Wedding Blog

Today’s real wedding submission comes to us from across the country in gorgeous Palos Verdes Estates, California. Cara and Craig exchanged their vows this past August with a breathtaking seascape as their backdrop.

Complete with magnificent photos from Gabriel Ryan and Carlie Davis (www.gabrielryan.net), here is what Cara and Craig wanted to share with us about their wedding experience:

“How we met: In January 2007, Craig and I were introduced through mutual friends at a party in Las Vegas where we both live. We knew about each other before the ’set-up’ but hadn’t met yet. After talking for a while, Craig asked for my number and then left the party to go play poker! BUT he called the next day to ask me to dinner, and we’ve been together ever since.

How he proposed: In October 2008 - After dinner at our favorite restaurant, Craig drove us out to Lake Las Vegas where he said we were meeting friends of his for drinks after dinner. We arrived to the Ritz-Carlton only to discover that Craig had booked a gorgeous suite overlooking the lake. As we entered the room, the balcony doors were open, and outside a bottle of champagne was on ice, directly next to the most beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed red roses I have ever seen. Before I knew it he was on one knee with a gorgeous ring he designed for me in his hand and asked me to marry him! I screamed and said “yes” on the spot!

Ceremony description: Both ceremony and reception took place at the Palos Verdes Beach Club, a private swim club located directly on the beach in the Palos Verdes peninsula and only a few minutes away from [my] parents’ home. As guests arrived, they were treated to Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs and mini Power C Vitamin Water.

Guests were seated in gold Chiavari chairs facing a chuppah draped in white chiffon and garnished with blush colored roses and peonies; the Pacific Ocean lay as a backdrop. The aisle was lined with tall glass hurricane candles and light pink rose petals. The ceremony included Christian and Jewish traditions to honor both family religions.

Favorite detail: The gold Chiavari chairs rented for the ceremony and reception were by far my most favorite detail. Chairs were the one thing I insisted on ’splurging’ on - they had to be comfortable and beautiful and I wanted them to be my accent/statement piece for the wedding, which they most definitely were, since there were over 200 guests. Gold brought out the best colors in my pink floral centerpieces, accented with ivory satin lamour table cloths and crushed gold napkins.

Reception description: Dinner was served as the sun was setting, a spectacular back-drop for any outdoor event. Our caterer brought in a huge grill and served up BBQ tri-tip, chicken, and salmon, also including so many side dishes for our guests to enjoy such as sweet mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and spicy peanut slaw. Champagne was flowing all night long. The wedding cake was round tiered for 3 different flavors of cake (chocolate, red velvet and lemon) with butter cream frosting and finished with white chocolate ganache, it was simply decadent. The reception started with toasts and at the end of dinner, guests were asked to get the party started on the dance floor with ‘Hava Nagila’ - which set the tone for a night of non-stop dancing under the stars.”

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan

We have truly seen different types of weddings in 2009. Huge affairs have been set aside for more intimate gatherings of close family and friends. Tina and Chuck’s wedding was a fantastic example of this change. The ceremony was a sweet celebration with immediate family.

Once again, it was a rain-soaked day, in Orlando, but the clouds cleared just long enough for the ceremony and photographs. Enjoy!

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for you?
Tina: When I was walking down the aisle with my step-dad & I could see Chuck looking back at me. I was so happy to see him standing there.

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for Chuck?
Tina: When we were standing before the minister & we were looking into each others eyes. It reminded him how excited him how excited he was to be spending the rest of his life with me.

Susan: What were you most worried about?
Tina: We weren’t worried about much but since the wedding was outside, we were worried about the rain. But other than that the wedding was very stress free.

Susan: How did having a coordinator help alleviate any fear or stress?
Tina: I was fortunate enough to be able to come down to Florida a couple months before my wedding and meet with Susan. She was very helpful, and working with Karen was also such a pleasure. As soon as we starting planning our wedding they were on top of every detail. Their attention to detail made the entire process stress-free.

Susan: What did you think about the flowers, décor, and/or overall feel for your wedding?
Tina: The Swan was absolutely gorgeous, we could not have asked for a better setting for our wedding. The flowers were not only beautiful the day of the wedding, but they also look amazing in our wedding pictures. When showing family and friends our wedding pictures, people are always commenting on the flowers.

Susan: Is there anything you wish had happened differently?
Tina: Other than the rain after our ceremony there was nothing we would change.

Susan: Do you have anything else you want to share?
Tina: We enjoyed working with Just Marry because we always felt at ease and the entire planning process was not stressful. Our phone calls and e-mails were always promptly returned. We always felt like Just Marry was on top of the planning process.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

I believe that I mentioned that we stayed at a stunning property called Waterfall Villas. It is located near Domincal (about four hours from San Jose airport). The area was just gorgeous. It isn’t very developed like some of the more popular spots in Costa Rica, so it wasn’t crowded, it wasn’t noisy and the view of the stars was breathtaking.

I will tell more about the villas in another post, but in keeping with my blog tradition, today I am going to feature a couple who was married at Water Fall Villas… Kym and Ray.

Susan: What made you decide to get married in Costa Rica?

Kym and Ray: We love the environment, and wanted to see the Rain forest, and also get married in it.

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for you?

Kym and Ray: We cant pick one part of our wedding day to be our favorite. From the ceremony to the beach and dinner it was all perfect. OUR FAVORITE MOMENT!!!! It rained after the ceremony was complete, not too hard, a sprinkle. Until we were eating. It was so beautiful.

Susan: What were you most worried about?

Kym and Ray: I was not worried about anything. Until after the ceremony we find out it is not a legal ceremony. (Susan’s note, legal weddings in Costa Rica can be complicated. It isn’t impossible, but there is a lot of legal work you need to do. Waterfall Villas has an attorney who will help you navigate the marriage license process. If you decide to get married at another resort, you should check to see if the resort has someone who can help you get the legal paperwork done. Another good option is to get legally married in the states before you go, and then have a spiritual ceremony in Costa Rica.)

Susan: What advice do you have for other couples who want to get married in Costa Rica?

Kym and Ray:I have already told so many people to go to Costa Rica and get married or just go. It is an incredible place. My husband and I are planning to go to the other side of Costa Rica next year, it is so amazing there that it makes you want to see it all and have it all. It is an extremely slow way of life, know that before you go. It is the best place to go for a truly relaxing vacation.

Susan: Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Kym and Ray: I suggest to all couples that do not want the big wedding and are doing it for their family. Run away to Costa Rica get married. Go on your honey moon. Take a lot of pictures and videos. Have the reception when you get back. It is sooooo worth it.

If you would like to see more images and video from my adventure in Costa Rica, check out our Just Marry! fan page on Facebook.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

It’s time again for Real Wedding Wednesday. Karen and Gary were a lovely couple from the United Kingdom. The had a beautiful wedding at the Celebration Hotel. I love working at Celebration… It is an intimate boutique hotel that reminds me the “old Florida” and the staff is so welcoming and friendly.

Enjoy!

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for you?

Gary: The thunderstorm just before we married and being informed that 5 mins before the ceremony, there was no-one to marry us. Fortunately, nature sorted out the first and I was very impressed with how quickly you obtained a replacement for us. (Susan’s note: One of our favorite ministers had an emergency come up right before the wedding. In spite of that emergency, he helped us find a suitable replacement so that the wedding could move forward. That is the mark of a true professinal. That quality is something you should definitely look for when hiring your vendors).

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for Karen?

Karen: How smoothly everything went, with all of the people you recommended turning up on time, eg the steamer from Carolyn Allen, make up artist and hair stylist, the reverend and the violinst.

Susan: What were you most worried about?

Gary: Nothing - I don’t tend to worry and as we had kept in regular touch, I had every confidence in your services. If I was to worry, these are the only aspects that caused me some slight concern - organising a wedding via e-mail and phone, never having seen the venue, other than on the web site, nor having met yourselves.

Karen: I also don’t tend to worry and as Gary and I used to run a Wedding Function Venue, I always advised our clients that as long as they got married, everything else would become a tale to tell in the future. I didn’t realise at the time how close to not having someone to marry us we were!

Susan: How did your Just Marry! planner, Karen, and I help alleviate any fear or stress?

Gary: Due to the thunderstorm, you discussed with me the possibility of moving the ceremony inside and very quickly (or so it seemed to me) sorted a replacement out for the registrar.

Susan: What did you think of the flowers, décor?

Gary: The flowers were perfect and smelt gorgeous and the decor was fantastic. We couldn’t think of anything better to say.

Susan: Is there anything you wish had happened differently?

Gary: We were so delighted with our photographs, in hindsight, we would have booked Ginger to be with us for longer and we wouldn’t have lost our own camera and camcorder! Good job Ginger did such a good job.

Susan: Do you have anything else you want to share?

Gary: Just that it was a perfect day, with everything happening seamlessly. Everyone you recommended did a wonderful job and if we ever decided to get married again (hopefully to each other), we wouldn’t hesitate in booking your venue and commendations again.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

My associate Karen worked with this lovely couple for their wedding at the Omni Champion’s Gate near Orlando. Karen really enjoyed working with them. The day turned out beautifully. Thank you to Ginger Midgett for the beautiful photographs!

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for you?
Ann: Seeing the gazebo at Omni for the first time — not in a photograph.

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for David?
Ann: Me crying all the way through the ceremony!

Susan: What were you most worried about?
Ann: I worried that it would rain.

Susan: How did your Just Marry! coordinator help alleviate any fear or stress?
Ann: Karen was fantastic from day one. She reassured me on every aspect of the wedding plans even though I was thousands of miles away.

Susan: What did you think about the flowers?
Ann: Absolutely stunning they were beautiful.

Susan: Is there anything you wish had happened differently?
Ann: I wish we had gotten to the Omni sooner I was running late.

Susan: Do you have any final thoughts?
Ann: Getting married is supposed to be memorable and thanks to Karen and our Disney vacation it was something which we will treasure in our hearts forever. Karen made it happen from start to finish and it was truly magical. That’s no easy thing to achieve when your thousands of miles away. Except a cotton thread coming loose on my dress it was perfection all down to Karen and the team; hair, flowers the wedding officiant whose words were to treasure. Everything was like a dream.

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan