Julio and Billie Tie the Knot on Valentines Day!

Congratulations Billie and Julio!!!

Do you remember in the movie LOVE STORY the famous line…….Love isn’t love till you give it away??? Well, with that in mind, Loving Unity Officiants and selected wedding professionals decided to sponsor a contest for one lucky couple to enter to win a free wedding ceremony on Valentines Day! The lucky winners were Billie and Julio of Largo, and their three children!!! What a beautiful wedding they had. The venue was Islands Bamboo Gardens in Pinellas Park! Kelly and Karlyn provided the setting that included a beautiful bamboo archway for the couple to be married under, and the music for the ceremony. Billie and Julio exchanged their vows next to the waterfalls, Koi pond, and fabulous variety of Bamboo! This location was beautiful and peaceful! All who attended were amazed by the beauty and peace they experienced while they were there to witness Billie and Julio exchanging their vows. The stunning red rose bouquet, boutonnière, and rose cake top were provided as a gift from The Rose Garden Florist. The red roses were exquisite!!!

The couple selected a religious wedding, which I officiated, and they lit a unity candle to join their lives together. The beautiful photography was compliments of Britt McAllister.

What would a wedding be without cake?? The moist and tasty cake with raspberry filling was provided compliments of Bonnie Yarborough of Celebration Cakes! It was one of the best cakes I have ever tasted, and I taste cake at just about every wedding that I officiate!! After cutting the cake, the couple danced their first dance as husband and wife! Following their dance, the couple celebrated a toast with custom wine provided by Hugh and Jean of Wine Works! Not only was the wine custom made, but notice the front of the bottle!! It had the couple’s photo and wedding date! How special!!! After the toast, the couple was presented with a gift basket provided by Kendra Briggs and the Perfect Wedding Guide! All of the guests and the vendors that provided their services for Billie and Julio signed guest book compliments of Michele of Paper Players and gave the couple a wedding card and personal gift.

This was a wonderful example of love; each vendor gave of their love to provide this couple with a gorgeous, meaningful, and spectacular wedding celebration that they will remember for the rest of their lives!!!

Heartfelt thanks to all my fellow wedding professionals, whom I also consider very dear friends, for giving of their time and talents to make a dream come true for Billie and Julio and their children!!!

Thanks to the following wedding professionals:

Islands Bamboo Gardens - Kelly & Karlyn - www.islandlawnservices.com or email at island1@tampabay.rr.com
Photography - Britt McAllister 727-512-1681 www.brittusa.com email britt@brittusa.com
Cake - Bonnie Yarborough - Celebration Cakes 727-517-7260 or email contact@celebrationcakes.biz
Custom Wine - Jean and Hugh at Wine Works- 11869 34th St. N St. Petersburg 727-556-2535  www.wineworksfl.com

Flowers - Heather at Rose Garden Flowers & Gifts - 10592 Seminole Blvd., Largo - 727-391-1200
Gift Basket - Kendra Briggs on behalf of the Perfect Wedding Guide
Guest Book - Michele Whitaker of Paper Players - invitations
Officiating & Coordination - Rev. Virginia Bishop, LovingUnity.com 727-532-6181

Is Your Wedding Vendor a Professional or is it a Hobby????

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at a luncheon for The Professional Wedding Guild of The Greater Bay/Tampa to Sarasota. The Hunters Green Golf and Country Club served as our host, thanks especially to the fine work of Gretchen Hill and her staff!! Gretchen is the Private Events Director and you can contact her at gretchen.hill@ourclub.com  The grounds are magnificent and the ballroom is spectacular. Have a look at their website  www.huntersgreencc.com   This monthly luncheon involves associates of a variety of wedding professionals, and I was proud to speak before them. These are the people who make YOUR day as perfect as it can be.  They put in the time and effort, and education that it takes, to provide you with the most incredible customer service possible.  It made me wonder, when you speak to your wedding vendor, do you ever ask if they are associated with any Professional Wedding Organizations?  This is very important, as there is quite a difference between professionals and those that work on weddings just for a hobby. I have seen the importance of this when I meet a variety of individuals working with couples on their weddings. I plan to feature some of the professionals that I believe you should consider. Also, I wanted to mention that there are a few upcoming bridal shows that you should attend, they are a great opportunity to comparison shop, and get many new and creative ideas.

Upcoming Bridal Shows
January 11, 2009 Hyatt Regency Hotel - Downtown Tampa
April 19, 2009 Embassy Suites at Busch Gardens - Tampa
July 12, 2009 Hyatt Regency Hoel - Downtown Tampa

If you are a bride and would like to receive a discount coupon to attend, please let me know!