Real Weddings: Alison + Josh – Four Seasons Resort Orlando

We are so incredibly smitten with this oh so intimate wedding that we recently did at The Four Seasons Orlando Resort for Alison & Josh.   With the closest of friends and family looking on, the couple exchanged vows under the grand staircase.  Dinner was served at Lakeside East, the resorts intimate gazebo with a patio overlooking the lake.

We created a coffee bar and dessert buffet for Alison, Josh and their guests to enjoy while watching the fireworks from nearby Walt Disney World Resort.

Sit back and enjoy this beautiful video from Love and Lustre Weddings!

Vendors:

Coordination: Blush By Brandee Gaar- Abbey Gray (www.blushbbg.com)

Venue, Hair/Makeup, Catering: Four Seasons Resort (www.fourseasons.com/orlando)

Photographer: Kayla Barker (www.kaylabarker.com)

Videographer: Love And Lustre Weddings (www.loveandlustreweddings.com

Officiant: Sensational Ceremonies (www.sensationalceremonies.com)

Floral: Lee James Floral (www.leejamesfloraldesigns.com)

Cake: Party Flavors (www.partyflavorscustomcakes.com)

Deserts: Two Sweet Bake Shop (www.twosweetsbakeshop.com)

Rentals: A Chair Affair (www.chairaffairrentals.com), AFR (www.afrevents.com), GBS Linen (www.gbslinens.com)

Lighting: Kaleidoscope Event Lighting (www.keventlighting.com)

Violinist: Jennie Rudberg (www.orlandoviolinmusic.com)

Heart Cookies:  Everything Cake  (www.everythingcake.com)

 

Styled Shoot: Dark Glam

Oh my goodness y’all, we are soooooo excited about the styled shoot we’re sharing with you tonight!  This shoot has been two years in the making and was truly a labor of love by everyone involved.  After collaborating with Denise Wilson of Dogwood Blossom Stationery about what we envisioned for the shoot, we knew we needed to bring in a planner who could see our vision and bring it all together.  That’s where Bonnie Dutka from Mobella Events came in!  She took our vision and brought on board some of the best in the industry – our venue, The Grand Bohemian Orlando Hotel, Lee Forrest, owner of Lee Forrest Design for florals, Alejandra Maddox, owner of Everything Cake for the cake, Janina Martinez with Quest Drape for the fire red draping, Kerrie Mercuri-Smith, owner of Modern Bridal Shop, Dustin Seltzer of Seltzer Films, and Bumby Grimm, owner of Bumby Photography to capture all of the images.

The inspiration for the shoot was a glamorous, upscale Halloween wedding with a little bit of a dark twist.  By incorporating skulls, crosses and antique candleabras, Lee Forrest Design took the centerpieces that ran the entire length of the 8′ x 16′ table to another level. Dogwood Blossom Stationery did an amazing job with the paper goods, the menus at each place setting were stunning in black and gold, while the escort cards were tombstones printed on wood surrounded by Spanish moss.

Our dessert buffet featured a variety of sweets flanking Alejandra’s stunning wedding cakes.  We borrowed Lee’s stunning (huge) black owl to anchor one end of the table, and ran pillar candles all along the back of the table.  We added a wine bar to the opposite end of the table, featuring Handsome Devil Malbec wine served in wine glasses rimmed with edible gold glitter.  We were completely blown away by the beauty of the Curly Willow linen that Carrie Smith of Wildflower Linen helped us select.

We were over the moon with how the shoot turned out.  We think it was simply stunning and hope you will too!  Thank you so, so very much to everyone who gave so much to ensure this was a success!

Credits:

Venue: The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando

Planner: Mobella Events

Dessert Buffet: Two Sweets Bake Shop

Cake: Everything Cake

Floral and Decor:  Lee Forrest Design

Wedding & Reception Gowns:  Modern Bridal Shop

Photography:  Bumby Photography

Video:  Seltzer Films

Draping:  Quest Drape

Stationery: Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Hair & Makeup:  Marigold Scott

Jewelry: Monarch Jewelry & Art

Lighting: Elegant Entertainment DJ & Video Services

Tuxedo:  Absolutely Fitting

Guest Table Linens:  GBS Linens

Dessert Buffet Linen:  Wildflower Linens

Tables, Chairs, China Rentals:  A Chair Affair

Models:  Nathaniel Lyra, Jackie Nixon

Styled Shoots: Sangria Shoot

Recently the lovely ladies from RW Events hosted a Sangria inspired styled shoot.  They asked us to contribute some sweets and we were more than happy to oblige!  The shoot took place at the gorgeous Cypress Grove Estate House and featured many of the pieces of vintage furniture that RW rents to clients.  Amalie Orrange Photography captured the day beautifully.  We’re so excited to share the photos of our sweets!

We love to make these sweet little pie pops.  Dogwood Blossom Stationery’s tags were simple but sweet!

Traditional Rice Krispy Treats are yummy, but we kicked it up a notch by incorporating dulce de leche into ours.

Are these not the cutest little cast iron frying pans you’ve ever seen?  Lodge (creator of the best cast iron cookware) makes these little single serving pans.  We filled them with our Apple Fritter Bread Pudding drizzled with caramel sauce.

Our mini pies are one of our most requested items on our dessert buffets.  These cherry pies were so incredibly cute (if we do say so ourselves)!

To see the entire shoot, check out Amalie Orrange Photography’s blog:  http://amalieorrangephotographyblog.com/

Credits:

Photography:  Amalie Orrange Photography

Styling/Furniture:  RW Events

Venue:  Cypress Grove Estate House

Stationery: 5 Thirteen Designs

Floral: Windermere Flowers

Sweets: Two Sweets Bake Shop

Pie Pop Tags: Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Hair & Makeup:  Makeover Station

Wedding Gown:  Calvet Couture Bridal

Styled Shoot: Florida Federation of Garden Clubs

 

We love doing styled shoots and we love a challenge, so when our friend Bonnie Dutka from Mobella Events called us and asked if we would be interested in participating in a shoot at The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, we jumped in with both feet!  Bonnie called it “bright, bold and beautiful” using the brightest pinks and oranges as the base colors, keeping with a natural garden inspiration.

We immediately went to work to come up with Florida inspired desserts that worked well with the color scheme and inspiration.  We reached out to our linen partner, Wildflower Linens to reserve their vibrant Lily Pad table linen as a base for our table.  We knew we were going to feature our signature naked cakes, so we reached out to Lee Forrest of Lee Forrest Design (who also happens to be one of our floral partners) to come up with florals that work well not only on our cakes but on our table as well.

Our stationery partner, Denise Wilson from Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, created gorgeous paper products for the shoot and our buffet.

 

We wanted to do something special with our cupcakes and while perusing boards on Pinterest one evening, came across a flower made from pineapple slices.  We thought they were so cute and were excited to give it a try.  It took a few tries before we got the thickness just right, and several days of drying time, but in the end, the “flowers” came out perfect!

We created French Macarons, kumquat tarts, white chocolate keys, poached pears with chocolate-raspberry sauce, brownie bites,  and our signature gumball necklaces to the design.

As an added bonus, we decided to incorporate a signature cocktail, pina colada’s made with rum from Florida.  We also added Citron flavored Patron.

Thank you so much to Bonnie and the Mobella Events team for asking us to participate in this styled shoot!

To view more photos from this “bright, bold and beautiful” styled shoot, please click on any of the thumbnails below.

    

Vendor List:

Planner:  Mobella Events

Venue:  Florida Federation of Garden Clubs

Stationery:  Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Floral:  Lee Forrest Design

Photography:  Rachel V Photography

Cinematography: Sugar Pop Films

Dessert Buffet & Naked Cakes:  Two Sweets Bake Shop

Wedding Cakes:  Everything Cake

Hair & Makeup:  Brides Be Beautiful

Wedding Gown: Calvet Couture Bridal Boutique

Grooms Attire:  Absolutely Fitting

Props/Furniture Rentals:  A Chair Affair

Dessert Buffet Linens:  Wildflower Linens

Guest Table Linens:  GBS Linens

Pipe & Drape:  Quest Drape

Jewelry:  Monarch Jewelry

Popsicles: The Pop Parlour

Silverware & Glassware:  John Michael Weddings & Special Events

Real Events: Mechele’s Christening

We first met Mechele’s Momma, Amber, when she was planning her baby shower at Reunion Resort in Orlando.   She had seen our display table at one of the local bridal shows, and it was exactly what she was looking for.  We worked together to create a menu that included all of the pink and gold elements fit for a princess.

Fast forward many months, and baby Mechele is now 8 months old!  Amber began planning the luncheon to follow Mechele’s Christening and reached out to us again to help her with her dessert buffet.  Her inspiration was the British luxury brand, Burberry (which we happen to just adore!).  Amber had a complete list of items she wanted us to create, including Burberry inspired cake pops, chocolate covered Oreos and custom wrapped candy bars.

We worked with our stationery partner, Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, to have the custom signs made for the table.  We connected Amber and Denise from Dogwood Blossom to collaborate on creating Mechele’s backdrop for behind the table as well as custom risers.

Party Flavors Custom Cakes made the Mini Cake and cupcakes.

When everything was complete, Amber’s family picked up the order from our office and whisked it away to Jacksonville for the luncheon at Maggiano’s Restaurant.  We are so thrilled with the finished product and are looking forward to our next creative venture with Amber when she plans Mechele’s first birthday party!  ❤

Photography:  Bumby Photography

Cake pops, Oreos, Hershey bars, Candy Apples, White Chocolate Mouse, Apple pies, Peach pies : Two Sweets Bake Shop

Backdrop and custom signs:  Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Cake and cupcakes:  Party Flavors Custom Cakes

Candy and florals: Amber Salmon

Real Weddings: Robert & Nicole – Bella Collina

The wedding of Robert & Nicole was one of the most beautiful weddings we’ve seen.  The couple worked closely with their planner, Brandee Gaar, owner of Blush by Brandee Gaar, to create a beautiful evening wedding in shades or rich deep purple and gold.

Before we get to our buffet, we simply have to share with you a photo taken by their photographer, Kristen Weaver, owner of Kristen Weaver Photography, of the happy couple as posted on Kristen’s Facebook page (we hope you’ll “like” her page too)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152872010451164&set=t.720231281&type=3&theater

And one of Nicole’s absolutely STUNNING gown and veil – a Kenneth Poole gown and custom made Rivini veil!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152872010611164&set=t.720231281&type=3&theater

Gorgeous, right???  I can’t wait till Kristen posts the rest of the photos of their wedding…

Anyhow, on to their dessert buffet.  This was another one of our couples that we didn’t meet until the day of their wedding.  We do get those quite often – they implicitly trust their planner and her vendor recommendations.  We worked exclusively with Nicole and Brandee via email to create their buffet.

Nicole selected from our menus some of her and Robert’s favorite options, from golden S’Mores to cream puffs, creme brulee, tiramisu,  cake pops and more!  With over 200 guests to feed, we created hundreds of desserts and carefully placed them on 18 feet of table beautifully covered plum Dupioni silk.   Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio created the foil menu cards and buffet signs in a gorgeous calligraphy font that just knocked us off our feet.  We were so pleased that Nicole and Robert trusted us (and their planner) to create a beautiful dessert display for their guests to enjoy!

 

 

 

Nicole and Robert’s Vendors:

Planner:  Blush by Brandee Gaar

Venue:  Bella Collina

Photographer:  Kristen Weaver Photography

Videography:  Rhodes Studios

Florists: Kiko’s Flowers & Gifts,  Lee James Floral Design

Band:  Paul Vesco Orchestra

Cake: Party Flavors

Lighting: Kaleidoscope Event Lighting

Signs:  The Chalk Shop

Rentals:  A Chair Affair

Linens:  CBS Linen

Hair/Makeup:  Lejeune Artistry

Tent:  Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals

Dessert Buffet:  Two Sweets Bake Shop

Dessert Buffet Stationery:  Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

 

Styled Shoots: Snap & Flutter

On a rainy day in April we participated in a workshop for wedding vendors.  We had a little tea, a litte brunch, listened to some of the industry’s best give tips on growing our businesses, and watched as some of the local photographers captured the details of the styled shoot that was the creation of Brandee Gaar (Blush by Brandee Gaar) and Andi Mans (Andi Mans Photography).  How sweet are the chalkboard signs from The Chalk Shop?

Our dessert table was inside the historic Highland Manor house, and featured caramel pears, mocha hazelnut raspberry tarts with spun caramel cages, glitter cake pops, jelly beans, gumballs, licorice bites, hot chocolate on a stick,  and our chocolate cherry cupcakes.  Of course we just HAD to include a few of our signature gumball necklaces!

Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio created these sweet signs for us, using mint and gold glitter.  We were so in love with the buffet sign they created with the gold foil kiss!

Lee James Floral Design provided all of the flowers for the shoot, and we just adored these painted mason jars!

To see more of this sweet as can be workshop, visit the Snap & Flutter page at http://www.andimansphotography.com/snap-flutter-workshop-spring-2014

Photographs on this page courtesy of Bumby Photography

Industry Events: Event Industry Marketing by BeatCreative Grand Opening

 

 

It’s summertime in Florida, the temperatures are on the rise and so is the fabulous event industry marketing team of Event Marketing by BeatCreative!  Michelle Bergstein-Fontanez, Owner and creator of BeatCreative, came to us when she decided to move into a new office space and wanted to do something fabulous for her grand opening.

With a color scheme of bright pink and orange, we knew all of our white chocolate confections would be the perfect complement to the table.  We made our white chocolate vanilla cake pops, white chocolate covered pretzels, and white chocolate covered Oreo’s, decorated with orange and pink hibiscus flowers.

Keshia and Jordan put together a buffet that included gumballs, jelly beans, licorice bites, milk chocolate and peanut candies, our white chocolate covered desserts and a cake from Party Flavors Custom Cakes.  Lee James Floral Design created custom florals for on the tables, and our stationery partner, Dogwood Blossom Stationery and Invitation Studio created all of the paper goods for the evening.

We think the result was a fun, summery table that was the perfect complement to Michelle’s vision of her grand opening evening!

Take a peek at more of our photos from the Event Industry by BeatCreative Grand Opening!

 

  

Dessert Buffet:  Two Sweets Bake Shop

Floral:  Lee James Floral Design

Paper Goods:  Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Cake:  Party Flavors Custom Cakes

Photography:  Bumby Photography

Real Weddings: Barb & Steve 4.18.14

Occasionally you meet a client who you just know is going to become a friend.  That’s the way it was when I met Barb.  She had contacted me around the holidays to see if we could provide some desserts for an event she was hosting.  We were booked up and unable to accommodate her request.  I was surprised when a month or so later, she reached out again – this time to talk about her upcoming wedding to her sweetheart Steve.

She had already booked the lovely Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando as her venue, and they were actually providing some desserts for her reception.  She had also already enlisted Jennyfer at The Sugar Suite to create her wedding cake.  I wasn’t sure what we could offer, but I was certainly willing to listen.  Barb had seen some of the weddings we had done at Bella Collina where we created dessert buffets using wine barrel tables.  She was interested in something similar for her wedding.  She wanted something that was going to wow her guests and her fiance, and she had definite ideas on what she wanted to do.  She had begun collecting antique containers months earlier and wanted to come up with a way that they could be incorporated into the buffet.  By the end of her appointment we had outlined our plan to create something totally fabulous for their April wedding.

Barb is a very creative person, so over the next several months, she created  a collection of sparkly items from custom popcorn cones to blinged out tongs to be used on the buffet.

We worked with our stationery partner, Dogwood Blossom Stationery and Invitation Studio, on custom signs that would mesh well with the antique inspired invitation Barb had found.  We created a menu of items that we would prepare that were some of Barb & Steve’s favorite treats and created a table design that included two 8′ wine barrel tables from A Chair Affair and a custom centerpiece from Bluegrass Chic.

Steve’s best friend asked if he could create something special for their wedding, so he made a custom cupcake stand out of tree rounds.  We’ve never seen such a large or heavy stand!  It took three people to move it!

In the weeks leading up to their wedding, Barb and I met twice more to go over the plan for the table, finalize the list of items that the hotel would be providing, and for me to collect all of the antiques and items that Barb had created.   Our final plan was written up, which contained 22 different dessert options for her guests!

On their wedding day, we carefully laid out all of our plates, platters, stands and decorative items along with everything Barb had collected or made.  For two hours we placed and rearranged desserts and decorative elements until the table was perfect and so full we couldn’t have fit one more thing on it!

 

When Barb and Steve were brought in to see their reception that evening, Barb was overwhelmed with emotion as she looked at what we had created for her.

Barb and Steve’s dessert buffet was a stunning collaboration by several vendors, brought into a singular design that was exactly what our couple wanted.   Our very best wishes to our clients and now friends, Barb & Steve!  ❤

Scroll on down for more photos from Barb & Steve’s beautiful wedding!

          

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Barb & Steve’s Wedding Vendors:

Planner:  Stephanie – Swanky I Do’s

Reception Florals:  Atmosphere Floral

Venue:  The Grand Bohemian Hotel – Orlando

Photographer:  Castaldo Studios (castaldostudio.com)

Cake:  The Sugar Suite

Dessert Buffet:  Two Sweets Bake Shop

Stationery:  Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio

Dessert Buffet Florals:  Bluegrass Chic

Rentals:  A Chair Affair

Linens:  Over the Top

DJ:  Soundwave Entertainment

Real Weddings: Dawn Michelle + Eugene 1.17.14

From the moment Dawn Michelle contacted us about creating a dessert buffet for her Bella Collina wedding, we knew we were a perfect match!  We emailed photos and ideas back and forth and finally decided on a menu that we thought would be just what she was looking for.

Dawn Michelle and Eugene wanted a dessert buffet that would give their guests a variety of options, and since they had decided not to have a wedding cake, they wanted to make sure there was an abundance of food.  Their ceremony and reception was to be at the beautiful Bella Collina Club in Monteverde, Florida, so it seemed only fitting they have an Italian vineyard inspired buffet.

The bride and her fiance (with a little help from Pinterest) created wine barrel tables for use throughout the reception, including our dessert buffet. The dessert table was placed just inside the rotunda with the stunning stone wall as a backdrop.  We reached out to our floral partner, Lee Forrest Design, to create two beautiful floral centerpieces using the oranges, creams and pinks that the bride had selected for the rest of her wedding day look.  Our stationery partner, Dogwood Blossom Stationery and Invitation Studio, created the custom signs that were displayed throughout the buffet, adding a touch of olive green to the mix.

Just how cute is this sign that Dawn Michelle had made that included our “Sweet Love Dessert Buffet”?

Bella Collina has a beautiful fire pit that overlooks the rolling hills of Lake County, and Dawn Michelle wanted to utilize that to the fullest.  In addition to her dessert buffet, we created a S’mores station, complete with roasting sticks and individually packaged s’mores for guests to take to the fire pit after dinner.

Dawn Michelle & Eugene’s wedding was a stunning mix of rustic, country and vineyard, creating a beautiful evening for everyone!  Their menu included the following items:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered pretzels
Cream filled Cannoli’s
Mini Tiramisu’s
Honey Lemon Rosemary Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Raspberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Cabernet Brownies
Bourbon Chocolate Mini Pecan Pies
Mini Pies: Blueberry, Peach
Mini Irish Cream Bread Puddings
Mini Caramel Pecan Bread Puddings

Cookies: Chocolate Chip, Filled Peanut Butter

S’more’s Display: Individual packages with stick display

Vendors for Dawn Michelle & Eugene’s wedding were:
Planner: Alison Watkins – Blush by Brandee Gaar
Officiant: Rev. Glynn Ferguson
Venue: Bella Collina – Dana Acevedo
Wedding and Reception Florals: Lee James Floral Designs
DJ: Les Kopasz – Soundwave Entertainment – Orlando Wedding DJ & LED Lighting
Photography: Jordan Weiland Photography
Videography: Imprint Cinema
Lighting: Kaleidoscope Event Lighting
Dessert Buffet: Two Sweets Bake Shop
Dessert Buffet Floral: Lee Forrest Design LLC
Transportation: Southern Elegance Limousines
Babysitting: Kids Night Out