I LOVE Florida!

It's 81 degrees right now and the sun is shining and the Gulf breeze is blowing. It is absolutely AMAZING weather here today. I met with Susan & Jim at the florist this morning for the consultation. They're getting married on Sanibel in May. They had just driven down from Cincinatti. Can you imagine going from Ohio to this (see picture)? Needless to say, it is a picture perfect day on the island. There were dozens and dozens of people lining Periwinkle on their bikes. There were people taking in the rays at the pool, people having lunch on the terraces and sidewalk cafes...just gorgeous.
Later this afternoon I'm driving down to Naples for a rehearsal. Erika & Gareth are tying the knot on the beach Sunday evening and then having a huge bash at her mom's house, traditional wedding reception followed by a New Years party. We did have to put a tent up (better safe than sorry), but it looks amazing. Lots of cool lighting and decor. The coolest thing, Gareth, who is a carpenter, built a dancefloor/platform over the entire pool. It is outrageous. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures.
Ok, I want out of the office- enjoy the day gang!

Holiday Surprises!

This has been such a great holiday season. I have to tell you about my Christmas because it ROCKED! Christmas morning we woke up to one of my wedding day 2-way radios, "Mom we're awake. Can we come out?" Explanation: last year our kids got up and saw all the stuff Santa brought and we didn't get to see the looks on their faces. So this year, before they went to bed, we gave them a radio. We told them to radio us when they woke up and we'd come get them- not to leave the room! Needless to say, it was hilarious. Even at 7am.
So at Christmas dinner at my sister-n-laws house, she announced she was finally having a baby! It was just the greatest thing to hear. I cried of course. All of my clients who are newlyweds know that I am forever crying- totally water works factory. I honestly didn't think it could get better. I was wrong.
After dinner, we went to our best friends house for a Christmas party. I'm telling everyone the great news about my sister, and one of our closest friends says, "Guess what! I'm pregnant too!" I screamed, and started crying again. They're due just 2 weeks apart. Great night huh? Believe it or not, that wasn't the end of it.
An hour later, my best friend makes a toast to the pregnant friend, and at the end of the toast says, "And I have one more surprise. Follow me out to the dock." We get outside, and our other set of friends (who I set up exactly 2 years ago this week), is on the boat with Reverend Chris. It was a surprise wedding. I immediately broke into tears- again. Actually, by this point I'm completely sobbing.
Ok, so maybe I was a little sad about not getting to plan even a little bit of the wedding. But getting to watch as a guest was priceless.
Happy holidays everyone, and I hope yours are as special as mine.

New Wedding Blogs

Hi all...I know, long time. I owe some pictures! I've decided to post weddings individually on their own blogs. Here's some new ones:
Krista & Chris
Jennifer & Alyn

How'd it get to be December already?

It's been a month and there have been 2 really great weddings! I can't wait to share the pictures from both. Just this weekend was Julie & Phils. What a great couple. I had so much fun planning with them. For their rehearsal we had a tropical elegant dinner, beach front under a tent. The kids had their very own space- and totally took advantage of it. Finally Saturday, after a beautiful church ceremony they had a perfect Christmas themed wedding reception. Priority number 1 for Julie and Phil was the DJ. And boy did we have the perfect DJ! The dancefloor was at max capacity the whole night! It took a huge portion of planning time and a big chunk of the budget to get that DJ- but it was worth it because it was what was most important to the bride and groom. To see the photoshow, click the link on the right.

And last month was Krista & Chris's Vintage Hollywood wedding. It was amazing- by far the most personal ceremony I've witnessed. The Pro pics will be out soon, so I'm going to wait for those before I post too much more about it...something to look forward to for sure.