Today is a good day, SMPers. A very, very good day. And the reason? This drop dead gorgeous, stop.you.in.your.tracks Ponte Vedra Beach soiree. From the stunning ceremony to the fabulous details (here’s looking at you, striped straws!) to a bride and groom who will warm your hearts with some serious love, this is a wedding you will NEVER get enough of. Thank goodness Gwendolyn Tundermann Photography was on hand to capture all the lovely, because the gallery? It’s amazing. See it all here.
From the Bride… I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and little did I know that I would meet the man of my dreams halfway around the world. Mike and I met at the town center parking lot when I almost bumped him with my car trying to get to a parking spot. I can see his red face as he stood to see who was driving. Nervous, I got out of my car to apologize. His red face turned into a smile and instead said, “The least you can do is to go to dinner with me.” I did, and the rest was history. We have been inseparable since.
We bought my gown on the first day we went shopping and in the first shop we went to – Sharon Batten Bridal Atelier at Ponte Vedra. It was by Vera Wang. The moment I laid eyes on it I knew it was the one. The details and petals at the back were gorgeous and I knew it will be perfect for our garden wedding. Mike wore a tux by Calvin Klein. The groomsmen also wore tuxes by Calvin Klein with pink and blue striped ties from Nordstrom, while the bridesmaids wore dresses from Bari Jay with matching champagne-colored shoes. I wanted an intimate wedding that had that romantic garden wedding feel to it. As soon as Mike and I saw Palm Valley Gardens, we knew we found the perfect place for us. The cocktail table centerpieces mimiced the reception decor with white drapes and huge, hanging, lighted twig balls. A friend designed the escort cards that sat atop vintage boxes filled with baby’s breath. She also designed the table names with “love” in different languages, along with the place cards that reflect the crochet lace corset that was used on all the reception centerpieces. Our family and friends helped a lot in getting all these details done. I also had help from Cassie of Flaire Weddings and Events the week of the wedding. She made sure everything was executed perfectly and coordinated all of the vendors.
Mike and I come from very different background so we wanted to incorporate both our traditions into our wedding. Mike is of American-German-Dutch-Indonesian descent while I am of Filipino descent. With the help of our families and internet research, we were able to include traditions such as the veil, cord, candle and fabric ceremony. We also had the wish tree which is a Dutch tradition. My uncle and a dear family friend officiated the wedding ceremony. They had customized the program to highlight not just the union between Mike and I but also with his kids – Bruce, Mikayla and Matt. Ceremony and cocktail music were provided by a string quartet and a wonderful DJ during the dinner/dancing. Our moms made the flower girl baskets and the ring bearer pillow. Among the other details we had at the wedding included Cuban cigar roller during the cocktail and reception which was a huge hit. Signature pink and blue cocktail drinks, cookie bar that includes Madeleines and French Macarons in cream and pink colors, a coffee and cocoa bar and honey favors were among the other details. Later in the evening sliders were served to our danced-out guests.
Wedding Photography: Gwendolyn Tundermann Photography / Wedding Venue: Palm Valley Gardens in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Now Closed) / Wedding Coordination: Flaire Weddings and Events / Floral Design: Lori Parker / Wedding Officiants: Rev. Liberato Bautista + Rev. Patti Augustin-Smith / Wedding Cinematography: Take One Productions / Catering: Chef’s Garden / Wedding Cake: Metro Custom Cakes / Bar Service: Melissa Kilpatrick of Catered Cocktails (cateredcocktails@comcast.net) / Wedding Invitations + Stationery: Craftmaster Invitations (craftmasterinvitations@gmail.com) / Table Names, Escort Cards + Place Card Design: Madge Arafol of Her MADGEsty (A Friend of the bride) / Ring Bearer Pillows + Flower Baskets: Lucy Bautista (The Mother of the Bride) / Crochet Ribbons + Garter: Elise Van Jaarsveld (The Mother of the Groom) / Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Music: Jacksonville String Quartet (jaxstringquartet@gmail.com) / DJ: Bouquet Sounds / Cigar Roller: JC the Cuban Cigar Roller / Honey Favors: E&M Gold Beekeepers + Personalization by the Bride & The Mother of the Groom / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bari Jay / Hair: Casey Powell / Makeup: Amanda Hopcraft / Groom’s Tuxedo: Calvin Klein / Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Groomsmen’s Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse / Groomsmen’s Ties: Nordstrom