Florida Weddings

Just because the temperature doesn’t dip too low in Florida, doesn’t mean you can’t infuse your fall wedding with hints of autumn. A pumpkin here, a bit o’ hay there, is exactly what this beautiful bride envisioned as she drove up to the adorable Palmetto Riverside Bed and Breakfast. And just like they say, all the details fell into place after that. Concept Photography captured the day to perfection and you can click here for even more.

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From the Bride… My goal was to have our wedding be classy and unique but still laid-back and fun. I loved the idea of having some fall elements (the pumpkins, for example), but I didn’t want to overdo that – especially in Florida where we don’t really have a fall season. I had a day-of planner, who was also my florist: Alexis from 2Birds Events. When we first met, we were shooting ideas back and forth, and I got really excited. I knew she got what I was after. I would HIGHLY recommend her!

One of my friends recommended Palmetto Riverside Bed & Breakfast. I looked at a LOT of venues before I found this one. As soon as my mom and I pulled into the venue, I just needed to know where to sign the contract. This was one of the best decisions with the wedding that we made. We had great vendors too. Our caterer, florist/wedding planner, the owners of the B&B, SG Mobile, officiant and, of course, our photographers were absolutely wonderful, and it all flowed so nicely the day of.

As far as my favorite elements of the wedding, I loved our cake stand (from an oak tree) and the branches for the arch. The flowers were unique and beautiful with pops of color, the pumpkins — I could go on and on. We made the entrance sign, the Mr. & Mrs. on the back of the chairs and the favors: my dad’s “secret” oatmeal cookie recipe. Our wedding card holder was a vintage suitcase that Jason altered. One of our good friends, Brad Casanova, designed our wine box for our ceremony.

Wedding Photography: Concept Photography / Wedding Venue: Palmetto Riverside Bed and Breakfast in Palmetto, Florida / Floral Design + Wedding Day Planning: Alexis of 2Birds Events / Officiant: John of A Perfect Witness / Catering: Harry’s Continental Kitchen / Wine Box: Casanova Cigar Carvings / Ceremony Guitarist: Jon Williams / DJ: SG Mobile DJ / Wedding Dress: Jon’s Bridal

One thing I know for certain – you are going to LOVE this wedding.  The vibrant pops of orange, the mind-blowing bouquets crafted by Flowers by Edie and the stunning reception held under that breathtaking canopy of trees at the Palmetto Riverside Bed & Breakfast… it’s pure perfection.  Not to mention those glorious images captured by the amazing Divine Light Photography.  They snapped up every last joyous moment… and filled our gallery with some serious happy.  Join me there for more.

From the Bride… After not being able to sleep all night, I got up in the morning so excited to start the day! All of my bridesmaids and I stayed at the B&B and were served a beautiful breakfast in the morning. After that, we lounged around and slowly began getting ready. My parents, David’s parents and all of their friends set up everything, from the chandeliers hanging in the oaks to the centerpieces on the tables. As the time to go the the church got closer, my nerves really started to kick in. Once at the church I couldn’t keep from shaking with excitement. The ceremony was perfect — once I was up at the altar with David, I felt so calm. Once the reception began, the night seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, we were heading down the dock to get on the boat to leave.

Wedding Photography: Divine Light Photography / Ceremony: First United Methodist Church of Palmetto in Palmetto, Florida / Reception: Palmetto Riverside Bed & Breakfast in Palmetto, Florida / Centerpiece Flowers: King’s Wholesale + Arranged by the Bride & Groom / Bouquets: Flowers by Edie / Catering: Premiere Catering / Wedding Cake: Mr. Cheesecake and More / DJ: Black Tie DJs / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Shoes: Stein Mart / Hair: Alice McClary of Cutting Edge Salon / Makeup: Lili’s Weddings

I don’t think you can get more darling, more personal, more loved-filled than this next little number snapped by Kristin Marie Photography. It just oozes that charm we all wish we could bottle, and that casual backyard vibe that just can’t be beat. There are too many details to list – so you’ll need to spend some serious QT with this lovely fête, but the most lovely detail of all is the completely adoration this darling duo has for each other. So darling. Click here for more!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

And believe it or not, it gets even more darling thanks to their beyond adorable wedding film by Tampa Wonderworks Films…

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From the Bride… Stanley and I spent a lot of our free time during college at the beach. We loved going out late at night to avoid the crowds and sticky Florida heat. We spent many nights naming stars, running through the sand and dancing to Billie Holiday. Stan and I knew the beach was the prefect place for our ceremony, but the location wasn’t a quick find. Stan would explain the right location as being “on the beach, but not a beach that’s toooo flat.” Thankfully our wedding planner, Anna, knew the islands well and walked us through different beach sites until we found just the right one! Our ideas and thoughts evolved some, but in the end we decided we wanted the reception to look and feel like a vintage picnic. The B&B was the perfect location for us! It gave our reception a really home-y intimate feeling even though there were about a hundred and eighty people.

Stan and I decided instead of writing something down to say before the “I Do’s” we would just talk and share our feelings with each other. It was a little nerve racking (!) but once the mic was in my hand, I realized I just needed to talk to him as honestly and sincerely as I normally would. It was really beautiful. There was so much love and thankfulness. God’s presence was there and it just made the moment so much bigger than us. The end of the night was memorable too. Gosh, so many beautiful people with beautiful hearts coming together to celebrate with me and Stan. There was so much love and encouragement along with many many hugs. A lovely friend told me they had received a fresh understanding of real love. I wanted to cry and laugh and praise God! That moment made me realize that yes it was “our day” but such a large part of it was really about our friends and family. That realization is something I want to carry through me and Stan’s marriage. We need to do our best to always put others first and recognize the impact we can make if we love with the unconditional love we’ve been given.

Don’t feel like you have to stick to traditions. We decided to have our ceremony in the morning and let our reception start up in the afternoon. It was absolutely perfect because it helped everyone avoid the heat and crowds of the holiday weekend, while also giving us as much time as possible with our guests. If the planning begins to feel too consuming take a break! It doesn’t matter if the wedding is in three months or three days, everything will get figured out in the end. Every morning choose to live out that day to the fullest, whether that means you spend a few hours planning or just a few minutes. And most of all be sure you and your fiance are having as much fun as possible along the way. It’s not going to go exactly the way you planned, but it’ll be better than anything you could have imagined.

Photography: Kristin Marie Photography / Ceremony Site: A beach in Longboat Key, FL / Reception Venue: Palmetto Riverside Bed and Breakfast / Wedding Dress: Marisa from Hayden Olivia Bridal / Shoes: Dolce Vita via Macy’s / Bridesmaid Dress: Delias / Hairpiece: Haute Bride / Jewelry: Matthews Town Jewelers / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Rand + Statler / Bowties: Tux & Tulle / Suspenders: Suspender Factory / Cinematography: Tampa Wonderworks Films / Makeup, Event Design + Floral Design: Enna Anne / Event Planner: Day Planners, Events by Anna Pohl /Invitations + Paper Goods: designed by couple, invitations printed by Red Stone Press / Cake: Pastries By Design / Music: Fitz Otis / Catering: Starkeeper Cafe