One of the best parts of my job is getting thank you notes from our lovely couples after the wedding. This morning, I found this note from Michelle and Jamaal in my stack of mail:
Heather,
Thank you for making our day stress-free and perfect. Your interpretation and execution of ideas is flawless. You did a great job and made our day that much special. Couldn't have done it without you. God bless, thanks again.
Michelle & Jamaal
Sexy April newlyweds Michelle and Jamaal were featured in Sunday's Florida Times-Union! In case you missed it, here is the article by M.C. Finotti:
Never underestimate the resolve of a high school sweetheart.
Jamaal Fudge and Michelle Gibbs didn't formally meet until their senior year at Ed White High School in 2001. But Michelle had watched the shy, handsome football standout for months, especially in the cafeteria.
"I loved seeing him inhale his lunch, as if it was going to get up and run," said Michelle, laughing. "He was serious about his chicken nuggets."
One day, Michelle - who also describes herself as shy - approached Jamaal.
"I went up to him and I said: 'I just want you to know I like you,' " Michelle, now 25, recalled. "Then I ran away."
Jamaal didn't know what to think. "She ran off before I could say anything."
But he answered back a few days later when he inscribed a football card to Michelle, signing it: "Your friend, Jamaal."
The two soon became inseparable, spending the rest of their senior year and the summer before college together.
In the fall, Jamaal, now 26, left to play football at Clemson. Michelle went to the University of Central Florida and FAMU, where she majored in biology.
The two stayed together several years, but the physical distance between them took its toll. Both eventually started dating other people. But they remained friends, keeping in touch with e-mails and phone calls. And they always saw each other during the summer back home in Jacksonville.
Jamaal returned to Jacksonville in 2006 to play special teams and back-up safety with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Michelle and Jamaal started seeing more of each other, but only as friends. Then Jamaal hit Michelle with a bombshell: He was getting serious about his girlfriend from Clemson, who had gotten a job up North.
"And that's when I got really scared. I thought I was going to lose him forever," Michelle said.
But Michelle grabbed hold of Jamaal's heart and wouldn't let go. The soft-spoken Jamaal explained it this way: "I prayed, and I talked with my mother," said Jamaal. In the end, he decided to marry Michelle.
The two said "I do" April 25 at The Lodge in Ponte Vedra. Jamaal is now a safety for the Atlanta Falcons, and Michelle will attend a chiropractic school in Atlanta this fall.
Jamaal's cousin, Marvette Tooks, says she thinks it was a good thing they both tried dating other people because they were both so young when they first met. As Marvette put it, "We always knew they'd end up back together." Read the original article here: http://jacksonville.com/lifestyles/relationships/2009-05-31/story/i_do_i_do_high_school_sweethearts_find_each_other
Photo by La Dolce Vita Studio (www.LaDolceVitaStudio.com)
On April 25th 2009, l had the pleasure of coordinating the Erin O’Connor and Eric Rehmeyer wedding at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. The weather was perfect and l had a great team of people to work with, including Darrin from Deland Entertainment, Judy and Lynette from Rose of Sharon, Michael from Jax Notary, Elizabeth McKee from the Hyatt and Zach Thomas from Zach Thomas Photography.
Zach Thomas took some of these amazing pictures of the wedding day, which are shown below. He is a great people person who puts everyone instantly at ease. He has a unique creative vision, and really captures the energy of the moment. To find out more information about Zach please check out his web site ztphoto.com.
Working with such a talented group of people is always an amazing experience, especially when you see everyone’s individual ideas come to fruition, creating a seamless wedding day event.
More from our sexy April 25th newlyweds... the teaser video from In Motion Video Productions!!
We've updated our spotlight wedding feature on our website! Be sure to check out some super-hot images from Michelle and Jamaal's wedding. Thanks to Melanie and Bradford at La Dolce Vita Studio.
Jill and Michael's video teaser is online at InMotion Video Productions!
Danielle's wedding was featured today in the Florida Times-Union! Here is the full text of the article:
When wedding planner Danielle Gregory and her longtime boyfriend, Jay Bamba, decided to marry, they decided they wouldn't let the wedding steal the spotlight from their marriage.
"We didn't want the sentimentality of the day to be overshadowed by a crazy bouquet or a full orchestra," said Danielle, 24, a wedding coordinator at First Coast Weddings and Events.
Danielle knew the wedding wouldn't be elaborate. For one thing, her family is feeling the effects of the recession, which meant an affair on a budget: $10,000, to be exact.
"I actually came in a little under," she said.
Danielle, who loves to read a wedding blog called StyleMePretty.com, saved a lot of money by doing things herself. She screen-printed her invitations and learned calligraphy, so she could address them.
She also saved money on her dress. "I wore a no name chiffon gown from a department store and made my own birdcage veil," Danielle said.
A few days before her wedding day, Danielle turned her refrigerator into a flower cooler and went to Whole Foods to buy $200 in flowers in shades of purple and raspberry. Danielle used tulips and Calla lilies for her bridal bouquet, wrapping them with a piece of crochet made by her grandmother.
Danielle and Jay met in 2001 at Ridgeview High School in Clay County. "I had seen her around school, and I thought she was real pretty," said Jay, 25, a field technician at Comcast.
Jay wanted to marry two years ago, but Danielle's mother said no.
"She thought we were too young," Danielle said. Jay asked again this past Christmas. This time, Mom put up no objections.
"She thought we were ready," Danielle said.
The couple said "I do" April 18 beside the Treaty Oak on Jacksonville's Southbank before 150 guests. Their dinner reception was held at Maggiano's Little Italy.
"Food cost about $6,500," Danielle said. "That was for a five-course meal."
To save money, the couple decided against a wedding cake and opted for the desserts that came with their five-course meal.
They also invited guests to participate in an heirloom dessert buffet. Several days before the wedding, two dozen guests sent Danielle their favorite dessert recipes. She turned them into a recipe book and screen-printed copies of the pages.
Guests brought three batches of their favorite dessert to the wedding and went home with different recipe pages. For Danielle, it was a simple but soulful way to achieve the wedding she wanted.
"I've seen many beautiful weddings," she explained. "But the ones I liked the most were the ones that were meaningful."
Melanie and Brad of La Dolce Vita Studio posted some images of Michelle and Jamaal on their wedding day - check it out on their blog!
After years of planning other peoples' weddings, Danielle finally made it down the aisle with her high school sweatheart Jay. I'm sure that Danielle will post a blog entry soon with her side of the story, but for now, we'll just say CONGRATULATIONS!
Check out more photos from the Oeil Photography blog.
I usually ask my brides, "Are you ready?" before we begin the rehearsal. Michelle's answer was "I've been ready for this day for a long time!" Michelle and Jamaal met in high school, and Michelle has stayed by Jamaal's side through high school football, college football at Clemson, and two NFL teams (the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons). Today, she finally got to hear the words, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Jamaal is so romantic, he even hired a photographer to capture the proposal!
We only had a short time to plan their dream wedding due to Jamaal's training schedule with the Falcons. So we set our sights on an April date and got to work!
We had several site visits set up before Michelle moved to Atlanta to be with Jamaal, but as soon as she and her mom saw The Lodge and Club at Ponte Vedra Beach, the decision was made. And what an easy decision it was!
Beautiful decor from Anything With Plants and Flowers added to the gorgeous venue and added the vintage-glamour touches that Michelle wanted. Check out the centerpieces, with feathers, crystals and pearls!
La Dolce Vita Studio's Melanie and Bradford Watson were selected as the photographers, and InMotion Video Productions was chosen for the videography.
Brooke Alford provided romantic violin accompaniment for the oceanfront wedding ceremony, and a saxophonist provide background music during the cocktail hour under the trellis.
As a sentimental touch, Edgewood Bakery created the wedding cake and groom's cake - the bakery had also created Michelle's parents' wedding cake for their wedding! The shop opened in 1947, and serves the best pastries and sandwiches in addition to their beautiful special occasion cakes.
A friend of the bride and groom, Rasheen Waring of Dynamic Musician ENT, kept the dance floor packed all night. Congrats, Michelle and Jamaal, I wish you many more happy years together!
(other than the engagement pics, the photos in the post are my snapshots, pro images coming soon!)
Everyone who has been to The Garden Club of Jacksonville knows that it is a blank slate! So I thought I would share yesterday's transformation for Kristin and Sam's wedding. (note: these are my snap shots with my camera, so not great images!)
THE GARDEN CLUB - BEFORE This is what the Garden Club provides, and how the room looked when we arrived.
THE GARDEN CLUB - AFTER Once we set the ivory pintuck table cloths, black chiavari chairs, and coral sashes and napkins, the room started coming together! Add in the ivory and gold china, gold flatware, and menu cards tucked into each napkin, and it starts looking great. Once the centerpieces from Wilson's Ltd. arrived, it was amazing!
Incidentally, so many couples think it is cheaper to rent a space like this than to have a reception at a hotel or country club. If you are one of them, be sure you are comparing apples to apples - look at all the extra costs involved, like renting china, glassware, flatware, bringing in serving staff, linens, bartenders, and catering supplies. You can easily spend an extra $3,000-$5,000 on these items for a wedding of 150 guests!
Danielle coordinated an amazing wedding last weekend! Since she is busy with her own wedding preparations (CONGRATS, DANIELLE!) I thought I would share this link to a blog post from Oeil Photography about the wedding.
Check out the post for more AMAZING images!
Jill and Michael are an eHarmony commercial waiting to happen! They are so wonderful together and their families are too. A highlight for me was getting to reunite with these girls - Jill had been a bridesmaid in Mandy's wedding (2nd from left), and several of the other girls had been bridesmaids too. It was great seeing them all again!
Jill and Michael were married in a traditional Catholic ceremony at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, the church the bride grew up in. Following the ceremony, the bridal party piled into the Hummer limo from Dynasty Limousine to take photos at the beach. Photographer Nikki McEneaney of Photography By Nikki got some incredible images!
The reception at Marsh Landing Country Club was beautiful! Jill chose ivory and gold, with orange accents and touches of hot pink and lime green. DJ David Hanscom of Y? Entertainment kept the crowd on the floor from the first dance to the last. Jill and Michael's first dance was perfectly choreographed to Frank Sinatra's "The Best Is Yet To Come" and was a definite show-stopper!
I can't wait to share the video from InMotion Video Productions!
As a wedding planner, I see a lot of rude wedding guests. I can honestly say that there wasn't a single one at this wedding! Tiffany and Drayton were married in a beautiful ceremony on the lawn at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, March 29, 2009. Wilson's Limited provided phenomenal decor for the entire clubhouse. Dr. Wayne Faison officiated the touching ceremony flawlessly, despite the windy conditions. The couple united their families with a sand ceremony - each mother, the couple, and their daughter all added sand to a beautiful keepsake vase.
The Fusion Band played beautiful jazz music during the ceremony and cocktail hour. The guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the lawn overlooking the world-famous golf course before moving upstairs to the Ponte Vedra Room.
In the ballroom, DJ Carlton McGee of McGee Entertainment kept the crowd dancing throughout the evening. These photos are my snapshots, but I can't wait to see the pics from Sheri Ebert and the video from Simply Wed!
We will really miss having Drayton as a Jaguar, but wish him all the best in Buffalo!
Abby and Ryan are featured in The Florida Times-Union! Here's a little teaser of the article:
For Abby Dwyer and Ryan Beazley, going from friends to more-than-just friends was as easy as working in a restaurant right after college.
The two met in 2003 when Abby was hired to be a waitress at the Ale House in Davie, and Ryan, who already worked at the restaurant, was assigned to train her.
The two enjoyed an instant connection.
"She liked my sense of humor and dashing good looks," said Ryan, now 27, and a designer at Brown Enterprises, an architectural signage manufacturer in Jacksonville.
His height didn't hurt either. Ryan is 6 feet 6 and Abby is 5 feet 8.
"Tall men are hard to come by in Miami, and I was always looking for my tall guy," said Abby, now 28 and the manager of Professional Recruiting at CSX in Jacksonville.
The night after he met Abby, Ryan called his older brother, Chris, in Chicago. "Ryan told me he met this really amazing, vivacious girl," Chris said.
One week later, Abby called her father in Maryland. "I told him, 'Dad, this is it. I've met my future husband,' " Abby recalled.
Hsinyi and Kevin met online in 2006, and a week later had their first date - a cup of coffee that turned into a three-hour breakfast. The rest, as they say, is history. Hsinyi is originally from Taiwan, but moved to the U.S. in 1999 for graduate school. It was very important to both she and Kevin to reflect both of their cultures in their wedding day.
Hsinyi and Kevin were married in a beautiful ceremony at The Lightner Museum Courtyard in St. Augustine. Our friends at The Wedding Authority provided the chairs, decorations, and officiant, which makes weddings at The Lightner so wonderful. The following photos are by Nikki McEneaney, Photography By Nikki, except for a few snapshots as noted.
I grabbed these two snapshots with my camera after completing the setup at The White Room - what an elegant reception! The delicious cake was created by Arlene Fores of Sweet Weddings.
The beautiful centerpieces were created by the bride's mom, who is very talented! Each table was numbered with Chinese characters rather than traditional English numbers.
Hsinyi and Kevin danced the night away to the tunes of The Faze.
A rare shot of me and the bride at the end of the night!
Our friends at InMotion Video Productions just sent us an email to let us know that Abby and Ryan's teaser video is online!
Heather, the wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed possible! Everything was perfect and better than I expected! Thank you so much for all of your helpful recommendations and tips and for making sure everything was perfect on our big day!
-Abby
Read about Abby and Ryan's wedding!
(photo taken by one of Abby's awesome bridesmaids!)
"This is the nicest wedding we've ever been to!"
Ryan made Abby laugh with this comment, to which she responded, "Did you hear what my husband just said?" (Incidentally, I love taking the bride and groom into the ballroom to see it before the guests do - that's how we get fun comments like this!)
We loved working with Abby, and she looked amazing on her wedding day. The staff at Salon Cielo did a wonderful job on all the ladies' hair, and Sunshine Jones did an equally wonderful job with Abby's makeup.
The ceremony and reception at Deerwood Country Club could not have been more lovely. Abby chose a palette of black and white, accented with red, for her colors. The ballroom was dressed for the formal wedding in black and white, with red floral arrangements by Wilson's Limited. Linens were provided by Connie Duglin Specialty Linen.
Ryan is a vegetarian, so over their years together Abby has also joined in the lifestyle. But a lot of their friends and family have issues knowing what to cook when they come over for dinner, so they came up with these cute cookbooks full of their favorite recipes to give out as favors! Ryan actually made these himself - from the design to the execution. Way to go Ryan!
Paul Deland from D'Land Entertainment did a superb job keeping the crowd dancing through the night, with lots of great sing-along 70's and 80's music. And speaking of sing-alongs, the bride's mom Nina took a moment to tell the guests about Abby's grandmother, and then led a group rendition of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."
Kris Graham Photography and InMotion Video Productions captured every moment, and I can't wait to see the photos and video! (note: the photos in this post are my snapshots, not pro pics by any stretch of the imagination!)
I just received some photos from Christina and Ryan's beautiful wedding at The Garden Club of Jacksonville! Thanks to Kris Graham Photography for these wonderful images.
