The Knot Florida Magazine needs your help!

Re: The Knot Florida Magazine needs your help!

• kalina174

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  I have two vendors I loved that has made my wedding planning process fantastic!

  
  

  1) Arthur's Catering:  My fiance and I want a local BBQ restaurant to cater our wedding however the venue we fell in love with wouldn't allow us to use them.  We booked anyways but JD was heart broken.  We set up and appointment with Arthur's Catering and our consultant Lori was fantastic!  She asked us if we could have any food for our wedding what would it be.  JD told her about the BBQ restaurant and that he really wanted there brisket.  She said no problem!  Lori made arrangements to get the brisket form the BBQ restaurant and then bring it to our wedding!  She gave us something we never thought would happen and I appreciate she worked so hard for a couple she just met.  Several things cause stress in a wedding but this cater will not be on that list!

  
  

  2) Peddles Florist:  I wanted orchids every where but was told by another florist this was almost double my budget.  I went to Vicki with and told her what I wanted fully expecting her to tell me it wasn't possible but instead she said no problem!  She was able to give me what I wanted and came in under budget.  I would highly recommend her to everyone I know getting married.

  Report0 Reply
• JKLieneck member

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  I love helping other brides!  My FH and I are both seniors in grad school and we know how difficult planning can be with all the options, the budgeting, and planning from afar.
  
  1. Amazing vendors that made your planning go much more smoothly.
  - Invitations by Renee in Melbourne, Florida
  - Jana Martin Photography in Indialantic, Florida
  - "I Do" Weddings by Kristen in Palm Bay, Florida
  - Zola Keller (bridal salon) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  
  2. Secret local spots that made for gorgeous photos.
  - Any beach along Brevard's coast! We took engagement photos on the beach and on the boardwalk/stairs.
  
  3. Things you wish you had known about planning a wedding in your area.
  - There are not many listings of the vendors in Brevard County and that would have been beneficial.  So even though I grew up in the area, I still made countless trips home from grad school to meet with the vendors at the top of my list.
  - It would have been great to know what other brides in the area paid for and got for their $.

  September 2011 Board - June 2011 Siggy Challenge: Pic of you and FH outside(we're usually in the water when outside)
  
  Wedding day: 9/10/11!

  Report0 Reply
• eruzza

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  I live in Tampa and am getting married on Satellite Beach. The planning was a bit dificult. What made matters worse; we have a strict budget. However, we found amazing people to work with! My wedding is 3/18/11 and feel great with all aspects of the wedding.
  
  1). Caterers: Good Taste Caterers - They own a restaurant in Eau Gallie, FL called Hog Wild BBQ. Their BBQ is amazing. We met with Debbie and she and her husband own the business and have been serving Brevard county for many years. For an entree, salad, 2 sides, and vegetables, we are paying $10.50 per person. Includes set up, serving, clean up and cake cutting. They were such great people.
  Florist: Suntree Florist - Lori is the owner of this shop which is in Suntree, but considered Melbourne. She was one of the few people that quoted me over the phone without making me visit the store first. I told her the type of flowers I wanted, what items I needed and my budget and she made sure every aspect was met. All of my business with her was over the phone as making a quick visit from Tampa was impossible. She genuinely cares for her customers. She hugged me when I finally met her in person. Lori gave me her cell phone number as well so I could reach her if she wasn't at the store.
  Pelican Beach Clubhouse -  On Satellite Beach. This is where our reception will be held. It is small - you can hold about 75 people in here. However, you pay $466 ($100 is refundable) and you have access to the clubhouse for 16 hours. It is right on the beach. It will be perfect for our small and intimate wedding.
  
  Some tips to future brides: Making your own invitations cut out a huge portion of the cost and look fantastic. Target sells kits with which you download a template and assemble. My guests couldn't even tell these were DIY. It is more time consuming but such an expense saver.
  
  If you are on a budget, avoid doing it in the city. Be flexible. I initially wanted my wedding on St. Pete beach but after receiving quotes, it wasn't something I could afford. I am still having my beach wedding, just on the other coast in a non-tourist spot. Try to be open minded and be prepared to do a lot of searching without the internet. Word of mouth should always be considered first. You will typically find amazing deals by asking around.
  
  We are spending less than $5000 on our wedding and in no way did we skimp on quality. I've met many wonderful people who will do the same job for a fraction of the price. You just need to ask yourself if you prefer to pay for convenience or save money but do most of the work?
  
  I hope any of this helps any Central Florida bride and am more than happy to answer any questions!
  
  

  Report0 Reply
• GeekGenesis

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Things I found out, the easiest way to find vendors is through the bridal shows and other vendors.  The best choice I have made so far is Two Chicks and a Pot catering.  Beth has been amazing and gave me plenty of recommendations for other vendors I was still looking for.  We clicked with her right away and knew she had to be at our wedding. Always talk to your vendors, the vendors here have all worked with each other and they'll give you suggestions based on what you've told them you need/want, and what your vision is.  Be honest about price, everyone was so great about understanding and trying to make things work for my budget.  If you're on a budget try to avoid the hotels, unfortunately they're fairly pricey around here, although there is one hotel now that allows outside catering.  My budget is coming in around 6500 for 120 people, and I'm quite happy with that.
  
  For venues, check out the city websites, the city/county handle a lot of amazing venues around here including Porcher house, and the Riverfront park, and Rosseter House.
  I chose Cocoa Beach Country Club. I rented my ballroom for my reception for $500 for the whole day because it's city owned. It includes the room, and tables and chairs, it did not include linens and tableware however, but we're able to use the outside pavilion for our ceremony, and if we decide to there is a smaller room that can be used for cocktail hour for about $200.  It's on minutemen causeway with a beautiful water view and not far from the beach so we can go there to take pics if we want. 
  
  But these places book fast so make sure to check them out quickly, but everyone I talked to was so easy to work with.  You can rent some interesting places here like the zoo and the planetarium as well.
  
  There are some amazing places for pictures here.  One of the random things I did while we were taking pictures was knock on the door of the Cocoa Village Playhouse and ask if we could come inside and take some during our engagement shoot.  There is much more than just the beach. 

  Report0 Reply