Rachel and Joe
ADAMS ESTATE
“My wedding theme was an elegant garden party. I was not a girl who grew up fantasizing about her wedding day, so when I got engaged, I truly started from scratch. I was inspired by a social media influencer who I have followed for years, Brooklyn McKnight. I love greenery and the simplicity of white flowers. When I saw how her wedding came together on social media, I finally felt like I had connected to something. I modeled a lot of the elements of my wedding after hers, including the arch at the altar, a shade of green for bridesmaid’s dresses, and large groupings of florals. Our colors were champagne gold, sage to dark green, and white. I chose these colors because they fit with our spring wedding and brought simplicity to a grandiose aesthetic.” -The Bride
Rachel and Joe’s classic Lake Alfred wedding was a timeless fete set against a historic backdrop with an abundance of greenery and neutral flora befitting a lush garden. The bride and groom exchanged vows during an outdoor waterfront ceremony beneath towering oak trees before dining and dancing the night away in a romantic tented reception.
“My wedding theme was an elegant garden party. I was not a girl who grew up fantasizing about her wedding day, so when I got engaged, I truly started from scratch. I was inspired by a social media influencer who I have followed for years, Brooklyn McKnight. I love greenery and the simplicity of white flowers. When I saw how her wedding came together on social media, I finally felt like I had connected to something. I modeled a lot of the elements of my wedding after hers, including the arch at the altar, a shade of green for bridesmaid’s dresses, and large groupings of florals,” the bride gushed. “Our colors were champagne, gold, sage, dark green, and white. I chose these colors because they fit with our spring wedding and brought simplicity to a grandiose aesthetic.”
The destination couple sought a seasoned planning and floral team who could help design and execute their 140-guest May celebration. The experts at 2 Sisters Events guided Rachel and Joe from a distance and helped ensure the process was organized and stress-free.
“I looked for someone with a lot of experience who was reputable and easy to work with when it came to wedding planning. I chose 2 Sisters Events & Design because they have been in the wedding industry for decades and have a lot of connections with vendors in the Central Florida area. They worked with me remotely since I live in Jacksonville,” the bride shared. “I would recommend this wedding planning company, especially for their design work. I met with Shawna to discuss my vision for my wedding day, and at our follow-up meeting, she presented me with a proposal that matched exactly what I had envisioned. Kellie also followed up with me frequently to ensure I was on track to complete everything on time. I never had to question if I was missing something or if I should be doing more. Kellie kept a strict timeline of when items needed to be completed, and with me having a very hands-on full-time job, I appreciated her taking that mental load.”
“The style inspiration for Joe and Rachel’s wedding was a very Southern earthy elegance. Various mixed greenery and loose leggy florals in creams and whites covered arches, doorways, and stairs,” Shawna Carpenter of 2 Sisters Events & Design described. “The Adam’s Estate was the perfect backdrop for their summer wedding. Guests enjoyed the perfect lakeside venue and strolled the grounds along pathways leading from the ceremony location to the air-conditioned tent for dinner. Dancing happened under the stars on the outside terrace.”
The pair personalized their ceremony decor to reflect their mutual faith and enjoyed intimate moments together before exchanging their vows.
“Some of the most important elements of our wedding day had to do with our ceremony venue. I chose a champagne gold floral arch placed at the altar since our wedding did not take place in a church. My husband and I are both Christians and wanted our ceremony space to be symbolic of the unity of marriage,” Rachel detailed. “Another element that was important to me was having a private space to pray with some of the most important women in my life before walking down the aisle. My venue dedicated the entire second floor of the estate as the bridal suite, giving us plenty of room to have those private moments before the start of the ceremony.”
In addition to focusing on the ceremony atmosphere, Rachel and Joe prioritized a lively reception experience for their guests. They wanted a reputable entertainment company with the professional skills to keep everything running smoothly while also ensuring the dance floor stayed full.
“When looking for a wedding DJ, I wanted to find someone who was experienced, familiar with our wedding venue, and who took creative ownership to keep people on the dance floor. I hired Graingertainment because they were highly recommended and are considered the best DJ service in Polk County. I loved our DJ, Dylan. He worked directly with my family to set up a surprise performance during our wedding reception,” Rachel beamed. “I also appreciated how easy Graingertainment‘s website is to navigate and the feature to upload your own playlists to ensure the music you want will be played.”
With the entire day filled with unforgettable moments, it was impossible for Rachel to choose a favorite. Special memories shared with her new husband, friends, and family were among the most treasured experiences.
“One of the most memorable moments throughout the day was my first look with my 96-year-old grandmother, who was not expected to make it to my wedding day. The first look with my husband, walking down the aisle with my father, and reading our personal vows were also special moments leading up to and during the ceremony. My husband and I ended up sharing the same story and writing similar vows, filling me with even more confidence that I was marrying the perfect guy for me,” the bride reminisced. “Another memorable moment was when my sister, father, and father-in-law did a surprise performance during the reception because it represented our two families coming together. My sister’s maid of honor speech was incredibly touching, especially since we are identical twins, and she has been my best friend from the very beginning. Seeing all of my extended family have a blast on the dance floor was the final core memory for me.”















The Proposal:
Joe surprised me with a proposal on the St. Pete Pier. My sister told me we were meeting friends on the pier for drinks. I had no clue that he had orchestrated this whole day, including asking me to marry him, followed by an engagement party with friends and family at the Don CeSar.




Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Royalton Resort in St. Lucia. My husband and wanted to spend our honeymoon somewhere tropical and did not want to leave the resort. With the Royalton being all-inclusive, we had everything we needed to fully relax after the stress of wedding planning. We loved spending our days going back and forth between the beach and all the pools.
Where was your bachelorette party?
Charleston, SC. I chose this location because it was an easy drive from Jacksonville. Between the beach, the restaurants, and the downtown scene, Charleston had everything we needed for the best weekend with my girls!






















What was your theme?
My wedding theme was an elegant garden party. I was not a girl who grew up fantasizing about her wedding day, so when I got engaged, I truly started from scratch. I was inspired by a social media influencer who I have followed for years, Brooklyn McKnight. I love greenery and the simplicity of white flowers. When I saw how her wedding came together on social media, I finally felt like I had connected to something. I modeled a lot of the elements of my wedding after hers, including the arch at the altar, a shade of green for bridesmaid’s dresses, and large groupings of florals.
What were your colors?
Our colors were champagne gold, sage to dark green, and white. I chose these colors because they fit with our spring wedding and brought simplicity to a grandiose aesthetic.








What did you look for in a wedding planner and florist?
I looked for someone with a lot of experience who was reputable and easy to work with when it came to wedding planning. I chose 2 Sisters Events & Design because they have been in the wedding industry for decades and have a lot of connections with vendors in the Central Florida area. They worked with me remotely since I live in Jacksonville.
I would recommend this wedding planning company, especially for their design work. I met with Shawna to discuss my vision for my wedding day, and at our follow-up meeting, she presented me with a proposal that matched exactly what I had envisioned. Kellie also followed up with me frequently to ensure I was on track to complete everything on time. I never had to question if I was missing something or if I should be doing more. Kellie kept a strict timeline of when items needed to be completed, and with me having a very hands-on full-time job, I appreciated her taking that mental load.



What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
When looking for a wedding DJ, I wanted to find someone who was experienced, familiar with our wedding venue, and who took creative ownership to keep people on the dance floor. I hired Graingertainment because they were highly recommended and are considered the best DJ service in Polk County.
I loved our DJ, Dylan. He worked directly with my family to set up a surprise performance during our wedding reception. I also appreciated how easy Graingertainment‘s website is to navigate and the feature to upload your own playlists to ensure the music you want will be played.


Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
2 Sisters Events exceeded my expectations in their setup and design of the ceremony and reception space. Shawna did an outstanding job and I could not have been happier with how she used Adams Estate as a canvas to create an enchanted garden party.
Sunglow Photography went above and beyond in capturing our wedding day. Dustin not only focuses on beautifully planned photos but also the candid moments that reflect the emotions throughout the day.
What advice would you give to other Central Florida couples?
Choose the main things that are most important to you, and don’t budge on those key items. When it came to design, I had three elements I did not want to budge on: the arch at the altar, the flower arch over the reception entrance, and the florals adorning the staircase. Once you know what is important to you, it is easy to save money elsewhere.
