Game day Wedding Tallahassee Elopement Ceremony

Game day Wedding Tallahassee Elopement Ceremony

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Elena and Ben traveled to Tallahassee for the Louisville vs FSU football game….and to get married.

Elena graduated from FSU and Ben graduated from Louisville. Being that both of their alma matters were playing they thought it would be the perfect time to get married. Elena contacted me to help setup and organize their perfect Game Day Wedding Tallahassee Elopement Ceremony.

We had fun working together to organize details and come up with a game plan for their Tallahassee elopement ceremony. Home game weekends in Tallahassee have a lot going on so I want to make sure we had a plan in place and everyone was on the same page. Elena asked me for suggestions on hotels and restaurants…and I happily offered my Tallahassee favorites.

The football game was schedule for 12pm so to make plans less crazy and keep the ceremony sweet simple and intimate, we decided to have their wedding ceremony the day before the football game. To keep with the Tallahassee elopement theme we planned the ceremony at the Observatory on the top of the State Capitol building!! I arranged for a photographer to meet us at the Capitol and capture their special moment.

Love knows no heights...so might as well get married at the highest point in the state capitol.

Love knows no heights…so might as well get married at the highest point in the state capitol.

That Friday I met Ben and Elena outside the State Capitol building downtown and we went up to the top of the Capitol, 22 floors….we took the elevator 😉

22nd stories up to the Observatory and ready to get married!

22nd stories up to the Observatory and ready to get married!

The Observatory is the highest point in Tallahassee and you can see everything. We had the place to ourselves so it was perfect for their intimate elopement ceremony. I officiate a sweet civil ceremony and pronounced them husband and wife. We had fun! After the ceremony Ben and Elena were heading off to a celebratory dinner.

Officiating Ben and Elena's wedding ceremony in the Observatory at the top of the State Capitol.

Officiating Ben and Elena’s wedding ceremony in the Observatory at the top of the State Capitol.

On Saturday before the game the photographer met Ben and Elena to take some fun shots of them together outside the stadium.

Game day wedding shirts

Check out their sweet game day wedding shirts!

FSU won the game, but Ben won the love of his life so I’d say that’s a pretty great game day weekend!

Newly wed

The newly weds getting ready for the FSU vs Louisville game 

Ben wrote me and said, “Thanks you Amanda, and thank you very much for all your help this past weekend! You made the whole thing more fun via less stress!”

Makes me so happy to work with nice couples like Ben and Elena to create a ceremony that is perfect for them. All weddings don’t need to be the same and I’m always excited to create Tallahassee elopement wedding plans– if you have an elopement idea contact me and to put it together!

How to have a July Tallahassee Wedding Ceremony- Tips and Ideas

How to have a July Tallahassee Wedding Ceremony- Tips and Ideas

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So you want to get married in July in Tallahassee, Florida. Through my 7 years as a Tallahassee wedding officiant,  I’ve learned a few things about having a Tallahassee wedding ceremony in the Summer. Here are my tips and idea on How to have a July Tallahassee Wedding Ceremony

1. Always have a Plan B because it might rain. Summer time in Florida gets a lot of rain. There’s no pattern or way to predict what the weather so I highly recommend having a back-up plan and an umbrella on hand in case of rain.

Rain on your wedding day is good luck. Always have an umbrella handy and a backup place for a ceremony....just in case!

Rain on your wedding day is good luck. Always have an umbrella handy and a backup place for a ceremony….just in case!

2. If you’re having the ceremony outside consider having your July Tallahassee wedding ceremony early in the morning before it gets SO hot.

Have your ceremony early in the day and in a place with a  lot of shade.

Have your ceremony early in the day and in a place with a lot of shade. This is a beautiful morning Tallahassee wedding ceremony at The Southwood House in Tallahassee Florida.

3. Provide water for guests. I suggest placing a tube with ice and water bottles behind the last row of chairs in the ceremony so guests can easily grab a cold bottle of water on the way to their seats.

4. Have an inside reception. July in Tallahassee is HOT. There’s no way around it. Tallahassee is a beautiful place for outside wedding ceremonies so I understand the desire to have your wedding outside. There are a lot of venues and parks where you can have a beautiful outdoor summer wedding ceremony then have a nice reception inside. This is a great because then you and your guests don’t have to spend too much time in the heat.

Lunch wedding reception at the Southwood House in Tallahassee

An inside luncheon wedding reception at the Southwood House in Tallahassee after a morning wedding ceremony in the front lawn.

5. Have an inside ceremony. Most venues have a way of transforming a space into a beautiful indoor area for a wedding ceremony. Planning to have your summer time ceremony inside elements a lot of concerns (heat, rain, bugs, sun) and allows you to focus on everything else. A lot of the couples I’ve officiated weddings for that have had their July ceremonies will go outside for pictures so they still capture the beautiful Tallahassee area.

Inside wedding ceremony at the Capital City Country Club in Tallahassee

This an inside wedding ceremony at the Capital City Country Club in Tallahassee that I officiated in August 2015.

Wedding at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, FL

This was the inside wedding ceremony setup for a July 2015 wedding that I officiated at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, FL.

6. Have a short and sweet ceremony. Your wedding ceremony is important. There are a lot of nice ways to make your wedding ceremony sweet and simple so that it doesn’t leave you and your guests melting in the heat or  bored of of their minds.

7. So you’re having an outdoor wedding ceremony in July- embrace the heat! You must know that it’s going to be hot so maybe consider adding some fun to the heat. At a recent wedding I officiated at Lichgate on High Rd in Tallahassee they had an ice cream truck for guests to enjoy after the ceremony; they called it “ice cream hour”.

While you take pictures have an Ice cream hour in-lieu of a cocktail hour.

While you take pictures have an Ice cream hour in-lieu of a cocktail hour.

8. If you do chose to have your July Tallahassee wedding ceremony outside prepare for mosquitoes. Some venues will spray for mosquitoes. If allowed, you could have tiki torches around. At a wedding I recently officiated the couple had placed a basket with bug spray right as guests walked into the park.

Have your

Kristin and Alex had their Juily 18 Tallahassee wedding ceremony in the morning right on their screened in back porch. It was shaded, protected from bugs, and full of happiness. Afterwards they were heading straight to a celebratory breakfast.

9. Pick me as your Tallahassee Wedding Officiant 😉

All in all, July is a great time to get married in the Tallahassee Florida area. The town is not overcrowded with college students, you don’t have to deal with football schedule, everything is green and lush… just to name a few. Deciding on when to have your wedding is always a bit stressful. If you’ve always wanted to get married in July then do it because there’s a lot of ways to have a beautiful wedding in Tallahassee in July.

St. Marks Lighthouse Wedding Elopement

St. Marks Lighthouse Wedding Elopement

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There are a lot of beautiful hidden gems around the Tallahassee area and St. Marks is definitely one of them! Mike and Jana have been together a little over 6 years and wanted to be married. They are going to do a formal wedding with family and friends in the future but for now they wanted an intimate St. Marks Lighthouse Wedding Elopement.

It was a rainy weekend, but we had planned to meet at St. Marks Lighthouse to their ceremony. They had asked a friend to join to take pictures after the ceremony. Fortunately it was not raining at the time of the ceremony! We walked up a small porch that overlooked the lighthouse and ocean and had a quick ceremony. The ceremony included two readings of beautiful poems.

I truly enjoyed being a part of this wedding. I hope more people looking to elope in Florida consider Tallahassee area and St. Marks Lighthouse because it is gorgeous.

I received an email from Mike, “Thank you. You made it very easy for us.”. This is always nice to hear 🙂

As I waited for Mike and Jana to arrive I looked out onto the beautiful ocean.

As I waited for Mike and Jana to arrive I looked out onto the beautiful ocean.

View from the ceremony. We went up on a small porch for the ceremony which overlooked the lighthouse.

View from the ceremony. We went up on a small porch for the ceremony which overlooked the lighthouse.

After the ceremony we walked out to the beach so they could take pictures. It was so picturesque.

After the ceremony we walked out to the beach so they could take pictures. It was so picturesque.

October Weddings in Tallahassee Florida

October Weddings in Tallahassee Florida

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On Saturday October 4th, I had the honor of marry Lyndsi and Mike. They were a sweet couple with a beautiful wedding ceremony. October weddings in Tallahassee Florida are some of my favorite (thus why I chose to get married in October) because the weather is gorgeous. And boy was the weather PERFECT for Mike and Lyndsi’s wedding.

Mike and Lyndsi met each other while working at Esposito Lawn and Garden Center in Tallahassee. Because of this they asked me perform a unity tree planting ceremony. I did some research and came up with a beautiful unity tree planting ceremony that Lyndsi and Mike liked. Before the wedding, we met up to go over the final details and put the final touches on their ceremony.

Unity Tree Planting Ceremony

Unity Tree Planting Ceremony

On the day of their wedding family and friends gather outside Shuster’s Cafe in Southwood. Lyndsi’s Dad owns the Shuster’s Cafe so they were able to have a BEAUTIFUL wedding outside on the grass then a reception inside the cafe. As guests arrived a three-piece string band played. Before, during, and after the ceremony a violinist played. The ceremony included the unity tree planting ceremony, a prayer lead by Lyndsi’s Dad, and a moment of recognition for those not physically present at the wedding.

Tallahassee weddings in October are gorgeous because the weather is typically sunny and cool.

Mike and Lyndsi’s wedding ceremony setup. October weddings in Tallahassee Florida are gorgeous because the weather is typically sunny and cool-which was the case for Lyndsi and Mike’s wedding on October 4th.

After the wedding Lyndsi and Mike were so happy. They thanked me and said they really appreciated everything I did for them which made me feel really good. I love being a part of weddings where everyone is happy and laid back!

 

 

 

St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages

St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages

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St. George Island is a beautiful paradise on a barrier island, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola Bay.  St. George Island is in Franklin CountyFlorida. It’s about 85 miles from Tallahassee so we travel to St. George Island for a lot of beach weddings. We have officiated small beach weddings and large ceremonies. Ceremonies on the beach and in the houses along the beach. Whatever you want we can work with you to make happen.

Walk way to St. George Island wedding

Walk way to St. George Island wedding

We know that St. George Island is a small area, it’s only a 28 mile long island, so it is sometimes hard to find affordable available experienced wedding vendors. We offer complete St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages including, but not limited to, wedding ceremony officiant, chairs, decorated bamboo arch, rose pedal heart in the sand, photographer, day-of-coordinator, and sand ceremony setup.

Rose pedal heart in sand

Rose pedal heart in sand

 

4 post bamboo poles with decorated wtih sand ceremony setup

4 post bamboo poles with decorated with sand ceremony setup

If you’re looking for someone to help you create your St. George Island wedding ceremony please contact us.  Many couples travel to St. George Island and rent a big house then have to coordinate family and friends, reception, and putting the ceremony together. Hiring us to be your St. George Island wedding officiant and setup your wedding ceremony will relieve a lot of the pressure and allow you to enjoy your day much more. We’ve love to create a St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages that fits your needs 850-322-0911. We can help you arrange a big ceremony, small, surprise, elopement, or just couple ceremony.

 

Please note- We are happy to offer these St. George Island ceremony packages and more as a way to make your planning easier AND allow you to truly create your own ceremony. We do NOT charge additional fees to officiate ceremonies that include sand ceremonies, unity candle ceremonies, readings, and etc. We only charge for those additional items if you ask us to supply the materials — couples that supply their own items and setup will NOT be charged.