6 Florida Gulf coast islands great for weddings

I am a fan of lists.  Particularly favorite lists.  Here are my favorite islands for weddings on the Gulf of Mexico and a place to get married on each.

Cocktail reception at Gasparilla Inn

1. Captiva: South Seas Resort. Island luxury, yet anything but stiff. Who to call: John or Teresa
2. Sanibel Island. Casa Ybel Resort. Natural and vintage. Relax here. Who to call: Jessica or Jen
3. Boca Grande: Gasparilla Inn. Perfected elegant beach town. Sophisticated beach Chic. Who to call: Lindsey
4. Cabbage Key: Cabbage Key Inn. Undisturbed natural beauty. Party in peace. Who to call: Ken
5. Useppa: Useppa Island Club. Tropical Garden Escape. Who to call: Jasmine
6. Pineland: Tarpon Lodge. Take over the place. Frozen in time.Who to call: Shohreh

Ceremony on the docks of Tarpon Lodge. Photo Credit: Impressions Photography

Please note that I don't have a single favorite on this list.  I love and recommend each of these islands and venues for very different reasons.  For that reason alone- I highly suggest you consider them all!

Spreading the holiday cheer Captiva, Sanibel, Naples, Ft Myers Wedding Venues & Vendors

This week we did our annual holiday cheer deliveries to a few of our favorite venues and vendors we worked with this year.
{This year we made gifts of a baby Rosemary Christmas tree, baguettes from Panera, Olive Oil & Balsalmic Vinegar, and a dipping bowl with a super cheesy holiday card I designed. I don't think Hallmark will be hiring me anytime soon}
Here we are at our first stop: Floral Artistry. Beth was gone for the day and Yanna was tied up on the phone. From there we headed out to South Seas. Kind of a drive- so we played a game of iphone Name that Tune. That Shazam app is so cool!
I thought, "You know what, maybe our clients and readers might like to see some of the people we're always talking about!" So here's the ones we were able to catch on camera:The Sales and Catering Team from South Seas Island Resort
Kathi & Sarah from Talent! The Agency of Choice

Lynn Alexander from LaPlaya Beach ResortThe Sales & Catering Team from Casa Ybel Resort
Rob & AnnMarie Epple of AMC Video

We also made deliveries at Grandezza (Sean Hynes), Miromar Beach Club (Lesley O'Quinn), Sanibel Harbour Resort (Kristin Lawrence)and the Ritz Carlton Naples Beach (Nicola Long)...but they were all tied up getting ready for weddings. Hope you're having fabulous ones!
A huge thank you to all of you for being part of another year of so many great weddings!

Introducing Lily

Isn't she just the cutest little thing ever?

Look who stopped by today! This is Lily and she belongs to Jen & Chris who are the wedding Phenoms from Casa Ybel Resort. Michelle and I pretty much knocked each other over trying to get away from our desks and over to her 1st.
It was just a year ago last March that we helped them tie the knot... Wedding Photo by Gigi Hamlett

Real Wedding: Sanibel Style

Isn't this just one of the cutest pictures ever? Photographer Julie Goodacre captured all these shots. Jen & Scott tied the knot back in May at Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island. When Jen came to me, I asked her to go through the wedding books and find images of what she liked. Many of her favorites were popular ones this year (from Karen Bussens Simple Stunning Weddings). Click on the books label to see a list of my favorite wedding inspiration books.

Have a seat...

I loved how romantic her bouquet was. And notice that Scott's Boutonierre matched!

What a pretty dress. So pretty, that two of our brides wore it this season!

Candy is not just for kids anymore:

Jen & Scott have lots of little ones in their families (like 10!). So to include them all, we had them start the processional by walking down the aisle and placing starfish on the sand at each chair. Cutest thing ever:

Jen liked the chair embellishments we did at Donna & Jims wedding. So we recreated the look in her colors:

This is a true beach lounge area. Because that whole South Beach vibe didn't mesh with this classic Florida affair:

It's the little details that make these simple tables special:

The ceremony site:

Yep! Those are oranges:

The maid of honor with both the bouquets. GORGEOUS
(and by Floral Artistry by the way):

We carried the motif from her invitations on to her menu cards:

We did a mix of round and long tables under the dinner tent. This was the round centerpiece:

And this is how the long tables looked. I loved the collection of varying vases and flowers:

Another great wedding!

Onsite coordinators vs. Independent PlannersExplaining the HUGE difference

I had 12 minutes before my clients were due to arrive at the florist on Friday, so I was really excited to take advantage of the time and read the new In Style Weddings. It's a great magazine, and their new wedding website is supposed to be launching soon. Anyhoo, I get to the etiquette secion and here's what I read,

"I'm having a destination wedding at a venue that employs an in-house planner, and she hasn't consulted me on some decisions. How should I handle this?"

While the answer given was good, it was very much incomplete. Here's why; the answer didn't explain that perhaps what the bride was expecting the planner to do, wasn't at all her job. You see, an onsite (or in-house) planner is typically only responsible for things that happen onsite and that are relative to the site and its staff- and NOTHING else.
So, then what's the difference? I'm going to clear this up once and for all. The best way to find out what exactly your "included" planner will do...ask. Here are a few really good questions. And yes, the crazy seeming ones, I have actually had to do.
"Hello Onsite Planner (insert name here)! I have a few questions for you. Yes or no answers please."

"Will you...

1. Call all the vendors on your preferred vendors list and see if they are available for my wedding and in my budget? And if not, will you get me 3 more options who are?
2. Create a budget for me for everything wedding day related?
3. Write and hand out both wedding party and guest list itineraries?
4. Compile all the goodies for the welcome bags and make sure all the hotels get them just before guests arrive?
5. Give me stationary and etiquette advice?
6. Keep my mother at the cocktail hour, far from me during photos, with a full gin and tonic and away from crazy Uncle Steve?
7. Schedule and attend all the vendor meetings with me?
8. Review all the contracts I'll have to sign?
9. Prepare a detailed timeline for my day as well as one for all the vendors working at my wedding?
10. Go out and find my new father-n-law size 12.5 brown leather lace free yet wedding appropriate shoes when his sole falls off during the ceremony and make sure that you're back in time for him to be introduced into the dinner reception?
11. Call and confirm all the vendors have been paid, are going to show up, if they need anything further, and that they do in fact know not to say anything about the surprise grooms cake.
12. Find a replacement tuxedo for the best man the morning of the wedding when it arrives blue and not black?
13. Help me create design options for my wedding?
14. Research and find favors, a unique escort card display and super cool fun things for my guests to do at my wedding?
15. Help me plan a welcome reception, grooms outing, bridesmaids luncheon, and rehearsal dinner? Oh, and a farewell brunch too? Oh, but not all at your site of course.
16. Figure out all the rentals I'll need, order them, and then oversee the installation?
17. Stay for the entire wedding and then check under every single table for lost shoes and purses after everyone leaves?
18. Run the rehearsal?
19. Email me when you find flip flops on clearance at Old Navy and then fight with them until they agree to send all 775 to you, even if it does clean out their stock?
20. Have an emergency kit prepared for me and my bridesmaids?
21. Make sure there are hsopitality baskets in the restrooms?
22. Politely explain to the make-up artist that my eyes look ridiculous so I don't have to feel awkward?"

Here is one thing I want to make perfectly clear- onsite planners or coordinators are wonderful and very helpful and are responsible for an enormous amount of work that you will never even realize. I just feel that its important to know that what an independent wedding planner such as myself does, is not what 95% of onsite planners do...2 different job descriptions. Picture above, me and Jen Dube (onsite planner for Casa Ybel- and she rocks.)

Oh, and the 775 flip flops- the UPS guy thought he had seen it all until that delivery. And my husband, well, he "pointed out the 17 boxes in my living room" every day until we were down to 12 boxes. Now, "Remember when we had 775 flip flops? The 600 left seem like nothing huh?"

Jen got married!

This weekends wedding was a special one. You might recognize the gal in the photo with me, its Jen, the wedding coordinator at Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island. We've worked many weddings together over the last few years. It was an honor to be able to work with her on her very own wedding. Click HERE to see her photoshow. These are snapshots I took- the professional photos will be a few weeks...