Florida Weddings

There is just something so wonderful about a black tie soiree – don’t you agree? Handsome groomsmen lined up looking dapper and elegant maids in long flowing gowns – it’s hard not to feel a bit fancy with such a fabulous dress code. Well, this gorgeous gala by Jessica Lorren Organic Photography will have you feeling fancy after just looking at the pretty images. It’s classic elegance at its finest, and there is even more in the full gallery of images!

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From the Bride…We live in New York City, but we’d always dreamed of having our wedding at the Boca Resort, where took a romantic weekend trip a few years ago. From then on, it became one of our favorite places. There is just something magical about the resort. We wanted the style of our wedding to be classic and elegant — see: our black bridesmaid’s dresses and tuxes – but also unstuffy (see: beers under the Banyon trees during our photo session!)

Daniel and I met in college, and we both love live music and a rocking party. One of the best moments for us was when our maid of honor Chrissy’s dad, Pat Cullinan, joined the band to play rhythm guitar on one of our favorite songs, The AllmanBrothers’ “Blue Sky.” Our goal for the reception was to bring a backyard party into the Cathedral Room, with greenery and bunches of Michelle’s favorite flower, the hydrangea. We ended up breaking out boas and maracas and hopping on stage with the band — we wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Venue + Catering: Boca Raton Resort & Club / Event Design: Boca by Design / Wedding Dress: Christos / Belt: Amsale / Groom’s Tuxedo: Custom, Giliberto Designs / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Wedding Photography: Jessica Lorren Organic Photography / Entertainment: Soul Survivors Band / Hair + Make-up: Salon Margrit

I absolutely adore a bride who isn’t afraid to use a little color and when it’s bright pops of green against a black and white color palette, well, I doubly adore her.  Add to all of that pretty a polka dot meets New York City theme, apple-filled centerpieces, a breathtaking ballroom reception and one gorgeous, gorgeous gown and it all equals one fab.u.lous soiree where traditional meets modern in the most amazing way.  Oh, and the bride’s feather fascinator?  LOVE.  Lucky for us, RD Visuals was there to capture every stunning detail, so join me in the gallery for each and every one!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… We always knew we wanted to get married in Boca Raton, FL, my hometown.  We had spent a lot of time there during the winter months while dating and were confident our friends and family from New York and Maine (2/3 of the guest list) would not mind escaping the cold, February weather and heading down to sunny Florida for a holiday weekend wedding! We wanted to have a traditional ceremony paired with a modern wedding reception…and a few “Big Apple” touches incorporated since we live in the city.  Because so many guests were arriving from out of town, we chose to get married at Ascension Catholic Church in a nuptial mass and hold cocktail hour, the reception and an after-party all at the nearby Wyndham Garden Hotel.  It would give guests the option of staying at the hotel for the weekend and avoiding additional transportation.  This was a key decision because more than 100 people (out of a total 135) did not reside in Boca Raton.

Regarding color scheme, we went with dramatic black and white with splashes of apple green throughout the venue, especially present in and around the table floral arrangements and escort card display (which consisted of black cards nestled in individual, faux apple slices).  Each custom-designed table number card represented a New York City subway or train line and included a one sentence explanation of why that destination was special to us.  This was a conversation starter for many of our guests and a great way to bring some “NYC” details into a Florida wedding!  We also chose to include small, polka dot details, in black and white of course, throughout the wedding.  The bridesmaids’ shoes, dinner napkins, wedding cake, groomsmen pocket squares, ring bearer bow tie and flower girl dress all had polka dot accents on them…and our invitations even had a custom polka dot stamp! When guests walked into the hotel ballroom after a poolside cocktail hour, they were greeted by swaths of green and white lighting and a long, bridal party banquet table with our initials in flowers…and lit up on the dance floor.  The lighting fixtures in the ballroom were adorned with DIY white flower balls with crystals hanging from them.  After a sit-down dinner and many warm wishes for the bride and groom and cake (the groom’s cake was an X-box replica), the DJ had the entire room on the dance floor all night long…ending the reception with- you guessed it, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York!”

Guests left the reception for the After-Party with green, satin bags of candy of their choice from a Candy Bar with hang-tags thanking guests for attending…from the new Mr. & Mrs. Rogers!

Wedding Photography: Richard Dodge of RD Visuals / Flowers: New York Floral Design / Venue: The Wyndham Garden Hotel / Make-up + Hair: A. Rossi Salon & Spa / Linens: Atlas Party Rental / Lighting: All Access Audio Visual & Lighting / Graphic Design: Katie Maneri / Wedding Cakes: Cake Creations by Jan / Bridal Gown + Veil: Boca Raton Bridal Consultants

We have a packed day of wedding lovelies waiting in the wings so I hope you are bright eyed, bushy-tailed and fully caffeinated. And in hopes of not completely overwhelming you, we’re going to display just a snippet of each affair. To see the FULL wedding, simply click on the gallery.

We are going to start things off with a bang. And by bang I mean a really gorgeous wedding with the perfect mix of traditional elements and shabby chic details all captured by Shannon Mathis of Mi Amore Foto. Her pictures are beyond gorgeous and so worth a trip to the gallery for the FULL wedding!

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From the Bride…I love telling our story. My freshman year of college in Birmingham I was a nanny for a little girl. Aaron just so happened to be her preschool teacher. I picked her up three days a week, but Aaron never really talked to me about anything other than the little girl (so I assumed he wasn’t interested). Come to find out, he was interested all along and would wake the little girl up first every day to have her start eating snack in hopes that I would stay while she finished – but I always just had her pack up the snack and left. During Christmas break, Aaron decided to make it happen. Bad news was that the little girl’s mom left her job and no longer needed me to babysit and pick her up from preschool. But the Lord brought us together anyway. Right after I got back from Christmas break Aaron and I ran into each other at our college ministry. We had both been involved the entire year but since it was such a large ministry our paths had never crossed. I remember seeing him sit in front of me during the worship time. That was our connection – I realized that he loved the Lord as I watched him worship. Afterward we talked and ended up sitting together the next week, which was when he asked me out on a date. We had the best first date ever. A pizza parlor, a late night stroll through Mountain Brook, breaking into the Botanical Gardens, and talking for hours on what later became “our” bench. It was after this night that both of us could see ourselves marrying one another. Two and a half years later, Aaron proposed to me on our bench. The Lord has continued His faithfulness to us throughout our entire relationship, leading all the way up to our wedding weekend. Everything could not have been more perfect. The Lord was glorified in every aspect and we were so blessed to have had so much fun with our friends and family. It was an amazing way to start our marriage!

I wanted my wedding style to be simple, but very “shabby chic”. I was really excited about using baby’s breath. Along with the mason jars, burlap, different shabby chic fabrics for the place card boards, the suitcases for the cards, and the distressed books for the sign-in, the baby’s breath was the delicate touch that brought everything together. I was also really excited about my favors- I’m obsessed with chapstick. We found some yummy flavors and put song lyrics on the chapsticks from our favorite band, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. During the reception, Aaron and I were saying hello to the guests in the side room. This had been going on for some time while the wedding party was dancing in the main room. Our wedding party decided that it was time for us to join them so they dragged us into the main room and onto the dance floor. That was when the party really got started. The groomsmen decided that it would be a great idea to lift Aaron up into the air. Naturally, the bridesmaids followed the groomsmen’s example and lifted me up into the air as well. This was such a fun and exciting moment that captured the celebration that took place that night.

Wedding Dress: Casablanca Couture via Sweet Elegance / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Flower Girl Dresses: Strasburg / Groom’s + Groomsman Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Groom’s Tie: Tux and Tulle / Wedding Invitations: Sam Flax / Floral Design: Dalsimer / Wedding Cake: We Take the Cake / Groomsmen Ties: J.Crew / Bride’s Make-up: Terrisa Coleman (Family Friend) / Bride’s Hair: Erin of Wild Orchid Hair Salon / Wedding Photography: Mi Amore Foto

Typically when I thought of Boca Raton I thought of resorts and beaches but there is the whole other side of this city that is steeped in history and rich with beauty.  This elegant wedding photographed by the queen of Boca Raton weddings, Captured Photography by Jenny, emphasizes that feeling of tradition and is oh-so lovely.  And the flowers, oh the flowers!  Totally luscious, come-hither, dream boat arrangements by Boca By Design.  They are just divine!  There is so much more in the full gallery right here!

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From the Bride… Having both been born and raised in south Florida, Jeremy and I knew that we wanted to get married near our family and friends in the small town Florida we remember from our childhood. While we LOVE Florida—the boats, the water, the sand, and lazy days spent at the beach –a beach themed wedding was not us.  We wanted a classical, elegant, outdoor wedding laced with history and tradition.

The perfect place would be one with a storied past and unique architecture mixed with iconic palm trees and the charm of old Florida. After days (and months!) of searching and lots of help from my mom, we found The Addison in Boca, built in the 1930s to house Addison Mizner and his architects during the construction of the Boca Resort and Hotel.  Addison Mizner is the architect credited with bringing the Spanish style building to South Florida.  We immediately fell in love with the towering banyan trees, stone floor and beautiful fountain in the courtyard of the Addison.  We knew that we had found the place.

The day began with the girls getting ready at my home, the same home my father has lived in since 1950, and rebuilt in 2000. Surrounded by my family, friends and my dog Dallas (who was sporting a special wedding collar that coordinated with the girls’ dresses and had a white flower!),  the girls prepped wearing matching monogrammed robes, a gift from the maid of honor, my best friend since first grade. Each girl received a Kate Spade bracelet with the phrase “there’s strength in numbers” engraved on the inside and “hand in hand” on the outside, which they wore for the ceremony. The bracelets are symbolic of the our friendship and 25% of the proceeds benefited Women for Women International.

The ceremony was held at my family’s church, First Presbyterian of Pompano Beach.  The church is an iconic building in Pompano Beach – a true old Florida church that is painted pink and accented with coral walkways into the church entrance. After the ceremony, the bridal party rode in a trolley to take pictures in my backyard, courtyard, and then to a favorite local park on the Intercoastal Waterway.  Finally, the wedding party drove to the Addison where Jeremy and I danced (before, during and after dinner), dined, and laughed the night away as man and wife.

We are both extremely close with our families and wanted tradition to be ingrained in each of the day’s events and incorporated into even the smallest details of the wedding decor.  It was important that we paid tribute to our supportive families for all the love and guidance they have shown us throughout the years. We set up a marriage picture table showcasing the generations (four and counting!) of successful marriages from both families.

Handmade touches placed at the reception included a gold and white card box created by the my mom, a chalkboard made from the mirror that hung in the entryway of my childhood home, family pictures collected and edited by the my brother, and thank you signs hand cut by the my father. We also asked all of the guests for prayers, advice and favorite memories to be glued into the blank pages in the guest book. My mom and I created our table numbers, place cards, programs, welcome bags and water bottles. We also collected glass votives of differing sizes and shapes to be placed on the tables. These and many more were ways in which the entire family and our guests put their mark on our wedding and added a piece of tradition to the special day.

Throughout the evening guests were moving through the courtyard and rooms of the Addison looking at the history of the building, seeing the tradition of our families, and sharing in our first piece of history as husband and wife—our wedding! The evening was beyond perfect.

Wedding Photography: Jenny Schartner of Captured Photography by Jenny / Wedding Cinematography: Jenny Schartner of Captured Photography by Jenny / Floral Design: Boca By Design / Wedding Ceremony Location: First Presbyterian Church of Pompano Beach / Wedding Reception Location: The Addison / Wedding Invitation Design: Lauren Bennion / Wedding Invitation Printing: Presstige Printing / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Wedding Dress: Boca Bridal Couture / Bridesmaid Jewelry: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vineyard by Priscilla of Boston / Wedding Cake: Sharron Wriens

I’m not going to lie, one of the very first things that drew me whole heartedly to this Boca Raton wedding is the sun, the beach, the bright shiny happy couple. O.K. that is clearly more than one thing but as Boston is getting hit with snow and cold, chilly weather, this little pocket of sunshine is just what the doctor ordered and the pretty pictures from Captured Photography by Jenny? Beyond. See the rest of this Florida soiree in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

We live in D.C., which is a beautiful place to get married, but we wanted a beach spot to where we could have a setting that would be beautiful but also relaxing for our guests as well as us. My aunt and uncle live in Boca and I grew up visiting them there. When we took a trip there in February we absolutely loved the location for the outdoor ceremony and the feel of the whole resort. We wanted our wedding to mix the fun vibe of the beach and have some more elegant attributes as well. It ended up being a “beach elegant” wedding and we loved it. As we planned the wedding we tried to set the tone throughout all the elements – we had a beach ball save the date and waves on our invitation. We also put frisbees in the welcome bags. We started the day with the groom and his wedding party playing golf. The bride and about 25+ guests went to the beach. It was a great and fun way to start a wonderful celebration. After the beach the girls got ready on the beach side of the resort and the boys got ready on the resort side. The boys took the resort boat over the intracoastal waterway which made for great pictures.

The wedding took place outside on a palm tree lined courtyard with a pool and beach as the backdrop. As we listened to the reading and said our vows you could hear the ocean waves on the beach. It was glorious. Because I grew up in a family where my dad worked for Coca-Cola (for 30 years!), I thought it would be nice to have a Coca-Cola station with old-fashioned glass bottles. They were a hit! We put them by the photo booth so people could have a “Coke and a smile”. To help get people on the dance floor we included the opportunity to request a song on our RSVP card. We got some great requests and dancing occurred before, during and after dinner. Our guests really enjoyed themselves, which really added made us so happy (on top of the fact that we got married). We had a wonderful wedding and are so glad we were blessed by having so many friends and family members travel to Florida and celebrate with us.

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Boca Beach Club / Photographer: Captured Photography by Jenny / Florist: Boca By Design / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Suits: R. Coffee Ltd. in Lynchburg, VA / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Wedding Coordinator: Erin Lynn Events / Photobooth: Photobooth Social / Band: Soul Survivors

I promised you guys a beautiful wedding and I am here to deliver. But I didn’t pick this wedding because it was beautiful. I picked it because it was so stinking FUN. And the bride is exactly what I want to look like in my next life. And the whimsical details, swoon worthy. Captured by Jenny photography shot the day beautifully though the real icing on the already pretty cake was that the bride found lots of her inspiration from SMP. Which I love. Clearly.

We’ve picked a few of our favorites from the day but you can see the whole shebang right here!

The day was beautiful and lovely and so many other things but what really struck me was 1. the bride’s awesome sense of style and 2. the pure joy that was radiating from this couple. Jenny filled us in on a few details…the little paper cranes that were tucked in every corner signified the couple’s love of China. Their best friend actually married them. They played a recording of April’s grandfather singing the Lord’s prayer during the ceremony. And lastly, the couple was having the time of their lives. Doesn’t that sounds so perfect??

Too see all of the beautiful photographs from this wedding, click right here.

Cake by The Sugar Chef /  Venue, Mizner Country Club / Dress, custom made in China, designed by the bride /Music by CTO High Voltage of the Palm Beaches