Take unabashed outdoor elegance laced with a cool Floridian vibe and let it all play out in front of the lens of Sam Gomez Photo and you get this. This ultra pretty Orlando affair seamlessly blending citrus details with pops of orange florals and a lovely backdrop like the Cypress Grove Estate House. It’s Florida done so, so right. Easy on the eyes, full on the love and all sitting pretty in the gallery. See so much more right here.
From the Bride… Carl and I met while we were both out with friends one night in Gainesville when he mistook me for another girl he knew. The sparks flew instantly, and the rest is history! We dated for two and a half years before he proposed, then another year and a half before we were married. Carl proposed to me on the night before my 23rd birthday around midnight. We were staying at his family’s beach house on a really stormy night. He insisted that we walk down to the beach in the rain and the wind… I really didn’t feel like it, but I went anyway. As soon as we got there he dropped down on one knee in the terrible weather and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. We had almost two years to plan our wedding! We tossed around a few ideas about where to get married since we live in Philadelphia now. In the end, the choice was easy and we decided that we should get married in Florida, where we both grew up and where we fell in love.
Our ceremony was officiated by Rev. Kevin Knox. We had a traditional ring ceremony in addition to a handfasting ceremony. We loved the idea that the ribbons that were used in our ceremony will be ours to keep. My sister performed the handfasting for us, and it was truly special. While we were planning the wedding we went back and forth over whether or not we wanted to see each other before the ceremony. I was into it because I thought I might be nervous, and no one can calm me quite like Carl. He is a lot more traditional than I am and was really into the idea of not seeing me until I walked down the aisle. In the end, we decided to have a moment together right before the ceremony but Carl would wear a blindfold. That ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole day.
We didn’t have a set “style” per se. We just really wanted the event to be unique to us and for all of our guests to have a great time celebrating with us! We tried to incorporate elements that we thought were true to the venue’s “Old Florida” charm. All of our wedding paper was designed by Kristin Weight of Mountain Paper. She was with us from the very beginning and custom-made all of our invites, save-the-dates, programs and everything in between! We had so many people come together and offer to help us make it our dream day. All of our florals and the ceremony decor were created by a good friend and colleague Judith Campbell of Campbell Studios. Judith and Kristin somehow figured out exactly what was in my head and created it, all the while making it look easy! I feel truly blessed to have had the team of vendors that we did for our wedding day.
Everything was exactly how we imagined it and just so perfect. As a florist, I knew that if I let myself, I would get caught up in all of the little details. Throughout the planning process, whenever I would get overwhelmed, Carl was right there to help in whatever way he could. He helped remind me that in the end, no matter what the place cards look like or how many seats there were per row, we would be married and that was all that mattered. I truly felt that way on my wedding day and I am so thankful to my vendors (and my handsome groom!) for adding to that feeling.
Wedding Photography: Sam Gomez Photo / Wedding Venue: Cypress Grove Estate House in Orlando, Florida / Floral Design: Judith Campbell of Campbell Studios / Wedding Coordination: Judith Campbell of Campbell Studios + Vanessa Santiago of Cypress Grove Estate House / Catering: Big City Catering / Wedding + Invitations + Paper Goods: Custom by Kristin Weight of Mountain Paper / Reception Music: The RiverTown Band / Hand-Carved Cake Toppers + Corn Hole Games: DIY by the Bride & Groom / Wedding Dress: Anne Barge via Solutions Bridal / Bride’s Jewelry: Family Heirlooms / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale / Flower Girl’s Dress: J.Crew / Men’s Tuxedos: Jos. A. Bank / Men’s Bow Ties: High Cotton Ties / Men’s Getting Ready Venue: Grand Bohemian Hotel