Another Vilano Beach wedding

We have just booked the wedding of Jacqueline and William. This will be a destination wedding in Vilano Beach. The couple are from the Bronx, New York and are looking forward to their beautiful beach wedding followed by a dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Kingfish Grill. Jacqueline is ordering her cake from Publix. Their cakes are amazingly good and very budget wise. They also provide excellent service to their customers. We look forward to meeting Jacqueline and William athough I feel like I already know them after the phone calls and emails we have already shared.

Christa and John

Last Saturday was the wedding of Christa and John. John is from Florida and Christa is from Texas, but fate brought them together and even though they lived so far apart, they managed to see each other often and fell in love. The ceremony was held on Vilano Beach just above St. Augustine. The reception was at the Reef restaurant. Christa was gorgeous in a strapless gown with a sort of smocking detail on the skirt and a beaded top. Hydrangeas were used for her bouquet and for decorations. John was very hot in a black suit. It was the hottest day of the year. Someone said she heard it was 102 degrees. I believe it. Fortunately the ceremony was not too long and everyone arrived on time so we were able to get back into the air conditioning before anyone passed out. John is a pilot so the two were off in a private plane for a trip to Bahamas for their honeymoon. Family and friends came from New Jersey, Texas Kentucky and Florida for the wedding. This couple is much loved by many people and deserve the best.

We just booked the wedding of Walter and Tara. They are getting married October 3 at Vilano Beach. October is the best time of year for a beach wedding. The weather is just a bit cooler and hurricane season is over for all intents since there are seldom any that late in the year. We haven't met Walter and Tara yet as they live in New Jersey, but Tara's mom Kathy met with us to make the arrangements. I will be calling Tara soon to start the writing process to give them the ceremony they really want.

It is always a joy to hear form a couple we married years ago. Whitney and Rob were one of the last couples we married in New Jersey. We had already moved to Florida but were commuting north to finish up our commitments there. Wendy and Rob have been married seven years today and are still very happy. They have two beautiful girls, a dog and a house and say they are having a great life. We always feel a little pride when he hear that to feel that we had some small part in helping create this loving family.

This evening we had the great pleasure of performing the baptism of the son of a couple we married three years ago. Quinten and Melissa were married in 2006 at the beach at the River to the Sea state park. It was this same spot where they chose to have their son Christened. Malik Antonio Johnson is six months old and tolerated the whole procedure with great patience. The family invited us to join them at the celebration dinner at Portugalia Restaurant in Bunnell. The food and the company were most enjoyable. We look forward to many more years serving this wonderful family with their spiritual celebrations.

Meeting Marissa

Last night we met with Marissa who is being married in September. We went over the details of her wedding ceremony. I will get started on it this week. Marissa is from New York but both she and her fiance have family in Palm Coast so their wedding will be held here at the Hammock Beach Resort.

Marissa is using our good friend Stephanie of Weddings by Stephanie as her Day of Coordinator. She is in good hands and her wedding and reception will be great. It was fun getting to meet her after corresponding via email the past few months.

WIN YOUR WEDDING

The organization we belong to, Wedding Professionals of Flagler County is having a Bridal Show on August 2, 2009 from 2-5 PM at the Palm Coast Yacht Club. Admission is FREE and best of all, if you register ahead of time at our website www.flaglerbridalshow.com you will have a chance to win your wedding. All of the vendors have agreed to donate their services to put on a wedding for you if you are the lucky winner. For more details go to the website. This is a super offer you don't want to miss.

Working with professionals part I

After a nice vacation in New York and New Jersey we are back in Florida and very glad to be home. As nice as it was to visit our son and see some old friends, there's no place like home. We have had a little break but are now gearing up for the next season. Summer is always a little slow and it gives us time to regroup as we book up weddings for the fall. We bought a litttle camper and plan to do a bit of exploring this summer. We are always in touch with our I phones and laptop, so keep those emails coming. You will be answered right away as always.

There is a lot of talk on the internet forums about DIY (Do it yourself) weddings. Yes, some things can be done yourself, but it's your wedding! Do you really need all that stress? Weddings don't have to be a huge expense and you can still use professionals to help you pull it off so it doesn't look like you did it yourself. A wedding planner is a good place to start. She (or occasionally he) knows who the best vendors are and is in a position to negotiate prices for you. They can help you set up a budget and stick to it. You can avoid expensive mistakes with a good wedding planner. The wedding planner is with you every step of the way, accompanying you to your appointments to keep things on track. She is someone to help you design the theme of your wedding and make sure the components complement each other. She will come to know your taste and style and will help your wedding reflect that style. A wedding is not just another party. It is the reflection of your commitment to each other and the start of your life together. It is worth the investment to have it done right. The thing I want to stress here is that your wedding planner should be an experienced and credentialed professional. The Association of Bridal Consultants requires classes, apprenticeship and performance to be a member. Look for the ABC logo on the website of your wedding planner to be sure she is qualified to do the job.