We have been so busy in the office working on upcoming weddings.... but we had to get this “Miss Bride in the City” published before the weekend.... This week’s bride, Maria, will become a Mrs on Saturday at the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne. We are very excited for she and her fiance, Ryan! Their wedding is going to be a beautiful event!! They have chosen a gorgeous color palette of black, royal purple and lime green. They are expecting about 90 guests, which is the perfect number for The Dr. Phillips House!
When did you get engaged? May 7, 2009
When is the Big Day? March 20, 2010
Who are the Wedding Vendors you have already decided to hire?
Florist - Lee Forrest
DJ - Bryan Taylor-Tagas
Photography - Joey Wright Photography
Caterer and Cake - Puff n Stuff
Seamstress - Judi, The Seamstress, Inc.
Hair and Makeup - Patricia LeJeune
Tuxes - Mens Warehouse
Wedding Dress - David’s Bridal
What is your venue and why did you choose it?
The Dr. Phillips House at the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne.
Ryan and I have been to a lot of weddings in Orlando…I mean A LOT, so we knew we wanted to find a venue we hadn’t attended a wedding at.
I knew I didn’t want to get married in a hotel ballroom or country club. The Dr. Phillips House provides an intimate and charming atmosphere.
What are you most excited about for your wedding day?
Getting married to the best man in the world! Also, celebrating with our friends and family, and dancing the night away.
Are you keeping a wedding blog while you plan?
No - I wish I had the time!
Is there anything you are nervous about for your wedding day?
I think there are tons of things that a bride can be nervous about, especially when you play worst case scenario and let your imagination run wild. Having a great team of vendors and an excellent bridal party has really calmed my nerves!
What is your wedding theme going to be? What inspired it?
Modern, classic-Mixing tradition with modern touches to keep things fresh.
Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?
California-Napa Valley and San Francisco-we are super excited for wine tastings, excellent food, and exploring all that San Francisco has to offer!
I’ve already promised our florist Lee a bottle of wine from his favorite winery in Sonoma. I have a feeling we will be shipping back lots of wine
What are some of your favorite wedding planning tools (websites, blogs, books, etc)?
The Knot, hands down, has been the best planning tool.
Is your husband-to-be helping with the planning?
Yes I wanted to make sure that our wedding represented “us”, so his input and opinions have been important. Ryan’s project at the moment is making Seinfeld table numbers to represent his favorite TV show.
What is your best advice to brides who are currently planning their weddings?
Hire a coordinator, or at least a day-of coordinator. The last month is the most stressful, and knowing Ashlie will be pulling all of the details together has helped me immensely.
Use the internet; it is your best planning tool.
Set your budget early. This is usually one of the first things on To-Do lists and there is a reason why! You don’t want to fall in love with a venue, dress, etc. that isn’t in your price range. Also, prioritize what is most important to you and your fiancé, so you know where you will be spending the most money.
During the planning process, remember the reason WHY you are having a wedding! Yes, having a candy bar, personalized monogram menus, signature cocktails, and bathroom baskets are nice, but in the end, it won’t be what you remember.
Are you planning to see each other before the ceremony? Yes!
Why or why not?
I think it will definitely calm our nerves and allow us to have a more intimate moment together the first time we see each other. I’m looking forward to our photographer capturing this moment.
Also, we want to get pictures done before the wedding, so we can have more time to mingle with our guests and get to the fun stuff-like dinner and dancing!
What are three words that describe how you feel right now?
Excited, anxious, super happy
