[Editor’s note: Hey friends! I’m hijacking Brit’s post real quick to tell you something super fun about this wedding… the beautiful bride, Kim, is my best friend’s best friend! So it’s kind of like we’re friends by proxy, right?! Either way, I’m quite excited to be able to share it with you all today! Alright, time for you to enjoy it! :)]
Man, if only we all had a garden like Kim and Michael had for their wedding in which to marry! It’s such an incredible backdrop for their ceremony, and made for the perfect First Look location. And, it absolutely helps that the sun was shining and the greens were so vibrant. Their wedding reminds me that although the perfect location makes the perfect backdrop, so does the couple and their unconditional love. And of course with that, your wedding photos will be full of so much life- much like these from (once like a spark) photography!
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
My mom was amazingly helpful in planning the wedding. She is very organized and detail-oriented like me so we were a great team. Even though there was a great deal of work to be done, we had a lot of fun in the process. I will miss those late night phone calls going over every detail. I couldn’t be happier with how the day turned out, and I really have my mom to thank!
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
Other than a sense that our styles were similar, definitely personality. I was already in love with the photography I had seen from “Once Like a Spark,” but meeting with the photographer Carla Gates sealed the deal. I felt completely comfortable, it was like having coffee with a new friend.
Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?
Our caterer, Mark Shine from Designed Events, was so accommodating. Our first impression of him was great. He really made our “menu tasting session” special – he accommodated 8 very-opinionated family members in the tasting and set up a beautiful table in an art gallery with a very nice ambiance and glasses of wine for the group. It’s those special touches that made all the difference.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Our ceremony really represented us as a couple. I am Catholic and Mike is Jewish, and we decided to have an interfaith ceremony in the gardens of the Cummer Museum on the St. John’s River. Our ceremony was designed by us, and highlighted both cultural and religious backgrounds. We had both a priest and a rabbi officiate the ceremony and they were both open and supportive in making sure everything was personal and meaningful to us.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
1. I highly recommend doing a “First Look”– it’s a very romantic and personal moment between you and your husband and the pictures are to-die-for! I definitely cherish those moments from our wedding day, and I love having those amazing shots to look back on because you can see in both our faces how special it was.
2. Your wedding should be a reflection of both you and your husband, so make sure to include his style and taste in the making of the details. My husband loves sweets, so the biggest layer of our wedding cake was his favorite flavor – Black Forest cake. He also picked out a great play list for the band, which had all of the guests up dancing the whole night.
Their sunny wedding day has me wishing it wasn’t a rare, but rainy day, in Denver today! What wedding photos are you most looking forward to at your wedding?
xo,
Brit
Vendors who made it all happen…
Brit Stewart
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Jacksonville is one of my favorite places in Florida. I love the combo of deep history and gorgeous beaches! Oh, and that cake! Ah-maaazing.
Aww, look at my beautiful BFF featured on my other BFF’s blog! I love it. <3
Also, these photos remind me just how tall I am… I'm towering over everyone!
thank you for featuring our wedding! I spent a lot of time on “Every LAst Detail” during my WEdding planning, so it is so wonderful to be on here now. It was a perfect day and I have a lot of great people to thank for that!
I had so much fun posting this wedding. And, had a hard time narrowing down the photo – so. many. good. ones!
YAY! So excited to see Kim and Michael’s Wedding on one of our favorite blogs! They had such a beautiful celebration, and we’re so happy to have been a part of it!