This month, we're celebrating our 10th Anniversary! As a special gift, any bride or groom that books a wedding with us between now and November 8, 2012, will receive 10% off their service price. Contact us to schedule your consultation!
The Fine Print: Contract must be signed and deposit received by Thursday, November 8th. Wedding must take place in 2013, based on availability. Valid only for new bookings.
Looking for a great way to meet lots of wedding professionals in one place? Stop by the Premier Wedding Expo this Sunday! We have been proud to help produce these great events for many years, and they keep getting better.
The event runs from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the UNF University Center (12000 Alumni Drive). Tickets are $10 at the door, but if you purchase the online in advance they are only $7! Be sure to visit the show's website, www.TicTocEvents.com, to learn more.
It was recently brought to my attention that there was not much fanfare when we moved to a new office earlier this year. Since the move took place in May, when we were in the midst of our busiest wedding month of the year, we had other things on our mind. Forgive us? Even though it's been 3 months already, we are still in the process of unpacking, decorating, and making the new space "home." But, I thought I'd give you a peek in case you haven't had a chance to stop by yet!
What will you find in our office, you may ask? Here's a little taste:
And of course, you'll find us hard at work helping our clients find everything they need for their weddings! We hope you'll stop by and say hi.
As experienced planners, we feel an obligation to help out those that have a passion for wedding planning. We offer two internships a year, one for the spring semester and one for the fall. We are currently accepting applications for our Fall 2012 internship; interviews will begin in July.
Interns must be enrolled in a Bachelor's/Master's program at an accredited college or university and provide documentation from their school stating they are able to receive academic credit for this internship. The internship requires a minimum of 12 hours in the office each week, and you must be
You may be asking, what's the difference? An internship is designed for a student to shadow in the office and during events for 4-5 months. An apprenticeship is an intense, hands-on two-day experience designed for those that have already completed coursework or have worked in the wedding industry.
For more information on these opportunities, please visit this page: http://www.firstcoastweddings.com/internships-and-employment/
Announcing our newest seminar, Blueprint For Wedding Success! Join us for an afternoon of valuable tips and information from Master Bridal Consultant, Heather Canada. Topics include:
Ceremony:
Reception:
Extras:
Followed by individual Q&A with Master Bridal Consultant Heather Canada. Plus:
Tickets are only $15 per person, or two tickets for $25. Plus, clients of First Coast Weddings, Avalon Hall, and The Perfect Pear get a special discount! (Ask us for details.) Seating is limited, so sign up today at http://weddingblueprint.eventbrite.com.
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin
Best Wishes, Emma, Heather and Melanie
How would you like to win a FREE wedding? Register now for your spot in The Wedding Party's Dance2Wed "Don't Stop the Music" Dance-a-thon!
When: Friday, October 21 9:00 pm - Saturday, October 22, 2011 until last couple is standing
Where: Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park
Who: All Engaged Couples & Friends
The Grand Prize: A wedding valued at over $30,000!
That's right... all you have to do is be the last couple dancing on October 22nd, and you score a free wedding package! The dream wedding prize package includes:
Ceremony and reception for up to 100 guests at Aloft Hotel
Catering package from Mai Oui Gourmet
Photography package from The Wedding and Portrait Photographers and Thomas Lester Photography
Videography package from In Motion Video Productions
Wedding cake by Simply Delicious! Cakes
Stationery from Celebrated Occasions and Kouture Kreations
DJ services from D'Land Entertainment and Y? Entertainment
Photo Booth provided by Y? Entertainment
Hair and Makeup services from A Glamour Bride
Floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception
And of course, coordination by First Coast Weddings and Events! Find out more details and review the complete rules on The Wedding Party's website. We hope to see you there!
Earlier this week, I attended NACE Experience! 2011, the annual conference for the National Association of Catering Executives. I have been a NACE member for 10 years, and on the board of directors most of that time. I always come home from their conference with a notebook full of ideas I can't wait to share with the First Coast Weddings team, and our clients.
During the conference, I received a huge honor - I was named to NACE's President's List. This award is presented for "outstanding achievement and selfless volunteer service." We have an excellent Northeast Florida chapter, and it's an honor to be recognized by them and the national board of directors as well.
Speaking of our chapter, we won Chapter of the Year for 2011! We were up against two other great chapters in the "under 100 members" category. With over 40 chapters across the country, it was so exciting to be selected!
I love being involved with local, national, and international associations for so many reasons - but mostly, I love giving back to the hospitality industry!
Yesterday, I had the honor of attending the first ever Executive Women's Day at The Players Championship. It was a terrific day filled with networking with powerful women, inspiring discussions from a panel talented female executives, and an entertaining and informative keynote address from MSNBC's Contessa Brewer.
I thought it was interesting when one of my fellow attendees asked me what I would normally be doing if I weren't at that event. It made me realize that not everyone realizes that being an event planner, specifically a wedding planner, is a full-time job. So I thought I'd make a little list of some of the things I handle on a daily basis at the office!
I'm sure there is a lot more - maybe my fellow wedding planners can add some of their favorite tasks in the comments?
As you may know, our office is located inside The Wedding Party. I thought I'd take a minute to tell everyone what that means, exactly!
We are:
We are not:
You can check out The Wedding Party's website for a photo tour of our office, and for a list of all the companies represented.
Have you gotten your copy yet?
Visit our office and check in via Facebook Places for a FREE copy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine! Hurry - only 25 copies available!
8640 Philips Highway Suite 8 (inside The Wedding Party) Jacksonville, FL 32256
We're proud to be a part of The Wedding Party! Paul Deland did a great interview on Good Morning Jacksonville Saturday, telling all of North Florida what we are all about. Check out the clip above!
2010 has been an exciting year at First Coast Weddings and Events!
We had some amazing weddings at the top venues in the area - The Lodge and Club, TPC Sawgrass, and the Omni Hotel Jacksonville just to name a few. We've also had some great weddings in the surrounding areas - Amelia Island, Jekyll Island, and St. Augustine.
Our little home at The Wedding Party has continued to grow, this year expanding by 50%! We've had a lot of fun with our bridal open houses and our vendor get-togethers, and we look forward to more in 2011.
And last but not least, we've had some changes in our personal lives. Melanie and Emma both had babies this year! We're excited to start training baby Madison and baby Noah as flower girl and ring bearer as soon as they can walk. On a sad but happy note, Lauren moved to Hawaii where her love Ryan is stationed in the Navy. While we miss her terribly, we know she is having a blast settling in to her new surroundings.
So what will 2011 bring? Only time will tell...
We still have a few minor adjustments to make, but our new website is up and ready to receive visitors just in time for the holidays. Feel free to email us at info@firstcoastweddings.com if you see any issues with the new site!
No, we're not remodeling our office again. But, starting Friday, we'll be making some changes to our blog. So over the next week or so, we apologize if you come looking for us and we're not here. Rest assured, we'll be back and better than ever really soon! Be sure to visit our Facebook page in the meantime!
We're thrilled to announce the second new addition to the First Coast Weddings family this year! Emma and her husband Drew welcomed baby Noah into their hearts last night, and mom and baby are doing great. When Emma first joined our team, she was a recent college graduate. I've gotten to watch her go from dating to engaged to married, and now to mommy. I've also seen her blossom into a top-notch event planner.
I'm so excited to watch her embark on this new chapter in her life... Watch our Facebook page for photos soon!
For those of you that aren't in Jacksonville, or haven't stopped by to say hi yet, I thought I would share a virtual tour of The Wedding Party. We are a collection of wedding professionals (some of the best in the business, if I do say so myself), that all share office space. There are other folks out there trying to copy the idea, but they are mostly advertising outlets. Vendors pay a monthly fee to have their marketing materials on display. What sets us apart is the actual offices. We are (for the most part) all here all day, all week. If a bride walks in, she can easily meet with any of us during normal business hours. Or, if a bride comes in to meet with our photographer, she might decide she wants to check out our videographer or cake baker while she's here. It's really great for the clients!
Take a look around - either virtually or in person!
First Coast Weddings is proud to be part of The Wedding Party's donation to the Wish Upon A Wedding auction! Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and serious life-altering circumstances regardless of sexual orientation. Our organization offers couples a chance to enjoy a very special day, without any thoughts of existing health or other serious issues, while surrounded by their closest family and friends.
Our destination wedding package valued at $5,800 is perfect for a weekday wedding with up to 50 guests. Check out The Wedding Party's blog for complete details, and visit the Wish Upon A Wedding auction site to bid on this and hundreds of other great items starting October 1st.
It's bridal show week again here at First Coast Weddings and Events! In case you don't know, we co-produce the Jacksonville Bridal Connection bridal shows, held twice a year at the UNF University Center. If you are interested in attending, click for all the details:
http://www.JacksonvilleBridalConnection.com
While we're busy getting ready for the show, we thought we'd share some bridal show tips:
We have FREE tickets left for Sunday's show, so drop by The Wedding Party to pick up a pair!
We're thrilled to announce that Melanie and her husband Eric have a beautiful baby girl! Madison Mary was born yesterday, and everyone is doing great! As some of you know, Melanie is not only part of our amazing coordination team, but she is also a former client! I met Melanie and Eric as they began planning their December 2007 wedding in St. Augustine, and I had a great time getting to know them and their families. So when Melanie came to me about a year later and asked if she could intern with me, I was thrilled to say yes!
When Melanie told me she was pregnant, I almost fell off my chair. But I couldn't be happier for her and Eric, and I can't wait to have Baby Madison as part of the First Coast Weddings team!
