Victoria and Scotty
Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club
“I wanted an upscale garden wedding with a vintage Italian feel. I loved the marble touches that our venue had, the large stone columns, a grand staircase that was part of my walk down the aisle, along with tall trimmed hedges where we had our personal vows, as well as the rose garden where the ceremony was held. We were surrounded by these beautiful oak trees covered in Spanish moss, which was also a must in my vision. I focused on pink, green, and white because I knew that, when I look back on the day 30, 40, or 50 years from now, it would still be classic and not just a trend. I wanted my guests in pastels for that garden feel, and, of course, had to have some parasols!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Victoria and Scotty’s vintage Ocala wedding took place in the romantic spring month of May, blending an upscale garden atmosphere with Italian-inspired elegance among rose gardens, marble accents, trimmed hedges, and a grand staircase. Soft pink, green, and white florals filled the celebration, complemented by the sentimental paper flowers lovingly handcrafted by the bride’s father for each guest. Charming personal touches, such as pastel attire, parasols, vintage lockets, and their golden retrievers in tiny suits, added warmth and personality to every moment. Their intimate gathering of twenty-four guests felt timeless, heartfelt, and beautifully reflective of their love story.
The Proposal
“We took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, for Scotty’s birthday, and I planned the majority of the trip up until the proposal. I told him that while we were there, I always wanted to visit Cypress Gardens, where the infamous boat scene from The Notebook was filmed.
We were walking through the gardens and looking out into the water, and when I turned around, he was down on one knee! Afterwards, we were able to get on a boat and replicate that same boat scene! You can also make your own custom brick that they install in their butterfly garden pathway, and we can’t wait to go back and see our brick! Our proposal date is also my dad’s birthday, which is really special!”
The Details
“To incorporate our personalities into the celebration, one thing I loved was that Scotty let me really plan it all, which I absolutely adored him for! I was able to have all my visions come to life, all my ideas jump off my Pinterest board, and see it pour into our special day! One special touch I loved was that Scotty actually chose his suit color without me knowing until my eyes met his (his suit) down the aisle. It was an amazing surprise for him to see me in my wedding dress for the first time, and for me to see what color he chose (a copper brown). It was just a lot of fun to see him get excited about his suit color being an element of surprise for me on the day!
I wanted to make it about us. I didn’t want to get lost in the idea of the day being a production or a day that I looked back on and think, ‘Wow, that was so stressful.’ I wanted to keep the day as intimate as possible, so we opted for our immediate family only. I did not have my girls by my side, but they all wrote me letters and made it into a book for me that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I also FaceTimed in to say hi and show them my final look before marrying the man of my dreams! My sweet grandma is 94 years old and doesn’t get out much these days, so being able to FaceTime her and show her my look on the day of my wedding was really special.”
Most Memorable Moments
“My dad loves to make paper flowers for a hobby. I wanted to incorporate this into my wedding, so I asked every guest what their favorite flower was, and my dad perfectly recreated these florals for each and every one of them. We had them on the dinner table setting next to their names, and he even bought boxes for guests to take home their flowers safely without them getting ruined during the trip back home.
I had vintage locket cufflinks that I placed my baby pictures of my dad and me, so he had a piece of him and me when it all started, as he walked me down the aisle! I also did the same thing for my mom, but in a locket-style necklace!
Having moments with Scotty, we did a private touch with our vows, and just being able to hold his hand while hearing each one of us exchange vows was one of the best moments
There’s a photo of us two where I’m just laughing because when you say lawfully wedded wife, that’s a mouthful! Well, Scotty kept messing it up a bit, and it was just so funny, all of us started laughing, but of course, instant karma hit me because when I went to say lawfully wedded husband I also had issues saying it.
When we were pronounced husband and wife and the whole crowd cheered, one of our dogs, Wilson, also barked at the same time, and it was so cute and special! We love our golden boys so much, so of course we had to have them at the wedding! (They also were in suits for the occasion!)”
The Bach Party and Honeymoon
“I actually didn’t have a bachelorette party, but I planned the wedding in seven months because I procrastinated. I didn’t have the mental capacity to plan a bachelorette trip on top of a wedding. Some of my friends offered to prepare it, but I also didn’t want them to spend money on a weekend for me when I didn’t even have them at my wedding. The cost of living is awful right now, and it didn’t feel right to have them spend so much money on one weekend for me. I just wanted to be courteous of that!
We went to St. Lucia for our honeymoon! We chose this location because I saw it online, and reviews said it had some pretty good fishing (did we go deep-sea fishing two out of seven days? We sure did!). We absolutely loved it and are already planning to go back on our 10th anniversary! We also went zip-lining and snorkeling, and we watched so many beautiful sunsets together!”
The Photography
Amber Yonker Photography
“I looked for someone who could capture not only the essence of the day but also its emotions. I really love documentary style photography, and someone who was very personable and easy to work with!
I chose Amber Yonker Photography initially because of the work I saw on her Instagram. She’s able to capture so many moments of these couples’ special day that I see other photographers capture, but somehow, Amber makes them breathe life into the photos.
I wanted a photographer I could easily talk to on my day of, and one I would like to work with again in the future as our family grows! I am someone who cherishes each moment of my life, and I wanted someone who could grasp that and turn our photos from the day into pieces I would hold dear for the rest of my life. Amber not only was my photographer but also immediately became my bestie on the day of. She was my number one hype woman, and she made me feel so important and beautiful in every single moment.”
The Design
“I wanted an upscale garden wedding with a vintage Italian feel. I loved the marble touches that our venue had, the large stone columns, a grand staircase that was part of my walk down the aisle, along with tall trimmed hedges where we had our personal vows, as well as the rose garden where the ceremony was held. We were surrounded by these beautiful oak trees covered in Spanish moss, which was also a must in my vision.
I focused on pink, green, and white because I knew that, when I look back on the day 30, 40, or 50 years from now, it would still be classic and not just a trend. When discussing my vision with my florist, I remember her saying, ‘You have great taste in florals!’ And I just knew then that she was going to execute my vision! I wanted my guests in pastels for that garden feel, and, of course, had to have some parasols!”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
I truly had only four vendors during this process, so each and every one of them exceeded my expectations! Everyone I worked with was so relaxed. Overall, it was the most magical day with my dream team! Our wedding film is phenomenal by TannerCastroFilms, and I wouldn’t have looked so beautiful without APGBeauty! My day of coordination was with the venue, and from the start, Georgina Rarick was phenomenal to work with! She really helped bring my vision to life!
What advice would you give to other Central Florida couples?
Just remember the day is about you two and you two only! Enjoy the moments of planning and try not to let too many people get in the way of what you want. Envision what your special day looks like! Also, something will go wrong, but that doesn’t mean the day is ruined; it’s just a speed bump on the way to your destination!
