Anika + Brad | Swank Farms
When we first met, Anika had just said "yes!". California's wine country was tossed around as a destination for friends and family, but Anika and Brad ultimately ended up falling for Swank Farms right here in South Florida. Planning Anika and Brad's wedding was a true labor of love. We would meet over donuts, chat about all the pretty details and by the end of it all, they had a magical night with their closest friends and family - along with a few cows and pigs.
Anika and I first met via instagram, like all good friendships of mine start these days. She runs her own food blog, Miles and Mimosas (how cute!) and we had made a date to meet business owner-to-business owner when she unexpectedly became engaged! We grabbed a bite to eat at Max's Harvest, chatted about food, life, and by the end of the evening we were talking about all the possibilities for her wedding. California's wine country was tossed around as a destination for friends and family, but Anika and Brad ultimately ended up falling for Swank Farms right here in South Florida. Planning Anika and Brad's wedding was a true labor of love. We would meet over donuts, chat about all the pretty details and by the end of it all, they had a magical night with their closest friends and family - along with a few cows and pigs.
Anika and Brad exchanged vows under a chuppah made of foraged branches her mom had gathered. Friends and family huddled for an intimate ceremony and enjoyed craft cocktails served from vintage glassware followed by an intimate and delicious family-style dinner.
The night ended with a massive dance party, where sweaty button downs and smiles were stuck on each guest. As my team and I sat on the sidelines watching the night come to a close, you could just feel the love. Everyone was there to celebrate these two incredibly giving and in love people. Thank you Anika and Brad for your trust and hospitality throughout the entire planning and design process. You two couldn't be a more perfect pair.
Planning + Design | Port + Palm Co.
Photography | Big Day Photography
Floral Design | Julia Rhode Designs
Catering | Max's Harvest
Vintage Rentals | Port + Palm Co.
Rentals | Simple Rustic
Venue | Swank Specialty Produce
ALSO FEATURED ON
Vince and Vanessa | Jupiter, Florida Wedding
When I first met Vanessa I knew we would spend the next year creating something beautiful. She shared her vision with me over coffee, I listened to her love story and the dreams she envisioned coming true on her wedding day. We spent the next year bonding over a shared interest for the unique and different, visiting thrift stores together, texting pictures of different textiles, colors, furniture, and props to one another, going over budgets and vendor options, visiting her beautiful Jupiter, Florida wedding venue, and creating timelines over wine, all in the hopes that her dream would become a picture perfect reality. Vanessa and Vince, it was truly a dream being a little part of your big dream.
"I knew I wanted to marry Vince when he made me a CD of his favorite music and I cried while listening to it. I listened to that CD in the car every day for weeks and teared up every time."
When asked what her favorite moments were Vanessa replied, "my mother presented me with her engagement ring and asked me to wear it down the aisle. She had saved it for me my whole life, waiting to give it to me on my wedding day. It was so special that she gave me such a precious gift and I will cherish it forever and one day pass it to my own daughter or daughter-in-law."
"The second best moment was when I said my vow to the boys and presented them with their gift. It was the perfect way to symbolize our family coming together. I promised to always take care of them and love them. It was a perfect moment."
Vanessa's advice for future brides, "it is so helpful to have another person who has excellent taste and knows what they are doing in your corner. My wedding wouldn't have been nearly as stunning without the help of Jenny. Not only does she have a gorgeous collection of pieces, she also arranged every piece I had collected to perfection. I would suggest that any bride have a helper! I couldn't have pulled it off on my own. The setting of our wedding was so intimate, and many guests told us that they felt we were in our own little world out there in Jupiter Farms. Sharing that space with our dear friends and family made the entire night magical for the two of us."
"My favorite part of the planning process was collecting the pieces I wanted to include in the decor. It was actually really nerve wracking at the same time because I was worried that the pieces wouldn't look good together and that nothing would turn out how I imagined it in my head. I felt excited for the first time when Jenny came to my house and put some pieces together to create a tablescape. After I saw her concept for the reception and how she made all of my pieces look fantastic my mind was set at ease."
"It's worth splurging a little on the dress, the flowers, and the lighting. Oh my goodness, the lighting. You will never regret investing in that. The string lighting that hung over our reception made everything look ethereal. And it's worth hiring a professional to set it up and take it down."
Photography |Lauren Louise Photography
Wedding Planning + Design | Port + Palm Co.
Rentals | Sophisticated Settings
Lighting | Celebrations by Kathy
Floral Design | Becky Melton
Venue | Private Residence in Jupiter
Wedding Dress | Bacio Bacio Bridal Salon
So You Don't Need a Wedding Planner? | Wedding Planning
Lauren Louise Photography
When someone says they don’t need a wedding planner I cringe a little. I promise you it isn’t just me cringing, your photographer will cringe a little and your family will become slightly panicked. When I hear this comment I normally follow up with a question like, “How do you imagine your wedding day? What are you doing that morning and the night before?”
I normally get answers that include everything from, getting my hair and make up done with my bridesmaids, sleeping in and eating a big breakfast, sipping champagne in a beautiful hotel room, enjoying a delicious rehearsal dinner with my wedding party. The answer, “managing vendors, decorating my venue, counting every chair and place setting, unloading vintage furniture from a truck, showering at the last minute, and throwing my hair in a ponytail,” usually won’t come to the surface.
With the dawn of Pinterest, the growing number of bridal magazines and wedding blogs, a wedding planner seems obsolete. While these tools are wonderful and help you determine the style of your wedding, teach you how to make your own decorations, or even help you find a dream vendor, sadly Martha Stewart and her team of designers are not rolling up to your venue the day of your wedding tocreate the perfect tablescape, or distribute a timeline of events and manage your vendors (unless you’re Kate Bosworth). Your wedding planner will do that.
YOUR WEDDING PLANNER IS YOUR BIGGEST FAN
Your wedding planner is there to support your vision, make sure your vendors are providing the right products, and keep everyone on task and on time. Sometimes the most “DIY” weddings are the ones that require the most set up time and the most assistance from a wedding planner or wedding designer the day of the wedding.
I recently planned a gorgeous backyard wedding with a bride who was incredibly hands on and involved in the planning process. I was there for support and guidance for a year leading up to the wedding day. If she needed a vendor, I found her options and provided her with quotes, then negotiated. I kept her budget in check whenever possible, I did a mock tablescape with her, and we cut escort cards, went shopping for vintage centerpieces, and spiffed up a wood ladder for her escort cards to hang from the week before.
wedding-planner-florida
I was on site first thing in the morning, and was the contact point for every hired vendor from the musician to the caterer. While I was in my overalls directing the rental company, she was getting her hair done, while I was setting her centerpieces she was getting her pictures taken with her bridesmaids, while I was dealing with a plate shortage, she was saying, “I do”, to the man of her dreams, and while she was hopping into her getaway car I was dispersing tips to the musician, photographer, and catering staff.
YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DAY FOR YEARS
It is a day that is all about promising a lifetime of love and understanding to another person, and spending that picture perfect day with the people you love most. Do not spend your day arguing with the catering staff because nobody is serving water to your guests. Spend it soaking in every moment, every beautiful thing, and let your wedding planner make sure everyone is properly hydrated.
Let’s create the perfect wedding package for you!
Full Service Wedding Planner · Day of Planner · Wedding Designer
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Onli Beverages Launches The Onli Life | Editorial
When I met Lauren of Onli Beverages it took a lot of guts. I was at my first blog conference in Orlando and was standing in line waiting for lunch when I saw the display Onli Beverages had set up. A table was filled to the brim with bright and inspiring colors, a large hibiscus was splashed across canvas totes, and their branding made the creative marketing girl in me squeal a little. I looked at Glen and said, "I really want to give her my card," to which he responded, "so do it!"
I mustered up the courage and before I knew it Lauren and I had a coffee date, a dinner date, a photo shoot date, and a celebratory dinner date.
When Lauren told me that Onli was planning to launch a blog in March Lauren Louise Photography and I jumped at the opportunity to put together an editorial shoot for their latest adventure in marketing and branding. With Halle of Flower and Fringe on board, we exchanged vintage vessels, popped into Kismet to source a few wardrobe pieces, grabbed 20 macarons, set the studio, played dress up, and got ready for a day of Palm Beach midcentury retro goodness.
Our first set was inspired by cocktail garden parties
Floridians are lucky enough to enjoy in the mild months of the year, while the rest of the country shivers in parkas. I'm a firm believer in the cocktail party. They are intimate and the perfect way to enjoy time with close friends, try new food, and laugh as loud as you want.
The second set was inspired by the late 60's
We wanted to show a modern version of the basement parties my grandparents often and fondly reminisce. From time to time my grandma pulls out the photo albums and I'm told the stories of her wild married days. My grandparents had a group of friends who met on the weekends, put the kids to bed and would sneak down to the basement, play their favorite records, polish off two bottles of scotch and party the week away. All we were missing was the shag rug - but I guess that's where the modern spin comes into play.
Are you ready for The Onli Life?
Set Design and Styling: Jenny Does Weddings | Photography: Lauren Louise Photography | Floral Design: Flower and Fringe | Wardrobe + Jewelry: Kismet Vintage + Jenny Does Weddings | Macarons: Paneterie | Venue: The Jenny Does Weddings Studio | Client: Onli Beverages