THE END.

Ok, no <laughing> that didn’t <still laughing> really  <hahahaha, tummy. hurts. ow. hahahaha> happen.  We don’t put our feet up until, like December.  Oh, and Sundays.  We have “Sacred Sundays” around here.  Feet are required to be in some sort of sand {or water} and hands are required to tote a fancy refreshment around for the better part of the day.  But I digress.  I just really like Sundays.  I also really liked this wedding because, well, it was gorgeous and amazing and it was super-cool to see how talented our sweet bride really is.  Working alongside the girls of Bella Flora, Laura’s fabulous ideas were brought to life.  With a style described as “ethereal and romantic”, this girl definitely blew my little mind with her details.  Speaking of blowing my little mind, can you even believe how awesome that dynamic duo over at Paul Johnson Photography are?  Me, neither!  Seriously, people.  Big fan here.

So.  Details.  From the pops of cobalt blue in the containers, milk glass vases adorned with bunches of baby’s breath {mm hmm, we dig baby’s breath . . . but not, like, in a prom wrist-corsage kind of way.  It really is quite fabulous.  If you don’t believe me, go knock yourself into a Pinterest wedding coma for a while} to the sweet simplicity of her P-R-E-T-T-Y printed paper products {say that a few times fast}, Laura definitely has a knack for this stuff.  Rock on, pretty girl, and make those wedding dreams happen for other brides!

See?  Pretty, huh?  Just wait.  There’s more where this came from.

 Um, can I get an “awwww”, please?

Laura’s dad seeing his sweet daughter as a bride for the first time = heart melting.

This doll belonged to the bride’s great grandfather; it’s been carried by brides in their family for generations.  Insanely special and sweet.  And quite impressive how intact and perfect this little guy is. 

So, that bouquet wrap with the doll-insert?  Yeah, Laura made that.  UH-dorable. 

And that adorable ring bearer pillow?  Yes, she made that, too. 

The happy Mr. & Mrs., walking down the pretty aisle of the Seaside Chapel.  

Girls in blush and boys in tan. I’m a fan.  And a poet.  Obviously.

Seaside’s Ruskin Park all ready for a par-tay.  Wanna know a secret?  Behind what appears to be a really calm and peaceful backdrop, your trusty wedding planner was diverting a few crises: from the small rooftop wedding threatening to shut down our band {I’m very scary, so they left us alone after awhile}, to the golf cart thief {yes, that happened}, to the donut-favor delivery guy getting a little, um, “lost” . . . this group was able to enjoy their day and were none the wiser.  We kind of just do things like that so you don’t have to think.  Just enjoy your champagne and cake and let us handle the rest.

I’m sorry, but are these “He Loves”/”She Loves” signs not THE cutest things EVER?  Laura made those, too.  

Our #1 goal: For you to be so stinking happy on your wedding day that you jump around all excited and stoked because you just married your perfect person ~ and because your wedding basically rocks.

Much love to all our wedding friends for your hard work, support, help, friendship, awesomeness, etc., etc. on this one.  Definitely couldn’t have pulled it off without you!  Best wishes Laura & Shannon ~ and many blessings on your business!

XOXO

Jen2

Ceremony Venue: Seaside Chapel

Reception Venue: Seaside, Ruskin Park

Caterer: Townsend Catering

Photographer: Paul Johnson Photography

Videographer: Momentus Films

Event Design & Florals: Bella Flora

Event Design & Stationery: Laura Lister, Gathered Events, Bride Extraordinaire

Pastry Chef: Confections on the Coast

Hair & Makeup: Rolland’s Beauty Bar

Entertainment: Gulf Talent Services

Oh.  Yeah.  So as it turns out, “dickens” really has no meaning.  Boring.

Anyway.  The ‘r’ word is basically our least favorite thing ever  {with the exception of hurricanes and large bugs and things on fire and empty Nutella jars}.  We don’t want it to rain on your wedding day, either, but when we put on those meteorologist hats and hop on the rain-plan-planning train with our happy team of vendors, we’ll do whatever it takes to give you just as fabulous a wedding as you dreamed about since you were wearing tutus and Elmo Pull-Ups.  You see, there’s way more to your wedding planner than a pretty clipboard and playing Miss Bossypants on wedding day.  We’ll talk you through things like how to keep your  sandwiches and loafers dry.  Tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.  The good news?  This isn’t the norm around these here parts.  Florida sunshine is generally abundant.  We like those days a lot.  The other good news?  Our rockstar wedding team – to include our very own Dear Wesleyann Photography - couldn’t have pulled this off any more smoothly.  Y’all are the bomb-diggity.  For real.

Now, on to some gorgeous photos of this gorgeous couple on their gorgeous (no, really) wedding day!

If you’re in need of a wedding planner – specifically a Rosemary Beach wedding planner with rain credentials – then look no further!  We make planning your wedding fun {and we’ll keep you dry in the process}!

XOXO

Full Service Event Planner: Jennifer Lewis, Owner

Event & Floral Design: Events by Nouveau

Catering: Townsend Catering

Pastry Chef: Confections on the Coast

Photography: Dear Wesleyann

Videography: Diva Productions

Dress: Jim Hjelm

Entertainment: Music Garden

Transportation: Sunshine Shuttle

Side note: That Jen1 is kind of awesome.  And the only thing she requires of us is to also be awesome.  Because nobody wants a boring and un-awesome wedding planner, right?  Right.  Anyway.  On to the pretty + fun pictures . . .

Is the Seaside Chapel not the cutest little place you’ve ever seen? Sweet and lovely and perfect.

“Holy cow!  That’s so pretty!”  I know, right?  

Wanna see some pretty amazing details?  Well, thankfully our photographer rocks our socks off and now we get to show off her sweet pictures.

Raise your hand if you think personalized hangers for your girls is wicked cute!  If you don’t, then you should probably go read the Wall Street Journal instead.   {But come back back!  Because even though we won’t show you boring statistics about the stock market, we’ll stick to our promise of overwhelming your eyeballs with pretty pictures.}

Presents for your wedding planner guests are encouraged at a destination wedding.  Presents tucked in a cute box and adorned with a pretty bow are even better.  

I realize we’re talking about details here, so go ahead and take a gander at the cute stripe-y straw for a second, below.  

Done?  Good.  

Now, let’s talk about what’s really happening in this picture.  DO YOU SEE THAT RING?  Groom points for Logan!  Wow.  Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.  And that Genny sure is awfully gorgeous, too, huh?   

Can we just pause here for a minute, please?  Macaroons.  All yummy and boxed so perfectly.  And looking like they need to be scarfed down immediately.  And according to Google, is only spelled with one ‘o’.  Whatever.  I do what I want.

Geez Louise these are really darn cute, dontcha agree?  You don’t get this in the Wall Street Journal, do you?  I didn’t think so.

Macaroons should be washed down properly so you don’t choke.  Safety first, people.  {The koozies are kinda insanely cute too.}

This is quite possibly one of THE prettiest bridal bouquets ever.  That’s a fact.  I looked it up on Wikipedia.

It was a tad chilly back in February, so these pretty ladies were adorned with some fabulous pashminas, which ROCKED with those GORGEOUS green dresses by the way.  Told you this was chock full ‘o pretty.  

Um, yeah.  So this is also amazing.  Lounge furniture at a wedding is the best way to score major cool points with your guests.  We should know.  We’re cool and are experts on acquiring points in that department.

You should also feed them really great cake.  And it should be THIS fabulous {because – another fact – pretty cake always tastes better}.

Now, a wedding’s just not a wedding without glow necklaces, sunglasses {at night} and the limbo.  You totally just got that song in your head, didn’t you?  Sorry.  {Not really.}

Congratulations, Genny & Logan!  Wishing you many pretty + fun years of love and happiness!! 

Oh.  Yeah.  Heaters.  In Florida.  In March.  That happened.  {For the record, that’s not typical in these here parts.}

Thanks to our friends over at Pure 7 Studios, we’re able to share the awesome images that capture all the hip/awesome/nuggets of love with you!

Love the feeling of anticipation these images generate. Also, Sarah’s drink looks really yummy. We like that, too.

                                  LOVE Sarah’s pretty blue/green color combo. Not only were these girls GORGEOUS, but they were also really darn sweet.  

Kind of obsessed with the guys just being in vests. Super-cool.  Also, the faces are a great foreshadowing of the awesomeness that ensued at the reception.  Rock stars.  For real.

Something we’re seeing more and more of is the “first look” between a father and daughter.  Hello, tear-jerker.  

You guys.  This is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever seen.  Like, EV-AR.  

And then – POOF! – just like that, they were married.  We’re not kidding when we say we’re able to create magic on a wedding day.  We’ve got more tricks where that came from, too.  {Also, see aforementioned wicked cool shades adorning the pretty faces of their guests}

…And after they were married, they danced their very first dance to “That’s What’s Up”, by Edward Sharpe, etc., etc. {they have a really long name and my carpal tunnel is acting up}.  It was super-fun and currently taking over my Spotify playlist.

And then …  this happened.

…And then this happened, too {I was in the corner gnawing on Xanax upon realizing there were groomsmen catapulting themselves into the air upside down}.  But then I just thought it was really fun and cool and awesome.  And then I laughed.  And everyone clapped and hollered and climbed the walls of the tent in excitement.  Ok, not really.  But that would have been pretty hilarious, no?  

Congratulations, Sarah & Nick!  Adore you two to pieces!  

XOXO

Jen2

:::crickets:::

No?  Me neither.  But hey, in like, 1952, they were all the rage at wedding receptions.  So was the community punch bowl.  Both of which we will still happily incorporate into your happy day; we’ll just put a big, fat, fancy twist on both since, well, we like to put a big, fat, fancy twist on everything we touch.

For the record, I do like almonds.  And I suffered a slight obsession with Jordan Knight {hello, NKOTB reference} circa 1988-ish; however, the two don’t really float my boat as a duo.  But I digress…

Things have certainly evolved in the pretty little world of weddings, and I’m here to tell you that F-U-N seems to be the name of the game these days.  While it’s certainly not necessary to go over the top entertaining your guests at your wedding {because really, they’re most likely going to have three priorities: bar, dance floor, hug your neck – and not necessarily in that order}, we absolutely LOVE to help you find ways to bring some personality and fun flair into the day.  Stuck for ideas?  How about:

The PhotoBooth.  Endless hours of awesome, seriously.

Image courtesy of FaceTime PhotoBooth {and our very fun/awesome/sweet couple, Kelly & Matt}.

Have a bunch of wee ones attending?  Want to keep them from knocking over centerpieces and accidentally doing shots with the groomsmen?  Give them some fun things to do!  Games and activities and things that will keep them entertained for hours on end will allow mom and dad to boogie down and maybe even sleep in on Sunday.  We’ll put a money-back guarantee on that one.  Want to take it a step further?  Hire a nanny service and create your very own kid corral at the reception!  Now that’s what we call fun!

Photo courtesy of your resident expert iPhone photographer, Jen2. Kid awesomeness provided by Celestine’s.

Or, ya know, when all else fails, load them up on sugar:

Image courtesy of Paul Johnson Photography.  Amy & Ken | Rosemary Beach | May 5, 2012

Another sweet Paul Johnson Photography photo {get it? sweet? ha! so clever.}

Another new trend we’re seeing more and more of {thank you, Pinterest!} are lawn games.  Yep, you better be brushing up on your cornhole, croquet, bocce ball, and ring toss skills, ’cause things are heating up in the world of wedding lawn games.  We do advise against things like mud wrestling and beer pong, however.  Too messy {and grandma Betty tends to frown on things of that nature.  Unless, of course, your grandma is Betty White, in which case, you’re basically the luckiest person ever and we would like to plan your wedding NOW}.

See? Told you Pinterest was the lawn game authority.

Another Pinterest masterpiece.

So, question of the day:   Aside from doing the Wobble and busting out some Gangnam Style {which I totally Googled for correct spelling, by the way}, what fun component are YOU adding as a way to entertain your guests?

XOXO

Jen2

So, here goes. Our two cents (or five, whatever) as far as spray tanning is concerned:

1. Try before you buy! We suggest stepping foot into that big capsule of mysterious bronzing wonder for a little trial run at home. If you wait till the week of your wedding, you might consider buying a Brillo pad in the event it goes terribly awry.

2. If you decide spray tanning really does tickle your fancy, then we suggest tanning a few days in advance – NOT the day before your nuptials. Why? Because we said so. And, well, because brownish-orange arm marks up and down the side of your dress is probably not Photoshop-able. It also may be a little distracting. People might laugh at you. And we don’t want people to laugh at you.

3. Don’t go too dark! We’re not sure how it happens, but a too-dark tan somehow, sometimes, tends to morph itself into this bizarre shade of purple-y brown . . . something. No scaring your wedding guests, please. An audible gasp from the groom is also a little embarrassing.

4. Use a reputable salon. There are lots of great, new spray tan products on the market that won’t actually leave you looking Oompa Loompa-ish, so be sure to do your research beforehand.

5. Last but not least, if you decide to go the old fashioned bake-on-the-beach route, be liberal with the sunscreen . . . and consider a strapless top to avoid the pretty “hi, I have a tan” tan lines that will likely take center stage on your wedding day.

But really, we generally recommend going au naturale and showcasing your pretty self sans-sun damage and/or blasted with bronzing spray. Provided you’ve not hired a circus clown to do your makeup (which we tend to avoid), your professional makeup artist will know the best ways to highlight your features with colors and shades suitable for your skin tone, and which will be most flattering in photos. And of course, if you’re working with a legitimate, experienced wedding photographer (please, please, please do that), they’re going to work with the lighting, time of day and surroundings to capture you at your best.

So, cast your worries of being pasty aside and enjoy your pretty self on your very awesome wedding day (your groom will still kiss you, your guests will still “ooh and ahh” over how stinking pretty you are, and you won’t be covered in gauze from the aforementioned Brillo pad incident).

Considering a ceremony after the sun goes down?  While we agree there’s nothing more gorgeous and romantic than our amazing sunsets on the beach, there are also some things to consider before committing to your nocturnal nuptials.  Unless your venue is on a football field, it’s likely going to be, well, dark.  Thank you, Obvious Ollie.  What’s the big deal, right?

• Unless you’re handing out headlamps in lieu of programs, your guests are going to have a tough time seeing {whether they’re trying to read your programs, or just want to gaze at your smiling faces, it’s going to be a little more challenging post-sundown}.

• Consider the key players during your ceremony: the officiant, your ceremony musicians, readers?, soloists? … If they’re bats, then they can probably read in the dark.  If they’re not, they should probably be prepared to have a reading light of some sort.  Because no one really wants bats fluttering around their wedding ceremony.

• Group photos. This is the biggie.  Are you and your soon-to-be-spouse OK with seeing each other before your ceremony?  Bride: Are you cool with being ready super-early?  99.999999999% of the time, you’re going to need to schedule all of your group photos before your ceremony.  {If my mathematically-challenged brain serves me right, that that number could technically be rounded up to 100%, but I’m not a photographer, so I felt it necessary to leave a slight margin of error}.

• Ceremony photos.  Another biggie.  Seeing a trend with this photo thing?

There’s something very special about Missy & Lorin, and they’ve honestly become really great friends to us both. And holy smokes, are they ever IN LOVE. Like, totally, utterly, gives-this-single-girl-hope kind of love. It’s obvious when they’re together that they’re just supposed to be together. We adore the heck out of you two, and wish you a million and one more years of true, sickeningly-sweet love and happiness. Your wedding is one we’ll always remember {and still brag about!} ~ y’all are one of a kind, for real. Happy anniversary, you two lovebirds! We love you guys!!

That’s not all we have for this wedding though … We have a very fun post coming soon to a blog near you detailing all the behind-the-scenes insanity that took place that caused us to utter, “So who does this when we’re not here???” more than once that day. So, stay tuned. You’ll likely rethink having Aunt Betty coordinate your wedding day.

To be continued…

We’re often asked by our couples how to best let guests know where they’re registered. In two words: You don’t. Etiquettely speaking, it’s generally considered in poor taste to include those handy little registry cards that the stores so conveniently throw at you, in your invitations. You’re essentially asking guests to bring you a gift. Because it’s a wedding, your guests will know to send or bring a gift (or send a little dinero your way!). If you’re asked, by all means, share your registry information – just don’t rent out that empty billboard that’s been sitting along the highway for the last six months to announce that you’d really like two hundred of your closest friends and family to outfit your entire kitchen to resemble Paula Dean’s. It’s tacky. So don’t do it. And don’t plaster it on your wedding website, either. Again, let them ask you or your wedding party. They’ll figure it out. And you’ll be cooking with your new Kitchen Aid mixer and fancy set of steak knives in no time. Promise.

XOXO
Your Resident Wedding Experts

In an attempt to be less wordy {because let’s face it, we all love the pretty pictures, right?!?}, we’ll leave you with some fabulous shots of this fantastic day, courtesy of the uber-talented Mary Beth Tyson Photography.

See, isn’t she just so stinking pretty?!?

A “First Look” between a bride and her father. Quite possibly the sweetest photo ever.

I spy a headless Jen1 delivering some amazing Celestine’s bouquets to our sweet girls!!

This color palette is to DIE for!

Stunning and amazing and pretty and awesome.

:::Sigh::: This is what it’s all about. So sweet.

That amazing Eden tree!

No matter what, the look on the groom’s face when he first sees his bride, is hands-down one of the best moments of the entire day.

Duh, OUR brides arrive in style.

More prettiness from our amazing designers!

The menu was displayed on an old window pane – super-cool!

Guests signed wine corks that the bride and groom had collected – totally fit with this awesome vintage wedding!

Could these girls get any more gorgeous?? Love. Love. Love. Aaaaaand…LOVE.

Because cake matters. Trust us. You won’t regret a Rhonda cake.

The wedding party had their very own, personalized signature drink mason jars. {And thank you, Mary Beth, for the last-minute run to get these for us!!! We love our peeps!}

THIS is what we love to see – the bride & groom, well, being the bride & groom!!! Not a worry in the world!

Totally love you guys and incredibly thankful to have been a part of your amazing day!! And as always, LOVE our wedding team and couldn’t pull any of this off without y’all!

XOXO
Jen & Jen