Sirata Resort - Beach Wedding, Sand Unity Ceremony

Congratulations Tara and Joe!!! Your wedding at the Sirata was fantastic!! The weather was beautiful, the soft gentle breeze was just enough to cool everyone off and the sunset made for fantastic photos! I loved the Black and White theme with the bridesmaids gowns, and the beautiful red roses. The flower girl took her role very seriously making sure she only dropped one rose petal at a time to mark your entrance! During the sand ceremony, Joe and Tara poured sand into their beautiful engraved sand ceremony vases. Tara and Joe honored their parents with a special mention of their long term marriages, Francis and Bonnie celebrated 41 years of marriage, and Lee and Bill celebrated 34 years! Tara and Joe wrote very personal vows for each other. We were very honored to officiate their wedding. All our best for many years of happiness, health, and prosperity!

Vendors assisting Tara and Joe for their Day:
Rev. David Bishop, LovingUnity.com
Ms. Stacy Feldhusen of the Sirata
Flowers by Publix on West Bay
DJ: James King with Grant Hemond
Photographer: Edward Moore
Videographer: David Wetherbie with The Pros
Cake: Chef Nelson Cake Studio

1st Annual Open House! - Wedding Event in Saint Petersburg, FL, Florida

1st Annual Open House! - Wedding Event in Saint Petersburg, FL, Florida

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Sandpearl Resort - Congratulations Jaclyn and Daryl!!

Jaclyn and Daryl had a spectacular wedding at the Sandpearl in Clearwater, Florida. One of the awesome ideas that this couple implemented was that they had 5 Maids of Honor and 5 Best Men! They told me that they just couldn't select any one particular person so they decided to give them ALL the honorary title! How creative! The flowers were stunning and the men all had starfish on their lapels making it a real beachside wedding theme. The wedding was held with Rev. Pauline officiating, and the couple were beaming with their love for each other. Congratulations Jaclyn and Daryl!

Cheryl Daniels Photography - Featured Photographer

It has been a pleasure to work with Cheryl Daniels several times as she photographed weddings in the Tampa Bay Area.  Cheryl has an eye for excellent and majestic photos, has a wonderful and pleasing personality and makes couples feel very much at ease during their photos.  They capture the sparkle in the eyes of the couple when they look at each other, and document the most important moments of your lives.  Daniels Photography is a member of the Tampa Area Professional Photography Association and they specialize in wedding and portrait photography.  I am including a few photos, and suggest that you visit their website for details and more beautiful photos.  Daniels Photography offers a free engagement photo with every wedding package that they contract.

Contact:  Cheryl Daniels
Company:  Daniels Photography
Email:  Danielsphotography@tampabay.rr.com
Website: www.cheryldanielsphotography.com
Phone:  813-416-0657

Sandpearl Resort - Congratulations Carrie and Omar!

Carrie and Omar exchanged their vows at a religious ceremony on the beach at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater, Florida.  I so enjoyed working with this beautiful couple and their families!  The weather was spectacular, and the Sandpearl again provided top notch service for the couple both for the ceremony and the reception.  The professional photographers for the wedding were Shakespear Photography, and I will post some of their photos on a later blog.  One of the nice things about a beach wedding at the Sandpearl, they had a refreshment area with a variety of cooling drinks available while the guests were waiting for the beginning of the ceremony.  Since the couple really wanted to have a unity candle ritual, it was decided to have it at the reception just prior to the dinner blessing.  One of my favorite things was the chocolate fountain.  Yum!  Congratulations Omar and Carrie!  Best wishes for a long, health and happy marriage!

Destination Tarpon Springs - Sunset Beach

Ann and Jon had always loved their visits to Florida in the past and when the time came to tie the knot, it was an easy decision for them!  They called Lovingunity.com and after discussing  their style and wishes, they chose to be married at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs.  What is better than expressing your vows with your toes in the sand, the gentle breeze swaying the palm trees, and the sound of the ocean coming to shore.  The intimate wedding ceremony with their expression of  personal words to each other was so beautiful.  Ann and Jon, CONGRATULAIONS!  May you be blessed with a very long, happy and healthy marriage. 

Custom Ceremony & Vows Written Just For You!

Times are changing, and due to economic strains, couples are seeking ways to save money as they plan their wedding ceremonies. Several couples have told me that they wanted to ask a close friend or relative to officiate their wedding, but they didn't know where to begin.

If you would like someone to officiate your wedding, and they are approved by the state of Florida, then by all means, allow me to work with you. I will be honored to custom write a ceremony for you and vows that will reflect your own style and wishes. Then you will receive the custom ceremony and the person of your choice can officiate for you.

The fee for me to craft your ceremony and vows would be $100.00 and you would receive it within two weeks of our discussion. Please call me at 207 590-6339 if you would like to begin the process or email me at lovingunity@gmail.com.

Guest Interview with Nick Schriver with the Decorating Elves

I welcome any guest interviews for this blog. Today I wanted to share the interview I had with Nick Schriver from the Decorating Elves. Many times, I participate in the actual ceremony but I don't see what goes on being the scenes, so this should give us a glimpse of that.

Hi Nick, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I am Nick Schriver with Decorating Elves, we help brides with lighting and decor for their special day. This includes, fabric draping, from the ceiling and throughout the room, also includes accent lighting throughout the room, and working with their theme to increase the ambiance of their event.

How do you accomplish this?
Most of what we do is working with fabrics like gossemeyo, tulle or chiffon, and incorporating mini twinkle lights into them with a pattern throughout the areas to cover unwanted items in a room or highlighting certain areas, for example, entryways, the bridal table, then we shine a colored spot lights into it to get accent colors.

Why is this important to couples?
Our services are especially great for couples that may be on a budget and want their event to look magical. With couples being more budget conscious than ever, they are able to rent the larger less expensive halls that don't have the fees attached as some hotels and it can really transform the area into an elegant wedding setting.

When do you perform your services?
We like to get into a room before the caterers and do the ceiling work right away. If there is a limited timeframe on the set up, we will arrive earlier in the week and measure everything and have it ready so that we can meet the restrictions.

Where are you doing most of your events?
Most of the decorations that we do are in recreation centers, community centers, church halls, St. Pete Recreation Center, Clearwater Beach Recreation Center, Davis Island Garden Club, Country Clubs, just to name a few, in addition to the hotels such as the Don CeSar, Sirata, and the Tradewinds.


What else do you do?
We can accomplish anything a couple would like as long as they have a photo and budget to accomplish it. Other popular items we have available are oriental lanterns, led cherry blossom trees, plants and trees which accent holiday lighting.

What do you feel sets you apart from others in the industry?
We pride ourselves in our ability to work in venues larger and small, and also to be able to work with a variety of budgets.

How can couples reach you?
They can go on the website at www.decoratingelves.com or visit us on my space at www.myspace.com/decoratingelves

Thank you Nick for sharing this guest blog, I continue to enjoy my association with you!

I love when photographers share!!!

Officiating is FUN!  The downside is that I never get to actually have any photos of the wedding ceremony or the couple unless I BEG!!!  That is not true with a handful of photographers that realize that it is helpful to me and I so appreciate the effort that they make to ensure that I at least get one or two photos for my blog!!  This time it is a big thank you to Brian Idocks of Brian C. Idocks Photographics!  We have worked together several times and even tho he is friendly and professional, the quality of his work is outstanding. 

Brian has been photographing weddings for a very long time. He has received a great deal of industry awards. As many of you may know, Brian was awarded photographer of the year for the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas and also was included in the Top Ten Photographers in the State of Florida.  He prides himself in great photography, but also in ensuring that everyone has a great time.  Brian also seems to capture moments some others don't see..........for example.........me adjusting a cumberbun or putting on boutineres, or assisting in a great many other ways that come into my "other duties as needed" in my job description.

Brian's  staff - Melissa and Derica are also great photographers and outstanding assets to his team.   I will be featuring some shots that Melissa and Derica take in future blogs.   So, keep your eyes on the blog and also make sure that you check out Brian's website at www.briancidocks.com  You will see that the images really do speak for themselves!

Thanks Brian, Melissa and Derica for sharing with all of us!

Brides Against Breast Cancer - We Granted a Wish!

My purpose for this blog is to give the gift of publicity to the vendors that I am honored to work with. I cannot even express how happy I was to be able to work with the Making Memories organization that grants a wish to a bride with breast cancer. In April, at the Cocktail Hour for the Brides Against Breast Cancer, a wish was granted to Cassiday and Douglas. The group opened their hears and provided the couple with a beautiful wedding, complete with flowers, cake, video, hair and makeup, music, gown, tuxedo, venue, and accomodations. It is one thing to be a professional in your field, but it is totally fantastic to see these professional give of their time and their talents and expertise, to grant a wish to make a couples dream come true.

The venue was the Safety Harbor Resort, the sunshine and warmth was provided by......well, you already know that, don't you? It was a fabulous day. The brides gown, the grooms tuxedo, the hair and makeup, the music, the flowers, the cake, EVERYTHING a couple could ever want in a dream wedding! I have never witnessed such gratitude by a bride. The love between them was very evident, and there was not a dry eye around as they exchanged their personal vows.

This post is to let you know that people really do care, and that dreams really can come true. My gratitude and that of the couple, truly goes to the following people who went above and beyond to Cassiday and Dougs dream a reality!

Venue: Tina, Katie, and the staff of the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa
Event Planner: Tammy Waterman, EventsBySpecialMoments
Florist: Scott Darhower of Apple Blossoms
Music: Neil Barnhart, Creative Productions
Video: Mike and Dave Furhmann of Artistic Media
Photography: Brian C Idocks Photographics
Gown: Making Memories Organization and Brides Against Breast Cancer
Tux: Sacinos
Cake: A local bakery
Hair & Makeup for bridesmaids: Michelle Rene
Hair & Makeup for Bride: Safety Harbor Spa
Officiant: Rev. Virginia Bishop, Loving Unity

Blending Beliefs - Your Interfaith Wedding Ceremony...

 

You met the man or woman of your dreams, you fell in love, and never once did it occur to you that your individual religious beliefs may be an issue with your wedding.  I imagine that you talked about so many other things during the courting, that the differences in your religious beliefs would need to be considered, that is, until you decided to get married.  Only then did you realize that you may have more decisions to make than other couples.  Do you have a religious ritual, and which one should you choose?  How do you blend the two?  Should you try to have two different ceremonies? Or, do you just go a different route and have a non-religious ceremony so that no one will feel slighted?

So many questions, but questions that I am honored to answer.  Interfaith weddings should not be a source of stress.  As an interfaith couple, working with me, you can create a ceremony that will honor both your beliefs as individuals and also you as a couple.

When we meet, I tell you about the various options available to you.  The first would be to consider if you would like a religious ceremony, and if so, which one will predominate. When Matthew and Lori got married, they did quite a bit of research about interfaith weddings and decided to go with a ceremony that honored both the Jewish and Catholic faiths.  Their ceremony involved a passing of the peace, and a unity candle and a reading from the New Testament about the definition of love, for the Catholic elements, and the breaking of the glass “Mazeltov” for the Jewish elements. Wording was used in the opening that indicated that even tho they were ware that there would are differences in their beliefs, the love for each other and wanting to share their lives together for ever were stronger than their differences.  They chose a neutral site at a beautiful hotel, had a chuppah created and utilized fabric from the groom’s family that represented his Celtic roots. 

Moira and Bill was a couple who wanted to incorporate her Greek Orthodox heritage into their ceremony.  The couple had a beautiful crowning ritual, and circling of the altar to represent Moira’s heritage and a bagpiper played music to honor Bill’s heritage. They were married in a non-denominational church in a religious ceremony.

Having two ceremonies is an option for couples as well.  Recently I officiated the American ceremony for Halina and Ali. After the traditional religious ceremony, the couple proceeded to go into the reception where the Imam conducted the Persian Ceremony. Halina and Ali had printed out programs for the Persian ceremony explaining all the elements of the rituals involved in that ceremony. 

I thoroughly enjoy working with all of our couples to create a beautiful, customized ceremony that honors all traditions and faiths.  I take a great deal of pride in my work, and I know that it sets me apart from many other officiants. Having studied at the All Faiths Seminary, upon graduation, I had a pretty thorough knowledge of all the world faiths and the meanings of the rituals 

Here is my advice for any interfaith couple.  Planning in advance is critical, make sure that you find an officiant that is willing to perform an interfaith wedding, and keep all the lines of communication open.  It is up to the both of you to really get the ceremony that both of you want.  Once you have both agreed, keep your vision in mind, even when faced with family pressure.  It is YOUR wedding, have it YOUR way. Call me at 727-532-616 to allow me to assist you.  Feel free to look at http://lovingunity.blogspot.com as well for further information.

Nature Inspired Weddings!

Recently I shared with you photos and a write up about a Valentines Day Wedding at the Islands Bamboo Gardens in Pinellas Park. That very same day, I had the opportunity to witness the vow exchange and marriage of Katie and Tony.



They chose the Sunken Gardens, which they described as peaceful, and a reminder of the beauty of God's magnificent creation. I wanted to share with you photos by Jenny Brockwell of Katie and Tony's wedding. She provided some very creative shots to just give us a preview. The Oak Pavillion is an awe inspiring location for any wedding or intimate gathering. Enjoy the photo's and have a look at the work of Jenny at her websites www.jennybphotography.com and also her pet photography at www.happytailsphotos.com Jenny can also be reached at 813-205-1214.

You're Invited...........Bridal Showcase!

I would like to keep you aware of the Bridal Showcases and Expo's that are in our area that may be helpful to your couples!! 

Bridal Showcase

Sunday, April 5, 2009

10:00 am - 1:00 pm

St. Pete Beach Community Center

7701 Boca Ciega Drive

View the beautiful Boca Ciega ballroom with ceiling swag decorations and mock reception tablescapes.  Visualize a ceremony on the edge of Boca Ciega Bay.  Meet with the best of the Bay Area's caterers, chocolatiers, photographers, DJ's and more!

COST:   FREE

All registered guests will be entedred to win a 4 hour rental to the Boca Ciega room for a rehearsal dinner, shower, or reception!  Hope to see you there!!