Mediterranean Inspired Vinoy Wedding

Kyle & Helen

The Vinoy, a Mediterranean Revival-Style hotel, sits on the Florida coastline overlooking the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  It's pastel exterior, iron balconies, and outdoor gardens rival it's European inspiration.  

Helen glides around the room like an Italian princess, speaking her native language in a way that sounds like a song. She pauses for tears while reading the many pages of Kyle's love letter. 

He beams as she floats down the aisle into his arms.  They wed under a canopy of florals, fit for a storybook happily ever after.

As the newlyweds walk around The Vinoy, guests ohh and ahh, whispering about her beauty. Who blames them, in her gown fit for the runway (that bow!). It is a convertible wedding gown by Pronovias which transforms into an elegant sleek dress for dancing the night away.

The design is a timeless array of white, champagne, and gold.  Abundant floral arrangements with gilded accents grace the tablescapes.  

Helen and Kyle not only look the part of a royal couple, their kindness, warmth, and gracious hospitality only add to their beauty.

Contributing Artists

Venue: The Vinoy | Wedding Planner: Clover & Co | Photographer: Debra Eby Photography Co. | Gown: Pronovias | DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates | Stationary Suite: A&P Design |  Floral Design: FH Weddings |  Hair & MUA: Style Hair and Make-UP 

Engagement Portraits 101

You know that moment, when your closet stares back at you?  It feels like there isn't a thing to wear.  You text your BFF asking what she's planning to wear.  You don't want to be the one overdressed or - even worse - under-dressed for the occasion.  For the next 10 minutes you go over options together until you reach the final verdict.  Evening saved.

Most of our significant other's are not quite as sympathetic to our plight.  This is just the beginning.  Living with our love means no roommate or sister bailing us out with the perfect borrowed necklace.  When I married and moved away, my shoe fashion suffered greatly.  

As a wedding photographer, one of my most frequently asked questions is, "What should we wear for the engagement session?".  The tricky part of answering this question is that it depends on your couple style.  You should maintain your look, yet in a best-hair-day-ever way.  Both of you should look the glowing versions of yourself.  

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Engagement Style Prep

Beauty Department

For hair, I recommend getting a blowout.  This gives you that salon-finished look that we all absolutely love (um, why can I never re-create this on my own?).  I do recommend wearing your hair down, unless you want to do an up-do halfway through as part of your wardrobe change.  

Since guys tend to get haircuts more often, I recommend scheduling the haircut with enough time for it to grow to the favorite length.  For my Ben, that's a few weeks after a fresh cut.  Also, make sure any facial hair is properly groomed.  I even had one groom shave in the middle of the sesh for two different looks.  It was amazing!

For make-up, this is a great time for a make-up trial for your wedding.  You achieve a professional look while having honest convos with your MUA.  If you opt to do your own, just go a little heavier on the concealer/foundation, especially under your eyes.  Speaking of eyes, play those up, girlie.  Work those brows and wear falsies.  That makes a dramatic difference in pictures.  

Fashion

Think back to that time when an outfit made you feel smokin' hot.  What did that look like?  Those colors and that cut are likely going to unlock your personal style.  

Consider what colors and cuts look best on your body type - for both of you.  There are oodles of resources out there on Pinterest, just run a quick search, "your body type, fashion" and you'll see so many helpful charts.  Like this one for her and this one for him.  There are resources for skin tone and colors as well, like this one for her and this one for him.

Once you each have an idea of what looks best on you, then find the common ground.  Choose colors that flatter both of you.  

Choose wardrobe with your location in mind as well.  You want your fashion to be cohesive with the overall feeling of the shoot.  

The Engagement Style Guide

This brings me to the exciting part.  We can get super practical by using The Engagement Style Guide.  This is a look-book offering visual concepts and tips as you get your style on.  Take time to see what looks may be right for you, then customize according to your couple identity.  

In this book we break down four different looks:

• Casual Sophisticate - Uptown modern with down-to-earth fun.
• Cozy Romance - Fashion meant for cuddling.
• Dressy Chic - Fashion for an upscale night on the town.
• Coastal Style - Style for seaside escapes.

Each section offers tips for her and tips for him to achieve a similar look.  Then, you can see how that translates to a real life location background.  Plus, looks from other real engagement shoots.

Engagement Style Guide

click here

This quiz is another tool I use to customize advice for my couples, towards their personal style.

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All right, Gorgeous, it's time.  Get back to that closet, or maaaaaybe that Nordstrom sale?  It's photo shoot time.

xoxo Lovelies

Dear Newlyweds - Budgets & Wedding Planners

In just 2 sleeps I would marry my Ben.  After all the waiting and thousands of miles separating us, we would finally be together, forever.  

The months I poured into planning were coming to fruition in a matter of hours.  

That was the day when I was told my beloved pastor was hospitalized and would not officiate our wedding. He was not doing well, and we feared the worst.  

My sister, and best friend, arrived back in town from college that day.  It was a flurry of crazy, as most of our family and guests were from out of state, and even country.  I was putting everyone to work on all of my DIY ideas.  Ideas that seemed far better when I did the mock-up weeks ago.  

I'm a super chill person and rarely raise my voice.  But, my sister and I had unfinished sister business.  The stress mounted and we had no time sit down together and get to the heart of it.

That night, things unhinged.  My sister and I had a huge fight.  We were upstairs in my parents' Tudor-style home.  I'm talking - yelling at each other, loud enough for everyone to hear us, kind of fight.  I still remember wondering if my future sister-in-law was going to have second thoughts about me marrying her brother. 

There were tears and arguing about things that weren't at all the real reason we were upset.  I remember feeling attacked, right before such a monumental day for me.  She felt hurt because I hadn't made time for her.  

It was true, I was too busy worrying about the hundreds of other details.  

As I walked down the aisle on my wedding day, my sweet, amazing sister, bawled her beautiful eyes out.  This tension was about far more than wedding details.  I was leaving her.  Our BFF sisterhood was changing, forever.  I was off to Canada, living too far away for all of our crazy times together.

On a normal day, we would wake up in the morning literally wearing the same thing.  One of us would storm off and have to change.  While total opposites, we made absolute sense in a friendship.  She'd call me out when I was being a pushover and I'd reel her in when she was being too spicy.  

Her heart knew, more than mine was willing to recognize, that it was the end of an era.  She would marry months later and we would move on to different worlds.  

More than a decade later now, I regret not having a final sister night together.  I should have paid for a professional to handle most of those details.  I should have been having one last night with my best friend and forever sister.  That would have been money well spent.

Of course, we are still best of friends.  Though a state away (she's now a Georgia girl), we are close.  In between work, caring for all the little ones, and our busy lives, we still make time for each other.  I love our spontaneous, and very interrupted, phone calls.  Even if we can only talk five minutes, we call.  She knows my biggest struggles and can make me laugh harder than anyone.  

This is the second installment of "Dear Newlyweds", an article all about hearing from those who recently wed.  While everything is fresh on their mind and heart, they share their words of wisdom to engaged couples.  

Today's Newlywed Advice is all about delegation to professionals and managing the budget.  These areas are huge when it comes to wedding stress.  

Here is our advice from an amazing newlywed couple:

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Budget & Wedding Planner

Trust and listen to your coordinator. Don't over think the little things! Leave room in the budget for last minute or unexpected expenses.

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Budgeting Tips

Early in your planning, prioritize what areas are most important to you on your wedding day.  If Ben and I were getting married all over again (for the first time), these would be my top budget priorities:

• Photography (obvi)
• Wedding Planner
• Florals & Decor
• Live Music

I would cater in artisan food stations.  Popcorn bar, donut bar, mozzerella fries, wood fired pizza, anything fun and interactive would be my fave.  Like a coastal alfresco soirée.  The getaway would definitely involve a boat.  I can see the Pinterest board now.  

For you, it may be something entirely different.  That's okay, and even great.  The important thing is to set your priorities so that you know where you are investing and which areas you can get more creative.  

Our bride is right, remember to leave a little wiggle room for any last minute expenses.  

Wedding Planner

Hiring a planner can really help you stay on track with your budget.  They can also help you get creative in areas where there is a little less.  

Planning a huge event, for the first time, can be a monumental stress on all relationships.  Having a professional, who does this full-time, will help educate you and walk you through the process.  The less you (and your family!) have to worry about on the wedding day, the more you are soaking up every moment with your loved ones.  

Just like finding your photographer, you have to find your wedding planner match.  It's not just about being organized, you want someone who remains calm, clear-headed, and is amazing with your guests.  The best planners that I work with know how to work a spreadsheet just as magically as navigating the drama of family, friends, and weather.  

If you need suggestions, just e-mail me, I'll connect you with the best!

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Moral of the story?  Those closest to your heart matter most.  They matter more than any wedding detail and are worth the largest investment.

xoxo Lovelies