"Miss Bride in the City" ~ Maria

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 

"Miss Bride in the City" ~ Terri

We are so excited to be a part of Terri and Will’s amazing chic wedding at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando. They are expecting about 90 guests and have chosen Eggplant, silver and gold as their colors, which, if you have ever been to The Grand Bohemian, you know, those colors are perfect for the existing decor!! We cannot wait till their big day and we are looking forward to seeing Terri’s family again, we had the privilege of being a part of her twin sister Lisa’s wedding in February 2009, and also meeting Will’s family!!

When did you get engaged? Inauguration Day- January 20, 2009

When is the Big Day? May 22, 2010

Who are the Wedding Vendors you have already decided to hire?

Photographer- Nikki Rosa

Videographer- Simply Cinematic

Florist- Lee Forrest

Cake- Michael Anthony Cakes

Hair and Makeup- Patricia LeJeune

DJ- Al Dee Productions

Ceremony Musicians- Lisa Ferrigno

Lighting- Tagas

Chair Rental- Bell Chair Covers Rentals

What is your venue and why did you choose it?

The Grand Bohemian. We chose it because it’s chic, artsy and in downtown Orlando. The Grand Bohemian is absolutely gorgeous and sophisticated.

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?

Celebrating with family and friends!

Are you keeping a wedding blog while you plan? Why is this helpful?

I was, but with work, school, and wedding planning, it got to be too much.

Is there anything you are nervous about for your wedding day?

I don’t feel nervous, but I have had a few wedding nightmares. Most of them have to do with not being on time or people being late.

What is your wedding theme going to be? What inspired it?

We want a classy, glamorous, and sophisticated feel. Not sure what inspired it, but it’s just something we decided on early in the planning.

Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?

Saint Lucia. We Will be staying at Jade Mountain and Sandals Grande.

What are some of your favorite wedding planning tools (websites, blogs, books, etc)?

Theknot.com, especially the message boards! I also follow a lot of wedding people on twitter who have been a great source of ideas and inspiration, such as @stylemepretty @hotpinkbrides and @bridetide Another great wedding planning tool is my twin sister! She got married February 2009 and she has been so helpful with giving me her opinion, recommending vendors, and letting me use her templates for DIY projects.

Is your husband-to-be helping with the planning? What are his jobs?

He helps with just about everything except making DIY paper stuff like table names and Reserved signs. This is because he isn’t good at crafts and doesn’t want to “mess anything up.” Otherwise he helps with ideas and making decisions, writing the ceremony, and he even went dress shopping with me (he doesn’t know which dress I picked out though).

What is your best advice to brides who are currently planning their weddings?

Get to know your vendors. I truly think all of my vendors are great people and trust that they will help make our wedding day amazing, special, and memorable.

Are you planning to see each other before the ceremony? Why or why not?

Yes! We have seen pictures of couples who did this and I think they make for great photos. Also, it’s nice to have an intimate moment together where we see each other up close and personal rather than across the aisle.

What are three words that describe how you feel right now?

Excited, busy, fortunate

"Miss Bride in the City" ~ Alyssa

We have begun a new segment on our blog today.... periodically.... or as our busy brides send them in to us... we will be featuring current Weddings in the City brides. These posts will be titled "Miss Bride in the City" and we hope to also create a segment named "Mrs Bride in the City" where our Brides who's weddings we have planned can share from there weddings experience as well.

We know that Brides have a lot going on and want to be as productive as possible in there wedding planning, our current brides are in the thick of their wedding planning and are each inching closer to their Wedding, every day! They are full of insight and wisdom that would love to share with you!!

We would like to introduce our first Bride and Groom featured, Alyssa and Brian, they are planning a beautiful vintage themed wedding at Casa Feliz in Winter Park. As a couple they have chosen bright colors for their wedding - Turquoise, Hot Pink, Tangerine and Lime Green!! They are expecting about 100 guests and are looking forward to dancing the night away!! They have selected some fantastic vendors and we are so excited to be a part of planning their special day!

When did you get engaged? May 22, 2009

When is the Big Day? April 2, 2010

Who are the Wedding Vendors you have already decided to hire?

Photographer – Fat Catz Photography, the first vendor we decided on. We found them online by chance and loved their playful style. We didn’t even both meeting other photographers.

Florist – Lee Forrest, he’s equal parts hysterical and meticulous. He gets what I like and what I want to see at the wedding, and isn’t afraid to tell me if something I think I want will look dumb.

Cake – Belladonna Cakes and Confections. There was no question that her cakes were the best tasting out of any we tried. She also had a lot of great ideas and listened really well, and picked up on little quirks in our interests to incorporate into the cake design and make it really personal.

Gelato – Penguin’s Paradise. Friendly people, really interested in making the wedding special, great gelato.

Caterer- Arthur’s Catering. The only caterer that Casa Feliz works with, so it was a no-brainer.

DJ – Jay Edwards (Liquid Entertainment). Also an easy pick. Great personality, I was instantly at ease with him even over the phone, and all of the girls on The Knot who’ve used him loved him.

Lighting – Tagas. We wanted market lights over the courtyard at our venue, and they’re the only people who would do it without a lot of pricey extras.

Seamstress – Jeanine. She’s outstanding. She works from her home so she doesn’t have the overhead cost of the bridal shoppes or storefront seamstresses, and she really knows what she’s doing. She is also not afraid to tell me if something I think I want won’t work, because she’s there to make the dress look right, not to sell me whatever she can.

Tuxes – Men’s Wearhouse. No particular reason for choosing them, other than needing a store with national locations; it was just the first place we walked into.

Makeup – Studio Cara. Another Knottie recommended them to me and they’ve been fabulous. They’ve helped me find a hairstylist since theirs was unavailable, and no one has ever made my skin look that good.

Hair – Stella Luca. To be honest, I didn’t really shop around for hair or makeup. I just took the Knottie’s recs and decided which I felt would be worth paying twice (you pay full-price for your hair/makeup trials, girls). I like this salon because the gal was excited to play around with the styles I wanted and was very flexible.

What is your venue and why did you choose it?

Casa Feliz has incredible old-world charm and character, but it’s not so stuffy that we couldn’t have lively, fun décor and make it feel like us. I was adamant that I wanted to get married in a garden, and we both wanted to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. And I just love old, Spanish buildings.

What is your wedding theme going to be? What inspired it?

I guess you could call it ‘What’s old is new!’ There are a lot of bright, modern, sassy colors and florals, but all of that is paired with an Old Hollywood/vintage glam. The Old Hollywood glam-factor was directly influenced by my gown – there’s just no other way to describe it. I love bright colors as well, so they got mixed in, and voilà.

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?

Not having to plan anything anymore! No no, I’m kidding, the best part will be all of the love in the air and having all of the people with us who’ve played a role in bringing us to where we are today, and celebrating becoming a family. Getting to show off my great gown and our mad dance-skills will be a perk, too.

Are you keeping a wedding blog while you plan? Why is this helpful?

Yes, I’m keeping a blog, but I’m not sure it’s all that helpful to me. Mine is more a Guest-Information Center, and the blog is a side-thing.

Is there anything you are nervous about for your wedding day?

Actually, I’m worried the dance floor will be slick and I’ll fall on my butt! Gotta start scuffing up those shoes!

Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?

New Zealand!!!

What are some of your favorite wedding planning tools (websites, blogs, books, etc)?

The Knot is the biggest help. Next, picking the brains of my fabulous coordinator, florist, and cousin (also my matron of honor). Lastly, there are one or two blogs that I read from time to time. My favorite is The Broke-Ass Bride.

Is your husband-to-be helping with the planning? What are his jobs?

He IS! He helped pick the venue and the florist (because I couldn’t choose one!), and then after that he was mostly in charge of Project Honeymoon. He also reconstructed our invitations (design and everything) almost single-handedly in one night after a snafu with the original ones. Incredible. Just about everything we do is a team effort, so he’s had input on everything along the way, but those have been his largest contributions to date.

What is your best advice to brides who are currently planning their weddings?

#1 - Get a coordinator. If you don’t have room in your budget, find someone to be in charge for you that isn’t you, your fiancé, your parents, or anyone in the wedding party.

#2 – Keep a level head. People get strange and crazy when a wedding is involved and get upset about things that wouldn’t matter at any other time in life. (Not just the brides, but family, wedding party… Drama Central.) Yes, some wedding things should be perfect and do deserve anal-retentive attention, but some things really don’t, even if it is your wedding. Before you get into the thick of things, make a list of your priority items and your minor-detail items so you can remind yourself not to get worked up over napkins when the photography is what’s most important to you.

#3 – Find a wedding-community in your area. The Knot chat boards have been great for me, but it’s not for everyone. The nice thing about the chat boards is that you can read over the things that other brides obsess over and why, decide whether that should be important to you, and remind yourself later so you don’t find yourself stressing about little things.

#4 – Roll with it. There’s no such thing as a perfect wedding. Perfect for you, yes. No glitches whatsoever? Yeah right. Realize early that they will happen, think about how you would like to handle it if any one of the possible glitches did happen to you, and tuck that in the back of your mind. This will help prevent the title “Bridezilla” and make your day (and the planning process) much happier memories.

Are you planning to see each other before the ceremony? Why or why not?

Yes. At first I didn’t think I wanted him to see me before the ceremony, but then I saw another bride’s ‘First Glance” photos and the emotion captured on the groom’s face was tear-jerking. I want that moment to be personal and completely natural so that we don’t feel like we have to put on the ‘right’ face for the crowd.

What are three words that describe how you feel right now?

In general? Overworked, sleepy, and sick! LOL

In regard to the wedding – Busy, thrilled, ready!

New Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dance Songs

Loved these songs by T Carter Music!!

Central Florida Bride - Weddings Unveiled 2009

Didn't want to forget to mention our Wedding's Unveiled featured in the previous Central Florida Bride Issue.

Deborah and Sean were married on November 15th, 2008 at the beautiful Wyndham Orlando Resort! They had a gorgeous traditional Jewish ceremony in one of the ballrooms with a custom Chuppah built by the Bride and Groom. The reception featured lighting by Tagas Event and Production Services, Florals by Atmospheres Floral and Decor (Previously DSR Designs), Music and entertainment by Paul Vesco Band. Marc Harmon captured every special moment in pictures, while Seth with Visual Effects by Seth captured it on film. Deborah looked stunning, her hair and make was done my LeJeune Precision Cosmetic Application, Patricia even came back during the reception to put Deb's hair up into an up-do!! Amazing!!

Central Florida Bride - Weddings Unveiled #2

Our Second wedding in Central Florida Bride this issue!!

We loved being a part of Emily and Michael's fabulous Summer wedding! Their traditional ceremony took place at St. James Catholic Cathedral and the reception took place at the Historic Ballroom at Dubsdread, Cathie and her staff did an amazing job, as usual! Atmospheres Floral and Decor took Emily's vision for her flowers and created an amazing display of fresh florals. Of course no wedding is complete with out a talented photographer, Mike Briggs, and a jammin' DJ, Darrin with Fun Factory. The perfect cake was designed and baked by Party Flavors. Their day was flawless, just how we like for it to be!

"Which vendor was most important to you? Having a day-of coordinator was very important to me so that my friends and family could enjoy the wedding day and not be stressed by all of the tasks that were sure to pop up. Ashlie Hampton was amazing and felt like a good friend from day one. She made the wedding day flawless" - Emily Engle Drylie

Check out Central Florida Bride for your copy of this issue!!

Central Florida Bride - Weddings Unveiled

Weddings in the City (previously known as Atmospheres) has had the honor of having not one, but two of our weddings featured in the most recent issue of Central Florida Bride. We are so excited about this accomplishment and can't wait to have more of our weddings published!!

Kristin and Zachary had a gorgeous garden wedding at The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne on September 27th, 2008. We were so honored to have been a part of the team that created their amazing wedding day! They truly had a "Dream Team" wedding, including Scoobie's Photographic Images, Visual Effects by Seth and Liquid Entertainment. Atmospheres Floral and Decor (previously known as DSR Designs) created the beautiful florals, and Cut the Cake made their delicious cake that was customized to match their wedding invitation!

Kristin had such wonderful things to say about her vendors.... we love that she even mentioned us!!

"What was the best decision you made in regards to your wedding planning? Hiring my wedding planner! She truly saved my wedding day by keeping me on target and preventing any procrastination! She dealt with all of the inevitable wedding day glitches with a constant smile. Everyone commented on how organized the wedding was. Words cannot describe how hard she worked to keep the whole day perfect for us. She even decorated our wedding suite with beautiful flowers, petals and candles everywhere."

You can pick up your copy of Central Florida Bride at our office and around town!

Click on photo's for a closer look and to read Kristin and Zach's interview! :)