Colleen & Tony, Private Residence (Florida)

Of the thousand reasons I enjoy my job as a planner, being able to plan my best friends’ weddings is on the top of my list. Colleen and I have been best friends since kindergarten so when she got engaged in July of 2013, we were thrilled to commence the planning! Colleen and Tony reside in Florida so it was only fitting that they get married on the beach at her parents’ home on Anna Maria Island, FL.

We had a wonderful team of vendors who came from all over the southwest Florida to service Colleen and Tony’s Wedding. Working with Elegant Designs and MMD Rentals was one of the many highlights of this wedding. Their beachfront residence is already stunning; however, we added décor that truly enhanced the look Colleen and Tony desired. Guests entered the property and walked over a bridge that was adorned with shepherd hooks carrying floral and candles. They then entered a “shoes optional” station where they had the option to remove their shoes on bamboo beach mats, before making their way to the ceremony. Colleen and Tony were married under a driftwood arch that was custom made by MMD Rentals and decorated with seasonal floral and foliage. As a finishing touch, we lined the aisle with seashells, lanterns and starfish accents to create a nautical feel.

After the ceremony, guests made their way back to the house and were greeted with champagne, sparkling water and passed hors d’oeuvres. We brought in wooden farm tables, cabarets and hi-boys for guests to munch and mingle, along with Tuscan and Bistro chairs to complete this beach look. These tables had arrangements made up of hydrangeas, peonies, celosia, astilbe, ranunculus, dahlias and poppies along with blue, glass and mercury glass pillar candles. Some of these tables were under a tent and on a beautiful wooden floor provided by US Tent Rental. We brought in wicker lounge sets with French restoration ottomans, cube stools and garden end tables for guests to sit at on the beach. We had a boxwood hedge bar that was stationed in the lanai of the home. Guests were encouraged to eat around the pool where we hung cantina lights, paper lanterns and floral floats that held seasonal greenery and candles to give off some ambient light once the sun went down. The pool and lanai area were decorated with lanterns and urns of floral and an abundance of candles.

The menu was perfect for a Florida wedding in June and guests raved about the food! Mattison’s Catering provided chef attended food stations that consisted of: a Southern Grits Bar with all the fixings, fried green tomatoes, corn bread and biscuits, Pulled Pork and Chicken Slider station with accompaniments, a Mac and Cheese Station and a Fish Taco Station. A sweets station provided by Grace and Shelly’s was filled with mini key lime pies, pecan pies and a selection of mini cupcakes. Guests danced the night away with music from the Brett Foreman Band. It was a perfect summer evening to celebrate one of my closest friends’ weddings. Congrats to Colleen and Tony!

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