Generoso / Nyugen Wedding

Monday evening weddings are not commonly seen or often heard of, however, when it came time for Aimee and Cuong to book their dream location in South Florida availability during a weekday was not an obstacle.

The couple tied the knot on Monday April 21, 2008 at the historical and spectacular Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. While setting up, we encountered stubborn rainfall and mild winds. Aimee and Cuong called me several times during the set up to check in on the weather. I assured them that everything was going to be ok and that they would have their ceremony outdoors as planned. When Aimee arrived she looked drop dead beautiful! She looked like a fairytale princess coming out of the rolls. We carefully escorted her to her place and the began what seemd to be everlasting trip up the stairs to the mound. Cuong's face lit up immediately once he saw his beautiful bride walking towards him.

The amazing ceremony, conducted by Revd. Michael Calderin was about 35 minutes long. Immediately afterwards, the guests were escorted to the east side terrace to enjoy gourmet cocktails served by Mena Catering and his efficient staff.

The tent facing the bayside was adorned with white and pink lights and had an outstanding chandelier hanging above the dance floor. The bottom dock area was adorned with garden benches and the added touch of a candy and dessert buffet stations. The building was washed with hot pink uplights and the garden were lit up with strung lantern lights.

Once the guests were seated, they were greeted by DJ Ubi and were delighted by Aimee and Cuong's choreographed first dance. The formalites followed and the dinner was served. Soon after they enjoyed their plated meal, the party began and the guests began to dance until I literally had to escort them to their shuttle bus.

The one thing that I think the bride and groom enjoyed the most was that they chose to take their portrait pictures the day after. Although Rodrigo Varela did a fabulous job capturing all the formal family portraits, the couple was able to enjoy their cocktail hour and not have to worry about missing out from spending time with their friends and family!

This wedding was very rich and filled with love and carried their cultural background with yet a modern chic style!

Blason / Aguilar Wedding

On Saturday, April 12, 2008 Mercy Blason and Ruben Aguilar became husband and wife in the beautiful Key West, Florida! This dazzling couple couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and perfect day.

The rehearsal dinner took place the friday before and was held at Margaritaville! What a fun and loud place. Neil was great to work with and made sure the area was available well ahead of time!

The religious ceremony took place at the amazing St. Mary's star of the sea followed by delightful reception at the Casa Marina Resort. The ceremony was heartfelt and spiritual and was attended by Mercy and Ruben's closest friends and family. Upon arriving at the church (in an antique rolls, provided by Keys Limo) Mercy looked spectacular and was accompanied down the aisle by her brother.

After the ceremony the guests proceeded to the Casa Marina where they enjoyed a full cocktail hour outside by the newly renovated patio area. The ballroom looked like a dream as it was filled with amazing floral arrangements done by the very talented Gil Sosa. The employees of the Casa Marina (including Ronnie Rupe himself) are not used to seeing such spectacular floral arrangements and beautiful linens, as the traditional decorations for a Key West wedding are more tropical and exotic arrangements, so we had "employee traffic-admirers" for at least a good hour before the party began.

The guests were greeted by the talent of Tradison Band. Lucy Grau did a fabulous job in welcoming the guests to their seats and introducing the newlywed couple. After the traditional dances, the guests were served their appetizer consisiting of shrimp cocktail laying on a wedge of watermelon followed by the traditional ceaser salad and the main entree, Lobster tail and Filet Mignon. By that time, the guests were ready to party and they did just that!

After dinner, Mercy changed into a second dress and Rodrigo Varela took advantage of the spectacular sun setting scene by taking the the most romantic and talented pictures ever!

I must say, at this wedding I did something I had never done before... As soon as the couple arrived at the hotel, I escorted them into the ballroom (so that they can take a peek) and I had them do their cake cutting pictures / video. This saved us time while we were able to capture them while they still looked fresh and happy and not tired and "sweaty"! This worked out great for the timeline and they were able to enjoy their party time to it's fullest.

It was an extreme pleasure working with Ronnie and the Casa Marina. Although prior to the wedding working with him was a bit stressful (it's a general Key West attitude), on the day of everything worked out and went out without a glitch!

Thanks to all the wonderful vendors who took part in this celebration and most importantly.. thank you Mercy and Ruben for allowing me to be a part of your special day!