Nikki and Steve are married!!!!

Back in October we had the pleasure working with yet another great family!!! Nikki and Steve were married at Christ the King followed by a reception at the Marriott Waterside. The wedding was elegant and timeless. Nikki and her mom came up with the look of the wedding, which was ivory and white, with the centerpieces being the pop of color on the tables. Lou from the arrangement designed 3 different centerpieces for the event: a break-a-way consisting of 3 different sized vases, a tall dramatic piece and a lower version of that. Nikki carried a beautiful bouquet similar to the one modeled on the cover Instyle Weddings. A great time was had by all!!! From the start of the reception, guests were entertained by Phase5, a great local band!!! The dancefloor was packed all night! At the end of the night the guests gave Nikki and Steve their well wishes as they cruised out of the Marriott Waterside's Marina by boat. Thanks Sarah with Limelight Photography for the great images.

Also, we cannot forget everyone else who made Nikki and Steve's dream wedding come true:
Coordinators: Simply Divine Events
Venues: Christ the King and Marriott Waterside
Rentals: BBJ Linen and Signature Event Rentals
Transportation: Advantage Limo
Entertainment and Lighting: Phase5 Band
Cake: Chantilly Cakes
Floral: The Arrangement
Decor: My Event Design and Island Foliage
Photography: Sarah with Limelight Photography
Video: Cara with Hearts Video

Real Wedding Feature on Style Me Pretty- Little Black Book Blog

We are excited to announce that we have had another real wedding featured on Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book Wedding Blog.

Take a look and enjoy the casual elegance from this wedding!

Sarah and Doug's real wedding feature.

Mason Jars

Although Mason jars were originally invented in the 1850s for the purpose of canning and preserving food, these days, the possibilities on how they can be used are endless. As decorative touches, the blue glass variety make lovely centerpieces paired with soft florals. For a more functional purpose, jars can also be used to serve guests drinks. Imagine an outdoor summer wedding -- a farm setting would be especially perfect -- and Mason jars filled with refreshing lemonade or iced tea. As a DIY project, jars can also be used for favors, to hold anything from your favorite candies to homemade jam or preserves. Top it off with a ribbon and tag and you have a truly personalized gift for your guests!

Photo credits: (clockwise from top left): Ball jars via eBay; pink floral via Orchard Cove Photography; iced tea via Suburban Homesteading; tablescape via Once Wed.

Real Wedding Feature in Tampa Bay Weddings Magazine

We are excited one of our recent weddings was featured in Tampa Bay Weddings Magazine.

Below is the article from Sharon and Larry's beautiful wedding.

Congrats once again to the lovely couple!

Bold and Beautiful

Nothing makes more of a statement than a bold piece of jewelry. We're starting to see more and more brides these days expressing their personalities and individuality by donning bolder accessories. Whether it be in the form of a bib necklace, chandelier earrings or a sparkly cocktail ring (to dress up your other hand, of course), an eye-catching piece of jewelry will certainly make you stand out.



Rule of thumb #1: Make sure to choose just one bold piece to wear at a time. You want everyone focusing on your glowing face -- not your baubles!

Rule of thumb #2: Louder accessories best complement simpler, more understated dresses.



Check out Etsy online http://www.etsy.com/ for some unique, handcrafted accessories (and everything else under the sun). Anthropologie, Banana Republic and J Crew are always reliable for great pieces as well, but if you truly want something one-of-a-kind, check out your local thrift or secondhand shops for some hidden vintage treasures!






Photo credits (from top left, clockwise): cocktail ring via Swarovski; earrings via Juicy Couture; grey ring via Banana Republic; earrings via Edit New York; pearl necklace via Etsy; beaded necklace via Anthropologie; glass necklace via Max & Chloe; beaded necklace via Anthropologie; real bride necklace via Once Wed; real bride earring via Jasmine Star; real bride rhinestone via Once Wed; real bride and groom via Once Wed.

Inspiration: Tea Party

Thoughts of tea parties often conjure up images of Alice in Wonderland, cucumber sandwiches and pastries, lots of florals and just pure lady-like goodness. What little girl has never dressed up in her Sunday best and served imaginary tea to a table of her favorite stuffed animals? A tea party theme would be a great idea for an afternoon bridal or baby shower, but the same theme can be carried out into a wedding as well. An outdoor garden or historic building would be an ideal venue, and the wonderful thing about this type of theme is that the table and place settings don't all have to match! A lace tea-length dress would also be the perfect touch for the non-traditional bride who wants to fully capture a vintage feminine feel.

Enjoy the inspiration board:


Photo credits (from top left, clockwise): table via Country Living; cups via Jasmine Star Photography; table via Pink Frosting; scones (unknown); cakes via Martha Stewart; table via Once Wed; dress via Amy Kuschel; hairpiece via Etsy; clutch via Etsy; sandwiches via Food Network; tags via Etsy; cups via Country Living; dress via Melissa Sweet

Natalie and Andrew are Married!!!!!

Our sweet couple Natalie and Andrew were married in June at Palma Ceia United Methodist Church in Tampa. Their heartfelt ceremony was performed by a dear family friend of theirs. Another special touch during the wedding was a song composed and played by the Bride's sister. This beautiful composition about the bride and groom starting their new life together was played during the lighting of the unity candle. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Andrew swept Natalie up and gave her a loving kiss! You could definitely tell they were so happy to be husband and wife. After that, Julie and Kevin with Brewer Photo and Video took the bridal party throughout Tampa for some post wedding pics and the guests arrived to the Sheraton Riverwalk for the reception. Natalie always had a vision of what she wanted her special day to look like: She loved the pink and grey palette with a hint of silver. Instead of sticking with just one shade, we used a a range from bright to light. Also, we didn't go too overboard with the pink, just a hint here and there. The reception was simple but elegant. As they arrived, guests were treated to pink lemonade, their signature drink for the evening. After dinner, guests were treated to yummy chocolate turtle favors made also by a family friend. A great time was had by all ,and at the end everyone waved their glow stick good-byes as the Natalie and Andrew departed by boat. Many thanks to all of the vendors that made Natalie and Andrew's wedding a dream come true! And thanks to Julie for the cute pics!!!

Coordinators: Simply Divine Events

Stationary: Not from a Box and Etsy

Ceremony Music: Alafia String Quartet
Ceremony Location: Palma Ceia United Methodist

Reception Venue: Sheraton Riverwalk

Reception Entertainment: Advancing Entertainement

Photography and Videography: Brewer Photography and Videography

Floral: Events in Bloom

Wedding Cake: Sweetie Pies

Transportation: VIP Valet and Tampa Water Taxi

Thank You Notes with Flair

A great way to add a little flair to your thank you cards is to personalize them! A big trend right now is to include a photo from your wedding on the cover of your thank you note.

We found this idea on etsy. The bride ordered the parisol before the wedding and then had her photographer take a special shot after the ceremony. This picture can easily be made into a thank you card using a website such as snapfish or shutterfly.

When friends and family receive it in the mail they will be taken back to how wonderful the day was and how amazing the new couple looked on their big day!

Coming Soon!! (Inspiration Board comes to Life)

Tomorrow we will filming a mock seaside wedding reception to show how we made this inspiration board come to life. Stay tuned for the film.

Of course we will post some pictures as well.

Lesley + Ryan- super sneak peeks

Here are a few pictures from Lesley and Ryan's wedding we planned last weekend at the Marriott Waterside. More to come --- thanks Erin, with Kara Pennington Photography, for posting these. We can't wait to see the rest!

Susanne + Bob Married

Last weekend we had the pleasure of planning and coordinating Susanne and Bob's wedding celebration. Susanne and Bob are a fun couple with great friends and family. They wanted their wedding to reflect them- and it did! Susanne choose the color pallette of yellow, orange, and green. Her three bridesmaids each wore a different color dress. So, we built the wedding colors around that. They both wanted a whimsical, bright, airy, fun, and mingling type reception- so we decided to go with a station style menu and different size and shapes of tables. We didn't have seating for everyone- it was definately a "reception style" reception and it worked really well.

Congratulations to the bride and groom, and thank you to all the vendors who helped make this event happen.

Venue: Davis Islands Garden Club
Coordinator: Lori from Simply Divine Events
Photographer: Carrie Wildes Photography
Caterer: Good Food Catering
Floral: Events in Bloom
Beverage Service: U Dream Events
Linens: BBJ Linens
Chair rental: Panache
Stationary: Not From A Box
DJ/Entertainment: Inspire Entertainment
Cake: A Piece of Cake

Lesley and Ryan are Married!!!!!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of working with Lesley and Ryan on their wedding at the Marriott Waterside. When we first met back in the fall, her color palette was fuchsia, white and black. Then one night when she was flipping through the channels she came across an episode of Castle. She knew then that it was the look she wanted for her big day! So with the help of some great vendors, we made her vision become a reality. Here are a few pictures from the beautiful day!

Coordinator: Jessica from Simply Divine Events

Ceremony: St. Andrews Episcopal Church

Reception: Marriott Waterside

Transportation: VIP Valet

Floral: The Arrangement

Entertainment and Lighting: Inpulse Entertainment

Wedding Cake and Favors: A Piece of Cake

Chivari Chairs and Charger Plates: Signature Events by Design

Photography: Erin with Kara Pennington Studios

Videography: VH Video

Stationary: Inivtations: The Write Stuff, Programs: Pearl Beach Paperie and Not from a Box for table numbers, menu cards and place cards.

Linens: BBJ

A Golden Idea

One of the newest trends we're seeing this year is mixing metallics. Although it may have been a faux pas in the past, you can really create a timeless, beautiful look. And you don't have to stop with wardrobe. You can mix this trend into your linens, invitations, centerpieces and the list goes on and on. Don't be afraid to experiment and you will end up with a look that's truly your own!

Photo Credits: Dress - Jim Hjelm Occasions; Earrings - J. Crew; Shoes - Us!

Lauren and Welty's Wedding- Moberg Photography

Thanks Mark for the fantastic photos from Lauren and Welty's April 24, 2010 wedding. We had a wonderful time working with this beautiful couple.