Photos from Emily & Brad’s wedding reception at Lake Nona Country Club – November 2011.

Photos courtesy of Marc Harmon

The ballroom at Lake Nona Country Club never looked lovelier! Floral, lighting, linens and decor came together seamlessly to create a dramatically elegant reception in shades of plum and rich purple. (I was so glad that Marc Harmon captured Emily’s reaction to the gorgeous ballroom during a private reveal!)

A trio of centerpieces created by Lee Forrest featured orchids, roses and hydrangea, accented with votive candles and black feather plumes; hanging crystals provided extra sparkle.

TIP: Favors at each place setting served a dual purpose: Favors were tagged with a guest name as well as their dinner selection. Combining favors and placecards is also a terrific way to reduce tabletop clutter.

TIP: A regular dinner plate can serve as an excellent alternative to renting chargers.

Lighting provided by Soundwave Entertainment enhanced the overall ambiance of the ballroom, while dance lights and a custom gobo created a party mood in the lounge area.

A sparkler exit capped off a perfectly wonderful evening for this fun-loving couple!

Featured Wedding Professionals:
Planning and Coordination: A Flair for Affairs®
Photography and Photobooth: Marc Harmon
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Lake Nona Country Club – Orlando FL
Entertainment and Lighting: SOUNDWAVE ENTERTAINMENT® | djsoundwave.net
Floral: Lee Forrest
Chairs: A Chair Affair

See Lake Nona County Club | Real Wedding Photos – Part 1

Photos from Emily & Brad’s wedding at Lake Nona Country Club – November 2011.

Photos courtesy of Marc Harmon

Featured Wedding Professionals:
Planning and Coordination: A Flair for Affairs
Photography: Marc Harmon
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Lake Nona Country Club – Orlando FL
Floral: Lee Forrest
Make Up: Your Wedding Make-Up
Wedding Cake: It’s Tasty Too

I recently returned from the Business of Brides conference, which is ABC‘s annual conference.   The Conference was held in the ahhhmazzzinng and historic Tremont Plaza Hotel and Grand in Baltimore MD – let me just say that this venue was spectacular!  If I hadn’t promised myself to keep this post on point, I could go on endlessly about The Grand’s incredible ballrooms, furnishings and regal elegance.

It was great to travel north during the Fall… Florida living does not offer much in the way of seasons, so it was wonderful to breathe the crisp air and enjoy the colorful scenery.   The weather was terrific and we got to explore the Inner Harbor area and taste crab and seafood specialties at the local eateries.

So much for the fun stuff; this was a business trip after all.

Being a planner is my career.  Because I take my career as a wedding professional seriously, attending industry conferences is a priority to me – it’s essential my professional development.   This year’s conference required significant advance preparation since I was slated to present an educational session with an ABC colleague, Heather Canada, MBC.   I was also preparing the necessary formalities in anticipation of receiving the professional designation of Master Bridal Consultant(tm) – a long time goal.   (Not to mention packing – which I started two weeks early, lest I forget something!)

I left for Baltimore the morning after completing a sensational wedding for one of our clients.  I think I was running on pure adrenaline (thank goodness for that!).  After arriving at BWI and checking in to the hotel, I polished up a few details and then went before a panel of Masters, the three Master Bridal Consultants who would view and judge my presentation.  I don’t know why this is such a nerve-wracking experience, but most most candidates agree that it is.   And while I did my best – considering a few technical difficulties and an undeniable level of exhaustion – I could not say that I nailed it.

The next morning, the MBC candidates were gathered together and we waited as colleagues were called in and out of rooms…  Eventually my name was called and I entered a meeting room along with a number of others.  I saw many familiar faces but still no indication of success or failure, until Lois Pearce announced that all of us present had advanced to Master Bridal Consultant.  Oh my goodness!  I was literally shocked – and elated! – and proud, too.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment – everyone was cheering and hugging and congratulating each other.  It was awesome. {happy sigh}

So now I  join the ranks of the very talented and dedicated professionals who have achieved either (or both!) the Master Bridal Consultant or Master Wedding Vendor designation – hooray!!
*As of this writing, there are 71 MBC/MBV’s worldwide.

The votes are in…!

Elisa Delgardio - 2010 Orlando WOW Award Nominee

I share this news with great pride and pleasure:  At this year’s Orlando WOW Awards, produced by the Orlando ISES Chapter, I was honored to receive the Peer of the Year Award for Wedding Professional of the Year!

While I was unable to be present at the awards ceremony due to another commitment, I was thrilled to receive the news via text and facebook messages from my colleagues – including a pic of the award envelope!

Criteria for the Peer of the Year Award requires that nominees are members in a participating professional association – such as ISES, ABC, MPI, NACE or HSMAI. Words can’t describe how excited I was to receive the news that I had been nominated by my colleagues! (What a touching accolade!) As a nominee, I was asked by the judging committee to submit a short essay and professional bio regarding my recent accomplishments. The results of the voting were presented September 24th at the 4th Annual Orlando WOW Awards gala reception.

Destination weddings are so much fun!

Last week we welcomed Stacy and Matt from Ann Arbor to sunny Florida!  In a few short months we designed all the elements of their destination nuptials which took place in the town of Celebration.   It was an intimate affair, but the energy was high – there was no doubt everyone was ready to celebrate!

{Pro pics are forthcoming}

Bride Stacy was stunning in her figure flattering wedding gown, and her attendants looked breezy and beautiful in aqua tea length dresses.  Professional hair and makeup styling made the ladies picture perfect!

Gorgeous floral was a key element for this destination wedding.  The bridal bouquet was exquisite, as were the floral trees which were used at both the ceremony and reception.  Guests enjoyed a fabulous plated dinner followed by dessert and dancing.  The couple made a grand exit with a classic car.

Loved our team for this wedding: Raining Roses, Horizon Entertainment, Rhodes Studios, Visual Effects by Seth, Your Wedding Makeup, Party Flavors, and the Bohemian Hotel Celebration

It’s no secret that Florida is a popular destination wedding location – statewide we offer historic hotels, glorious gardens, beautiful beaches and amazing attractions!  Should you be considering a wedding here, we’ve prepared a few Destination Wedding Tips to help you get the most from your out-of-town wedding:

1. Marry off peak. Weekday weddings are by far the most affordable.  Don’t compete with the locals for prime dates and Saturdays; opt for a weekday instead. Vendors and wedding professionals often reserve discounted rates for mid-week weddings.
2. Whenever possible, decor should be ‘multi-purpose’.  For this wedding, two of the floral trees were used at the wedding ceremony and then moved to the reception
3. Work with what you have. The venue was so well appointed, there was little need to bring in linen, decor for the cocktail reception, etc.
4. Don’t leave anything to chance. You can’t simply rely on websites (things are not always as they appear).   Working with an experienced Planner will give you piece of mind; trust them to advise you and guide you to qualified wedding professionals.   (We’re so glad Stacy & Matt chose A Flair for Affairs; if we can help you please let us know!  Otherwise, the Association of Bridal Consultants can be an excellent resource.)
5. Keep It Simple Sweetie. Don’t bog yourself down with too many things to pack (such as cake knives, or favors, etc.), and don’t over-schedule yourself – leave plenty of time for last minute errands, driving to and from various locations, and photo sessions.

This short video is just in time for engagement season! Not only are we looking forward to sharing these stunning images from real weddings with potential clients, we are excited about the message: A wedding is not only a once in a lifetime event, it’s a big investment! Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider the credentials of the person or company you are trusting to fulfill your expectations and manage what oftentimes becomes an overwhelming amount of details.

In the video we touch on these four very important questions:

We hope you enjoy the video!

WeWed – A Gathering of the Best Wedding Professionals

Elisa Delgardio, Jeannine Kennedy, Kelly McWilliams, Saundra Hadley

(c) sam brockinton

Founder and event organizer Kelly McWilliams describes it this way: “WeWed gatherings are for those who want to continue to build their business and/or become a better business person. It’s about getting motivated, learning how to improve, discussing what our industry is, where its going, and how to stay on top (or get back up there).”


When Kelly offered the first WeWed Brunch at the award-winning Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club I knew I must attend! It was such a fun and educational experience that I cleared my calendar to attend the second event at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. This year, I was honored to be asked to speak at WeWed Summer 2010 which was hosted by the new and uniquely luxurious Resort at Marina Village. Not to mention that I was in the incredible company of Saundra Hadley, Jeannine Kennedy and Kelly McWilliams (of course).

My presentation centered on Time Management techniques and strategies. I basically discussed that there are many options available to us, but the important thing is to find the system or method “that works best for you”. Sometimes a combination of techniques works the best. It’s all about trying new things and taking the time to evaluate what’s working and what’s not.

Left: Opening powerpoint slide

I was thrilled that I also got to enjoy the other speaker’s presentations, and I met so many wonderful people. I returned to Orlando feeling very motivated!

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Today started at 4 am, as I prepared for the long ride to South West Florida for the We Wed Brunch. (Thank goodness for the company of Kerline Docteur!)

We arrived at the most impressive(!) Miromar Lakes Beach Club at 9 am and were very excited by the great turnout. For Kerline and me this was a fabulous opportunity to exchange ideas with a whole new group of wedding professionals, and personally meet Kelly McWilliams (Weddings By Socialites), a well respected colleague. Kelly’s knowledge of social media marketing and networking was truly impressive; not only did she share her own remarkable stories and experiences about with us, she did an outstanding job of coaching us to better utilize blogging and micro blogging services to enhance our professional network.

I’m so glad I made the trip because it was an absolutely wonderful day! I’m looking forward to connecting with Kelly and all my new SWFL friends at the cutting edge of SMM!

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