Garden Elegance at Bella Collina

Elegance is a common thread that runs through so many of the weddings we feature on SMP. From rustic to classic, barn to beach, these beauties are constantly redefining what it means to be elegant. With this wedding elegant means a garden affair full of so much beauty with florals by Lee James Floral Design, planning by Blush by Brandee Gaar and a million and one pretty images captured By The Robinsons.  See them here.

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Colors

From the Bride… Our main inspiration for the day was our love of each other, family, friends, and Italy. We found the perfect venue to honor our italian roots in Bella Collina. We wanted to include as many personal touches as possible to make our guests feel loved and important. We welcomed them with baskets filled with goodies from Florida such as homemade orange marmalade, orange juice glasses, snacks, and a map of locations that were important to us and our story. My husband is from Connecticut and we had friends flying in from as far as Germany, so we wanted them to have a lay of the land. My grandmother was also from New England and instilled in me a love of Hydrangea. We had them on each table and scattered throughout our venue. Instead of doing just a guest book, we asked guests to sign a lock and place it on an antique wrought iron fence. This honored the tradition of couple who placed locks on the Ponte Vecchio sealing the fate of the loved ones who placed them there for eternity. We recognized the cities in Italy we love by naming the tables after each one. We personalized a drink menu based on our favorite drinks and featured food selections all based on our favorite things. We made homemade Limoncello from scratch, a process that took three months, and personalized bottles to place at the reception. We wanted our guests to have a chance to take pictures as gifts but not do the traditional photo booth. With the help of our photographers By The Robinsons and The chalk Shop’s Kim Mcfadden we created a backdrop in an open air booth that had all the guests excited to partake. Our wedding planner, Brandee Gaar, knew we wanted to wow our guests with things they hadn’t seen at other weddings… her suggestion of a chandelier suspended over our dance floor on the grand lawn, amazed everyone in attendance. The night ended with my father in law singing Sweet Caroline with our band. Coming from Connecticut, we all love the Boston Red sox, so he sings it at every family wedding. Overall, our day was all we wished and hoped it could be. It was Filled with all of our favorite people and things.. but best of all with each other.

Photography: By The Robinsons | Videographer: Jeffrey Stoner Videography | Coordinator: Blush by Brandee Gaar | Floral Design: Lee James | Wedding Cake: Party Flavors | Lighting: Kaleidoscope Event Lighting | Band: Z Street Band | Officiant: Sensational Ceremonies | Ceremony Music: Beautiful Music | Transportation: Southern Elegance Limousine | Transportation: EZ Time Transportation | Country Club: Bella Collina | Hair/Make up: LeJeune Hair & Makeup Artistry | Linens: Over The Top Linens | Rentals: A Chair Affair | Signs: Chalk Shop Events