4 Florida islands for your destination wedding

From the Keys West to Boca Grande, these were our favorite 4 Florida islands for destination weddings in 2010 and 2011.  They are all completely different, but all have wonderful wedding venues to choose from.

Key West

This tropical wedding took place at Casa Marina resort on Key West.  Islamorada is another great island in the keys - check out Cheeca Lodge and Pierre's. Image above by the uber talented Nancy Cohn

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

This pretty blush wedding took place at Kings Crown Lawn at South Seas Resort. If you're considering neighboring Sanibel Island you should visit Casa Ybel Resort.  Image above and below by the always awesome Impressions Photography

Boca Grande

Our sweet sweet southern bride Angela got married to Joe at the sweetest church and had their welcome reception, wedding celebration, and farewell brunch at Gasparilla Inn.  The Boca Grande Club is another of our favorites on the island.

Need a tent? Premier Tenting Solutions

It's a rare occasion when I find a rental company that I trust enough to come right out and endorse. Well, its officially an occasion. Should you be needing tents or rentals in Florida, I highly recommend Premier Tenting and Solutions. Here's the thing about tent & rental companies. Many times the product delievered doesn't match the product originally shown. It's a scary thought- I know. Also, having someone to speak to who really does know everything there is to know about the products available and why or why they won't work for the event you're planning is imperative. Premier tent (in Florida) has that guy: Owen McCloskey. You can reach him by email pretty darn quick! Owen{at}gowithpremier.com
Just in case you're wondering- this isn't a paid for blog post. I'm passing along this information because I really think that it can help many of you.

Ever thought to get married in Key West?

Honestly, I think the pictures say it all. Say hello to Casa Marina.
Beach ceremony anyone?

The view once you pass thru the lobby.

This is what I call an a perfect non stuffy ballroom.

Now that you've picked your ultimate venue, enjoy a couples massage on the beach.

Ok, so maybe it isn't quite this easy. Contact Kaitlin Wright to get more information on having your wedding at Casa Marina.

A great First Dance Song

I got a call while driving to LaPlaya Beach Resort last week.

"I'm callin it!", Clint Wiley says.

Every now and again one of us will come across a new song and just know that its going to be huge in weddings. The BIG song is always going to be the first dance song, and when a new one is called- boy, that's a big deal.
About a year ago I called it with Jason Mraz's Lucky & I'm Yours. Sure enough- I've had at least 8 of our last 15 weddings use them for the 1st dance and recessional songs.

So what is the new song Clint has called? It's by Uncle Kracker and it's titled Smile. I LOVE IT. Not just a little either, a whole lot.
Click here---> to download and love it too.
Oh, what's that? Is this the new Weddings by Socialites theme song? Why yes, yes I think it is. Check it out!

Fun Wedding Parties

How lucky am I to be a destinaton wedding planner? Not only do I get to plan ceremonies & receptions, but I get to plan festivities! Here's a quick list of some of my all time favorites:

Casino nights- always a huge hit. We started doing these in 2005 and they never get old. You can do something as simple as a Poker table or 2 or go all out and add a roulette wheel, black jack, and craps. Be sure to get dealers- they make all the difference.

Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tastings- YUM. 'Nough said. The trick to these events is to have a pro there to talk about what tastes so good. For wine you have a sommelier; cheese a Maitre Fromager.

Sunset, dinner, or lunch Cruises- We do these constantly because its one of those events that everyone, young or old can enjoy. You can cruise to nowhere, or cruise to somewhere fun.

Mini Carnival- casual fun is all the rage. A totally laid back party with nothing but the stuff you aren't supposed to eat but love to eat. Pizza, brownies, ice cream, chicken fingers, french fries, cotton candy, popcorn, doughnuts...you name your favorites. Try it on a manicured lawn Add a bunch of pillows, outdoor blankets, and a DJ and you have quite the shindig. Have some games available to like Cornhole, volleyball/badmitten and horseshoes.

Karaoke- This is the one party I wish more people would do. For some reason when people get away from their normal enviornment and into the celebration mode, the fear of singing aloud disappears. Don't believe me? Think about it, when you're at a wedding and the band or DJ is playing an awesome song- doesn't everyone sing along...really loud? YEP, they do. Now imagine if that's what is supposed to happen. That's right..it's even better. It's hands down the best wedding weekend party. If your budget can swing for a karaoke band- DO IT. Oh, and this one is a must have on video.

Consulting with the floral designer

So you're ready to go to the florist and pick out your wedding flowers! Very exciting. Me, I love the floral consultation. It's the meeting where it all seems to come together. Often, brides go to these consultations with an open mind, and pictures they ripped out of the magazines. If you want to make the most out of your consultation- go prepared! Take the time before your consultation to flip through wedding amagazines and books, browse the wedding websites, and look for things you like and don't like. Take what you can: rip-outs, print outs, swatches, pictures of the sites you'll be marrying in and where the reception will take place, etc. It's not necessarily that you want to duplicate those photos; its so that the floral designer can get a sense of your style. Oh make sure that you bring a picture of your dress- it helps the designer offer his or her best suggestion for bouquet style and size.
And don't hesitate to walk in there with Preston Bailey's Fantasy Weddingsor Colin Cowie's Extraordinary Weddings or Southern Weddings (my personal favorites and I think must reads for the bride who wants it all). Even though you may not have the budgets to pull some of those looks off- your designer might be able to offer suggestions to get you close to that point without breaking the bank.

Pimp Your Flips

This past weekend was Becky & Mike's wedding weekend. It was such a great time! Clint Wiley entertained both Friday and Saturday and let me just tell you- there were people who never left the dance floor. For all I know, they are still there waiting on another encore. You can check out the short video of little ringbearer Cole dancing to Banana Pancakes at the rehearsal dinner on Becky & Mike's wedding blog. Have I ever mentioned I love Jack Johnsons music?

Anyway, let me explain the photo here. I shoulda known something was up when Becky asked me for my shoe size and favorite color in my wardrobe (hot pink & black). She surprised me, and I think all the girls in the wedding party (moms too), with a pair of these customized Reefs. Her sister Kelly embellished each pair for all of us. Oh how they sparkled in the sand. Very cool. Yes, I'm still wearing mine. Kelly is considering taking limited orders for her Wedding Flips, if you're interested, send me an email.

Extraordinary Weddings

As I've mentioned before, I'm somewhat of a wedding book junkie. I finally got my hands on this one last week. Extraordinary Weddings they are! The book is really just stock full of beautiful pictures and great ideas. I have to hand it to Colin Cowie, the guy really knows his stuff. A few posts ago I wrote about being inspired. Books like these can really help you when you're trying to figure out what kind of wedding enviornment you might want to have. And its totally okay to bring these books to your wedding designer/planner and say, "I'd like to start here". A $500,000 budget isn't required to pull some of the elements into your wedding...it's just a matter of substitution and being creative.