Spotlight // Vendor of the Month

January 10, 2019 Leave a comment

| Casie Marie Photography |

Our team loves working with industry creatives who are just as fun and let’s be real, crazy as we are! Each month we plan to show a little extra appreciation to those that show us some love with our RW Events Vendor of the Month {aka you’re really awesome} Award.

Our first acknowledgement goes to Casie Willis of Casie Marie Photography! This Disney and doggo obsessed gal is sure to make your special day extra bright with her infectious (and often caffeine fueled) personality! Don’t believe me? Check out this awesome video from her page!

Isn’t her puppy, Rusty, adorable? Sorry, we’re dog people here 😊 Want to learn more about Casie? Check out our candid convo below!

Who inspires you as a photographer?

So many people! Joy Proctor, Flutter Magazine and Ansel Adams. He actually inspired me to begin! I started with landscapes, circa 2010 Casie.

How would you describe your editing style and photography approach?

A styled-candid approach. I like to let my couples fall into a romantic or fun moment. I am BIG on giggles! Film, without shooting film, light and airy without contrast.

What distinguishes your work from other photographers?

My personality and my attention to detail….all my personal option of course 😉

How do you handle dilemmas on wedding days?

Calm, Cool and collected! I try to remove the bride or couple from the situation and remind them everything really will be okay. It really does happen at every wedding.

Where are some of your favorite moments to capture?

Tuscany, Santorini, Paris (I will never turn it down), Canon Beach, Hawaii (going this April!), Yosemite, Zion…the list could go on. I love shooting in National Parks. Visiting National Parks inspired me to shoot photography…there my jam! (Full disclosure, she asked we not write she said that). 😊

What are some of your favorite moments to capture?

First looks! Whether staged or coming down the aisle. My favorite is watching the best man’s reaction to the groom when he sees his bride coming down the aisle. It’s the best!

What’s something everyone should know about you?

I love my dog more than anything, I spend any time off at Disney pin-trading,  I was a music education major, I am a Gilmore Girls junkie (down to loving my cup of coffee), and I can quote every line in Pride & Prejudice!

Thank you, Casie, for always delighting our couples and being so kind and fun to work with!

Xoxo,
Alecia

Bridal Shows 101

January 8, 2019 Leave a comment

Conquering Bridal Shows in 4 Easy Steps

So you’re attending bridal shows? So fun!!! You and your bridesmaids are ready to meet vendors and enjoy tasty treats but you don’t know exactly what to expect at the show – the RW team is here to give you some tips on what to have ready prior and what to expect on show day.

1. Know who you want to meet. Lots of show hosts will post a list of vendors that will be advertising at the show, so take a peek before hand. If you know you want to focus on florists and bakers, highlight them on the list and then check out their websites and social media to get a better idea of their style and if they could be an option for your wedding.

2. Vendors will have inquiry forms available for your to fill out if you’re interested in meeting with them. These forms vary between vendors but typically request you + your fiance’s names, contact info, wedding date, and budget. Save yourself some time by creating labels with your general event info. Then just peel off your label, stick it on, and head to the next vendor!

3. Know your availability. You may have the opportunity to book appointments at the show, so have your planner ready with available dates/times for upcoming weekends and weekdays (don’t forget – most wedding vendors will have weekend events, so availability for those appointments may be far and few between).

4. Expect a lot of people. Bridal shows are kind of like speed dating for wedding vendors – you briefly chat about general event details and move on to the next vendor 😉 Since there are so many vendors available, you can expect there to be crowds and possible wait times. Popular vendors will have busy booths, but don’t fret! If you aren’t able to chat with a certain vendor, just be sure to fill out their info sheet and they’ll follow up with you. Pro tip: decide who your “must-sees” are before the show. If there are 10 vendors you know you want to visit, prioritize them so the most important ones are taken care of first. That will help you avoid waiting and give you more time to explore the show.

Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy the show! Just like a good theme park bridal shows can be a bit overwhelming at first, but with a general plan you’ll be able to navigate the show and meet all your favorite vendors in one day 🙂

P.S. Did you know we’ll be at the Florida Wedding Expo this Sunday, January 13th? Come meet our team and see some of our amazing rentals {you can check out our venues, Cypress Grove and Luxmore, too}! Get tickets here – be sure to enter code “VENDOR” for a discount!

Xoxo,
Sarah

Lakeside Garden Wedding // Real Talk with Jessica + Trent

December 13, 2018
We’ve hosted hundreds of weddings between Luxmore Grande Estate and Cypress Grove, but something we’ve never done is a real talk series with our couples. We’ll be sharing insights into the wedding planning process, what couples are looking for, and more! First up, Jessica + Trent and their lakeside garden wedding 😍

How did you meet?

Trent and I met working at the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the summer of 2016. When we met I really only wanted to be his friend but one night he asked me to go to Taco Bell with him after work and the rest was history… 🙂 We got engaged on Panama City Beach in December 2017 and I knew I didn’t want to wait long to get married. September 22nd was our date and even a 10 month engagement felt like the longest!

Were there any traditions you wanted to incorporate?
It was very important to me to find little ways to honor my parents and grandparents. I wore my mom’s earrings she wore on her wedding day, my grandmother’s bracelet she bought when she was visiting my mom when she was in college, and then in my shoe was a “six-pence” that my grandma wore on her wedding day, my mom wore on hers, and now I’ve worn on mine. I’ve always had the best examples of love in my life and honoring them was important to me. We also had Trent’s dad marry us, a dream we had had since we first started dating.

What made you choose Cypress Grove as your venue?
I had been researching venues way before we got engaged and found pictures of Cypress Grove on Pinterest. I was over the moon when I found out it was in Orlando. I always wanted an outdoor wedding and the amphitheater was absolutely dreamy. The first day we visited, I never wanted to leave. Trent always commented on how romantic it felt and when you were there you totally stepped away from the busy Orlando life.

Were there any challenges you faced in the planning process?
The biggest challenge we faced was whether or not to rent a tent. I was digging my heels so far into the ground on renting one. I fell in love with Cypress because of the outdoor amenities. Renting a tent and potentially have the wedding under the tent crushed me. We ended up renting a tent because this is Florida, rain is inevitable and I trusted the team to make it look just as beautiful underneath if it needed to be. My wedding was during hurricane season and it didn’t rain a drop on the day!

Photos :: The Hendricks

Any tips you’d like to share with engaged couples?
Do everything together!! Trent was with me for every single meeting. First visit to the venue all the way to our final meeting for floral. We talked everything through and he helped me find so much peace throughout the process. Also, we made a super last minute addition to have a photo booth and it turned out to be one of the best activities for our guests. It was a great way for us to look back at the night through our guest’s eyes.

Last tip 🙈 if you’re wondering if you should have a wedding planner you ABSOLUTELY should. Wedding planners have different packages to meet your needs but I wouldn’t have been able to have the wedding of my dreams without our planner, Bonny. She took every little dream I had and made it a reality. Wedding planners know the industry and think of things that you probably haven’t even thought of.

We absolutely loved working with Cypress Grove Estate House. The staff was so friendly and truly made our day more beautiful than we could’ve ever imagined.

Xoxo,
Kim

Modern Southern Garden // Featured Wedding

December 11, 2018

We had the pleasure of providing rentals for Victoria & Jonathan’s southern garden inspired wedding, featured on Every Last Detail (head over there to see all the details from this wedding)! The event was hosted at Haus 820, an industrial warehouse for special events – giving this wedding a fun, modern twist!

Featured Inventory :: Grey // Willow // Iceland // Wiley
Photos :: Chelsea Renay Photography

From the planner: 
The vast dessert display was set on a vintage ice cream cart and featured a 4 tier, hand-painted cake to match the invitation suite and printed goods. The southern garden wedding was inspired by Victoria’s mother’s Charleston upbringing complete with a flower bucket display. Reminiscent of a flower market, the metal bucket stand filled with florals served as the seating chart for the evening. Small escort cards were connected to each bucket with tiny white flower magnets. The room was filled with romance from the soft blue and pastel tones, twinkling candlelight, crape myrtle trees lining the space, tall greenery centerpieces and an abundance of fluffy blooms throughout. At each place setting an etched charger sat beneath a blue hemstitch napkin wrapped between white dinner plates and mismatched vintage salad plates that tied in beautifully with hints of soft pastels in the blooms.

Xoxo,
Kim

P.S. Want more southern wedding inspo? Check out this styled shoot we hosted at Luxmore Grande Estate!

Make Your Wedding Unique

November 27, 2018

Most weddings have a similar structure – the ceremony followed by cocktail hour and ending with a reception. Incorporating elements that make the event unique to you and your fiance is what’s going to make the the day special and memorable! Maybe it’s your design style, your taste in cuisine, or what you enjoy doing together that will set your wedding apart from the rest. That brings me to our Cypress Grove couple, Tala + Michael. The two are amazing performers and they treated guests to a unique acro yoga routine during the reception. Did I mention these two are ah-mazing!?

Photos: JP Pratt

How did you meet?
“We were only acquaintances when we were asked to pair together as acrobatic partners for an upcoming show at The Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. We agreed and began practicing together every day. We fell in love quickly and the rest is history! We did our first performance about one month after being paired together to a sold out audience of about 200 people. (And nailed it! Lol).”

Why was it important to you to include a performance at your wedding?
“Acro was a huge part of our love story. It’s how we met, how we fell in love and something that continues to keep us connected. We wanted to express and share all of those emotions through our favorite art form. Plus, we like being hams for the camera! :-P”

What challenges did you face during the planning process?
“I really can’t say I faced too many challenges. Alicia was amazing in recommending vendors and walking me through a lot of the process. Of course I stressed over details and wanting everything to be perfect. The biggest problem is probably that there are TOO many options and ideas out there and having to narrow them down!”

What aspect of the wedding were you and your fiance most looking forward to?
“Michael will tell you that he was most looking forward to the moment he first saw me coming down the aisle. For me, gosh, the entire day was pure magic. I was really looking forward to the reception. I wanted the wedding to be a celebration where we laughed and danced with all of the important people in our lives and got to shout out love out to the world. And the reception and the entire day felt just like that. It was absolutely perfect.”

Video: KEJ Productions

Side note: grab a box of tissues before you watch their wedding film 😉

Xoxo,
Kim

Small Business Specials

November 21, 2018

| Happy Thanksgiving |

 

We have so much to be thankful for! Most importantly, clients like YOU! As a token of our appreciation, we’re offering 30% off all upholstered seating and furnishing items through Monday, November 26th.

***Here’s the skinny:

  • New orders/add-ons only
  • Cannot be combined with any other offer
  • Applicable to all items in the upholstered seating and furnishingscategories only
  • Applicable to events through December 31, 2019
  • Must submit a wishlist no later than Monday, November 26th AND pay the required deposit no later than Friday November 30th
  • Minimum delivery amounts and fees apply
  • Subject to availability

Phew, I think we covered everything 😉 

If not, contact us with any questions you may have!

Xoxo,
RW Style Team