Florida Bride Plans Her Wedding in Under Two Weeks
It is no secret that the pandemic and COVID-19 have put a strain on many of our brides and their wedding plans this year. Kristie was one of those brides that had to totally re-plan her wedding in just two weeks! Sometimes, planning a wedding is about rolling with the punches, and real bride Kristie was able to still have her dream wedding this past May! Read all about it in the following blog post and remember to stay positive and flexible as you plan your own wedding in the upcoming months!
Name: Kristie
Message: When COVID-19 began, we were concerned about the wedding, but tried to keep calm. I just kept telling myself "it's not until May...everything will be fine." Well, when we got to the middle of April, and everything was still shut down, we knew we had to think about making a decision. We had a plan B for rain, but never thought we needed a plan B for a global pandemic! When the Florida governor announced that we would start phase 1 of reopening on May 4th, we had a small sigh of relief, but knew there was a lot of work to do. Our venue was open, so we decided to move forward with the wedding. Our out of town friends weren't able to attend, and our grandparents had to watch on Facebook live, but our family and friends were so supportive of our decision! We had more hand sanitizer than I ever thought we would find, an outside reception for social distancing and a few less people in attendance, but we felt so much love on May 16th! It will be a crazy story to tell our kids someday!
Partner's Name: Elliott
Event Type & Location (wedding, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, bachelorette party, or honeymoon): Wedding - Pensacola, FL 5Eleven Palafox
Event Date: May 16, 2020
Vendors & Their Instagram Handles :
Venue: 5Eleven Palafox / @5elevenpalafox
Photography: Savannah Emilson Photography / @Savannah_Emilson_Photography
Videography: Crash Media Productions / @crashmediapro
Make-up: Jo Rich Beauty / @jorichbeauty
Wedding Dress Designer: Ines Di Santo / @inesdisanto
Wedding accessories: Maria Elena Headpieces / @mariaelenaheadpieces
Wedding dress & accessories retailer: The Bridal Finery / @thebridalfinery
How did you & your partner meet?: We have known each other since high school, but we didn't start dating until the end of Freshmen year of college at University of Florida!
Where was your first date?: It was at a Cold Stone Creamery in Gainesville, Fl in 2013.
How did your partner propose?: We were supposed to have professional pictures taken with our dog at a park in Jacksonville, but they were unfortunately canceled the week before. He told me he found someone else that could take them, and I was so happy! We got ready that morning, and I could tell he was nervous...I sort of had a feeling something was happening but didn't want to get my hopes up! We went to a beautiful park in downtown Jacksonville for pictures, and in the middle of taking them, he got down on one knee!
What was your dress shopping experience like? : Amazing!! My mom found The Bridal Finery, and at first I wasn't too excited to travel outside of Jacksonville to look for a dress, but I am so glad we did (mom is always right)!! The ladies at The Bridal Finery are some of the nicest people I have every met and they care about each and every one of their brides. Tali took my inspiration pictures and knew exactly what I wanted, and it was perfect!
What did you wish you knew before you started wedding planning?: I tried to remind myself to not sweat the small stuff from the beginning, and I am so glad that I did! You never know what is going to happen....especially COVID-19. It is possible to re-plan your wedding in less than 2 weeks!
Where was your wedding? What did you decide on that space?: 5Eleven Palafox. We decided on the space because of the beautiful exposed brick inside and the courtyard in the back full of gorgeous greenery. Luckily, our venue has tons of outside space, so we were able to move almost everything outside because of COVID-19!
What's your favorite memory from your event?: Our first look! As soon as we did our first look, I knew I could relax. It made me remember that all that matters is our love and that we were going to be married!
What is a 'must-have' for brides on the wedding day? : Use your own lipstick even if you have someone doing your make-up, so you can touch up if you need to throughout the night!
How would you describe the overall feel of your event?: Full of love, and a lot of fun!
What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides?: Book your main vendors as soon as you have your date! Everything else will fall into place. Most importantly, go with the flow and you will be a little less stressed throughout the planning process!
Where was your honeymoon?: We were supposed to go to Jamaica, but that was cancelled due to COVID-19. We are going to postpone to next year and have a honeymoon/anniversary trip all in one!
