Tara and JD were married in Sarasota, Fl at the Ritz Carlton. It was beautiful, preppy, pink, romantic, on the beach, fun, elegant, and just perfect! AmandaSuanne did a fabulous job photographing this lovely day!

Ceremony: The Healing Garden - Ritz Carlton Sarasota
Brunch: Ca D’Zan Lounge - Ritz Carlton Sarasota

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Invites: Paper Millie Press

Flowers: Flowers by Fudgie

Jessica Lorren sent us this beautiful Trash the Dress session of an adorable Bride named Caity! This is beautiful and has so much emotion and romance to it… We just had to share it with you all!

Your floral design is an extremely important part of your wedding planning. Flowers largely contribute to the mood of your wedding. Your flowers can make or break your event design. But with so many florists out there, how do you know who to choose? And, once you’ve met with a florist, what should you base your decision on? Price? Style?

We’ll help you figure out some of these answers in our upcoming “Planning 101” posts. Today, we’ll focus on defining your floral style and choosing a florist to match.

First, you need to define your bridal style, and therefore your floral style.

Some common styles: traditional, vintage, contemporary, modern.

After choosing on of these broader categories, try to narrow it down a bit with some descriptive terms: beachy, garden, sleek, European, tropical, etc.

After defining your own floral style (and obviously, use blogs, magazines, and photos if you need inspiration or aren’t sure), your task is to find a florist that matches.

When evaluating a potential florist, look at a few things.

• The Florist’s storefront displays: Are the displays something you are drawn to? Does it look like something you’d display in your own home? Keep in mind that while you may not like certain colors, or textures, the overall style of the designs should resonate with you.
• The Florist’s presentation: Does she use general floral supply catalogs? These are okay for reference’s sake, i.e. showing you shapes and flowers, but if this is all he or she has for you to look at, you’re not getting a realistic picture of the florist’s designs.
• The Florist’s creativity: While it’s definitely your wedding and your vision, a good florist will take your ideas and run with them. If she or he needs pictures of everything you want, it may be a sign that he or she is afraid to take risks or hasn’t really grasped your event vision.
• The Florist’s personal style: While not the most important on the list, take a look at how the florist presents herself. Her attention to detail is often reflected in her own appearance/style.
• Above all, don’t forget to “go with your gut.” If you have an awesome connection with a particular florist, that can go along way towards your communication with your vendor, which will most certainly lead to a better final product for you.

Brides: share with us! Any tips that you used when selecting your florist?

This beautiful vintage engagement session was sent in by Jessica Lorren Photography! We love the way she took the natural sun and put the perfect look on these images! What a beautiful couple! We love their cool, casual, in-love feel in their shoot, enjoy!

Sandy and Matt are so sweet. They were married June 6th on gorgeous Pensacola Beach, and  went off to honeymoon in Jamaica. This is such a sweet wedding and reception on the beach. The bride get very teary in one shot and it is just adorable. We loved this wedding and just though the beach location was perfect to show! This wedding was put on by the fabulous list of people below. Thank you Tiffany for submitting this wedding!
Wedding Coordinator: Kay Lee
Flowers: Mamie Lindsey
Cakes: Betty Weber
Catering: Big Sexy Food
Ceremony/Reception: Pensacola Beach (rental home)
Photographer: Avant Images

This adorable engagement session was shot by one of our Florida Brides Blog Vendors, Corinna Hoffman Photography! This session was shot at the Jacksonville Zoo. It is filled with a lot of laughter, fun, and a cute couple. The fun colors, excitement, and kissing it just so adorable in this session. They are getting married in January and we know it will be a cute wedding!

I love the details in this wedding. They are fabulous! Mike and Melissa had such an awesome wedding in West Palm beach. The florals are just fabulous. Crystals everywhere. Orchids are my favorite and she did is just right. I love this wedding. The peacock touches are just darling as well! Love this! Enjoy!

Floral Design: Dalsimer Atlas
Photography: Karen Lisa
Reception: Ritz Carlton Palm Beach

Mike and Melissa had a beautiful wedding in West Palm beach. We could go on for days about this beautiful event.  We are going to show you part 1 of this wedding of their getting ready, ceremony, and their first look. We love this couple. Such a stunning event. The floral’s are out of this world. The orchids are dynamite and the taste of this couple is just perfect. Such a tropical event with a lot of elegance. You will have to come back tomorrow for the over the top beautiful details at this event. They are to die for!

Floral Design: Dalsimer Atlas
Photography: Karen Lisa
Reception: Ritz Carlton Palm Beach

Photography: Agnes Lopez Photography

Ceremony & Reception: Sawgrass Mariott

Event Design: Liza Chung

Gown: Love Bridal Boutique

Entertainment/DJ: McGee Entertainment

Today, we bring you some fabulous Florida Vendors. We are thrilled to share a beautiful Bridal Couture Fashion Shoot.

The theme of this shoot was a Nouveau French-inspired look. It is fashion-forward and luxe.

This shoot was put together by the beautiful team listed below. They all made this avant garde bridal look come together seamlessly!

Photography: Agnes Lopez for Pose Well Studios with model Aerin.

Hair: Grazyna Mercado

Makeup:Daren Lee

Styling: Liza Chung {Wedding Design : Photo shoot Styling : the Art of Floral Couture}
LM Chung ~ ADesignerAtLarge@aol.com , http://twitter.com/lizachung ,www.facebook/lmchung

Wardrobe: Dresses by Melissa Sweet and Vera Wang from Bella Bridesmaid

 

Kelly and Alex were married at the beautiful Sawgrass Marriott. It is a gorgeous venue, and Kelly infused the day with bright colors for a lovely look.

Kelly and Alex have the cutest story. The pair first met their freshman year at Jacksonville University in Mr. P’s Economics class, Room 114. They fell in love after learning that Alex played baseball for JU and Kelly played basketball. These two sports fanatics just couldn’t get enough of each other.

Their Wedding and Engagement Session was shot by Stephanie Lynn Photography, one of The Florida Brides Blog Vendors!

Here are a couple shots of their Engagement Session I just had to share and then the wedding photos after that!

Now for their adorable wedding…

We are back with the Day-After photos of  Jonathan and Jamie, taken by the lovely Kricia Morris. If you missed their wedding which we featured last week, you can check it out here.

Now for the beautiful couple. These hot shots were taken around Pensacola and Ft. Pickens, Florida. Enjoy!

More and more couples are discovering the fun of taking dressy pictures after the wedding. It’s a great chance to have more amazing images in your wedding clothes, without all the stress of the big day! Been married for several years? It’s never too late to break out the wedding duds for a shoot!

Check out our Real Florida Bride Erin’s Engagement Story and some of her cute engagement photos!

Erin’s Engagement Story:

My fiance, Andrew, and I met when we were in 5th grade when I was in a musical theater production with his little sister. We went to separate schools and even though we liked each other in 6th and 7th grade, we waited and made it official in 8th grade. We have been together ever since! We spent all four years of high school together, and we both attended the University of Florida where we will be graduating this year. Andrew and I have spent the summers traveling to different places and are finally getting married in December 2010.

About two years ago Andrew asked me what my perfect day would be. My whole family is spread out over the United States. I told him if he could somehow get both of my sisters with their families here in Florida, get me a puppy I was begging him to get for over two years, and propose to me my life would be complete. He some how managed to pull it off. For four months he planned (along with his entire family and all of his closest friends) my perfect day. This past June he surprised me at the beach where I was with my entire family for the week. My family had not been together for two years, so when Andrew pulled up the drive way and an adorable puppy came running out of the car and into my arms, my whole family became very suspicious. We ate dinner to celebrate Andrew’s birthday (yes, he was giving ME presents on HIS birthday) and then Andrew asked me to take our new puppy for a walk on the beach.

It was perfect: blue skies and no one in sight. He hugged me real tight and whispered that he had another present for me. He reached into his pocket and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked that this moment was finally happening that it was hard for me to focus. We cried, we laughed, I screamed and jumped up and down. We ran back to our families to announce our engagement and the rest is history.

Next up is Erin’s wedding planning journey. She has started her own blog Behind the Knot, and it is so adorable!

Finding Our Venue: http://www.behindtheknot.com/2009/08/our-beautiful-fairy-tale-most-perfect_02.html
Picking a Color Scheme: http://www.behindtheknot.com/2009/07/back-to-basics_21.html
Engagement Pictures: http://www.behindtheknot.com/2009/07/engagement-week-pictures.html
Finding My Dress: http://www.behindtheknot.com/search/label/solutions%20bridal 

She’s also shared with us her adorable inspiration board that she created with all of her details and decor ideas!

{moss letter}{shoes}{couple}{venue}{bouquet}{invitation}{cake}{table}

Her Vendors So Far:

Venue: Cypress Grove Estate House
Caterer: Puff n Stuff Catering
Coordinator: MasterPiece Weddings & Events
Dress: Marisa Gown via Solutions Bridal

Erin is an adorable bride and we are thrilled to be featuring her on The Florida Brides Blog! Stay tuned for more of her wedding details in the coming months.

Be sure to welcome her, say hello, and introduce yourself!

I love this wedding. Jonathan and Jamie are so cute. Their looks compliment each other, and for some reason I think that makes a couple just oh so much more perfect, LOL!

Jonathan and Jamie also had the cutest, Day After Session that we will bring to you tomorrow so you must check back and see it! They are just too cute for words!

This wedding was shot by the awesome Kricia Morris Photography.

This brown eyed couple is so darling. I love Watercolor, FL so I had to post this session of a couple photos around there!

Our very own Florida Brides Blog Vendor - Candice K Photography shot this adorable couple preparing for their May destination wedding! She is fabulous and so darn cute, be sure to check her out Brides.

A new Magazine hit the stands last month for its first Fall Preview, Wedding Event Style. It is a drop dead gorgeous publication geared to the High-End Luxury Brides in North Florida, Orlando, and Atlanta!

The Publisher is the Publisher of Jacksonville Luxury Living as well and has broadened her brand just beautifully!

Kathryn Gray Perlmutter is  a great Publisher and brought us just the Magazine we have all been wanting, Thank you Kathryn!

S&R photography got to shoot their launch party last month, and we just had to show you pictures!

You can pick up Wedding Event Style at your Grocery or Barnes and Noble! You must check out the awesome juicy spreads in this issue, it is to die for!

AND, want to know something funny? The gown the Cover Model is wearing is the same designer gown I wore to my own wedding! Too funny!

We want to start something new here on The Florida Brides Blog. We want our Bride Readers to be involved at another level. We would love for you to show us off, brag, and talk about us on your own personal blog, Knottie page, or website!

If you are a Bride planning your wedding in The Sunshine State we would love to feature your story to our readers and fellow Brides. What do you think? Would you want one of these cool buttons on your Blog or Website so that the rest of your readers and followers can be jealous?

If so, Email us @ danielle@floridabridesblog.com and we would love to give you more details! We are just waiting to hear and share your story, and then at the end of your Journey, share your wedding with everyone just like the rest of the weddings featured on The Florida Brides Blog!

This is the most adorable wedding shot by Studio222 Photography at Disney’s Sea Breaze Point. You see Disney all over this wedding, and what could be more fun than that?! This is such a fun, goofy, cute wedding, and I just had to share their story with you all!

Disney has been expertly giving couples the wedding of their dreams for years, and this wedding was no exception. We love Katie’s Pink and Lavender Pastel Color scheme — so perfect for a “fairytale” wedding! Their sand ceremony and petal-strewn aisle showcase their beautiful colors. We also love that Mr. and Mrs. Donald Duck even made an appearance!!

The details:

Ceremony: SeaBreaze Point, Disney Boardwalk
Coordinator: Amy Riendeau with Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings
Reception: Bluezoo Restaurant
Gown: Jasmine Bridal, House of Brides, Chicago
Hair & Makeup: Patricia LeJeune
Photography: Studio222 Photography

I just wanted to take a minute and let you all know 3 of our new Florida Brides Blog Vendors:

Ashira Photography

Corinna Hoffman Photography

Candice K Photography

You can see and view all of their information here on our Vendors Section: FBB Vendors -Photography

We can’t wait to preview more and more of there work each and every week! We love our Vendors! If you are interested in being one of our Vendors, e-mail us @ danielle@floridabridesblog.com and you can post of these cool buttons on your BLOG!