Drawing their inspiration from the very place they fell in love, Carolyn and Danny’s “Old Florida” inspired wedding told their story in the most beautiful of ways. Taking place at Bay Preserve in Sarasota, fresh citrus, pastel shades of blush and orange, and vintage postcards were just a few of the elements that played a part in creating Carolyn and Danny’s stunning wedding day. Thanks to the gorgeous imagery captured by Esther Louise Photography, we get to relive the day these college sweethearts were wed, while Carolyn shares her wedding planning insights and advice with us along the way!
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
I did most of the planning on my own in the beginning because I knew exactly what my vision was for our ‘Old Florida’ wedding and didn’t want to lose sight of our theme. My day-of planner did help a ton closer to the wedding to help me keep track of all the logistics. She also helped me keep track of vendors and their questions the day of.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
First, I wanted vendors that fit our vision for the wedding. But I also wanted to make sure our vendors had the time to devote to our projects. Some vendors I contacted took a while to respond to emails so I knew I found the right people when they were prompt to respond and asked questions–interested in combining their expertise with my ideas of how I wanted our day to look and feel.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
My husband and I are native Floridians and met in college at the University of Florida. We were inspired by the beautiful orange groves nearby Danny’s family’s home where we took our engagement photos. We knew we wanted to incorporate oranges in the wedding and the rest fell in to place. From the vintage Florida postcards to the salt water taffy often found in touristy stores, we showed off the place we love but also kept it fairly neutral with pastel colors and the faded postcards so nothing stood out too much or was too loud.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Our send off was incredible. We got on a boat and as we left all of our friends and family were there bordering the sea wall of our venue, watching as we left on the water. It was so special to see everyone waving to us. We both felt very thankful for everyone who came and showed us their love and support that day.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
Plan ahead until you can’t plan any detail any more specifically! Don’t leave anything for the day before or day of. You want to be able to enjoy every second of the day. It will fly by but try to stop and really take in what’s going on around you and think about how happy you are to marry the person you’ve chosen for the rest of your life!
I absolutely love all of Carolyn’s insights and advice! And I truly love the way she and Danny infused their story into their wedding design. Seeing that is my absolute favorite thing!
Vendors who made it all happen…
Photographer: Esther Louise Photography // Cinema and Video: Atom Visuals // Floral Designer: Flowers by Fudgie // Event Planner: Kelsey Peduzzi // Beauty: Lasting Luxe Hair & Makeup Artistry // Paper Props: Salt Paperie // Transportation: Second wind charters // Event Venue: The Bay Preserve // Bakery: The Short Giraffe // DJ: DJ Fitz // Calligrapher: Written Word Calligraphy // Signage: Infinite Planes Art // Other: Ben Hill Griffin Groves
Lauren
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I think Chris and I should probably be best friends with this couple, we did the pom pom exit too at our wedding, and it’s a sure sign of a couple who knows how to have a good time! Love this cheerful wedding!
can you please tell me where the bridesmaids dresses came from?
Love those!!
Laura