Taylor & Chad | The Ocean Club of Florida, Ocean Ridge
It was as if the rain clouds knew exactly when to finish their dance, leaving our team just moments to jump in and install lush gatherings of florals across the fence line. Nature somehow seems to always know exactly when it needs to let the party start at The Ocean Club.
Taylor and Chad’s wedding was the third wedding we’ve been lucky enough to see come to life at The Ocean Club of Florida, and it felt so uniquely her own. Taylor and I spent a year together dreaming up florals that felt whimsical and timeless, with elements of the sea infused. In usual Florida fashion, it was a blustery rainy afternoon. Bursts of storms kept rolling through as we were trying to perfectly time the ceremony install and maintain the dream of her outdoor ceremony. It was as if the clouds knew exactly when to finish their dance, leaving our team just moments to jump in and install lush gatherings of florals across the fence line. Nature somehow seems to always know exactly when it needs to let the party start at The Ocean Club.
The weddings that leave a lasting impression on me and my team are the ones where the family seems to effortlessly absorb us in their day. I usually try to remain a fly on the wall, letting the family enjoy their moment while me, the fly, adjusts lighting, or coordinates speeches with the band. But when you’re stuck in a corner under layers of tulle trying to bustle a gown you’ve never had hands on before and the groom is giggling along with you, when you witness the bride and groom weeping from happiness just while simply looking at each other, when the mother of the bride loads florals in the back of her car at the end of the night accompanied by the biggest smile and most sincere hug - the hours seem to fly (no pun intended) by and before you know it the magic is being packed up, but certainly never forgotten.
Floral Design & Month of Coordination | Port & Palm Co.
Photography | Stephanie Tarno
Video | Joe Pineiro Films
Venue | The Ocean Club of Florida
Stationery Artist | Solari Studio
HMU | Jess Bolina
Charlotte & Lonnie | The Ocean Club of Florida, Ocean Ridge
When I saw them on their wedding day I gawked. Full on mouth open, weirdo. They are chic. Truly breathtaking. But most importantly, they are so goofy and in love. You could just see the two of them melting, not only in the May Florida sunshine, but for each other. I don’t think either stopped grinning, a genuine lit from within grin, for more than 2 mins at a time.
Charlotte and Lonnie just got it. You know? I didn’t meet them in person until their wedding rehearsal- the day before the big day, but I just knew that we were going to be on the same page from the start. When I saw them on their wedding day I gawked. Full on mouth open, weirdo. They are chic. Truly breathtaking. But most importantly, they are so goofy and in love. You could just see the two of them melting, not only in the May Florida sunshine, but for each other. I don’t think either stopped grinning, a genuine lit from within grin, for more than 2 minutes at a time.
A few things I’ll never forget from their wedding day: my first look of their first look - stunning, watching my team bring a design vision I had in my mind for their ceremony, but not on paper, right to life, Charlotte clearly stating they were all wearing sunglasses for the ceremony because she had already done the whole thing without them the day before and she had no intention of squinting (respect), their infectious laughs, how excited they were about the design we conjured up for their table numbers, their parents being complete icons, the joy they share with each other, their incredible key lime dessert spread, and jamming with the venue’s crew to 2000’s hip hop and the sound of waves crashing on shore while we packed the night away.
St. Edward Ceremony & Palm Beach Welcome Dinner
Ocean Club of Florida Ceremony and Reception
Floral Design + Month of Planning | Port + Palm Co.
Photography | Stephanie Trano Photography
so honored to have someone this creative capture our work. stephanie is a calming presence on a wedding day, she’s funny, and she’s so talented.
Venue | Ocean Club of Florida
hands down beset venue team i’ve ever worked with. they work hard, present gorgeous food, keep the laughs coming, and do it all with a sense of grace and professionalism. hospitality at its finest.
Emily + Dillon | Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
It is hard not to be completely enamored by the grounds of the Bonnet House. It is a whimsical sand castle and will leave me feeling inspired for quite some time.
The older I get, the more I become inspired by historic properties and their stories. My mom has been dragging me to historic towns, their home tours, and museums my entire life. It wasn’t until recently that I genuinely started to wholly enjoy the experience. The Bonnet House is a place I’ve been enamored by ever since I saw one of my friends in the industry plan a wedding on their grounds. When I received an email from Emily inquiring for florals for her Bonnet House wedding, I squealed a little and texted my mom immediately. Before I knew it, Emily had booked my services and my mom and I were strolling the grounds, learning about the family who built the home and gardens, and becoming more and more enchanted by the whimsical nature the property so easily absorbed and showcased.
I’ve included some photos I took during that tour, with Emily and Dillon’s wedding photos following.
Photography | Chelsea Erwin
Florals and Planning | Port + Palm Co.
Venue | Bonnet House
Catering | Alexander Event Catering
Carly + Niko | Delray Beach, FL
They have the sort of energy you seek out in a life partner. There is a certainty emanating from both of them. They both can’t wipe smiles off their faces when they look at each other, they work hard and respect each other. I mean hell, they somehow survived overhauling their backyard and turning it into their perfect wedding venue. That is true partnership there.
There is something uniquely special about growing up in a small town. Sure, Florida isn’t covered in sprawling cornfields or those usual images that come to mind when you picture a “small town”. But growing up in Delray Beach felt like that. My neighborhood was originally a mango grove, I grew up rollerblading the same 1 mile path to my grandparents’ house and would see at least 10 of my schoolmates while cruising around. My mom saw people she knew from high school in the grocery store on a regular basis, her childhood friend owned the office supply/stationery store that had been in town for almost 100 years. My best friend, Ashley, who I met in high school thanks to our mom’s (former classmates) forcing us together - her best friend in elementary school was Carly. Did you follow that? I barely did. I’ll create a flow chart later.
I had seen both of them go through the ups and downs of serious relationships and serious breakups, mainly because I was close to some of their closest friends. I’d hear about Carly’s through Ashley, I’d hear about Niko’s from the guy I was dating at the time. To see them link up and know that all of that heartache was done felt a bit fairytale like. They have the sort of energy you seek out in a life partner. There is a certainty emanating from both of them. They both can’t wipe smiles off their faces when they look at each other, they work hard and respect each other. I mean hell, they somehow survived overhauling their backyard and turning it into their perfect wedding venue. That is true partnership there.
Carly’s perfected designer’s eye brought every little detail together. She jumped into color, worked with the natural surroundings seemlessly, brought in textures and classic Florida design elements and had a modern but elegant vision for her bouquet that felt so perfectly suited for her. It was the perfect wedding. It was exactly what a wedding should be. A reflection of the couple, a place for family and friends to celebrate and uphold an unbreakable bond, and a damn good dance party.
Photography | Coviello Photo
Floral Design + Coordination | Port + Palm Co.
Catering | Nosh
Band | Girlfriend Material
Rentals | Atlas Event Rental
Clara + John | Domaine Roy & fils, Oregon
Their love is steady and sure, and the love their family shares for them is immense. It was a beautiful night under the stars and amongst the vines.
I visited Domaine Roy during my first trip to Oregon, almost exactly 3 years to the day of Clara and John’s wedding. Being back and being a part of a wedding on their site was something that felt out of reach for a while, but Clara trusted me and pulled me right in. She coped with all the heartbreak and hurdles that come with planning a wedding on the fringe of a pandemic with a level of grace I never would have been able to muster. The process felt a little like a roller coaster, but the day of was anything but that. Their love is steady and sure, and the love their family shares for them is immense. It was a beautiful night under the stars and amongst the vines.
Rachel + Danny | West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion
There’s just something about lavender that really calms the nerves, and Rachel’s wedding reflected that. Throughout the entire design process I felt like I could breathe, each arrangement flowing naturally.
There’s just something about lavender that really calms the nerves, and Rachel’s wedding reflected that. Throughout the entire design process I felt like I could breathe, each arrangement flowing naturally. Weddings tend to bring a bit of chaos along with them, but I have a feeling the scent of lavender and Rachel’s natural ease kept the chaos at bay.
Photography | Lauren Louise Collective
Floral Design | Port + Palm Co.
Rentals | Atlas Event Rentals
Venue | West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion
Emily + Rob | Jupiter Beach
I may live in Oregon now, but receiving photos from Emily and +Rob’s summer wedding back in Florida really left me craving a visit to those blue oceans.
Emily’s color and texture selections from Rob’s suit to her bouquet made this day all that more “yummy”. Seriously though! The way the pops of orange play off the creamy pinks and vibrant yellows reminds me of a chic ambrosia salad. Up against the blue of Rob’s suit and the constant blue of that South Florida sky, how could you not fall in love with playful colrs and Kallima Photography’s beautiful photography. Emily leaned into Florida’s colorful personality without being overtly obvious and adding that level of sophistication it deserves.
Photography | Kallima Photography
Planning + Floral Design | Port + Palm Co.
Dominique Albergo | West Palm Beach
This story starts all the way back in high school. I was a shy Sophomore, not entirely sure what I was doing in TV Production and Dom was a Junior who looked like she had this whole life thing figured out. Somehow I was welcomed into her group and we became instantly inseparable.
This story starts all the way back in high school. I was a shy Sophomore, not entirely sure what I was doing in TV Production and Dom was a Junior who looked like she had this whole life thing figured out. Somehow I was welcomed into her group and we became instantly inseparable. We called ourselves the quadpod because that's just how cool we were, and spent weekend nights eating too much Carrabba's takeout and weekdays looking forward to our lunch period. Our friendship has been full of laughs, two people dance parties to strange songs, real talks about boys and love, cooking, wine, pretzel pizza dough (its a long story), and High School Musical sing alongs in the pool. Most recently that friendship story included a wedding.
Designing and planning for a friend comes with a whole additional set of emotions. At first you're flattered and excited beyond all reason, and then it sinks in that if you somehow let this person down on their wedding day you could lose all of those years of friendship. Weddings are stressful, they conjure up a lot of emotion and things become a bit more heightened and sensitive. But if anything it made our friendship that much stronger and gave me an extra excuse to send texts and life updates to one of my closest friends. I'm forever grateful for my chosen career path and it is made even sweeter and more rewarding when it is all for a friend's big day.
Photography | Lauren Louise Photography
Floral Design + Planning | Port + Palm Co.
Catering | Christafaros
Lighting + Drapery | Celebrations by Kathy
Rentals + Linens | Atlas Event Rental
Venue | West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion