Monday, June 29, 2015

Destination Wedding Brings Family Closer to the 'Heart'

Melissa and Kevin
Private Home, Bradenton
Select Photos by Celebrations of Tampa Bay*

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A destination wedding in the Bradenton area, Melissa and Kevin's celebration was full of emotion. Family and friends - mostly all from Connecticut, gathered for an intimate wedding week to be closer to elderly grandparents who would not be able to travel.

Several days before they were to get married at the private vacation rental home, Melissa's brother had a heart attack. Although he eventually was stabilized in the Bradenton hospital, the family was cautious in how "joyful" the wedding would be.

We were thankful to have been able to visit with them several days before to hear the news in person. As a result we were able to take a more neutral approach in how we handled things the day of the wedding. This is one of the risks you take planning a wedding far from home. 

About 60 guests were in attendance at the July celebration. The venue had a large lakeview lot and most of the activities were held inside the house because of the heat.

We loved working with Randy of Celebrations of Tampa Bay. He graciously wore three hats that day to be the photographer, videographer, and dj for this simple gathering. The ceremony was held on the lawn under one of our arbors. Guests were able to enjoy the shade of a large tree.

White wood folding chairs from the ceremony were brought indoors for the reception. Melissa and her mom chose a pale pink and white/silver color scheme. Carmen of Carmen's Flowers provided the simple wedding flowers and an assortment of loose buds we incorporated into our bubble bowl centerpieces on the guest tables.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Melissa and Kevin chose an assortment of Brownies on a tiered cupcake stand. These were custom made by Sweet Tweets Cakery.

Below are some of the highlights of this very special wedding.

                          
  
Melissa spends a special moment with her mom.


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We offered guests an array of hand-passed hors d'oeuvres which ranged from seasonal fruit skewers to gazpacho "shooters," smoked swordfish canapes, and our popular meatballs.





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We did a lot of freshly prepared foods both indoors and out (behind the scenes). We sauteed fresh shrimp for the New England Newberg and grilled Italian Chicken.

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Planning, Decor, Coordination and Catering: Catering By Robert / Event Concepts. FL 


Photography/Ceremony Sound and Music: Celebrations of Tampa Bay



Fresh Flowers: Carmen's Flowers


"Brownie" Cake and Minis: Sweet Tweets Cakery


Rentals: US Tent Rental

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