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!