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Bride Annie’s tropical wedding at Sunkin Gardens.

Please meet today’s bride Annie! You’re not going believe me when I share how she and BK cut costs at their wedding… Annie made the centerpieces and her bridesmaids made their own bouquets! Y’all! After falling in love with the striking flower King Proteas, she knew she wanted to include them in her wedding, so she ordered the flowers from a wholesale distributor and got to work! Not only are the flowers absolutely gorgeous but by including her gals in the process the florals became an extra personal detail of their Florida wedding! Keep reading for more sweet details and fun memories from Annie!

Big SW hugs to Everence Photography for sharing!

What was your favorite thing about wedding planning? Wedding planning was a huge creative outlet for me. I loved taking an idea I had in my mind and finding a vendor who would make that idea a reality. It’s a cool feeling seeing your dreams come to fruition.

What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I ordered flowers from a wholesale flower distributor and made my own centerpieces, and my bridesmaids made their own bouquets! It saved us a ton of money, and it made the decor and flowers more personal to me.

What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? We both agree that writing our own vows made the ceremony extra special. We both made promises, reminisced about our romantic beginnings, and even had some moments where we started laughing hysterically. I have to admit the funny parts were my favorite, because they put me at ease.

Did you decide to do a first look? We decided against a first look simply because we wanted to feel all the emotions when I was walking down the aisle. I’m happy with our decision; seeing Blake for the first time that day during our ceremony made it all the more special.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? I always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding. Sunken Gardens was the only place that felt magical to us. It was more than just a garden to me, it was like a little jungle nestled in the heart of historic St. Pete.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. My favorite songs from our wedding were our ceremony song and our wedding party entry song. I chose “Nuvole Biance” because it had a light, airy piano sound, and it was something I had never heard at anyone’s wedding. We chose “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson for our wedding party entry song, as inspired by the movie Center Stage. It always gets me dancing!

What was Southern about your wedding? The venue really brought in a ton of Southern charm. Nothing screams “South Florida” louder than flamingos and tropical foliage.

What did you serve for your wedding cake or dessert? We had a two-tier buttercream cake, macarons, cake pops, and cupcakes! We wanted something for everyone. My personal favorite were the macarons.

Tell us your love story in one sentence. Two weirdos bond over memes and a love for tacos and fall happily ever after.
Tell us all about the proposal! I thought we were getting ready for a date night with his mom, who had invited us to see a play! After a romantic dinner, as we were looking out at the Lincoln Memorial from the rooftop of the Kennedy Center, Blake proposed. He said, “Did you really want to see that play tonight?” (drops down on one knee) “Because there is no play… will you marry me?” I said yes, and a secretly-hired photographer captured the entire moment. We spent the next thirty minutes taking sunset photos with the scenic backdrop of Washington, D.C. behind us.
When did y’all get married? May 6, 2018
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 64
What was your favorite detail from your wedding? I loved our flowers. I fell in love with King Proteas after seeing them in an arrangement, and knew we had to include them in our wedding!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day? We both loved the ceremony so much. I half expected to be either nervous or maybe even bored, but the ceremony was fun and romantic.

Photographer: Everence Photography | Videographer: Lucky Lemon Films | Planner: Southern Glam Weddings | Venue: Sunken Gardens | Florist: 2 Birds Events | Dessert baker: Hands On Sweets | Caterer: Carraba’s | Rentals: Coast to Coast and Rent-All City | DJ: Grant Hemond | Paper products: Zazzle | Bride’s gown: BHLDN | Hair stylist: Anna from Style Hair and Makeup | Makeup artist: Lindsay Travis Artistry | Bridesmaid dresses: JJ’s House | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse | Officiant: Scott Lortz of Weddings & Wellness

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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Possibly because it feels like summer almost year-round in Florida, I always reach for this Sunshine State editorial from our ninth issue as the temperatures climb here in North Carolina. The vibrant color, thoughtful details, and Art Deco location add up to an inspiring look at how to make a wedding your own, especially if you’d like your celebration to reflect the destination you’ve chosen. Our St. Augustine location was a huge source source of inspiration for these photos, from the citrus and flamingo-inspired palette we used, to the tropical blooms Ashton Events arranged, to the graphic, Art Deco patterns that popped up throughout.

We’re so grateful to our longtime friend and Blue Ribbon Vendor Justin DeMutiis for capturing all the fun!

P.S. Spot any familiar faces in our beautiful bridal party? :)

Twinkle & Toast created the most beautiful and pop-y invitation suite to announce our colorful soiree. The die-cut invitation shape, inspired by Florida’s art deco pools, popped up several more times throughout the shoot.

Our bride’s bouquet, by Laura from Ashton Events, included Yves Piaget, Romantic Antique and Lemon Pompon garden roses; Coral Charm peonies; daffodil;, fritillaria; boronia; ranunculus; Mambo and Majolika spray roses; salal; fern; and gardenia.

Working with ghost chairs at your ceremony? Order vinyl cling-on names to mark reserved seating for loved ones.

It’s safe to say our whole team is obsessed with this tablescape, from the matte black chairs to the banded linen, colorful flowers, and poolside locale! Ashton Events, Wish Vintage Rentals, Luxe Party Rentals, and Kate Ryan Linens knocked it out of the park!

Planner, stylist, and florals: Ashton Events | Photographer: Justin DeMutiis | Film processing: Richard Photo Lab | Ceremony venue: St. Augustine Lightner Museum Garden Courtyard | Reception venue and catering: Casa Monica Hotel | Hair and makeup: Amanda Hopcraft | Cakes and desserts: The Pastry Studio | Popsicles: Hyppo Popsicles | Paper goods: Twinkle and Toast | Linens and rentals: Kate Ryan Linens | Rentals: Wish Vintage Rentals | Chargers: Luxe Party Rentals | Bride’s gown: Kate Spade New York | Bride’s veil: Yuri C. Wedding Shoppe | Bridesmaid dresses: Ralph Lauren | Menswear: The Black Tux | Bow ties: Rock Avenue

Ashton Events and Justin DeMutiis are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments
  1. avatar Janna Toruno reply

    My bachelorette is going to be in St. Augustine! Love this Florida wedding inspiration! :)

  2. avatar Jennifer Anderson reply

    I love all the pops of color at this wedding! Makes me miss home! (I was raised in Florida!)

  3. avatar Kelsie reply

    What a beautiful wedding day!

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Sometimes it seems like all of the houses everywhere are white, white, white, yes? That doesn’t work for this color-loving gal, so when I spotted Megan Martin’s bright Florida home, I knew I wanted to share it here! The life she shares with her husband and three kiddos is equally breezy and beautiful, and I know you will love getting to know this sweet gal today. Enjoy, friends!

Thank you to sweet Sarahdipity Photos for this lovely glimpse inside the Martin’s home!

The couple: Megan and Jeremy Martin, 30 and 32
Years married: 6
Where they live: Jacksonville, Florida

Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Hi! We are Jeremy and Megan Martin. We were both born and raised in sunny Jacksonville, Florida and still call the First Coast home. And we are the epitome of complete opposites! Jeremy is reserved, analytical, methodical, extremely smart, and intentional. I take chances on a whim, say yes and figure it out later, have a big imagination, and fail miserably at routines, ha! But you know what they say: opposites attract. Although wildly different, somehow, we just clicked from day one and have been learning how to love each other well ever since!

Tell us your love story in one sentence. We’re just two people in love learning to live by grace, embrace the mess, and say yes to taking chances!
What is your favorite part of being married? Truly just doing life together! I love living out the slow, mundane, and daily routine with J just as much as I love the adventurous memories. It is all a joy.
What has been the most surprising thing about marriage? It really does take work. Once the rush of dating and wedding bells slow down, you have to be so intentional to be present and open with your spouse every day. It sounds so obvious, but as life goes on, it has been surprising to see just how real the work of growing together in marriage is. It is good work, though!

Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? I don’t tend to splurge too much when it comes to our home. Almost every single piece of furniture in our home was handed down to us or thrifted and refinished to fit our style and I love it that way! My mom kept all of my Mema’s furniture, and when we got married, she let me choose pieces to fill our home with. My favorite piece is her vintage hutch. I painted it blue and gave it pretty new hardware. It is my forever something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue! To juxtapose the vintage pieces, I love to shop for more modern-inspired accessories. My favorite brands for the smaller details include Kate Spade, the Threshold line at Target, and amazing smaller designer businesses like Tonic Living, Framebridge, and The Lighting Connection.

Tell us a little bit about where you live. Since we first got married, Jeremy has had big dreams to build up a portfolio of residential real estate properties, so we’ve been working hard to make that happen. We’ve scrimped and saved and DIY renovated our way to home number three, where we live now!
Tell us about the process of moving in together. Moving in together was so FUN. Everyday felt like Christmas morning when we first got married! When it comes to our styles, Jeremy isn’t too opinionated about the actual visual design of our home but does appreciate clean and meaningful spaces. For us, blending styles has been more about being conscious of each other’s desires. He is so great about letting me stretch my design wings, so to speak, and I’m learning to lean into being intentional about details that matter instead of stuff for stuff’s sake.

Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? My favorite room in our home is the living room. When we moved in, Jeremy made the suggestion to not put a TV in our living room. We turned the traditional living room design around and have our couch on what would traditionally be the “TV” wall, facing the open floor plan. At first, I wanted to fill the open space on the other side of the couch, but we quickly found that having a big open void was perfect for our little family! The girls twirl and dance with Daddy. Sitting on the couch and watching them play is my favorite! It also lends itself to open conversation when we have guests over. No one feels like they are in their own corner, so it is easy for the whole house to feel together!

Which items from your wedding registry do you use the most often? We use our kitchen items most from our registry! We both lived with our parents before saying “I do,” so we registered for quite a bit of kitchenware. We registered for a timeless set of white dinnerware from Pottery Barn that effortlessly blends with any style and still use the same cookware and knives from our sweet wedding guests!
What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? I’d say register for the plush and nice towels! Six years later, I finally splurged on dreamy towels and they are the best! So random, but so good! ;)

Who cooks dinner? Most days I do! But there are plenty of afternoons where I call on J to pick us up something to make the evening easier!
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? We are pretty simple eaters over here! Most weekdays we either eat skillet chicken or steak with a veggie or my favorite One Pot Pasta meal from Martha Stewart. I don’t plan weekend meals. We usually get together with friends and family on the weekends and figure it out as we go!
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? I love the food blog The Girl Who Ate Everything! She has a ton of amazing and easy recipes to follow! I also frequent Martha Stewart’s food blog when I need cooking advice.

What most makes your house feel like home? Having our sweet memories framed on the walls really makes this place feel like home. I love catching glimpses every day of what can feel like distant moments!
What is your favorite memory from your wedding? My favorite memory from our wedding day was our last private dance in the reception space before we made our grand exit! Those last slow moments of soaking in our big day together were so special.
How do you remember your wedding in your home? I have a pretty keepsake box of wedding details and mementos that stays in our master bedroom. Every so often I will pull it out to remember our wedding day and now tell our story to our little girls. And my favorite photo from the night is framed in our living room!

How does your family handle finances? My husband is the brains behind our finances. Mostly because I am 100% a right-brained kinda gal! We don’t live by a strict budget, but I’m sure J wouldn’t mind it if we did. ;)
What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? We don’t have a perfect balance by any stretch of the imagination. For us, it is all about little intentional choices. When we aren’t focused on daily making time for each other, we can quickly feel strain and stress in our relationship. The time won’t just appear. You have to make it! In our current season of life, that looks like getting up before the sun rises so we can have time to read and study the Gospel together and talk about what is going on in our worlds.

What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? Jeremy is an Acts of Service guy and feels loved when he can come home from a long workday to a clean and uncluttered space. I don’t always make it happen (and he gives lots of grace there!), but I try to focus on serving him in the home so we can all enjoy a restful environment.
Do you have children? We have two little girls and one coming very soon in November! We are going to be surprised this time around and can’t wait to find out if we will be having a boy or girl!
Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… to learn our love languages. We are wired so differently, and the way we receive love is apart of that. In the early years, we often mistook genuine actions for selfish ones because we didn’t fully understand how we give and receive love individually. We are still learning and growing in love every day, but by simply understanding how to best show love to each other, even when it seems completely foreign, our relationship flourishes!

Thank you so much for sharing, Megan! Friends, you can follow along with Megan’s adventures on Instagram and on her site!

emily Written with love by Emily
2 Comments
  1. avatar Sue reply

    Absolutely fantastic!

  2. avatar Baby Photography London reply

    Nice shots of the family! Specially the last one :)

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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