Kelly and Andy
“My inspiration was simplicity with vibrant flowers and additions that are unique to us as a couple. Every time a wedding with vibrant florals popped up on my Pinterest, I was immediately drawn in. I tried to go for a more neutral palette, but ultimately, I decided that I wanted my flowers to be bold and our wedding parties’ attire to match it. Our wedding parties wore sky blue to accent the colors of my floral bouquet, which were blue, purple, pink, yellow, white, and green.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Kelly and Andy’s Lakeland wedding featured an explosion of colorful flora set against a neutral backdrop of a charming and historic building. Following a traditional cathedral ceremony, the couple dined and danced with their closest friends and family in an elegant evening reception filled with personal touches and cultural festivities.
“My inspiration was simplicity with vibrant flowers and additions that are unique to us as a couple. Every time a wedding with vibrant florals popped up on my Pinterest, I was immediately drawn in. I tried to go for a more neutral palette, but ultimately, I decided that I wanted my flowers to be bold and our wedding parties’ attire to match it,” the bride shared. “Our wedding parties wore sky blue to accent the colors of my floral bouquet, which were blue, purple, pink, yellow, white, and green.”
The hometown couple sought a flexible event space to host their 300+ guest celebration. Having attended other events at Haus 820, they knew it was an ideal choice for their event, and they were truly impressed by the care and service they experienced.
“We wanted a venue that could hold 350 guests, allow us to bring in our own vendors, had different areas to separate the cocktail hour area and the reception, and had ample parking for our guests, Lakeland is an up-and-coming city that has quaint coffee shops and restaurants for our out-of-town guests, which was important to us when choosing a location!” Kelly beamed. “I was familiar with Haus 820 as I had other friends and family utilize the space for their own weddings, which alleviated any hesitancy that might have arose while researching wedding venues. The staff at Haus 820 were helpful throughout the wedding planning process, answering questions promptly and allowing us to tour multiple times.”
With so many special elements unfolding on the big day, the pair relied on the creative experts at J&S Media to artfully document the celebration through still film and cinematography.
“We wanted an all-in-one team who could capture photos and video in similar styles while differentiating the content accordingly. We are fortunate to have such talented friends in Jen and Scott and knew that we could trust them with capturing memories of our special day!” Kelly raved. “Their team worked diligently to ensure the timelines ran smoothly while making it easy for every individual in the photos to feel comfortable in front of the camera. I couldn’t speak more highly about J&S Media and will continue to recommend their services to everyone.”
The couple prioritized personal touches throughout the March affair that felt authentic and sentimental, and nixed any formalities and ‘fluff’ that didn’t resonate with them. They opted for custom coffee and hand-scooped gelato courtesy of The Gelato Carte and Cafe A la Carte, instead of a regular wedding cake.
“The most important element of our wedding was our church ceremony. It was incredibly special to get married in my parish surrounded by the people who support our relationship. Following our official ceremony, we made the decision to share private vows following our portraits as we didn’t do a first look. This was a special moment that allowed us to vow our love to each other on a more personal and intimate level. I highly recommend this! We stayed true to what we love and enjoy. We didn’t let the peer pressure of having to have the biggest and flashiest things at our wedding. At the end of the day, we did not want to regret spending a ton of money on things we didn’t cherish,” the bride revealed. “There are several DIY projects that I completed for our wedding, including our bar signs (which featured our two fur babies), a collage of our polaroids over the last eight years of our relationship, and our thank you/menu cards at the table. As avid coffee drinkers with a sweet tooth, we had to include a coffee cart and gelato cart!” the bride gushed. “We wanted to ensure that we incorporated elements that were still true to us. Therefore, it really felt like us in the best way possible! Additionally, Andy surprised me with a dance at the end, which totally blew me away.”
One cultural tradition that Kelly and Andy participated in ended up creating a core memory for the couple.
“In Vietnamese culture, it is tradition for the bride and groom to change into Ao Dais and greet guests by going to every table during the reception. I have attended many weddings in my life and was excited for my day to come. That moment was very special, as we were able to thank our guests and play fun games with them to obtain the wedding gifts,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
We flew to California for a SEVENTEEN (K-pop) concert and Head in the Clouds music festival, which is an activity we’ve engaged in together for eight years. Andy proposed at the Griffith Observatory and surprised me by having J&S Media there to capture this special moment! My family flew in the day after and celebrated with us, which was incredible.
What did you look for in a wedding photo and video team?
We wanted an all-in-one team who could capture photos and video in similar styles while differentiating the content accordingly. We are fortunate to have such talented friends in Jen and Scott and knew that we could trust them with capturing memories of our special day! Their team worked diligently to ensure the timelines ran smoothly while making it easy for every individual in the photos to feel comfortable in front of the camera. I couldn’t speak more highly about J&S Media and will continue to recommend their services to everyone.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to Japan and Korea for our honeymoon in May, which was two months after our wedding. We planned it this way to prioritize wedding planning and giving us time to figure out an itinerary when it was a little less hectic. We visited Japan and knew that we wanted to go back; our honeymoon was a great excuse for that. Korea has always been on our bucket list, so it only made sense to include it into the itinerary while we were already on that side of the world. Neither of us are people who enjoy tropical vacations; we care more about food than anything.
Where did you host your bach party?
We had our bachelorette/bachelor parties in Las Vegas, Nevada. We fully dove into the cliche of celebrating our bachelorette and bachelor parties there, because my sister, who is my Maid of Honor, lives in Vegas for medical school so it made it easier for travel; and she knew all of the connects to make it more of an affordable trip for us.
Andy and I celebrated with our parties separately for the majority of the time and joined for bigger events like a nightclub and dayclub. I highly recommend sharing a trip with your groom-to-be! It’s like a mini- wedding ceremony before the official one.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
My inspiration was simplicity with vibrant flowers and additions that are unique to us as a couple. Every time a wedding with vibrant florals popped up on my Pinterest, I was immediately drawn in. I tried to go for a more neutral palette, but ultimately, I decided that I wanted my flowers to be bold and our wedding parties’ attire to match it.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that could hold 350 guests, allow us to bring in our own vendors, had different areas to separate the cocktail hour area and the reception, and had ample parking for our guests, Lakeland is an up-and-coming city that has quaint coffee shops and restaurants for our out-of-town guests, which was important to us when choosing a location! I was familiar with Haus 820 as I had other friends and family utilize the space for their own weddings, which alleviated any hesitancy that might have arose while researching wedding venues. The staff at Haus 820 were helpful throughout the wedding planning process, answering questions promptly and allowing us to tour multiple times.
Why did you choose to incorporate a coffee and gelato cart into your wedding day?
We are avid coffee drinkers with a sweet tooth. We opted out of a traditional wedding cake for our guests and, instead, chose to offer various gelato flavors. It made it a little more special that they could choose flavors as if they were at an ice cream shop.
After inquiring with our venue and social media for recommendations, I realized that Cafe A La Carte/The Gelato Carte was the best option for us! They had options that we were looking for without costing an arm and a leg.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors really showcased their expertise in one way or another, but DJ Spinfamous exceeded our expectations as he reiterated that this is our special day regardless of what happened. He knew how to keep the party going!
What advice would you give to other Central Florida couples?
Enjoy the process, but don’t let it consume you. The purpose of this special day is to marry the love of your life in front of those who support and care for your relationship!
