Photographer Ellie Kurz submitted these engagement images to us. What a classy couple, and they picked such a vibrant, cultural location for their shoot — Tampa’s Ybor City! This historic location has both Florida charm and architectural flair. We loved that the couple went all out for this shoot with him in a classic suit, and she’s rocking a beautiful dress and pearls!

Just a planning note to brides: by all means, choose to do an engagement session with your photographer. Not only do you get some awesome images of this exciting stage in your life, but it gives you a chance to relax, enjoy being photographed, and to become comfortable with your photographer. I try to encourage all of my brides to have engagement photos taken.

Need a photographer? Check out the vendors listed on the Florida Bride’s Blog!

I stumbled upon a couple photos by Kenzie Shores and had to share with you all. Check out this adorable couple with a cute pink car! Love this!

This adorable wedding was submitted by Kylene at Forever Kylene Photography! This wedding has so much charm. I love the down home southern feel this Florida wedding has! The wedding has great details and so much inspiration! Congrats Beth and Paul you two are darling!

Ceremony & Reception Venue:  Southwood Plantation House, Tallahassee, Florida

Event Coordinator: Abby Richter with Abby K Events

Flowers:  Missy Gunnels

Catering: Fusion Cafe

Cake Artist: The Cake Shop

Videography: Carrie Hunter with Niche Media Productions

Invitations & all other paper products done by Beth

Check out this adorable HUGE Bridal Party that Tab McCausland snapped! Holy Bridal Party is what I thought when I saw this!!  How fun! Don’t forget anyone and have a crowd!!

Sally and Jason are a natural, down to earth, comfortable couple. Corinna Hoffman shot this adorable couple down at the beach last week and I just had to share these photos! They had a fun day down at the Beach and and you can tell that they are truly in love. They enjoyed cuddling, smiling at each other, and be affectionate just for fun!

Congratulations Sally and Jason and we can not wait to see your wedding in February!

PS.. Jason if you read this, Hi and great news to hear you are so happy!! Jason and I were friends a long time ago when we were both in High School! Happy for you kid!

What a great wedding reception and ceremony at Seaside, Florida. The reception was at Solaris and Fatty Patty’s did a great job on the cake and cupcakes and flowers were fun and vibrantly crafted by Fisher Flowers. These images were shot by Dede Edwards.

I just saw these cute photos and had to share such a couple cute photo shots!! What a fun St. Petersburg wedding!!

Image Credit: Kara Pennington

You are going to love this wedding. So adorable, so southern, and so much in love. McRae + Thomas’ had a gorgeous wedding in Amelia Island! What fun southern style of the whole day and the amazing details that brought it all together. Talk about how cool the guys looked in their blue seersucker suits and the girls were adorable in their hot pink J.Crew dresses! Thanks to Kara Pennington for the photos!

PS… The lovely Cassandra of the Florida Brides Blog Team helped with all the elements of this event and did a fabulous job coordinating!

VENDORS:
Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church, Fernandina Beach
Reception: Walker’s Landing, Amelia Island Plantation
Coordinator: Cassandra Cherneski, Flaire Weddings
Florist: Island Flower & Garden
Cake: Chef Jeff Barnes, Amelia Island Planatation
Band: Atlanta Party Band
Hair/Makeup: Magna’s Aveda Salon

Well, I have been travelling all over Southern California with my husband! He was raised in California and his close family still resides there! We had a wonderful trip, and have some amazing memories! I wanted to share with out what we did! We visited a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Watched my Little Sister-in-law Graduate from High School. Went to Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and went sight seeing in Hollywood and The Hills. I was in HEAVEN! It was my first trip to California and it was more than what I expected! I had a stinkin blast! Of course I could not leave Los Angeles with out a infamous shopping trip to Downtown L.A. to the Fashion District and snagged a BUNCH of wholesale bargains with my Buyers License. I also found a SUPER cool and fun Husband and Wife SOCAL photog team that was available to shoot some FUN California style pictures of us while we were there. You have to check out our photo’s. Thank you, IL Mare Photography for your great shots!

Oh yah, and of course I can not forget the crazy cheering and riots I saw in the streets of L.A. when the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic. It was SO hard for me to cheer for my favorite Orlando Magic when I was in L.A. but you better believe I did! Even though I did not care I was surrounded by a SEA OF PURPLE! We will do it next year Magic, but don’t let my husband see that!

Well, enough is enough, and here are some fun pictures to prove how much fun I did have!

First off a couple teaser shots from IL Mare Photography of our fun shoot!

Then some fun snapshots of the two of us:

I hope you enjoyed a look into my life!

Love,

Danielle

On vacation!!! No, we’re not vacationing together, but we are having a blast just the same. It’s definitely a  much-needed break for us both!

So where are we exactly?

Well, Danielle is having a blast in Southern California with her hubby. It’s her first time there, and if her tweets are  any indication, she’s totally loving it.

I (Cassandra) am in the Bahamas on a girls’ cruise with my mom, sister, aunt, cousins, and cousin-in-law!

Of course we are having a blast, but we are excited to bring you more fantastic posts as well. Stay tuned — we have some fabulous weddings coming up soon, as well as more planning inspiration!

If you want to stay current with both of us and our vacations, follow Danielle and me on Twitter!

We’ll be back soon! =)

What is more fun than having each of your bridesmaids in a different color? Hello, SO cute and so different!

Check out these Bridesmaids Girls… See how much fun you can have as a Florida Bride?!

Images by Oeil Photography

xoxo,
The Florida Brides Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find

Andrew and Elena are adorable! We love her hot pink heels and Andrew’s super cute tie!! These hot photos were taken at a beautiful park on Sunny Isles Beach.

Enjoy this F-U-N Day-After-Shoot-turned-Trash-The-Dress by 13:13 Boutique Wedding Photography! They are also running a special for their services! Check them out!

xoxo,
The Florida Bride’s Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find

The time has come for us to announce the winner of the Custom Garter Giveway! Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the contest. This contest was sponsored by Victoria, of Handcrafted Creations. The winner will be receiving a free custom garter, with a value of up to $50.00.

There were so many sweet comments, and we wish we could provide a garter to every one of you, but we had to choose just one.

So, we let Random.org generate a winner for us, and the winner is…..

(Drum roll please…..) 

Becky Lee!

Becky Wrote:

I absolutely love all of these fun, frilly garters, but I knew right away I had to go with style 3 in the orange and blue. I have always wanted to surprise my fiance with a Gator garter (I can just see the smile on his face when he pulls it off!)- but have not yet been able to find one that also fit my girly style- until now! Although my fiance is now graduated, I am still in school and such a fancy undergarment is just not in the budget. Winning this is an amazing contest would provide me with a beautiful garter and an amazing memory on our wedding day. Go something blue and orange

Congratulations Becky! We know you will love your new custom Garter.

Please email Cassandra at Cassandra@floridabridesblog.com with your contact information, and she will get you all set-up with Victoria, who will be providing your beautiful new garter!

Thanks again to all who  played, and stay tuned for more contests coming soon!

On your wedding day be sure to slip away with your photographer to let her grab some shots of the two of you as Mr. and Mrs. that reflect your personality. Shots that are different, fun, vivid, and unique. Like So:

Ceremony: Coleman Beach in Seaside, FL
Reception: Lyceum Lawn
Flowers: Bella Flora
Cake: Fatty Pattys

Photography: Amanda Suanne

xoxo,
The Florida Bride’s Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find

One of the first major planning tasks for the newly-engaged is securing a venue for the ceremony and/or reception. But before this can be done, you and your groom need to identify the “feel” of your wedding, or find your “bridal style.” This step is crucial to choosing the right venue. Different venues have different feels, and you need to have a basic idea of your event vision, so that you can find the right venue.

Here are some possible event visions and the venue types that would be perfect for them.

The Modern Event — A couple going for this style wants a sleek, chic event with bold colors, lighting, and daring decor. Possible venue types to consider: Urban Lofts, Art Museums, Skyscraper Lobbies, Rooftops or Penthouses.

The Traditional Wedding — This wedding will have it all: a 10-piece band, a sleek stretch limo, a huge bridal party, and a guest list of 200+. Think “Father of the Bride” style. Possible venue options include: private mansions, golf and country clubs, grand hotels, a tented affair at a private home.

The Nostalgic Wedding — This style is defined by its love of all things vintage. Definitely consider a venue with history: a historic home, a woman’s club, a plantation house, a historic hotel. Check with your local preservation society for more historic options.

The Beach Wedding — Nothing beats the casual, relaxed elegance of a beach-side soiree. Obviously, appropriate venues will have that ocean frontage, but think outside the box as well. Hotels on the beach would be amazing, but also think about renting public parks and pavilions, private homes, restaurants, and marinas.

Of course, these are just suggestions to get your started. Most brides don’t fall 100% into a single style or design category. The best weddings have mixed elements and touches of surprise.

But, be sure to define YOUR bridal style with your fiance, figure out the “feel” of your event, and choose a venue that fits perfectly.

Matt and Ashley, talk about Hot Pink and Orange paradise! Check out these beautiful images… they just happen to match The Florida Brides Blog so well! They had a very intimate beach wedding at Henderson Beach State Park. Stephanie Tate with Savoir Fair Weddings put all the details together for Ashley & Matt! Ashley and Matt got married at Henderson State Park and their reception was at Z’s.

Ceremony: Henderson Beach State Park
Reception: Z’s Bar and Grill
Florist: Perfect Day Florist
Music: Hunter Dawson
Photography: Amanda Suanne
Videographer: Diva Productions
Cake: Southern Style Desserts
Hair & Make Up: Make Me Blush
Wedding Coordinator: Savior Fair Weddings

xoxo,
The Florida Bride’s Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find

Debbie came to The Florida Bride’s Blog for some assistance with selecting her wedding vendors for her upcoming wedding in the Destin area of Florida. However, we are still putting the finishing touches on our vendor list, so we’ve decided to enlist your help for Debbie!

In order to help you make better recommendations, we asked Debbie a few questions to help you all get to know her and her fiancé Andrew, and their vision for their wedding.

The Florida Bride’s Blog: Tell us about the proposal.

Debbie: Andrew & I were in Panama City, FL for our long awaited vacation, which was actually our first vacation we ever had by ourselves.

On our second day there, Andrew had asked me if we could go over to the marina to watch the boats come in for the day and grab a few drinks.  I thought nothing of it because Andrew just loves boats.

When we got there, Andrew said he had played a trick on me and that he had chartered a sailboat to take us on a sunset cruise.  I was speechless.  I knew I had mentioned wanting to go on a group dolphin tour or sunset cruise when we were down there, but nothing came of it.  I couldn’t believe he had actually done all of this for me!

We got all set on the boat and headed off on our cruise.  It was a beautiful evening and Andrew and I were enjoying our time relaxing, having a few drinks, and chatting.  I do admit, I couldn’t help but think that this would be a perfect time for Andrew to propose (after 3 years of dating).  BUT, I had to get that thought out of my mind because if he didn’t, I didn’t want to be all disappointed and ruin the wonderful surprise Andrew planned.

Well, when Andrew and I ran out of drinks, he went to go grab a few more.  When he got back, he told me I needed to stand up.  Obviously, I knew what was going on then and was just ecstatic.  Andrew got down on his knee, pulled the ring out of his pocket and just made the most wonderful proposal.  I was sobbing and Andrew was trembling, and we were both just so happy.  I could not have asked for a more perfect proposal!

The Florida Bride’s Blog: What an incredibly sweet proposal! We’re already thinking of ways to start incorporating some of those memories into your wedding celebration. Have you chosen a date yet?

Debbie: June 2010 on a Friday. If there isn’t a reception venue available in June, we would be open to July if need be.

The Florida Bride’s Blog:Okay, we know you’re looking at Destin or Sandestin, FL. What vendors are you looking to receive recommendations for?

Debbie: We need recommendations for the following:

Photographer

Videographer

Florist

Ceremony/Reception location

Rehearsal Dinner Location

The Florida Bride’s Blog: Our readers are a creative bunch. Tell us a bit about your theme ideas so they can give you the perfect recommendations!

Debbie: I want a simple, yet elegant wedding. I want to incorporate the beach into the wedding, but not overdo it.  Some things I want to incorporate the beach into are: the invitations, the place cards, the centerpieces, etc. I’ve already decided I want white flowers for the wedding, and my accent color will probably be a royal blue, which will also be the color of the bridesmaid dresses. The groomsmen will wear khaki linen pants and white dress shirts. The groom will wear a khaki suit. I want to have the wedding ceremony on the beach around sunset with a canopy with flowers on it, white chairs, and some flower petals down the isle/runner.  And for the reception, we’re thinking about moving that inside in a ballroom.

The Florida Bride’ Blog: As you know, when looking at potential venues, it is very important to consider the size of the guest list. Tell us a bit about your guest list, and any other ideas or thoughts you may have.

Debbie: We are inviting probably 150 people or so to the wedding, but we know a lot won’t do the travel for it, so we don’t expect to have over 100 people there, probably about 75 will go.  We want to have the wedding and reception at the same resort venue.  And as for the resort, we would ideally like it to have a golf course there and a spa/salon so the bridal party won’t have to travel around for the golf day and getting ready.

There are still lots of smaller details that I haven’t thought a ton about yet like: music for the ceremony (I do want a DJ for the reception), buffet or plated dinner, linens, etc..

The Florida Bride’s Blog: Great! Thanks so much Debbie! We can’t wait to see what our readers come up with for you.

Now, readers, if you’ve got a recommendation for Debbie, please leave it in the comments section, and we’ll make sure she sees it. In addition to the vendors she needs help with, if her thoughts gave you a wedding inspiration or idea she could possibly incorporate, feel free to comment with that as well.

As a way to thank you for your time, one reader who gives advice or a recommendation will receive a $10 Target giftcard, courtesy of The Florida Bride’s Blog.

Today we are privileged to feature the beautiful bridal portraits of Katie at One Ocean Resort!  Their day started in the spa, where Ashley of Brooke Images captured her getting ready for hair and make- up! Ashley took Katie all over the beautiful One Ocean Resort, showcasing its modern, South Beach flair. Here are some images from her shoot that Ashley of Brooke Images shared with us!

Be sure to stay tuned, Next week we will feature the wedding of Katie and Sam! You do not want to miss this adorable wedding that Katie planned!!

xoxo,
The Florida Bride’s Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find

Solutions Bridal in Winter Park, Florida recently had some photos taken to showcase their adorable boutique. Caroline from Caroline Johnson Photography was there to capture it all. Check out these adorable dresses, headpieces, and accessories. The styling was done by Makeover Station based out of Orlando. If you are in the Central Florida area, be sure to stop by Solutions Bridal. You just might find your dream dress hanging there!

This shoot gave great inspiration and imagination on how to expand your personal style on your wedding day! Being bold, stylish, modern, and different are more popular than the traditional norm.

Be you. Flaunt it.  Work it. Own it.

xoxo,
The Florida Bride’s Blog Team

Danielle and Cassandra

Real Florida Wedding | Florida Vendor | Florida Find