Art Deco inspired wedding in Florida? Sure why not.

I had so much fun designing this wedding.  When Jessica called me and said, "Old Hollywood, Glamour, Grandiose, Black, Silver..." I went ballistic with excitement!  We had so much fun pulling this one together and I think this video shows it perfectly.

Bonita Bay Country Club Wedding - Jessica + Keith from iheART Films on Vimeo.
My favorite part of watching this video?  It reminded me of everything.  Right down to our original image it all started with:

I originally found this image on Pinterest, and I believe the photographer is Becker

It really was the most perfect Bonita Springs day. 

Blush and Gold and Turtle Pond

Have you visited my blush & gold pinterest board {See it here}?  There's prettiness like this darling bridesmaid dress:

Source: eventjubilee.com via Kelly on Pinterest
After post edit: A great question was asked via comment by "Anonymous" about the above dress.  One of the things I love about Pinterest is that sometimes you do have some clicking to do to find the answers.  In the clicking through - you can come across some really great finds. The best thing I found about this one when I went to find the answer to where to find this dres...some of my favorite people in the world were behind this image and the inspiration shoot that it belongs with!

photography by carla ten eyck photography

floral design: datura: a modern garden

fashion styling: the white dress by the shore

beauty: dd nickel

paper: coral pheasant

And this stunning ceremony backdrop draped with white sheers and lush white, ivory and champagne flowers, and a trio of chandeliers.

Source: southernpiphi.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I noticed that this image above was taken by Turtle Pond, who shot one of our destination weddings a few years ago (Here's a link to their wedding slideshow that Jamie shared with us).  They were such a  pleasure to work with! Here are a few shots from that wedding (Pink Shell Resort, Signature Florals, Kakes by Karen):

My Real Wedding from The Knot and The Nest.
My Real Wedding from The Knot and The Nest.
My Real Wedding from The Knot and The Nest.

A Beach, A Tent, and Fuchsia Peonies Vol 2

Did you enjoy the video? Audrey and Mike shared some more of the wedding and I thought after seeing the video you might want to see more! Enjoy these great photos:

The bridesmaids bouquets

A pre ceremony toast

I'm still dying over this bouquet by Signature Floral. Have you ever seen such stunning colors of peonies, roses, ranunculus?

Who doesn't love a petal dressed aisle?

See- THIS is great use of flowers at a beach wedding!

I love calligraphy. ALOT. Thank you Samira for these!

And no, you most certainly do not have to go overboard with the "beach" or "shell" theme...its quite possible to keep it elegant and simple!

A lined tent (draped poles too) with great lighting and pretty linens to match. All the details are what make this look so perfectly sophisticated.

The cigar roller was a surprise from Andrea to Will.  He was a huge hit of course.  The tent-patio we placed just outside the tent was the perfect compliment.

The fireworks show was a surprise for all the wedding guests and marked the start of the after party!

Audrey & Mike, thank you so much for sharing the photos.

A Beach, A Tent, and Fuchsia Peonies, oh yes.

Last November we had the most lovely tented wedding at South Seas resort on Captiva Island.  Here is a little peek into the day, courtesy of AMC Video


Andrea and Will had their ceremony on Sunset Cove and cocktail hour on Sunset Beach before heading to the tented lawn after an amazing sunset.  The raspberry and fuchsia flowers (roses, orchids and peonies) by Signature Florals were so pretty and cheerful, just like Andrea.  Before the night was over, all the guests headed over to the beach one last time for a surprise fireworks show.
I miss this wedding... I'll blog pictures next!

An actual garden wedding in Florida Vol 3

Confession: I love wedding pictures.  I especially love portraits.  Why?  Because there's great thought put into them...and you can tell.  When they're done right - you can see the joy and love that is happening and the bonus is that who or what ever is being photographed ... looks perfected.

 Kate with all her sweet bridesmaids (they really were - Kate has amazing girlfriends) in their perfect green dresses.  Mint green is a great summer wedding color.

Okay.  Get ready. Super cute 1st look series of images coming R  I  G  H  T    N  O  W!

 And that is how a 1st look is done. LOVE IT.

Your photographer will take a portrait of your bouquet.  I know, it sounds silly, but trust me, you will look at it 80 times and be glad that she did.  And yes, those are those amazing yellow peonies in there.  But don't tell Signature Florals I told you so.  She'll kill me.

Another portrait you'll want? This one.  Kate's hair and makeup was done by the amazing David & Daniel at Salon Tease.

To make sure that we had some really perfect images before heading to Naples Botanical Garden & the summer heat, we planned out some portrait time (including the 1st look) with Ashley Brockinton at the host resort, the Marco Island Marriott

To see all three posts in the series, you'll want to click here.

A Photographers Wedding Vol 2

 

How beautiful is this custom headpiece Audrey wore? Proof that adding a little color (even/especially black) in your bridal ensemble can be stunning for your wedding.

The Wedding Day.  I think it had to be the hottest day in the history of Florida.  But let me say this...nobody cared.  It was just so wonderful being at this celebration that the heat and sweat were the last thing anyone was thinking about.

Since Audrey and Mile didn't have a wedding party, they opted to have one of their favorite poems on the ceremony program.

We decided to switch the processional and recessional to take advantage of the Heitman House as the backdrop.  So Pastor Hagmaier, Grant (Audreys little guy), Mike and Audrey appeared from the porch and walked towards the guests. At the end of the ceremony, they recessed towards the river.

This is one of my favorite bouquets ever.  I just loved the touch of feathers and gray mixed in with the Peonies, and Iris' and Roses.

I want to draw attention to this boutonniere.  Sue Bain sized it appropriately for Mike's stature and its the right colors for the suit. I can't tell you how big a difference this makes.  In other words- make certain that your florist knows what your groom and groomsmen are wearing and at a minimum your grooms height and stature.

This wedding was intimate and in a beautifully landscaped waterfront backyard, so we really didn't need to add too much.  Just a few arrangements hanging at the end of the 1st and last rows. The Queen Ann's Lace, cabbage, and lily stole the show.

Did you see vol 1?  Well by all means go visit.  And be sure to check back for vol 3 as well (the reception).

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A Photographers Wedding Vol 1

When Audrey came to me to ask for my help with her wedding I was on board before she even got to the question part of the question. In the Ft Myers and Naples area all the wedding professionals are pretty friendly with each other since we're such a small community.  I'd been working with Mike & Audrey for years and so we were not only industry professionals, we were friends.   Two of our kids started kindergarten the same day, and we celebrate birthdays and attend the same holiday parties, so on and so on.  The great thing about planning a wedding with wedding photographers is that you know that you're going to have a phenomenal team to work with. Boy did we ever... Signature Floral, Hope Artistry, Ashley Brockinton, Clint Wiley of None Other and Ellas Cakes.

 

What does the bride & groom who usually photograph weddings decide to do when planning their own wedding?  Take as many photos before the wedding as possible so that they can enjoy the wedding day with their family & friends.  All the images in this post (there will be 3 posts) were taken in the days before the wedding (by Ashley Brockinton). Besides giving you more time for your wedding experience, it also allows you to have more fun with your pictures.  Like this portrait with tea cups. SO freaking cute.

Yeah, Mike & Audrey are always like this.  Ridiculously in love.  No staging required.

This is how excited they are at weddings too.  But their cameras are a bit more modern. I promise.

We couldn't past 30 images, so there are 2 more blog posts to come! Pin It