Favorite Things of 2014…

Our New Year’s resolution for 2015 is to keep up with our blog! But in the meantime, here are some of our favorite things from 2014 weddings.

We think that these bouquets were unique and creative, made by Josephine’s daughter Vikki for her mom’s wedding day:

Tonya and Paul get our vote for most elegantly dressed couple this year. They both looked stunning on their special day!  It goes without saying, but we think that every couple looks amazing on their wedding day :).

“Most Photogenic Group” goes to Brooke and Shannon & their bridal party. These folks were beautiful inside and out!

We think that Emma had the cutest dress, and after spending some time with her and Wayne, their ensembles totally fit their personalities!

One of the funniest moments this year was when Jay put on an  AFC Wimbledon jersey for Suzanne and Julian…everyone who knows Jay knows that he loves a good laugh:

Last but not least, the “Surviving the Hottest Day of the Year” award belongs to Emma and Jordan! It was a hot one, but we had a great time with this sweet couple!

Double Ceremonies

In our 10+ years in the wedding industry, we have done about 20 double ceremonies.  They are a lot of fun for us…couples who choose a double wedding/vow renewal seem to be easy-going and open to non traditional ideas.  They don’t mind sharing the spotlight, and they always seem to have a good time.  Maybe having another semi-nervous couple by your side helps to take the pressure off!  A few years ago we even had twin sisters getting married at the same time…if memory serves, Zoe was nervous and her sister Faye was right there by her side getting married too :). 

Just this month we have performed two double ceremonies.  The first was for 2 couples who were renewing their wedding vows of 11 and 20 years.  The second was for one couple getting married, and the groom’s parents celebrating 30 years of marriage. 

Christine & George, celebrating 11 years of marriage:

Michele & James, celebrating 20 years of marriage:

Kathryn & Brett, Just Married!:

Christine & Ian, celebrating 30 years of marriage:

We hope to have lots more of these in the future!

 

 

 

 

Family Vows

One of the things we love to do is include our couples’ children in the wedding ceremony.  We think that it’s very important for the kids to know that they are a big part of the day.  We have a section that we include called “Recognition of Family”- after the exchange of rings, the children are asked if they will continue to give their love and support to the family.  They are also encouraged to participate in the Sand Ceremony, Unity Candle, etc. 

Tracy & Doug, with their daughters Emily, Eve, & Isla:

Here, little Olivia is helping Sharon & Brian during the Sand Ceremony:

…and then the whole family joins in:

Having the children give the bride away has also become a wonderful way to include them.  This works especially well with someone who might be a little older and needs more responsibility than simply holding the rings!  Here, Kate’s son Niall gives her away to Darren:

When couples share their special day with their kids, we do our best to ensure that it’s a memorable experience for the family as a whole. 

Oh, Technology

In the past several years, technology and social media has been moving so fast that it’s hard to keep up with all the changes.  It has been really interesting to see this technology at work during our weddings- many of our ceremonies have been Skyped and Face Timed thanks to these modern advances.

Since so many of our couples come to Florida for destination weddings, being able to share the experience with friends and family thousands of miles away is really special.

There are some people in the wedding industry who think that technology takes too much of the spotlight on the wedding day.  While weddings guests in the past would sit quietly and enjoy the ceremony, now everyone is out of their seats taking pictures and video.  We understand that this may be a concern when a couple is having a big wedding with all their friends and family present.  However, economic constraints and current trends usually don’t allow for couples to have the huge, elaborate weddings of the past.  The technology that is available today is how they can share their special day with those who can’t make the wedding.

When it comes to utilizing technology on your wedding day, our advice is…do what you want!  It’s your day!

Happy Reunions

One of the best things about what we do is meeting so many great people along the way.  This is magnified when we get to see those people again, months or years later!  During the past 11 years we’ve met some truly wonderful couples, and every once in a while we get to see them again when they recommend us to a friend or family member for a wedding. 

It means so much to us that couples trust us to take care of them on their special day.  We realize that there are many choices of wedding companies in the area, so we appreciate each and every couple that chooses Central Florida Wedding Group.

In August of 2009, we married Sue and Richard on Cocoa Beach.  A little over 3 years later, Sue’s son Steven tied the knot with his lovely bride Natalie in September of 2012:

Left to right- Richard, Natalie, Steven, and Sue:

In June of 2012, Ashleigh & Richard got married on Cocoa Beach with several family members in attendance.  Just last week, Ashleigh’s parents Jenny and Mark renewed their vows with us to commemorate 30 years of marriage:

Left to right- Ashleigh, Jenny, Mark, and Richard:

We consider ourselves very lucky to have such a fun job, made even better by our fantastic couples who enrich our lives with their wedding day joy : ). 

Beth & Matt’s Sunrise Wedding

Spring is such a beautiful time of year for a sunrise wedding!  Beth & Matt got married on March 16^th on Cocoa Beach, and their friends and family all got up early to celebrate with them.  Everyone was bright-eyed and excited to see Beth walk down the aisle. 

When we perform a sunrise ceremony, timing is everything!  Right after the kiss, Beth & Matt headed down to the water as the sun started to show over the water.

 

After their wedding, Beth & Matt headed to the Cocoa Beach Hilton for their reception.  Their first dance was to Led Zeppelin’s Thank You.  Incidentally, Jay (who conducted their wedding) is also a big Zeppelin fan!

Here are a few pics from their reception:

 

 

 

 And then out to the beach again for a few more photos…

 

 

Wising these two all the best…and thanks for the cake, it was yummy!  : )

Fresh Flowers & Other Unique Bouquet Ideas

Your wedding bouquet is a great way to express your personality, in addition to giving you something to nervously grip as you walk down the aisle! 

This bouquet was a Pinterest-inspired project that one of our brides Stephanie made last Fall…each element of the bouquet was a sentimental item collected from family members and friends.  She did an awesome job putting it together!  

Having her bridesmaids carry fans was a great idea too:

For fresh flowers, we love Sherri Lester’s work!  She’s done bouquets for many of our brides over the years.  Fresh flowers look so pretty in the natural light- here are some examples of her bouquets she’s made: 

If you’re thinking about a fresh bouquet but not sure what you’d like, Sherri can design something creative and one-of-a-kind.