Jessie + Steven | Mission Inn Resort – Howey in the Hills, FL | Nate Puhr Photo and Cinema

I remember the day Jessie and Steven called me. We chatted for quite a while, talking about their plans and how I could help on wedding day. I was so excited when I got the email that they were going to use me as their day-of coordinator!

Fast forward to their big day and things couldn’t have been better. All of their hard work paid off and everything turned out perfect! Every little detail was accounted for. All of the decor went together beautifully. It was such a marvelous day!

Jessie and Steven wanted to knock out as many pictures before the wedding ceremony as possible. So guess what? They did a first look! By now you know how I feel about them. #MyFave With the beautiful Plaza de la Fontana and golf course as their backdrop, they saw each other for the first time. It was such a sweet moment! Afterwards, they took pictures with their wedding party and then headed over to Marina del Rey.

The wedding ceremony was held at Marina del Rey’s beautiful back lawn overlooking Lake Harris. They kept it simple with the decor, using two wine barrels with gorgeous floral arrangements on top as the anchor for the aisle. We later re-used those arrangements as part of the centerpieces in the reception and that is something I’m all about doing! During the ceremony, they plated a lemon tree together, combining soil from both of their home towns and watering it with the cutest little watering can you ever laid your eyes on.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the front lawn as they drank home-brewed craft beer! Steven and Jessie crated several beers specifically for their wedding and they were all a big hit! During this time, the newlyweds snuck away to capture a few more portraits which included one in their Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse hats. Did I mention I’m also a huge Disney fan? And this is one reason why we all got along well. 🙂

Their reception was gorgeous! Flowers by Lesley knocked it out of the park with their centerpieces. They chose a mix of family style and round tables, so the long tables were lined with gorgeous greenery and flowers and the rounds were accented with an adorable lantern and greenery. It was perfect! Champagne glitter chargers, burgundy napkins and French country chairs from A Chair Affair tied the look together oh-so perfectly!

Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and afterwards a song by Steven’s dad! It was a pretty awesome song too! He changed the lyrics to match their love story and it was so fun and perfectly written.

In addition to the cute little succulents that were also used as their escort cards, guests got to enjoy (or take home if they wanted) s’mores! I mean who doesn’t like s’mores? Marina del Rey is perfect for them too simply because they have an awesome fire pit out front. After dinner, the pit was lit and guests got to roast a delicious treat. The bride and groom even took part in it! During the reception, the newlyweds were lifted into chairs for the Jewish tradition, the Hora, and then they danced the night away! A sparkler exit ended the evening and Mr. and Mrs. Madow lived happily ever after!

Wedding planning package: Sweet and Simple

Katie’s favorite wedding details / moments: This was THE FIRST wedding I had that loved The Beatles as much as I did! “Pepperland” was used for one of the ceremony precessional songs and “Mother Nature’s Son” was used for their unity tree ceremony. Can we also talk about Steven’s Yellow Submarine socks?! Yasssss! I was slightly obsessed with the wine barrels, French country chairs and champagne glitter chargers! Not to mention all of the floral. Absolutely beautiful! I loved it when Jessie changed in to her second dress so she could be comfy and dance the night away! The sparkler exit was one of my favorites too! Let’s just say everything about this wedding was my fave. 🙂

Special Thanks To…

Howey in the Hills Wedding Coordinator | Big Day Celebrations Howey in the Hills Wedding Venue | Mission Inn Resort Orlando Wedding Photographer & Videographer | Nate Puhr Photo and CinemaMount Dora Bakery | Le Petit SweetOrlando DJ | Soundwave EntertainmentOrlando Florist | Flowers by LesleyHowey in the Hills Hair & Makeup Salon | Spa MarbellaOrlando Wedding Rentals | A Chair AffairOfficiant | Ben ScherrWedding Dress | Something New Bridal BoutiqueMenswear | ArmaniInvitations | Paperless Post

From the bride…”We chose Katie at Big Day Celebrations for her day of /month of coordination. Even as a month of planner, the advice she gives for planning starts way before that! I would say that at least having a day of planner is absolutely essential if you don’t want to have you or your family spending the entire day of the wedding decorating and doing vendor coordination. Katie is extremely personable and kind, and makes the wedding planning process much easier and manageable!”