Elissa & Tim ...A Wedding at The Palms

May/early June was full of destination couples from NY. Elissa and Tim were one of them.
When I first met Elissa I knew she was going to be lots of fun. She is just a genuinely sweet and good hearted person that you just can't help but love to be around and she's lots of fun! I didn't get to meet Tim until the day of the wedding but it was apparent from about the first 30 seconds why these 2 are so perfect for each other.
I think if there is something I will always remember about their wedding day is how much I laughed. Elissa, Tim and their bridal party made for a great time!

The day looked like it might be a little rainy but Elissa was not letting that get her down. She was actually jumping up and down right before I sent her down the the aisle at her ceremony at the lovely Ancient Spanish Monastery! Elissa was the picture perfect bride and totally rocked her gorgeous Alvina Valenta gown.

After the ceremony guests were shuttled back over to The Palms for the reception.

A cocktail hour awaiting them out on the veranda. The beautiful reception table was set up with trays of sand and the escort cards attached to starfish. Also on the table was a memorial candle custom made by me to remember the bride's father who was there in spirit. The table looked beautiful. Definitely one of my favorites.

On the way in to the ballroom guests got distracted by the very cool photo booth provided by Peek-A-Booth. The photo booth came with all kinds of hilarious hats, glasses etc. Guests loved it and there was a line waiting to get in there all night!

As for the the reception itself, the normally all white beach-house inspired ballroom was all lit up in a soft pink up lighting and the dancefloor with the couples monogram provided by Ubi's Music and Lighting. Top This provided the Tiffany Blue linens and Mahogany Chiavari Chairs. Natinel Designs provided the beautiful arrangements that decorated each table.

Everything looked beautiful.

Elissa & Tim, we had such a great time at your wedding and we know you did too! Lol I hope the after party was just as fun and that you are having an AMAZING time in Thailand on your honeymoon. I cannot wait to see pictures.
We both hope that each day only gets better and better for the two of you I am sure that your lives together will be filled with lots of love and lots of laughs!

Fabulous 1st's Mirian & Ray

Happy 1st Anniversary Mirian and Ray!


On June 13, 2008 Mirian & Ray were married at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Miami Springs. The ceremony was followed by beautiful reception at the Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom. It was a beautiful day that they shared with their family and friends. You can view their Wedding Day post Here :)

Mirian is the best :) She is a loyal blog reader and always shows the love. Needless to say, I was excited to send this questionnaire to her.

5 days shy of their 1 year anniversary, here is what she had to say!


FF: Time flies doesn't it? Seems like only yesterday my husband was putting out the fire at your wedding Lol

MR: Seriously, I can't believe we're at this point!! It's mind-blowing to me that it has been a year. It's gone by so fast. And there's a part of me that wants to redo it all again - the anticipation and excitement (and stress) leading up to the wedding, the amazing time we had the day of the wedding, the honeymoon, etc.


FF: I hate the question "How's married life?" but I'm gonna ask anyway.... How's married life?

MR: Married life is hectic but I'm thankful for the craziness because it really is something to be thankful for. We always have a million and one things going on and are trying to squeeze in as much as we can . . . but we're doing it together and I couldn't ask for more.


FF: Do you miss the planning?

MR: Yes!! I don't miss the arguments over budget and head counts with my parents but I do miss the rest! Um, hello, I still post on the knot and only lurk on the nest. LOL Thankfully, a good friend is planning a simple wedding for later this year and another good friend is expecting a baby. I've unleashed a little of my planning energy on them.



FF:Looking back...what is your favorite memory from your wedding day?

MR: This has to be the hardest question! I have sooo many wonderful memories . . . driving up to the Church in the Rolls with my dad and seeing the kids outside all dressed up and the guests arriving, I looked at my dad and was overcome with joy; grabbing Ray's hand at the altar when my dad gave me away; our priest's Homily (actually, the whole Mass) was so special and personal; my cousin singing during the Mass; the quiet time in the Rolls on the way to the reception felt like heaven; the beginning of the reception - seeing the ballroom all set up, introductions, dancing with my dad, dancing with Ray; partying the night away with the people we care most about; our sparklers and the fire we started . . .


FF:Would you have changed anything?
MR: I can honestly say that I wouldn't have changed anything. Yeah, I could tie this ribbon a little different or choose a different font for the menus but nothing meaningful. Even the fire at the end of our reception was perfectly timed and one of the funniest moments of our day. All kidding aside, it was everything I had ever dreamed of and much, much more!


FF: They say the first year of marriage is the hardest....any advice for brides-to-be as they start the journey in to Mrs.-hood?

MR: Oh man, oh man, I know that I have a pretty intense case of OCD but the hardest part for us has been learning to live with another person, their quirky habits, and their stuff. LOL We didn't live together until after the wedding and I moved into his house which we had just finished remodeling. Again, I'm as picky as they come and Ray is as laid back as they come so this year has been a lot of learning to see things from the other one's perspective and learning to let go. Things that are important to me are not as urgent to him and vice versa. I have learned to live with boxes and piles of papers - things that typically push me over the edge. :) My advice for brides-to-be is to be patient with him but also with yourself. Give yourselves time to adjust. This is a huge life change and nobody expects you to pick up right where you left off before the wedding.


FF: What has been the most exciting thing in your marriage this year?

MR: Hmmmm . . . . I definitely have to say that working on things around the house has been tiring but fun because we always love the end result, spending more time together than ever, having a car drive through our front yard was pretty exciting too, etc.


FF: How did/will you celebrate your 1st?

MR: Actually, we will be heading to Niagara Falls! We will be there for our actual anniversary so I'm definitely taking the top tier of our cake along with us on the plane (by the way, Ray thought I was kidding at first but no way is that staying behind). :)


Any big plans for year #2?
More plans for projects around the house and possibly start talking about babies (everyone is on our case!).


Hooray for babies! I distinctly remember having this conversation in your bridal room at the venue! SOO glad you may be giving in! :)

Mirian, thanks for playing! I'm glad we've been able to stay in touch this long and hope we will for years to come. Remember, we do baby showers!


Here is a recent picture of Mirian and Ray. Let's wish them many more years of happiness and love to come.