Sunday, April 18, 2010

UNIQUE Wedding: Rachel & Gordon

For Rachel & Gordon's wedding, a color scheme of navy blue, silver, and white, created a classic grace, with a nod to tradition. From her gown, to her hair and makeup, Rachel's look was simple and elegant. The bride and groom had their "first look" at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Tampa, which was a perfect space for some amazing photos. The bridesmaids all wore navy blue dresses in different styles that represented their personalities. The ketubah was signed immediately before the ceremony, which took place inside the Davis Island Garden Club due to some uncooperative weather. We were not about to let some rain dampen a beautiful ceremony for Rachel and Gordon. We filled the room with votive candles and lined the aisle with pillar candles. The groomsmen held the chuppah over the couple, as the bride circled the groom seven times, they shared wine, and proclaimed their love. Luckily, the weather dried up for them to head outside for some fun photos in the garden overlooking the water and the Tampa city skyline. From the table design to the cake, everything was polished and elegant. The wedding day was actually the groom's parents' 34th wedding anniversary, so they hit the dance floor for the "second" dance and also had their own cake to cut and share, complete with their original cake topper! The photobooth kept the guests entertained, while black and white cookies, transported directly from New York, kept them in a sugary coma!



















Wedding Coordination: Us...of course!
Bartending & Catering: Delectables Fine Catering
Cakes: Publix
Photobooth: Shutterbooth
Transportation: Road Ready Tours
Videography: Studios 76

Rachel & Gordon, thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your lives and your wedding day. We wish you all the happiness in the world!

Images courtesy of Jeff Mason Photography.

Friday, April 16, 2010

UNIQUE Peek!



Check back to see Rachel & Gordon's wedding filled with classic grace!

Image courtesy of Jeff Mason Photography.

Fabulous Finds: Whimsical Cake Toppers!

When it comes to cake toppers nowadays, your mom and dad's typical cake topper no longer cuts it! Couples are opting to reflect their personalities in what they choose to top their cake with! Whether it's traditional or modern, classic or fun, couples are putting serious thought into what sits atop their wedding confection!

We found a great collection of fun, whimsical cake toppers at That's My Topper! Check these out! They are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!









Have fun selecting your own cake topper!

Images courtesy of That's My Topper!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Kiss & Tell: Julie & Flo


We received these breathtaking words from Julie and Flo for their Rehearsal Dinner & 10 Year Vow Renewal.

"Staci, I cannot stress enough the amazing job that you did for me, I am so grateful!!!! I would love to do it all over again and again...the day was soooooooooooo perfect!"

"OMG...Staci and her staff were amazing. There was NOT one detail that Staci was not able to handle. She made my day a PERFECT one! Staci was running all over the place for me and my wedding party and never once showed a sign of weakness. At one point I said to one of my Bridesmaid 'she is going to have heart attack' and boy was I so WRONG! Staci and her staff were up and about till almost 1am with our LATIN PARTY CROWD. Staci started all of this off with our Rehearsal Dinner. Two weeks before the event I told her 'Staci I have NO clue where I am hosting the Rehearsal Dinner.' Her exact words to me were 'Julie what is your budget?' I told her the budget she said to me, 'Ok I will handle it from here.' And she did just that...Staci planned my Rehearsal Dinner including, location, food, DJ, florist, decor, and photography. I did not have to worry about a thing. All I did was show up and look pretty. When I got there it was absolutely amazing...something I would have never dreamed of doing. Staci has a talent like no other. Now the day of my wedding...WOW-BLING it was! My theme was BLING and there were crystals and stones all over the place! From the Ceremony to the Cocktail Hour, all the way to the reception and exiting! Staci took charge and completely made my vision of an amazing wedding become a reality...it was unreal! Thanks so much to Staci and Unique Event Design!"

Julie & Flo, it was such a joy to be a part of this amazing accomplishment in your lives. A Decade of Love it truly was! We wish you happiness and joy for the next ten years and beyond! God bless!

Image courtesy of Shakesphere Photography.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Floral Romance!

Now, you know that wedding planners are true romantics at heart, so you can understand why I completely fell in love with this bouquet created by Karen Tran Florals. It's so romantic and old world! It reminds me of Italian architecture or an English garden.

I absolutely LOVE it, don't you?


Image courtesy of Karen Tran Florals.

Fabulous Finds: Zappos Couture

Now we all know that Zappos sells shoes, but did you know that they feature shoes from some of the most infamous designers in the world? The Zappos Couture line carries the detailed, quality shoes by designers such as Kate Spade and Badgley Mischka.

Kate Spade's shoes have a clean, formal sophistication.

Badgeley Mischka features a more sassy, dramatic style.

If you are looking to treat your feet to some luxurious heels on your wedding day, check out Zappos Couture!

Images courtesy of Zappos Couture.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Ring Around Your Finger!

This is the first blog of our guest blogger and intern, Marianne Hamilton.

Just as fashion changes every year, so do ring styles! Brides are now customizing their own engagement rings. Nearly 70% of brides get involved in the ring selection process. We've outlined some of the latest engagement ring trends for 2010. Take a look and enjoy!

When selecting your ring style, there are three Rs of Ring shopping:

- Geometric Ring Shapes
- Custom Ring Design
- Ring Color

Geometric Ring Shapes

There are numerous shapes for the picking! Pears, ovals, marquise, and even heart-shaped diamonds make for an architectural engagement ring that's both eye-catching and UNIQUE! Many of today's hottest rings are all about geometry. Plain is "out" this year and engagement rings are following the trend.



Custom Ring Design

There's been an increase in special orders for brides who want to combine all of the design elements they love into one picture-perfect ring. Purchasing a UNIQUE ring set declares your love, your relationship and your future as UNIQUE and stylish! Ribbon-twist bands and split-shank bands are popular alternatives to the more traditional styles.



Ring Colors

White metals, such as platinum and white gold, will always be popular with brides, but yellow and rose gold are making a big comeback throughout 2010. This is partly from the reemergence of retro-inspired elements in pop culture. Rose-gold settings are ideal for the vintage bride looking for a ring with a more nostalgic feel. Gold and Titanium rings can also be a more budget-friendly option, depending on the market price.





When you're ring shopping, be sure to ask to see different diamond shapes and sizes. You never know what you'll end of gravitating to. If you don't find exactly what you want, inquire about a custom-designed band.

Focus on the style and let it represent you!

Images courtesy of www.wedding-day-beauty.com, www.mdcdiamonds.com, www.kranichs.com, www.jamesallen.com, http://cache0.bigcartel.com, and http://www.pittsburghdiamonds.com/.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Moroccan Motif

For Julie & Flo’s Rehearsal Dinner, we wanted to create a totally different feel to their wedding, to keep their guests…well…guessing! We opted for a Moroccan motif, incorporating lots of color, candles, and Morrocan touches.

Moroccan MotifMoroccan Motif by uniqueeventdesign on Polyvore.com

Be sure to check back and see all of the highlights of their Moroccan Soiree!

Images courtesy of Polyvore.

Monday, April 5, 2010

What’s a Va-Kay-Shun?

It’s so funny when my clients ask me about my days off, and what I do to relax, since I well... party for a living!

My hubby asked me the same thing when we decided to take a few days off and have one of those “va-kay-shun” things! :)

The first thing that I said was, “let’s not plan anything!” I’m a planner for a living, so I wanted to know what it feels like to be spontaneous and live without a direction, reservations, and a weather report! Yikes! We got in the car and decided to flip a Canadian coin (don’t ask) and see where good ‘ole Queen Elizabeth would send us! After packing our bags and loading it in the car, destination still unknown, we flipped for either North or South. North it is! We headed up I-75, a road we had traveled numerous times before, but this time we would stop when we saw something cool.


We ended up stopping at the Florida National Cemetary. We’d driven by it about a hundred times, but never did stop. It was truly amazing! Hill after hill of gravestones. Wow! That’s all I could say! I was speechless that we had such a patriotic place right here in the state of Florida!



After our visit to the cemetery, we continued north to Ocala, once again, a place that I frequently drove by, but never did stop to see. We checked out the historic district and poked around for a while. While in Ocala, we decided to head over to Gainesville, since we've never been to the University of Florida before.


After snapping a few photos around campus and of course, visiting the gator...it was time to flip the coin again! This time, it was for East or West! East, yey! To Jacksonville we headed!

Upon arriving in the Jacksonville area, it was late so we decided to get a hotel room, and it is true that you can get last minute deals at hotels by walking in. We stayed in a super nice room for not much green at all. After a good night sleep and a continental breakfast, it was time to explore Jacksonville! We headed over to Jacksonville Landing, a great spot with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars, overlooking the water.



We enjoyed some lunch, and then decided to drive until we hit the ocean!

Fernandina Beach was where we greeted the Atlantic Ocean! There were so many boardwalks meeting the water, it looked like a jagged crossword puzzle!



We continued to drive up the coast to Amelia Island. Totally adorable! We found a historic stretch of road lined with shops. Ahhh...I was in Heaven! After some shopping, we decided that seafood would have to be the end to this fun, seaside day! Hubby had the flounder while I enjoyed the crab. Over dinner we discussed our next adventure. Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth was left in the car, but we were enjoying the discovering so much, we decided to continue North to Georgia, Savannah to be exact!

We drove North, late into the night, and got a hotel room in Savannah, right off the interstate. Darn, it wasn’t as fabulous as our Jacksonville hotel, but still super nice! Upon awaking, we hit that brochure holder that every hotel has, to find a map to historic Savannah. Heck, we’ve been checking out the historic district of every other town, why stop now? After a 35 minute drive, we were pulling into prime historic Savannah real estate. We found a parking garage to park the car, and continued on to discover historic Savannah! We hit some fun shops, read about the history, and even sat on a bench for a while, just reflecting. We found an awesome sweet shop that claimed to have the best pralines in the South. Being from Louisiana, and enjoying pralines all my life, I just had to try them. They were right, they were the best! As we were walking back to our car, we realized that the parking garage was right next door to a Holiday Inn. Continuing our spontaneous attitude, we inquired. Vacancy! Yessssss!

Our room overlooked the main square of historic Savannah, and you could even see the river from our window. Hubby truly enjoyed the view! Once our room was secure, we headed back out to sample wine and have a great night. We found a great little restaurant and I seriously enjoyed the greatest sweet tea and caesar salad of my life!


After enjoying a quiet night in our downtown room, we had one more day, before we had to head home…life was waiting…pooey! So this is where my planning personality took ahold! We had a map and a list of twenty places to see…here we go!

We sat where Forrest Gump sat, we enjoyed the city fountain, and visited every single square in town! We saw it all and learned all about the wonderful city of Savannah.




While walking back to our car, confident that we saw everything there is to see, we saw an electric car go by with my two favorite words on the back “rent me!” I looked at my hubby with the biggest, gleaming eyes ever! He knows that I absolutely LOVE to rent electric cars everywhere we go! Destin…did it! St. Augustine…check! Savannah…here we go, baby! We drove to the rental building, and we were informed that they were closing in one hour, so we could only went the car for an hour…no problem! We were determined to drive the entire city in Savannah in 60…yikes, 59 minutes! Forrest Gump's spot, the city fountain, and all of the squares, we saw them all, again! After our noses were freezing and our hair was completely windblown, we got into our car, and Captain Hubby drove us back home. Before I knew it, we were back at home and back to life, with nothing but fun memories, and peach wine to remind us of our few spontaneous few days!