Jamie And Adam

July 15, 2006

Rehearsal Dinner:

Clark's Fish Camp - we wanted something casual and comfy knowing we were going to be dressed up the next day. The food was great; service was wonderful and really enjoyed having it there. We had a room all to ourselves and it worked out perfectly! Plus the kids that were there had a great time looking for gators!

Ceremony Location:

Mandarin United Methodist Church - didn't feel comfortable since we were not members, staff kind of rude but church was beautiful! Ceremony was perfect!!

Reception Location:

Club Continental- beautiful location but our leftover food was stolen by a staff member. Contacted wedding coordinator after the wedding regarding this matter and never heard back from them and was very unhappy about that. Other wise everything was wonderful!! I would recommend just for the ambiance, but watch your leftovers!!! :

Transportation:

Coach and Carriage - Loved the car and had a really fun driver. We rented the Rolls Royce!!

Beautiful car!!!

Flowers:

Laurie Reesch - Really nice and very helpful. Was not completely satisfied with the flowers, they were beautiful, but not what I had asked for.

Gown:

Bridal Shop at the Avenues - Martha handles alterations and she is wonderful!!!

Joe was our sales associate and she is just a doll. They are both great people and really enjoyed working with them. Have a great selection and very helpful!!!

Bridesmaids Dresses:

David's Bridal - Southside - not very friendly and always asked my maid of honor about the brides dress and when the maid of honor told them it was purchased somewhere else they lost interest in helping her.

Tuxes:

After Hours - Avenues Mall - very helpful but 1 shirt had a large stain on it and they wouldn't replace it.

Hair:

 Lisa at Family Affair for Hair - Lisa is so sweet and very good with hair. Just let her know what you want and she will do it.

Makeup:

 I did my own.

Caterer:

Club Continental

Cake:

Sheila's Cake - Wonderful cake and taste so good. They will do just about anything you want and can replicate any picture you bring to them. I now use them for any cakes I may need. So Yummy and very reasonably priced!

Officiator:

Curran Spotswood - would not recommend him. Not very personable and makes you very uncomfortable. But he did a wonderful job at the ceremony. He was a totally different person the day of the ceremony compared to his personality during the mandatory counseling sessions. Counseling was very frightening!

Wedding Coordinator:

ME!

Band:

The Faze Band - I cannot say enough about this band. They were wonderful and truly made the night magical. We loved the music choices they had and having a live band really made it a lot of fun! If for any reason I need a band, I will definitely use them again and again! Well worth the money!!!!
 

Photography:

Mark Floyd Photography - Mark and Tonya are just wonderful. They have been so helpful every step of the way. I truly enjoyed working with them and can't wait to work with them again!! Even after the wedding, they have continued to help us with choosing the right pictures for albums. The pictures were beautiful and I am so glad we chose them. You can tell Mark and Tonya truly enjoy what they are doing!! Mark makes you feel very comfortable and doesn't boss you around all day long (I have heard people complain about other photographers being bossy). He really goes over and beyond his call of duty and will truly do anything for you that day to make sure it is perfect!!!

Videography:

Didn't use one. Family members video taped it for us.
 

What were your gifts for guests?

We gave our guest picture frames that held their place cards. It was simple and inexpensive. Everyone seemed to like the frames and most people had already decided what picture they would put in them. So many gifts are not practical and most get thrown away. With the frames, most people have children, grand children, or pets will use them and put them on their desk at work.
 

Honeymoon:

We went to Siesta Key, Florida near Sarasota. It is about 4 hours from here and absolutely beautiful. Siesta Key is on the gulf with white sand, blue water, a lot of space on the beach, quiet and inexpensive. We chose somewhere close so it would be financially possible to go back every year; and because our honeymoon was during hurricane season :!! We already have our reservations for summer 2007. We had a blast. Great for relaxing and taking it easy!!!!
 

What was your high point of the day?

 Seeing my soon to be husband for the first time that day. I couldn't wait for the doors of the church to open and see him standing there. It was the most amazing moment of that day! To all brides who want to get pictures done before the ceremony, please wait until after the ceremony to do pictures with your husband. It is worth the 30 minutes or so after the ceremony to see the look on his face when sees you in your dress for the first time. If you have a good photographer like I did, he will get the formal pictures done and get you on the way to your celebration. Plus after the ceremony, there is a difference in your appearance… you are completely overjoyed and it does show in the pictures!!!

What if anything would you change about the day?

 I would not change a thing. Even with a few bumps along the way, everything was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for more. We all had a great time and was sad to see the night come to an end. If I could, I would do it all over again, exactly how it happened the first time!!!

What advice could you give to future brides?

When planning your wedding, remember, something will go wrong. It is inevitable!! If something does go wrong, take a minute to deal with it and move on. No one will know anything went wrong if you don't show it. It isn't worth stressing over and ruining a beautiful day.

Throughout your big day, take a minute to breath, sit back and just watch. Pay attention to your surroundings. Get mental pictures of it all because it goes by so fast. Take time for you and your new husband to step outside of the moment and realize how lucky you are! I had my husband keep little pieces of paper in his pocket to give to me throughout the night. They said things like breath, look around you, take a moment and appreciate!

Make sure you and your husband sneak off for a quite moment during the reception just for a little alone time. It is worth it!!!! Try to say hello to everyone individually when you first arrive at your reception. A quick thank you for coming and nice to meet you is sufficient!!!! Thank everyone as a whole, most importantly, your family!! Everyone there knows it is your night and will understand if you have fun!!! When dancing with your new husband, look into his eyes, have fun and sing! When dancing with your father, hold him close, hug him and be sure to tell him you will always be his little girl! Most importantly, keep it sweet, simple and have a blast!!