This past weekend marked a special event in history.  Not only did we have a gorgeous wedding on 11-11-11, but it just so happened to take place at the magical Florida Aquarium!  The bride and groom wanted to make sure their guests had an experience more memorable and fun than any wedding they've been to before.  We began with a purple and black color scheme and incorporated the bride's love of orchids.  What came next was spectacular...

The ceremony was set in the Coral Reef Room, with panoramic views of the venue's largest tank. 

We projected a customized welcome image onto a fog screen for guests to see upon entering the ceremony. 

As guests entered the venue they were serenaded by a tropical Polynesian band. 

As if that weren't enough, a pair of adorable penguins walked down the aisle before the bride made her grand entrance!

The ceremony was amazing.  A string quintet performed during the processional and recessional.  The bride wore a gorgeous organza mermaid gown with a rhinestone belt and carried a bouquet of purple orchids accented with crystals.  200 guests witnessed their exchange of rings, and following the ceremony they enjoyed cocktails in the adjoining tank room.

As guests explored the Aquarium, they were greeted by mermaids swimming in the tunnel tank, and even experienced live animal encounters such as a baby alligator and owl!

For the reception space, we scattered tables on both the lobby and upper floors.  Tables were draped with black linens and accented with fishbowl centerpieces of live potted purple orchids.  Guests' place settings were adorned with purple goodie bags and luggage tag favors.  The room was uplit with purple lighting for a romantic ambiance. 

During the dinner hour guests were surprised with an authentic Polynesian dance show!  The dinner buffet featured delicious menu items like Chinese Barbecue Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, and Waldorf Salad.  Then when it was time to kick off the reception, a live band performed classic and current hits to keep the dance floor packed all night.

For dessert, guests could satisfy a sweet tooth with a beautiful display of assorted cakes, each decorated with white chocolate seashells and purple sugar orchids.

At the end of the evening, all of the guests were complimenting that it was the best wedding they had ever been to.  It was truly a unique and memorable night.  Congratulations again Felix & Yi-Hwa!  I hope your honeymoon was amazing and your new life together is your most enjoyable adventure!

This weekend I had the pleasure of coordinating a beautiful wedding for Jeni & Kyle.  They were such a laid-back couple and their mellow and tropical wedding was a perfect fit for their personalities.  The event took place at Jake's Grotto in Clearwater, a palm tree nursery set overlooking a bayou.  Jeni's vision included a color scheme of charcoal and coral with pops of other bright colors, and ultimately it had to be FUN!

The ceremony was set in front of a bamboo arch flanked by palm trees.  A steel drummer (Mello Vibes) performed while guests were seating and during the ceremony.  The couple decided to do something different, and instead of partaking in the usual unity sand ceremony, they performed a unity wine ceremony; each of them poured a small carafe of red wine (his was merlot, hers was pinot noir) into a single wine glass to create a unique blend from which they both took a sip.  So cute!  Loved the creativity!

During the cocktail hour guests wandered through the property.  The groom created wooden signs indicating the nearby locations that were sentimental to their guests.  The bar was a tiki hut overlooking the water.  Throughout the venue guests could relax at picnic tables and porch swings lit by tiki torches.

Before guests entered the reception tent they were directed to their tables with starfish escort cards lined up in rows in coral sand-filled bamboo boxes. 

I had to showcase this adorable card box for their gift table.  It was a decorated crab trap!

The guest tables featured charcoal linens topped with submerged tropical orchid centerpieces, each illuminated by LED light bases and surrounding votive candles.  Tables were named after Florida Islands and Keys.  Guests also received personalized stemless wine glasses as favores.

The reception was especially wonderful.  As a special tribute to his mother, the groom arranged for an acoustic guitarist to perform a special song during the mother/son dance.  Guests enjoyed a "Floribbean" buffet with items such as grilled butternut and yellow squash, seasonal fruit with yogurt dip, grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs, and wahoo with fruit salsa.  For dessert, Sugar Darlings provided a tower of delicious cupcakes including Blueberry, Red Velvet, and Key Lime flavors.  Then the dance floor stayed packed thanks to the stylings of DJ Chris Craze (I blame him for the song "Cinema" being stuck in my head for the last several days!)

The event was a huge success - so much so that people did not want to leave at the end of the night (that's always a good sign).  I plan on posting more pictures once I receive some fabulous shots from the amazing photographer for the day, Kimberly Photography, so stay tuned.  Congrats again Jeni & Kyle.  Enjoy your honeymoon and don't be strangers!!