Maria and Milton

Engagement Session Location:

Palencia Club

Ceremony Location:

St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church - this is the church we both belong

to and where we met. It was the perfect place.
 

Reception Location:

Omni Downtown Jacksonville -

I was very pleased with the outcome. My only complaints are that I asked for dim lighting and the reception was very bright. And my guests were served cake and coffee, but when they stepped away to visit with someone or dance they would come back to the table that had been cleared and weren't able to finish their cake and coffee.

Transportation:

n/a
 

Flowers:

ACE Hardware - they were beyond fabulous. I had given another florist (La Bella in Riverside) a hefty deposit. A month before the wedding I called La Bella to confirm and found that they had closed their shop and took my deposit! ACE on San Jose was wonderful to work with and very sympathetic to our situation.

Gown:

n/a

Bridesmaids Dresses:

David's Bridal - the girls at David's Bridal on Southside were a true delight!

Tuxes:

Groom and Groomsmen owned them
Hair:

Cher Chez - Martin Corbett, the stylist, has been doing my hair for more than six years. I could never have imagined anyone but Martin doing my hair. He is the best in town at "up-dos".

Makeup:

Haydee - Prescriptives at Dillards; She came to my parents house and did our make up. She is extremely talented!

Caterer:

Omni - the food was good.
 

Cake:

Classic Cakes, Jacksonville Beach; I was very disappointed. The cake was to be a champagne color to match the color pallet of the wedding. But when it arrived at the Omni, it was your basic ivory colored cake. It tasted good - it just wasn't the color I asked for (and I even took a swatch of material to them!). They were less than apologetic after the wedding when we discussed this with them.

Officiator:

The Very Reverend Nicholas Graff, The Reverend Milton Magos and Dr. Nick Louh

Wedding Coordinator:

n/a
 

Music:

We had a Greek Band from Tarpon Springs, Odyssey - they were amazing!

Photography:

Mark and Tonya were fantastic to work with. Mark went above and beyond the call of duty of a photographer. He stepped in on many occasions to help anywhere help was needed. EVERY SINGLE proof we saw after the wedding - was perfect! Not one shot was wasted…and we hardly even noticed our pictures were being taken all day and night long. I couldn't have hired a better photographer!
 

Videography:

Timeless Video, Brian Buss. www.yourtimelessvideo.com.  I am a former television news reporter for First Coast News and Brian was my photographer. He is one of the most talented videographers I have ever worked with. Our wedding video is truly one of our most precious possessions. We laugh hysterically and cry every time we watch it. He did an amazing job!
 

What were your gifts for guests?

It is Greek custom to give an odd amount of candied covered almonds in some sort of decorative bag (called Koufeta). The sugar coating represents the sweetness of marriage and the almond represents the bitterness of marriage.
 

Honeymoon:

We left two days after the wedding for Kapalua Bay in Maui. It was extremely romantic and breathtakingly beautiful.

What was your high point of the day?

When the double doors opened in the church and I saw my Groom standing at the other end of the aisle with tears in his eyes!

  

What if anything would you change about the day?

Nothing! I woke up with plenty of time to enjoy my family, went to the Omni to check the ballroom, visit with my out of town guests, and had plenty of time to get ready and enjoy my day!

What advice could you give to future brides?

Take moments throughout the day to step back, take a deep breath, and make a memory of your surroundings. Whether it's your first morning stretch, putting on your gown, being with your family, first dance with your husband…just step back and try to remember the day! It flies by and you won't want to forget a minute of it.