The Finishing Touch

Kellie & Randy, Fall Fling

 

                                                                                                      

            

      

 

    Kellie and Randy's wedding took place in the peak of fall at the First United Methodist Church in the heart of downtown Fort Pierce. 

The ceremony was lit by candlelight. Brown, copper and gold were the main colors used in the design of this gorgeous fall wedding.  

Inspired by the bride's love of colorful fall leaves, they were incorporated throughout the decor.  The church aisle was lined with LOTS of leaves, which were also placed in the floral arrangements with seasonal berries.

              

 

 

 

This seating card table awaited guests in the foyer of the reception site, the Pelican Yacht Club. Everything was aglow with more candlelight.

                                                                                            

 

A nod to the first initial of the couple's last name, "W" was the motif of the evening and was found on the custom-made guest book, the cake topper, all the stationery pieces and a custom gobo that was projected on the ceiling over the dance floor. 

                               

Many personal touches made this a warm and inviting reception party.  Here, you can see a display of wedding photos that pictured the couple's parents and grandparents on their wedding days.

                                

 

We completely transformed the dining room of the club, using a mix of long and round tables, designer linens and a variation of three different centerpiece/table-scape designs.  The final touch (and surprise to the regular club members!) was the golden ballroom chairs, which we brought in and switched out from the usual club chairs. The room was stunning against the beautiful water view at sunset.

        

 

                   

             

             

                                  

                                  

 

After the cake cutting and final dances, guests said goodbye to Kellie & Randy with a fun and crazy sparkler send-off!

                   

 

(My apologies for the poor clarity of the photos in this blog entry...I didn't realize my camera was on the wrong setting.  This is a perfect example of why you should always hire a professional photographer!  Professional photos of this wedding are coming soon and will be placed on the Dreamday Celebrations web site as a new gallery addition.  More great photos to follow!)

 

 

 

  Kelly & Randy are a wonderful couple.  Most of my time spent working on this wedding was with Kellie and she was so much fun and an absolute pleasure to work with! 

I wish you both much happiness and love as you begin your new family as husband and wife.

All the best...always,

~ Christine

Leanna & Chris, Love at the Lighthouse

Under a huge 80-year-old banyan tree and at the base of the historic Jupiter Lighthouse, Leanna and Chris were married.  It was a gorgeous, breezy south Florida wedding day!

   

The bridal party arrived in a small "parade" of classic cars.

 

           Here are some pictures of the unique outdoor ceremony setting...

                        

                        

           

                                            

                        ...and some details...

 

The celebration took on a modern feel with cocktails at the Lighthouse Gallery and an intimate dinner reception at the Gallery Grille, a quaint local bistro.

 

                       

                                                     

     

 

The cake was displayed on Leanna's grandmother's antique cake stand...

...a sweet touch to a sweet couple's lovely wedding day.

Leanna & Chris,

I wish you all the best as you begin life's journey together!  You're a great couple with a wonderful family and I'm so happy to have been a part of your special day. 

Happiness always,

 Christine

Nicole & Greg

                                    

   

       It was a thrill to return to Garden City, New York for my first cousin's FIRST DAUGHTER'S fabulous wedding!  The wedding was held in Nicole's hometown in East Islip.

 

  

The wedding party was large (10 bridesmaids) and beautiful!  Nicole designed her own pick-up skirt wedding dress.  The attendant's dresses were made in the same style.

 

 

Here was the flower girl, who was pulled down the aisle in a decorated wagon.  Isn't she sweet?

 

Nicole's dress was in ivory and gold-champagne, so, ivory and gold continued throughout the elegant reception decor at the Garden City Hotel.

  

 

Votive holders served as the guest's place cards.  These lit votives at every place setting  made the reception room glow.

 

 

 

During cocktail hour, the vodka bottle ice luge was a big hit with the guests!  Martinis were custom mixed in any flavors guests wanted and poured down the bottle neck ice shaft straight into their glasses.

  

 

Here I am, surrounded by my husband (sitting) and my sister and brother-in-law. (It's kind of funny how I opted for the red dress while my sis kept with the golden theme...As you can see behind us, I wanted to blend with the uplighting when the party kicked into full gear!)

 

 

The cake was sleek and sophisticated, just like this couple! It was made of three layered flavors (a traditonal family favorite) and served with an assortment of pastries.

 

 

The reception was a fun dance party and everyone danced up a storm!  Here's Nicole and Greg enjoying a quiet dance.

 

A great time was had by all. Congratulations, Nicole & Greg!   So glad we could be a part of your special day!

 

Katie & Justin, Southern Elegance

     When I met Katie and Justin, they had a vision of an elegant southern style wedding.(They weren't talking BBQ & fried chicken!) The reception would be held 25 miles from the ceremony, way out in the country. Logistics created a big challenge with this wedding. They wanted an exquisite event designed to take place under a pole barn nestled in the woods.  EVERYTHING had to be brought in to pull off this style of wedding, including extra tenting to accommodate the 300+ guests that were expected.  I loved having a "clean palette" to work with as we were able to do whatever we wanted with the decor. The results were phenominal!  To really appreciate the transformation, you have to see these before and after shots...

This is the empty pavillion with the clear roof tent attached, hours before guests arrive.

 

 

Table placement begins...we used a combination of rounds and rectangular banquets to create interest and enough seating for the large number of guests.

We created an entrance area that was lined with potted trees.  Lights were added because guests would be arriving as it started to get dark outside.  We hung name cards on lines that were strung between the trees. This also created a formal space for the guest book and gift tables.

 

There were three different, yet coordinating, table top designs used.  Rounds had these tall cascading arrangements that seemed to float on air.  Other rounds had arrangements created in silver bowls.  The rectangular tables had multiple arrangements done in silver julep cups...very southern!  The silver was carried over into the silver trim of the white china and the elegant silver flatware. 

 

The natural brown bamboo chairs were a MUST in this setting.  They added a lot to the rustic elegance we were creating.

 

 

This simple yet elegant cake was as delicious as it was beautiful.  Trimmed in pearls and adorned with more of the beautiful decor pink flowers, the cake was set upon a silver cake drum to continue our silver details.   

 

This wrap-around porch was where guests were treated to cocktails and appetizers.  We lighted the walkway with mason jar lanterns and the same ribbon that was part of the bridesmaid's dresses.

 

 

    This couple was a dream to work with!  I know they will share a lifetime of happiness. Wishing Katie and Justin all the best!

 

 

Leap Day Wedding

No gimmicks were in store for this couple's leap day wedding!  Kim and Brett were sophisticated in everything they chose for their wedding that took place in the lush tropical setting of Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens. The first thing I asked them when they told me their date?  "When will you celebrate your anniversary?!"

Kim had selected a deep red fabric for her bridesmaid dresses, but, wanted a tropical feel to her decor.   So, we threw in the colors of orange, lime and yellow and some beautiful tropical flowers to give her the look she was going for.

Lime green accented the outdoor cocktail area while golden-orange graced the dining tables indoors.

 

A cake decorated with palm trees and sugar "sparkle" was the perfect match for this Palm Beach Gardens couple.

My favorite moment of the day was before the ceremony, when Kim and Brett saw each other for the first time.  A beautiful setting for a beautiful couple.  Congratulations as you "leap" into your new life as husband and wife!

Blissful Beach Wedding

When Ashley and Gary set the date for their wedding, there was one thing they were certain about...they wanted to be married ON THE BEACH!   With only 8 weeks to plan, our work was cut out for us.  And, on a blustery Saturday afternoon, their beachside wedding wish came true.

Inspired by the bride's love of bright colors, we went with an island-tropical  theme.  The bride's family shell collection was incorporated into the ceremony decor and table top design.

Guests enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere on the property of the Courtyard Marriott in Jensen Beach. They were invited to kick off their shoes...

These hand made place cards nestled in sand were adorable!

White chocolate seashells and tropical florals were the perfect decoration for the cake.

This shot of the bride and her dad is sweet and one of my favorites.

A fun couple to work with!  Congratulations, Ashley and Gary!

East meets West...Erin & Julius

   

        I've had the pleasure of planning and coordinating Erin and Julius' wedding since last October.  Though Erin is originally from this area, she is now living in New Jersey, busily working in New York City and needed help with planning her wedding from out-of-state.  After numerous Saturday morning planning meetings by phone and full days of vendor appointments during Erin's quick trips down here to Florida, the wedding came together beautifully on a sunny day in June.

     The wedding theme was designed with the ocean in mind since Erin and Julius come from two beachfront states on opposite sides of the country-- Florida and California. The ceremony took place in an outdoor waterside pavillion at Harbour Ridge Yaht & Country Club.  Cocktails and dinner followed on the patio and in the dining room, both overlooking the picturesque St. Lucie River. 

Many thoughtful details showed a blending of the bride and groom's different heritages. On the outdoor patio, steel drums played and parrots entertained guests as a fun representation of Erin's Florida roots.  A sand ceremony united the couple's hometown locations with a mixture of actual sand from the coasts of Florida and California.  As a nod to Julius' Korean heritage, a turning-of-the-ducks tradition was incorporated into the ceremony to symbolize harmony in the couple's new life together.

         

Delicate fans and orchids at the ceremony site and paper lanterns at cocktail hour added more touches of Korean flaire.

     One of my favorite moments was when Erin and Julius payed a very special tribute to his family's Korean culture by changing into Korean wedding outfits called "homboks".    

    

Shades of ocean blue and elegant seaside decor were carried throughout the reception room.

A well-wishes tree greets guests at the entrance.

   

            

These sand dollar favors also served as place cards.

    

I loved the centerpieces that were filled with water, glass and shells.  They glowed at night for a really fun effect.            

    

The cake was adorned with chocolate seashells, while the real sweet tooth was in the groom's cake!

   

Erin was such a sweet bride to work with.  We hated to see the day end. Here's wishing her and Jules all the best!!