite,
you missed some of those most beautiful wedding floral and decor that we have ever seen! Jaw-dropping beauty at this event exhibited the amazing talent of the floral designers, and was the vision of wedding sales manager Julia Gennaro. We have worked with Julia for many weddings – we are so happy that she has found her place with Lowe and Behold! And don’t worry, they are already planning next year’s showcase.
From Julia: My vision for the wedding showcase was to create vignettes featuring current trends in wedding floral design and décor. By featuring our talented designers, each designer was given a theme to create by precuring different floral and hard good element’s, along with linen and place settings. My overall thought process was to present this to our industry peers in such a way, that they walked away from this experience feeling inspired by a new floral aesthetic. Themes:
Julie: Pantone Color of the Year (Green), Citrus
Jen: Bling table, Steampunk, Modern
Gigi: Beach, Tropical
Doug: Vintage, Industrial
Julie, Doug, Gigi: Tuscan Room Partners: The Canovas Photography Orlando wedding and Party Rentals AFR A Chair Affair Connie Duglin Specialty Linen Arthur’s Catering Swag Décor Special Events Flooring Harpist: Christine Macphail Our DJ Rocks : Cierra Adams
Cupcakes: Party Flavors Florida Candy Buffets
