Florida Weddings

Does it get any chicer than this fall fete right here? The answer? Nope, it just doesn’t. This elegant Miami wedding stuns in every single one of Simply Sarah’s photos, from the beautiful Bride in her gown to her ridiculously fashion-forward bridesmaids. And the inspiration continues with all the decor by Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design. Our Pinterest boards not only got an upgrade with all this beauty but they took up it several stylish notches. Don’t you agree!?

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Bride…

Mike and I met as undergrads at SMU in Dallas, TX. He was best friends with my roommate Geneva so they were always over at our apartment. He finally asked me to a formal two days before my 21st birthday and we’ve been together ever since! When it came to getting engaged about seven years later, he worked closely with my best friend and mom to pick out the ring. I was in business school at the time and he asked me if we could go to dinner during me studying for finals (which I had to be talked into). He said our friends Jenna and Taylor would be joining us for dinner so we went to their townhouse and went to the roof where he said they “must be up there watching the game.” I immediately saw the rose petals and Cheesecake Factory takeout bags (our first date!) and he was down on one knee. I then realized my best friend Lesley was videoing in from someone’s phone so the phone was taped up on the wall so she could watch, Taylor was hiding behind a couch filming and his roommate John was hiding in another room up there – all popped out afterwards and I had NO idea. We then went to dinner at Nonna with my mom and his parents who flew in and said promptly after dinner they were going to tuck in for the night. Only to pull up to our house where all our best friends were hiding to have a party and celebrate our engagement. He pulled a good one on me!!

I kept saying over and over to our planner Katie that I am/was the anti-bride. When we got engaged I had just lost my father and really would have been happy to have gotten married in our living room at home in Arkansas. I was also in school and just needed a minute to breathe before planning started. Once we selected the Biltmore, I immediately hired Katie and let her whip us in wedding planning shape. Since we live in Dallas and the wedding was in Miami, we knew already a majority of our friends would be traveling to attend. We loved the Biltmore because of it’s history and the old-world Spanish look and feel. In terms of colors, I was always attracted to the darker floral reds and doing something that didn’t feel too bridal or hadn’t been done already.

I think all of the preparation, waiting and anticipation of the day can make you feel anxious and question every decision but I loved how easy the day felt (shout out to Collins Coordination). Having all the big personalities in our lives in one place for the weekend was so much fun and the point of the wedding was to make sure all our guests had the time of their lives. From my bridesmaids dancing on stage with the band, to my Aunt Kitty’s face when she saw the Hora Loca come out to Mike dancing to “My Pony” by Ginuwine are some of my favorite memories and I can’t wait to relive these moments through photos for years to come. I’m also most thankful we could have the ceremony inside (damn Miami humidity) and we all had a reprieve from the heat during our record short ceremony time.

Sarah and Will from Simply Sarah were a dynamic duo and I trusted them implicitly for the moment we met. I am so excited about the images they captured and know the photos will be the most treasured memory from our big day for years and years to come.

Photography: Elizabeth Lanier Photography | Videography: Denis and Dezi | Event Planning: Katie McCann Crow | Floral Design: Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design | Wedding Dress: Warren Barrón Bridal | Cake: Earth And Sugar | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Catering: Biltmore Hotel | Hair + Makeup: Face2Face Studios | Lighting: Biltmore Hotel | Ceremony Music: AA Musicians | Wedding Venue: Biltmore Hotel | Decor: Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design | Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints | Hora Loca Performers: Black & Wine Events | Paper Goods: Ellis Hill | Reception Music: Project Soul | Rentals: Biltmore Hotel

I’m kind of obsessed with this engagement shoot from Hunter Ryan Photo in the best possible way. Sailboats and salty air are always a sure fire way to my heart, but add in a gorgeous couple that is totally and completely in love with each other – and I’m a complete goner. These images turned my heart into mush, and you can see why here.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

Photography: Hunter Ryan Photo | Event Design: Elleson Events | Hair And Makeup: Salon Tease | Tuxedo: The Tuxxman | Venue: Coral Gables | Casual Clothing: J.Crew | Gold Sequin Top: Rent The Runway | Skirt Designer: Melange Mode

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Hunter Ryan Photo

View Portfolio

Beautifully classic but with a spirited twist, this gorgeous couple and their team of talented vendors brought their “vintage tropics” vision to life in the prettiest of ways. Elite Planning Firm and Ever After Floral Design made sure every little detail was perfect, and thanks to Merari Photography we can get lost in all the lovely here.

[iframe https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JMdFIWDBCY 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

When we started dating the music video for Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” had just come out, and I went on and on about how I was nervous that some teen girl was going to show up at prom with a paper saying “I love you” and the boy she was into wouldn’t reciprocate. Then the first time that I told Carlos I loved him, he pulled that note out of his pocket! Then he surprised me by saving it, framing it, and gifting it to me on our wedding day.

As the wedding planning began, we knew we wanted to incorporate the Miami tropics and our Cuban heritage into the celebration. Mayrelis from Elite Planning took the “vintage tropics” concept and brought it to life. Helen from Ever After Floral Designs incorporated neutral colored blooms, tropical greenery, succulents, metallic vases, wooden bowls, candles and vintage cigar boxes into the romantic tablescapes. Joy Wallace Catering created a menu of island-inspired dishes, including quinoa-crusted mahi mahi, braised beef vaca frita and yucca with pulled chicken. Event Factor kept the Salsa music playing all night long. The night ended with a lively Hora Loca and mini Cuban fritas!

Photography: Merari Photography | Cinematography: Shaina Koren | Event Planning: Elite Planning Firm | Floral Design: Ever After Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Ceremony: Coral Gables Congregational United Church Of Christ | Reception: Comber Hall | Catering: A Joy Wallace Catering, Design & Special Events | DJ: The Event Factor | Baked Goods: Edda's Cakes | Getting Ready: Biltmore Hotel | Hair And Make-up: Caroline Monge | Video: Shaina Koren

There’s something to be said for keeping things simple and romantic. This Coral Gables couple married in the family church and continued the bagpipe tradition all to a backdrop of smooth creams and blushes, which (keep scrolling) look stunning. The well-curated design remains second to the bright smiles and pure joy on everyone’s face. Julie Cate Photography was there to capture the lovely ceremony.

From the bride… Bobby and I met on a blind date set up by one of my best friends, Megan, who just happens to be Bobby’s sister! It was love at first date and though Bobby was currently living an hour and a half away in West Palm Beach, it wasn’t much longer until he moved back to Miami, our hometown. It was nearly two years of dating when Bobby proposed the Monday after Thanksgiving in our new apartment. I think our little story and the proposal is very telling of our wedding style – classic and romantic. We got married in Coral Gables, FL which is a beautiful Suburban neighborhood in Miami with lots of coral rock and Mediterranean influence; it is where I grew up and where we still live. Staying true to tradition, we got married in Plymouth Congregational Church, where my parents and my sister and brother-in-law were married. It is an old, coral rock church with lots of Scottish roots which made it very appropriate to have yet another family tradition of a Scottish bag piper. One of my favorite memories of the day was the fun ceremony. Bobby and I were like children giggling and laughing and as we all know, laughter is contagious! It was really neat to have all our guests smiling and laughing during the ceremony and as they clapped along to the bag piper while we were walked out. The color scheme was very romantic with lots of blush pink, ivory and gold. We decided to keep our bridal party small and simple. We went with classic tuxedos for the groomsmen and very romantic and whimsical blush pink dresses for the bridesmaids. My dress was a of course lace with a sweetheart neckline that I absolutely adored. Our reception was held at The Riviera Country Club which is down the street from my childhood home. It’s very “Old Florida” with lots of gold chandeliers and tropical wallpaper. The golf course has the historic Biltmore Hotel in the background that made for a gorgeous setting at cocktail hour. The décor of the reception was extremely romantic with draped curtains, lots of candle light and huge floral arrangements that reminded me of clouds. Though the setting was very romantic and classic, we made sure to have a rocking band who kept our guests dancing throughout the night – our guests even rallied for an encore! Probably one of the coolest moments during the reception is when Bobby surprised everyone when he got up with the band and played “Proud Mary”. Our wedding day was everything and more we could have dreamed of – classic, romantic and a ton of fun!

Photography: Julie Cate Photography | Videographer: Senderey | Florist: Trias Flowers | Wedding Dress: Chic Parisien | Cake: Edda’s Cake Designs | Church: Plymouth Congregational Church | Reception Venue: Riviera Country Club | Bridesmaids Dresses: Nordstrom | Makeup And Hair: Tatjana Terzic | Band: The Headliners Band | Favors: Le Macaron | Tuxedos: I & A Formal Wear | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Rolls Royce: Florians Classics

A truly handmade wedding, we’re talking dresses, paper flowers, hand stitched table numbers, personifies what a wedding is all about. It’s about showing the love you have for each other and sharing it. Laura Leslie Photography captured one of the most beautiful, handmade days we’ve ever seen, and it’s all sitting right here for you!

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the beautiful bride… Three adjectives that describe your wedding day: Whimsical, Rustic, A Dream

Your wedding colors: Spring Colors (Pink, Lilac, Powder Blue, Mint Green and Peach)

Your favorite detail of the wedding: My handmade wedding dress

What details or traditions did you include in your celebration?
-Married in a Secret Garden at my Catholic Church
-Each Bridesmaid, Flower Girl, MOH and Mother of Bride dress was custom made by the Groom’s mother
-Guests had Wedding Wands to wave when we were announced “Man and Wife”
-Wedding Program Fans (To help with the Miami Heat!)
-Bouquet was made of real and paper flowers.
-Reception was held at CGCC Historical Atrium Room with a Wine Cellar
-Signature “His and Hers” drinks
-Custom Wooden Wedding Cake Toppers
-Each guest was given a wooden heart with their table numbers
-Tables Numbers were handstitched
–Candy Apples with a note about donation made for StandUp2Cancer for Bride’s grandfather
-Custom designed Wedding Invitations by Bride’s friend

My wedding dress was handmade with love by my mother in law. The dress was designed by me and the inspiration came from all the dreams I had about this day and how I imagine my dress to look like. The top of the dress was encrusted with pearls and crystals and the skirt was sprinkled with them too. With the help of my mother and mother in law we found the perfect fabric to create my dream dress. The dress was two pieces (corset and skirt), so I was able to change into a shorter skirt later in the evening in order to dance the night away! My dress was all mine and was more than just a dream…

My flowers were a mix of paper flowers and real flowers to signify our first Valentine’s Day together. Danny had given me a bouquet of flowers with a note stating “I will love you till the last flower wilts.” When I felt the flowers I found one paper flower.

Photographer: Laura Leslie Photography | Cinematography: Andres and Diego Meza-Valdes | Event Planner: Event by Mariel | Florist: Ever After Floral Design | Cake: Ice Box Cafe | Ceremony: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church -Meditation Garden | Reception: Coral Gables Country Club | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Handmade with Love by Groom's Mother | Caterer: Coral Gables Country Club | Bride Prep: Biltmore Hotel | Bride's Dress: Handmade with Love by Groom's Mother | Bride's Hair Accessories/Veil: Handmade with Love by Groom's Mother | Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Hugo Boss | Groom and Groomsmen's Accessories: Hugo Boss | Hair Makeup: SK Gorgeous | Invitations & Paper Products: Nicole Peraita | Music: The Event Factor

From start to finish, this wedding at the Biltmore Hotel is perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I couldn’t possibly find words to do it justice. But that doesn’t mean I can’t gush a bit over every downright stunning image from Michelle March sitting in this gallery. Because this, my dears, is a dream wedding come true (complete with a dashing groom, gorgeous bride and adorable pup) – and you can see it all here.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Bride…I honestly couldn’t wait to marry my best friend. Even though we both live in New York we always knew we wanted to get married in Florida; It’s where we met at school, Florida State, its where he is from,Tampa, and its where we eventually see ourselves starting a family. When I found the Biltmore Hotel I was completely blown away – when you are there you truly feel like you are being transported back to a Mediterranean castle in the 1920’s. Because the venue was so beautiful on its own, I knew I wouldn’t need to incorporate too much into my decor.  I wanted to keep it classic; with white, gold and silver colors throughout and just a hint of sparkly. I got the amazing idea through my wedding planner to incorporate mirrored surfaces into the table designs. The mirrors reflected the candle light in the room so beautifully, giving off a very romantic but modern feel. I wanted it to feel clean and glamorous, and we achieved just that.

My wedding day was too perfect for words – I was surrounded by my best friends and my newly expanding family. We also brought our puppy, Winston, down to the wedding because Jeremy and I knew it wouldn’t feel the same to officially become a family without our third family member there. Plus a few puppy kisses always helps to ease the nerves before the big ceremony.

Being that we were married on a Friday, we were able to take Saturday to relax and reflect with our family and friends. We posted up at a large pool cabana at the Biltmore where Jeremy and I continued our wedding high by mentally preparing to leave the next day for our honeymoon in Tahiti. 

The wedding and the honeymoon were perfect. I will lock those precious memories away in my heart and mind forever. I can honestly say that this was the most magical time in our lives so far…it gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

Photography: Michelle March | Event Planning: Yadi Rose Events | Floral Design: Petal Productions | Wedding Dress: Kleinfeld Bridal | Cake: Elegant Temptations | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Jewelry: Ben-Amun | Bridesmaids Dresses: Donna Morgan | Hair and makeup: South Beach Makeup Studio | DJ: Sarz Entertainment | Tux: Vera Wang | Venue: Biltmore Hotel | Location: Biltmore Hotel | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar

Good Morning, SMP Florida and a happy Friday to you!  We’re sending you off into the weekend sunset with a bundle of gorgeous inspiration, all courtesy of this traditional ballroom stunner and the oh-so-talented Captured Photography by Jenny.  You’ll be picking your jaws right up off the floor when you take in every last ounce of this fabulous affair, including the gorgeous purple hues, stunning bridesmaid gowns and beyond lovely calla lily bouquets by Feel the Flowers.  Not to mention one very happy (and very adorable) bride and groom.  Yes, this is just the pretty we needed to start the weekend off right and there’s even more in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… I went to school for interior design. So naturally when it came to my wedding, I wanted to design and do everything myself (Thank God my mom insisted on a florist and day-of coordinator though, because it was a lot of work!).  The wedding colors and what the reception space conveyed were really important to me; I wanted the richness of purple for September, and I knew that I absolutely had to have my favorite flowers involved.. calla lilies (white and colored) and green cymbidium orchids.  The idea of an outdoor wedding, being around nature and rich texture, banyan trees and moss specifically, was so romantic to me, but we decided on an indoor wedding (which turned out to be a good decision.. since it poured most of our wedding day). I still wanted to reflect the romance of nature into the decor, while still keeping the look classy and modern. So that is how we came up with the centerpieces for the reception tables.

Andres and I are all about having fun and making sure that others are as well… so there were a few things we wanted to incorporate that would be really fun and unique.  A phenomenal band was an absolute must! We are both huge candy fiends, so I decided to make a Sweets Table a priority. We also had a late night station (and flip-flops) for those who partied with us until late with different treats, hamburgers, pizza, and fries.  We had a photo booth for all to enjoy as well.  We were also supposed to light wish lanterns with close family and friends and send them off into the sky.. but the weather did not permit.  As my sister/matron of honor put it, I pretty much wanted a carnival for a wedding.. something to keep everyone entertained and wondering what’s next!

I’m all about DIY and making things unique, so I couldn’t help but design and make as much as possible myself (until I ran out of time and had to prioritize)!  A custom wedding dress and a custom party dress for myself, and custom dresses for my bridesmaids.  I’m all about the little things; since we are big wine drinkers, we made corks into place card and table number holders.  I love flowers and hearts, though so cliché, so they had to be done well; my aunt painted three fabulous heart pieces for Andres and I, and had smaller ones gicleed as the favors.  I designed, hand-made, and bedazzled my own invitations and programs out of individual wall covering samples.  I also DIYed the sweets table, made items like my ring bearer pillow, and customized and bedazzled items like the flower girl basket, bottles of bubbles, and so forth. Thankfully I had a few volunteer helpers along the way, and a day-of coordinator to make sure that everything got to where it needed to be! All and all the day was incredible!

Wedding Photography: Captured Photography by Jenny / Wedding Ceremony Venue: St. Hugh Catholic Church / Wedding Reception Venue + Catering: Coral Gables Country Club / Floral Design: Feel the Flowers, Gio Vidal / Linens: Contempo Linens, Max Rivadeneira / Wedding Dress: Allegria’s Bridal / Men’s Tuxedos: Mr. Tux / Wedding Cake: Cake Designs by Edda + Ana Paz / Wedding Coordinator: Gio Vidal / Wedding Hair: Reina of Beauty Essence / Wedding Make-up: Michella Powery / Band: The Headliners

The Biltmore Hotel in Miami boasts some of the most stunning architecture and most gorgeous views I have ever seen so it is no surprise that it is such a sought after space for weddings.  Not only will this beaming bride and groom-to-be exchange their vows to each other here but they love the space so much that they, along with photographer-extraordinaires Vitalic Photo, got cozy on the grounds for their engagement session too!  I can’t wait to see what will most likely be an exquisite and elegant wedding next year!  Check out the full gallery to see even more of these lovebirds!

From Vitalic Photo… We love the colors in this engagement shoot as well as the adorable couple.  Heather and Jared are getting married at the Biltmore in Coral Gables (Miami) next spring and they love the architecture and grounds so much that they wanted their engagement photos taken there as well.  The photo possibilities there are endless, we can’t wait to go back.

Photography: Vitalic Photo / Venue: Biltmore Hotel