My daughter's wedding was April 9th, 2010. She was married in Clearwater (Tampa) Florida. We reside in Georgia. Here is my reveiw of our vendors in one post.
How to pull together the best wedding ever? Gather together in one place the best in the business, give them your vision and watch it appear before your very eyes. Always remember they’re the best for a reason. Trust them.
From the moment you walk through the gates of the “Kapok Gardens and Pavillion”, you feel yourself slipping back in time to a bygone era of European Grandeur, reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles with its magical gardens and flowing fountains and waterscapes. Inside the Kapok each room defies the ordinary from the stunning ceremony room, the opulent cocktail room to the grandeur of the ballroom with its magnificent chandelier. In the evening, the ceilings glow with the reflections of light as it dances across the room.
Behind all this is Nancy (whose recommendations were spot on) and Jeremy and staff whose attention to detail laid the foundation for each of the vendors to build upon. Their eye for detail is exceptional placing this and that, here and there to add to the vision that you’ve created for them. Throughout the day, anything the bridal party needed or wanted, they were quick to provide. Nancy and Jeremy stayed throughout the evening to ensure that everything ran on time and seamlessly. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you. Many, many thanks to all of you.
The artistic talent of a florist can turn a centerpiece into a masterpiece which is exactly what owner Debbie at “The Bride’s Bouquet” and husband Bill did the day of the wedding. The simple addition of two stems of orchids among the three calla lilies tied the two and half foot arrangement to the table where the three floating candles with orchids surrounded the vase. The effect was both elegant and romantic. The most fragrant flower at this wedding had to be the gardenias, flown in from Holland to adorn the wedding cake. It is a scent which will long be remembered. Thank you Debbie and Bill.
Reagan and her staff at “Catering By The Family” (CBTF for short) were phenomenal. The food was absolutely scrumptious. The black chiavari chairs set against the black table covers with white organza overlays were the perfect backdrop to the platinum trimmed white china with silver chargers, the sterling silver flatware and the crystal clear glassware. But for me, the mother of the bride, the service was beyond compare. Jack was introduced to me as the event manager and unbeknownst to me, his whole focus was to attend to the bride and groom, which he did magnificently. When all inside bridal party pictures had been taken, the photographer whisked the couple outside to catch the last waning moments of sunlight, Jack was there to place a small plate of Hors D’oeuvres into the bride’s hand to eat on the way outside. Later in the evening Chelsea told me how grateful she was for those few bites because she realized she was hungry and it would be some time before she could sit down for dinner. The rest of Jack’s staff took care of the guests beautifully – especially picking up plates quickly after guests finished eating, which is huge with me since I like conversing with guests over a clean table. Chelsea told me later that anything her or Chris needed or wanted was quickly provided by Jack personally all night long. He even provided two full containers, one for the bride and one for the groom, of late night food to take with them to the hotel. Truly a sign of a professional who has a clear grasp of the word cater. Thank you Reagan and Jack. Your service was excellent and much appreciated.
Music can make or break a wedding rather quickly but we had the good fortune to have Craig Hemond from “Grant Hemond and Associates” as our DJ. Craig was fabulous, from the ceremony selections to the introductions of the entire wedding party that descended from the top of the grand staircase into the grand ballroom, to the last dance of the evening. Craig kept everyone moving on the floor with music from the greatest to the latest and in perfect combination. This was no easy feat as aside from a handful of must have songs/with dances, the majority of the music was left up to Craig. From his original in depth interview with the bride to his perfect assessment of the guests, Craig nailed the event and a good time was had by all. A true professional and a really nice man to boot! Thanks Craig!
Photography is such a key element of any event. Rarely do you come across a photographer that can transcend a mere photograph into a work of art. That is what Brian and Derica accomplish behind the camera. To say that talent and creativity was in abundance in literally every shot would be a vast understatement. Together they create the most memorable photographs that will transport you back in time to the exact moment that photograph was taken and have you feeling the way you did the instant that photograph was snapped. What we couldn’t know, since we were not from Tampa, was how well respected Brian and Derica are in the business. Literally every vendor we chose asked who our photographer was going to be. When we told them it was “Brian C Idocks Photographics” they all said “Oh we loooove Brian, he is the best!” I would have to agree. Thank you Brian and Derica! PS. check out brian's blog at www.briancidocks.com. He has a sneak peak of some of the photos he took of Chelsea and Chris at the Kapok. They are stunning!
I would be remiss if I did not mention the wedding and groom’s cake provided by “Let Them Eat Cake”. Chef Michael Baugh is a master of flavor combinations. The wedding cake consisted of three layers, Fresier, Marble and Citron. The groom’s cake, an Arkansas Razorback, was Black Forest. Every one of the layers was simply heavenly. When you have guests come up to you to tell you that was the best wedding cake they have ever tasted, you know you chose your Chef well. If I resided anywhere in the Tampa area I would have Chef Michael create cakes for all my occasions from birthday to holidays and everything in between. Thank you Chef Michael.