Alexandria and Josh’s Italian-inspired Central Florida wedding combined neutral tones of champagne and taupe with rich shades of maroon, copper, and eggplant for a luxurious vibe. The couple exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony set against the Tuscan stone facade of a private villa before dining and dancing in an elegant ballroom reception.

“We wanted a romantic outdoor wedding, and while initially looking at venue styles online, the Tuscan-inspired wedding venues appealed most to us. We really liked the idea of the flowers providing the color scheme in romantic gem tones,” the bride shared. “The bridesmaid dresses were a somewhat neutral satin petal color, and the color was provided by flowers in gem tones. The floral jewel tones made the romantic vibe and all elements of the vision come to life.”

The Iowa-based couple was immediately drawn to the stunning portfolio of work from Lifelong Photography Studio. Upon meeting Buffy Feldman, the owner and lead photographer, they knew they were in the best of hands.

“We looked for a photographer with a style that best captured our vision and personalities and was fun to work with. We reviewed different photographer’s work and decided on a team that best reflected our style. Lifelong Photography Studio has a beautiful portfolio that is perfectly in line with what we imagined for our wedding photos,” Alexandria beamed. “Buffy shot our engagement photos, and we had so much fun with her. She made us both feel comfortable and really captured our love and personalities in her photos. After this first session, it was obvious that Lifelong was the right choice. In retrospect, after the wedding, I feel like this was one of the most important decisions we made with regard to wedding planning. Our wedding photos so beautifully capture the love, joy, and excitement of the day. We could not recommend their team more highly.”

The pair prioritized guest experience, focusing on creating an enchanting atmosphere through their decor, music, and culinary choices.

“It was very important to us that we and our guests had a great time at the wedding,” Alexandria detailed. “We wanted it to be a romantic and beautiful event to celebrate our love and wanted our guests to enjoy themselves while celebrating with us.”

To help them bring their vision to life, the couple turned to the creative planning team at Blue Skies Weddings and Events to provide unique ideas and vendor referrals and to ensure the celebration ran seamlessly so they could enjoy the big day.

“I was finishing my residency while we were planning our wedding, so I was very busy with work. Having a wedding planner who could understand our style and vision and present us with different options to help make our vision a reality was crucial. We also needed someone who we could trust to take the reins when I wasn’t available, and something popped up.  We chose Blue Skies Weddings and Events because they had everything we were looking for: a beautiful portfolio of previous events with a style similar to what we imagined and good connections in the wedding industry. Heather Tyler and her team were there to support us in every way,” the bride gushed. “We could not be happier with our decision to work with Blue Skies. They were so helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. They made planning fun rather than stressful and were always there to assist when we needed them. They made our wedding dreams come true! Also, having Blue Skies as our planning team made it so much easier for our families to relax and enjoy the day with us.”

Seeking an elegant and classic look, the bride turned to the skilled team of artists from Adore Bridal to beautify her bridal party. Alexandria opted for a low chignon with face-framing curls and a bold lip that tied beautifully into the moody color scheme.

“My beauty inspiration was romantic and glamorous. We hired Adore Bridal because they were highly recommended, and their previous work spoke for itself,” the bride raved. “I did my hair and makeup trial with them prior to our engagement photos and absolutely loved how they made me look and feel. We had so much fun during all of our sessions, and their team started to feel like family. Even when my vision changed slightly, they completely exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved my wedding hair and makeup. I wish they could do my makeup every day!”

Alexandria shared that she will forever treasure the memories of her first looks with her father and groom-to-be, along with several touching moments throughout the day.

“Our first look was very memorable. It was so exciting to see each other for the first time that day; all dressed up and ready to get married. My first look with my dad was also very memorable. I really had to work hard not to ugly-cry in my makeup because it was such a sweet and sentimental moment. Watching your dad react to seeing you for the first time in your dress, words just can’t really describe it,” the bride reminisced. “The wedding ceremony was perfect. Our officiant, who is a close family friend, made the ceremony very ‘us.’ My dad surprised us by playing the drums to one of my favorite songs during the reception, and that was definitely a highlight as well. The crowd went wild, and we had so much fun dancing and singing along. Honestly, the entire day was unforgettably beautiful and perfect in our eyes.”

What was your wedding day beauty inspiration? 
My beauty inspiration was romantic and glamorous.

We hired Adore Bridal because they were highly recommended, and their previous work spoke for itself. I did my hair and makeup trial with them prior to our engagement photos and absolutely loved how they made me look and feel. We had so much fun during all of our sessions, and their team started to feel like family. Even when my vision changed slightly, they completely exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved my wedding hair and makeup. I wish they could do my makeup every day!

The Proposal: 
We were at Lake Michigan at one of Josh’s friends’ cottages. We took the boat to a lighthouse and hiked up to get a picture together. When I turned around to pose with Josh, he was down on one knee and proposed! Then he surprised me by having our families hide around the sand dunes, and we all went back to the cottage to celebrate!

What did you look for in a wedding photographer? 
We looked for a photographer with a style that best captured our vision and personalities and was fun to work with. We reviewed different photographer’s work and decided on a team that best reflected our style.

Lifelong Photography Studio has a beautiful portfolio that is perfectly in line with what we imagined for our wedding photos. Buffy shot our engagement photos, and we had so much fun with her. She made us both feel comfortable and really captured our love and personalities in her photos. After this first session, it was obvious that Lifelong was the right choice. In retrospect, after the wedding, I feel like this was one of the most important decisions we made with regard to wedding planning. Our wedding photos so beautifully capture the love, joy, and excitement of the day. We could not recommend their team more highly.

What did you look for in a wedding planner? 
I was finishing my residency while we were planning our wedding, so I was very busy with work. Having a wedding planner who could understand our style and vision and present us with different options to help make our vision a reality was crucial. We also needed someone who we could trust to take the reins when I wasn’t available, and something popped up. 

We chose Blue Skies Weddings and Events because they had everything we were looking for: a beautiful portfolio of previous events with a style similar to what we imagined and good connections in the wedding industry. Heather Tyler and her team were there to support us in every way. We could not be happier with our decision to work with Blue Skies. They were so helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. They made planning fun rather than stressful and were always there to assist when we needed them. They made our wedding dreams come true! Also, having Blue Skies as our planning team made it so much easier for our families to relax and enjoy the day with us.