By Perfect Wedding Guide ‘National Wedding Expert’, Susan Southerland
It’s true that some weddings make more of an impact than others, and the real wedding of Shellé and Damon was one of the most impressive to my memory. Held at the beautiful Omni-Orlando ChampionsGate Resort last October, Shellé and Damon incorporated many personal touches on their special day…including an arrival by the bride in a helicopter!
My associate, Karen Gingerich, had the pleasure of working with the couple, and she had this to say: “Shellé and Damon were absolutely delightful. Shellé is a highly organized person and she was very receptive to my feedback regarding her vendors, so her planning went very smoothly. I loved the mirror ceremony they included after the exchange of vows…just one more element to make their wedding really special and unique!”
Many thanks go out to the talented team at S & S Custom Photography (http://snsweddings.com/) for sharing these incredible images with us. Special recognition also goes out to Lee Forest Designs (www.leeforrestdesign.com/) for the gorgeous floral and decor. Please read on for more details about this couple’s special day, as shared by the happy bride!
Susan: Why did you choose your particular wedding location?
Shellé: The Omni ChampionsGate Resort was the third hotel we looked at. As soon as we drove up, I knew this was the location. It had great curb appeal, I loved how the driveway welcomed you with palm trees, the lobby area was very modern and airy, and the outside venues were perfectly groomed for a wedding site.
Shellé (cont.): What I also loved about the Omni was that they had a great indoor location reserved in case the weather didn’t work in my favor. I didn’t want to be married in a windowless conference room. The Omni had a room that had a wall of glass windows that looked out onto the golf course. Once the Omni was booked, Jennifer Smith at the Omni was extremely professional and responsive throughout the entire process. I was more than satisfied with my venue selection…it was perfect!
Susan: What was it like for you on the morning of your wedding?
Shellé: It was stress-free. I had the worst headache, but otherwise, all my vendors showed up on time and the Omni provided us with breakfast as we got dressed. I enjoyed the quiet moments I got to have with my grandpa and dad as we waited at the golf course for the helicopter. The helicopter ride over was very relaxing and actually took the edge off of the day. Reality struck when we landed and the song ‘Giving Myself Away’ by Jennifer Hudson started to play for my bridal march.
Susan: What were your thoughts as you walked down the aisle?
Shellé: Sadly, they were very selfish thoughts: ‘Shellé don’t trip,’ and ‘Try to cry with a cute face so you don’t mess up the pictures.’ I was hoping I wouldn’t drown in sweat because it was so hot. I thought about Damon once I got to the altar, though! We didn’t practice the exchange from my dad and grandpa over to Damon, so when I got to the altar it just seemed so fast. I looked and my dad was gone. That’s when the emotion hit me again.
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the day for you and your spouse?
Shellé: I think we would both say the helicopter entrance. It was hilarious to see everyone’s faces when the helicopter arrived. Our guests jumped up out of their chairs. Some even moved closer to the helicopter to take pictures. I remember seeing all of the groomsmen totally lose their formation when the helicopter arrived. My brother, in particular, whipped out his iPhone so fast to take a picture. I wasn’t able to see Damon during this time.
Shellé (cont.): Damon’s experience was obviously different from mine. As the helicopter circled the wedding site, it completely drowned out the music. Damon was thinking that if I walked out now, I would be so annoyed. He was already annoyed with the helicopter, and when it circled a second time, he refused to look back at it. His best man tapped him to say, ‘Hey, that’s Shellé coming in the helicopter,’ and Damon instantly lost his attitude and fought back the tears.
Susan: What was one delightfully unexpected moment on the wedding day?
Shellé: I loved, loved, LOVED the wedding speeches; everyone’s speech was very unique, full of charisma, and hilarious.
Susan: Were there any particular elements of your wedding day that you considered unique or personal touches?
Shellé: Yes…my surprise helicopter entrance into the wedding ceremony was the first one. I also liked how I chose to dance with my Great Grandpa, Grandpa, and then my Dad. All three are very important to me and wanted them all to be a part of the first Daughter/Dad dance.
Susan: Based off of your experience, would you share some advice for other brides and grooms who may still be planning their weddings?
Shellé: 1) Wedding planners are priceless! I absolutely loved the wedding agenda Just Marry! (www.justmarry.com) provided. It kept everyone coordinated the day of the wedding and took away all the organizing details from the bride. 2) Pick a location with excellent customer service, as it will help your wedding planner work that much more smoothly. This is one of the happiest events that you will plan; you should work with vendors that share in your excitement.
Shellé(cont.): 3) Don’t ask advice from too many sources; although various opinions can be helpful, they can also hinder your progress. I relied mostly on the opinions of my maids of honor when making decisions for the wedding, such as the flowers, photographer, favors, etc. And 4) Keep it simple! Less details make everything very elegant and more budget-friendly. For example, I choose not to get table overlays…the hotel already provided white table linens, and my guests wouldn’t remember if I had an overlay or not. I also reused the décor from the wedding ceremony as centerpieces for the tables.
Thank you to Shellé and Damon, for sharing their real wedding story with our readers! Do you have a real wedding story you’d like to share with us on the wedding blog? Please email us a selection of 8-10 photos of your favorite moments and we will contact you for an interview!
If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).
Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan
