“Take some outstanding weather, a beachside venue and a crowd that really knows how to party and you have yourself the perfect wedding! Jenn and Jesse truly had a beautiful wedding day, from beginning to end. The sun shined as Jenn walked down the aisle to meet her handsome groom. After the ceremony, guests had time to grab a drink from the canoe or tiki bar, as they snacked on some amazing food. Paradise Cove is a fantastic venue because everything is very close together to guests do not have to walk very far, as well, the view is absolutely stunning as the property is situated on a large lake in Orlando. Jenn and Jesse were super crafty and created a lot of the small details themselves, such as the adorable chevron runners that were on all of the guest tables. Towards the end of the evening, Jenn switched out of her stunning gown into an even more decadent gold sequined dress that was a huge hit. Congratulations to the happy couple!” – Jaclyn of At Last Wedding + Event Design
“My favorite wedding day memory was a surprise from my new husband, Jesse. I hadn’t noticed the very large frame placed next to our dinner table (The excitement and nerves were still overwhelming me at the time, I just wanted to sit down for a moment!) But when my mother-in-law pointed it out, I began to sob. Jesse had gone to our most memorable locations and taken pictures with him holding signs at each location. For example, he went to the college apartment where we first started dating with a sign that said, “This is where is all began”, one at our first apartment we lived in together that said, “This is where I fell for you”, one where he proposed, “This is where I took you to see the fishes” (a little inside joke of ours), one with him and both of our amazing rescue dogs that said “This is what I got myself into”, one at our wedding venue wearing his wedding suit that said, “This is the best day of my life” and the last he took at a farm (because I always say that I want to retire to a farm and rescue animals all day) that said “This is where I want to grow old with you”. It was immensely thoughtful and such a surprise.
..We did a ton of DIY! Jesse is the artist in the family so he built, designed, and drew all of the chalkboard signage, one of those being 5.5 feet tall with the wedding party info on it. We also had a “Open bar, Open late” sign that we hung above the bar. We also had tiny “message in a bottle” for our place cards. We stuffed each one with each person’s name and table number. I created the stickers for the cookie favors. We used Publix chocolate chip and the sticker said, “Jesse’s favorite cookie”- we tried to keep everything extremely personal to Jesse and I . We also had buckets with sandals for our guests so they could take off their heels and party in sand or dance all night in comfort! (that was a huge hit!). I found these 2 huge tree stumps outside someone’s yard, I knocked on their door to ask if I could take them. We painted those white and used them at the start of our aisle with mason jars, candles, and flowers on top of them. People liked them so much that when we tried to pick them up the next day, a bride was already asking if she could use them, so they are still being utilized at Paradise Cove today! There were many other projects even before the wedding, we placed personalized water bottles and door hangers in each guest’s hotel room. For me, it was very important to incorporate details and DIY projects. I wanted people to be “wowed” at my wedding but NOT because we spent a ton of money of everything. We tried to do as much ourselves as we could. I think these details can add so much ambiance and love to the occasion. People kept telling me, “Wow, you worked so hard on everything, there are little details everywhere, everything looks so amazing!” – I have to give thanks to my wedding planner and her team for bringing everything together perfectly!
..Jesse and I are not very traditional so we did not follow many of the “rules” of weddings. I did have something old. It was a surprise wedding gift from my childhood next door neighbor. She wrote me a tear-jerking letter about her marriage and within the letter was a tiny velvet bag containing a beautiful diamond solitaire necklace. I was so honored to wear it on my wedding day and I continue to wear it almost every day. It was a truly amazing gift and something I will cherish for a lifetime and hopefully pass on to someone I love as well.
..My best advice is to take it slow, know what you want and prioritize! I am not the type of person who agonizes over every decision, I know almost instantly if I like something or not. However, many brides start thinking about “well does it go with this?” or “Will my mom/friends/whoever like this?” etc. You can really drive yourself nuts overthinking all of these wedding decisions. Find something you like, that’s in budget, and build from there. Before you know it, your vision will be fulfilled! Prioritizing your wish list will also help you manage your budget, but make sure you know what items are important to your future husband as well.” – Jenn, the bride
Wedding Coordinator: At Last Wedding + Event Design // Venue: Paradise Cove // Caterer: Arthurs Catering // Photographer: Misty Miotto // Videographer: Key Moment Films // DJ: Soundwave Entertainment // Floral Design: Lee Forrest Design // dress and bridesmaid dresses: Soulutions Bridal // shoes: David Tuterra // suits: Express // tie + pocket square: The Tie Bar // Cake and cupcakes: The Sugar Suite // Hair/Makeup: Beaute Speciale // Photobooth: Photobooth Rocks
