Tuesday, May 18, 2010









Hi Donna,

thank you for performing such a nice ceremony. It was a perfect day!!
This was the note I received from Mary when I wrote to say her photos were on the way.

I always enjoy the weddings I do and some are a little more memorable than others, for different reasons. Mary and Chris picked a hotel on the beach in Miami for their wedding. They had only three guests and the day was very cloudy and rainy. As Sarah (my photographer) and I rode down to Miami from Fort Lauderdale we were wondering if we would find enough of a dry period to perform the wedding which was planned on the beach.
We arrived in a drizzle and found our couple and their guests waiting for us just outside the hotel. We walked to the beach and the sun came out beautifully, just like it had been scheduled to do so. While I pronounced them husband and wife the sun was shining and the day was beautiful.We had about 30 to 45 minutes of that beautiful sunshine.
The company was great, we laughed and joked about the dark clouds which were forming all around us and just as Sarah finished taking pictures the big drops began to fall and we had to dash back to the shelter of the hotel.
It was a fun wedding and we all enjoyed it.
Sarah and I headed back to Fort Lauderdale in a downpour but just for the time we needed we had sunshine on the beach as Mary and Chris became Mr and Mrs. Congratulations to the newlyweds

Saturday, May 15, 2010

The weekend of weddings







Mother's Day weekend was a weekend of weddings for me. My weekend started on Friday evening, on the beach with Danielle and Jason. Jason had just returned from over seas with his National Guard unit. After the wedding I drove them down to the Hollywood Broadwalk where they were going to have their wedding dinner at one of the many restaurants which sit right on the walkway with the ocean just steps away.
It is a beautiful place to "people watch" anytime and it can be a very romantic location for newlyweds.
As with all my brides and grooms I enjoyed getting to meet them and to spend a little part of their special day.

My second weekend wedding was that of Anna and Paul. They choose Fern Forest in Coconut Creek for both their wedding ceremony and for their reception. If you live in the Fort Lauderdale area and you would like a "Nature" type wedding Fern Forest might be for you. They have a beautiful covered over, open space for the ceremony which feels like you are above the forest and then the reception was held in a enclosed room one level up. The room is really nice and big with a wonderful kitchen and of course they have the tables, chairs and a portable dance floor.
My grandsons, Spencer and Chase set the room up and then broke it down after the reception. If you need a good set up crew give me a call.
Anna and Paul had a beautiful wedding ceremony including a reading by a best friend and a solo by another.
The food for the reception was provided by a lady who does Cuban food. Great.(see my website http://www.thesimplewedding.com for information for contacting the service providers I meet and recommend.

Sunday morning I started off with a beach wedding on Fort Lauderdale beach. It was already hot by 10:00AM when we met by the Yankee Clipper hotel on A1A. The beach crowd wasn't too bad at that hour but it was filling up fast.
This couple, Corina and Chris came from Texas to be married. Their guests included the grooms mother and I believe the bride's sister and her son. They were really a nice group and as in almost every wedding there was an abundance of love filling the air. Corina told me before the wedding that they would only be doing the bride's ring because they had not been able to find a ring large enough for the groom. When I talked to Corina after they had returned home to Texas she said they were still looking for that large ring.She told me the size and I didn't even know rings came in a size so large.

Onward to number four on my mother's day weekend.This one was so cute. Sharla and Dante had decided to surprise their families with a mother's day wedding. I arrived prior to the family members and when they arrived, after the family hugs and kisses I was introduced as "Donna marrieds people". The look I received was "well that's nice". It went right over everyone's head for awhile until Dante said something like "Sharla and I are getting married today, Donna is here to marry us". The looks of pleasure and surprise were priceless. This lovely couple had already started their family. They were already the parents of a beautiful little baby boy named Dante, for his father.
This wedding took place in a beautiful condo apartment overlooking the intra coastal waterway at Sunrise Blvd. Great view of the water and also Birch State Park just across the street.

And so to number five. Back to the beach, this time just on the south side of the Yankee Clipper. Actually we walked through the Marriott hotel (which sits on the beach back from A1A) to their beach for the wedding. It is a nice location and the pool area of the Marriott is a great place for pictures with waterfalls and different levels around the pool.
Donna and Tom came down from Chicago for their beach wedding. They were going to Turks and Cacos(s) Islands for their honeymoon.
They had an interesting story to share about how they met. Donna had recently moved to Chicago when she went out one night and got lost. She stopped to ask for help with directions. Tom gave her directions and the rest is now history. It seems like the night out for Tom was unusual so perhaps this was fate. You know if it's meant to be it will be. How do you feel about that?

My granddaughter Sarah, who works as my photographer (she didn't take the pictures in this article, I took them with my Iphone.) did the photography for Anna and Paul and then for Donna and Tom.

The pictures at the top of this post are from left to right:Sharla and Dante, Corina and Chris (and me), Jason and Danielle and Donna and Tom. I didn't get a picture of Anna and Paul but I did take a picture of the setup of their reception room at Fern Forest. Sarah has promised some pictures so as soon as I get them I will post them.

Please send interesting stories about your wedding or a wedding you have attended.

Remember if you are planning a wedding in south Florida and you need an officiant, a photographer or a good setup crew give me a call 954-254-6216 or email me mckei@earthlink.net

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Wedding on the Gold course


Well I sort of goofed...I didn't get a picture of the bride and groom. Brian and Tatiana's wedding was a very nice affair at the Hillcrest Country Club in Hollywood Fl. As you can see from the picture which I took while I was waiting for everyone to get it all together, it was a beautiful location.
While I waited I watched the golfers driving by in their golf carts or playing from the two greens which were close by.
Here in the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood area we have many communities with Country Clubs. In some of them you must be members, or know someone who is in order to use their facilities but in others they will rent out the facilities to anyone. Their prices are cheaper, in many cases, than the local venues which specialize in weddings and receptions. You might want to check some of these places out.
Many of them have beautiful outside areas where you can have your ceremony and they usually have very nice rooms for reception.
You will then choose your DJ, Officiant and Photographer and you're ready to go.
Do you have ideas for wedding locations or special little hints to make the day even more special? If you do please share them with us.
Thanks for reading "Florida Weddings by Donna"

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Name Change

As you can see my blog has a new name.
Little run in with someone who seems to think I am a threat to her business name. Even thought we do different things but Oh well. Life is too short to lose a lot of sleep over things.
I have done several weddings which I have not written about and I will be getting up to date again soon. Hope you will comment with stories of your weddings.
I will be doing three weddings this weekend. A park wedding, a beach wedding and a rooftop wedding. I should have pictures, if I don't forget to take them.
Take care....Donna

Monday, April 12, 2010

Elizabeth and James


Meet James and Elizabeth. They were married this past Saturday on the beach in Hollywood Florida.
What a really super group of people. The really amazing thing about doing weddings is that in most cases I only meet them at the wedding. And of course I meet their guests at the wedding as well. Many times there are no guest or only a couple and in other cases, as this wedding turned out to be there are quite a few guests.
As you can see by the picture on the left we had a nice gathering, on the beach, with the surf and the sand and a single palm tree. What you can't see is an arch which the group is surrounding in the picture.
It was a very windy day and I was worried that the arch would blow over (they are inclined to do that) but the guys that set it up piled enough sand around the base to hold it in place.
James was the nervous groom type, told me in advance he didn't want to say much so I did most of the talking and only gave him a small part. He seemed happy with the way it turned out.
Elizabeth looked lovely in her white gown and seemed much more at ease then her groom.
When I arrived at their hotel about 30 minutes before the appointed time James met me looking far too casual for a groom...told me he wouldn't be getting married in his t-shirt and shorts. True to his word, somehow within a short time, after supervising some of the setup he disappeared and came back looking like a groom...and nervous.
The day was looking very much like rain. I was keeping my fingers crossed and asking "are they almost ready, we don't want to get rained on?" As is usually my luck the rain held off and if not for a high rise apartment which was blocking the sun we would have had a beautifully sunny evening. I lightened the photos a little, it wasn't quite that sunny. But we made it. got them married and I was off with my grandson Nate (who was visiting from Palm Bay) for dinner on the Broadwalk.
Elizabeth and James were both lovely people as were their guests. So many times I leave these weddings thinking how nice it would be to get to know the people better. But that's not the way things work out so I just enjoy meeting very nice people in passing and move on to the next.
I am finding that if I make certain to take a couple of quick shorts with my Iphone and then blog about each wedding I am creating a memory of the people I meet. It's a cool thing to do.
Actually with this Blogspot the opportunity exists to have your blog made into a book so perhaps Iwill just create volumes. I wish I had done this years ago.
Oh well better late than never.
Congratulations Elizabeth and James and say hi to all your lovely guests.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A Very nice experience

Erin and Sinan were married yesterday evening on the beach in Hollywood Fl. What a sweet couple they are. They were accompanied by Sinan's brother who was doing a great job taking pictures.

Erin had contacted me just a week or so ago, sort of last minute but I'm fine with last minute weddings as long as I have a few hours to put a ceremony together for them.

They were driving over from the west coast of Florida to be married and Erin sent me a little bit of background on the two of them which includes Irish Catholic, a hippy parent and a young man from another country.

I always enjoy watching the expressions on the couples faces during the ceremony, especially the vows and the moment when I say "I now pronounce you as husband and wife".
Sinan's remark was "Am I really married now".

I truly enjoyed meeting this couple and his Sinan's brother. To complete the evening, They had walked quite some way up the beach from their hotel to the location we had decided on for the ceremony. It had turned out to be much farther than they had anticipated and so after the ceremony I ask if they would like a ride back to the hotel. They said they would but when we got in my car it failed to start. Never happened before. The guys said they would push the car to get it started, thank goodness for a standard transmission, and it worked quite well.
I drove them back to their hotel, we said goodbye and we parted ways.

The sad part of my life as a wedding officiant is that I only get to spend a very short time with the couples for whom I perform wedding ceremonies. It is amazing that you can feel so close to someone with whom you spend only a very short time. But I do.

And so until the next wedding that I will blog about I will say bye and have a great day. If you or someone you know is planning a beach wedding in the Fort Lauderdale area and I can be of service please visit my website thesimplewedding.com

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Pictures from Eric and Tessa's Beach Wedding


Here are some pictures of the last wedding which I performed on the beach in Pompano. This is Eric and his new bride Tessa. The day was overcast and windy but nice non the less.
It was very nice to meet two new cousins (Eric and his brother Brad) even very distant cousins.
Tessa was an adorable bride and I wish the two of them a lifetime filled with love and happiness.


First Kiss as husband and wife







Just before their wedding.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Found a Cousin at a Wedding

Being a wedding officiant is always fun but it is even more so when the unexpected happens.
I received a call on Saturday from a young man looking for someone to do a ceremony. Very last minute. Wanted to get married the next day.
I had the time available so I said yes we could schedule his ceremony. Ask his name and when he gave it to me I had to ask where he was from. His last name was the same as my maiden name and it isn't very common. Since his family had originally been in WV I knew the chances were very good that we were related.
Did his wedding yesterday and during conversation with Eric and his brother Brad we confirmed our connection. How nice. Cousins very greatly removed but still cousins.

So their wedding, on the beach in Pompano was nice, very very windy but thankfully we missed the rain. If the wedding had been today we would have been in trouble. I think there was a tornado touch down here in Broward county in Oakland Park just a couple hours ago.

Eric and Tessa's guests included Eric's brother Brad and his mother.

I intend to post some pictures of the wedding but today the server for uploading seems to be having some problems. I will try it again later or tomorrow and write a little more when I can have photos for you.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Wedding on the River in Fort Lauderdale

Today was a beautiful day in Fort Lauderdale, and a beautiful day for a wedding in the park, on the river in Fort Lauderdale.
Catherine and John are from Memphis Tenn and they will be going on a honeymoon cruise out of Fort Lauderdale.
They had a small gathering of friends and family most of whom I think came down from Tenn and Ga. I only spent a short time with the bride and groom and their guests but I got a lot of very good vibes. What a nice group they were.
Both Catherine and John had written their own vows and they did such a great job I could have just limited myself to the" do you take this man/woman". Seriously I have done many weddings where the bride and groom wrote their vows, and most of the time they are really nice. These were right up there with the best. I enjoyed preforming their wedding ceremony and I wish them a life filled with wonderful things and blessed with love. They are a wonderful couple and Catherine was just a beautiful bride.

The location of this wedding was in one of the gazebos in Linear Park, just west of the railroad tracks on Riverwalk. It is very popular spot for weddings and there were one or possibly two other weddings going on in the other locations there along the river.
Also located in the area is the old New River Inn and the King Kromarti (Sp) house, both historic structures. There is also a very nice restaurant (I'm sorry I've forgotten the name) that is situated in the old Bryant homes also on the river.

If you're looking for a nice place to hold an outdoor wedding take a look at this area. It truly is beautiful. For information you can call the Parks and Recreation dept of the City of Fort Lauderdale.

If you're looking for information about having a wedding in Fort Lauderdale or if you need an officiant for your wedding please contact me . Visit my website www.thesimplewedding.com
I can provide an officiant for ceremonies in Spanish as well.
Let me know what your favorite wedding spot is. Have a great day....Donna

Sunday, March 21, 2010

A Wedding At Bonnet House














What a beautiful wedding...what a beautiful evening.

Emily and Simon welcomed over one hundred family and friends to their wedding at the Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale Saturday evening.

After weeks and weeks of really nasty weather the evening was warm and sunny as Emily walked down that long tree covered lane. Her attendants consisted of two lovely bridesmaids, one really adorable little flower girl, who forgot to drop the petals until the last minute, and three little boys who diligently played their roles. Very cute. Simon and his two groomsmen looked quite handsome as they awaited, with me, the arrival of Emily. She was lovely. Such a nice couple and what a nice group of guests. Emily , Simon and many of the guests very graciously complimented the ceremony. I feel a big obligation to preparing and delivering a ceremony that is special and memorable for bride and groom as well as those in attendance. When I hear that the ceremony was lovely and meaningful I know I have done my job well.

After the ceremony the bride and groom gathered in the beautiful courtyard of Bonnet House for a cocktail hour before having dinner under a canopy overlooking the fresh water lagoon that is situated between the house and the back of the property which runs along the west side of A1A just south of Sunrise Blvd.

Any event at the Bonnet House is very special and elegant. The volunteers and the paid staff, dressed in their black and white, are everywhere to handle the needs of the guests. Nicole, the events planner keeps everything running smoothly and volunteer tram drivers meet the guests in the parking lot and transport them to the front door.

If you are planning a wedding and your budget allows for a great venue I highly recommend the bonnet house.




Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Wedding at Bonnet House

A Wedding at Bonnet House
Have you ever visited Bonnet House? It is a beautiful house and gardens which is open to the public as a museum. It was the home of two artists, built in the 1920's and sits on 35 acres in the heart of Fort Lauderdale. It borders on A1A and actually has 300 feet of private beach. For a good look please visit www.bonnethouse.org

The reason for the inclusion of Bonnet House here on my wedding blog is that it is a beautiful place for a wedding. It's not cheap but if you are looking for spectacular and can afford it please consider it as your wedding location.

I have performed several weddings at the Bonnet House and I will be doing a wedding there this evening. I'm hoping for good warm weather, it's been so cold here this winter but after all this is the first day of spring so maybe it will behave like spring.

When you hold your wedding at Bonnet House the ceremony takes place at the "dry fountain". It is a beaautiful marble piece of structural art which sits between two fresh water lagoons filled with water lillies. Our white swans are usually in sight and the bride makes her way to the ceremony site by walking down a tree covered lane.

I will be writing about this wedding in my next blog and I invite you to visit the Bonnet House both online and in person. If you come by on Wednesday between noon and 3:00 I will be there driving a tram and taking guests on nature tours. Stop by and say hello.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Great Wedding Idea

What is the ideal location for your wedding?
Couples usually think about a church, a hall, home, the beach. You know the places. Well how about this?
Yesterday evening I performed a wedding ceremony at what could best be described as a rented party house. Located in the Fort Lauderdale area this was the perfect place for a small wedding.

The couple live in New York and were having their wedding here in south Florida.
This is the third wedding I have done in the past year in which the chosen location is serving as both a residence( while they're here) as well as the wedding location. The couple rents a very large home for a week. Their friends and family( as many as possible) stay in the home with them and they have a beautiful spot for their special event.

These houses are all high dollar houses. Great locations and spacious. Some of them are a little run down at the heels (so to speak) and many are being rented out in this manner in order to enable the owners to maintain ownership and have the house pay for itself either until they can sell it or until they are ready to renovate it for their own use.
Last night's house was truly unique. From the street it was barely viable because of the lush foliage. I sort of wandered my way in through a side entrance but once inside it was truly eye opening. It was more like a small estate with the main house, two separate guest wings and a beautiful pool (free formed to fit the space) multi level decks running everywhere and an orchid wall at the end of the house. There was a circular stairway leading to a sunroof and even a male body statue (no arms, legs or head but with the rest fully displayed) standing in the center of what looked to be a spa at one end of the pool.

Even though the guest list was quite small, probably no more than perhaps twenty, the couple had spared no cost in making their day special. Several photographers and caterers, food tables, bars, nicely set tables ...all set up around the beautifully landscaped pool. The bride even had her own special hair and makeup person in attendance.

Hey I was impressed. It was very pretty. My only complaint is a little disappointment in the failure to organize the little things that can make such an event special. Such as no music ready for their coming in and going out (even though there was a music system).
These weddings do tend to be loosely organized.

In a very large house, just across the street from the ocean in Fort Lauderdale I performed a wedding for a Russian couple. About the same number of guest. I arrived on time, which turned out to be quite early. They didn't have it together yet so I just stood around and nodded at all the people who were speaking Russian. They were a very friendly group and actually it was a rather amusing affair. I had a good time.

The girls had prepared their own food, all of which was ethnic and from their region of the world. Mostly vegetarian (which works for me) and very interesting.

The Miami wedding was catered with tents set upon a large lot in what had at one time been a very wealthy estate but which was in need of renovations. However even though it was not what it had once been it still had an ambiance all it's own, and had the feel of the roaring twenties.
It was well catered with tents and tables and chairs set out overlooking the waterway.
Each wedding is unique. Each couple is unique as are their guests.
If you're married where did your wedding take place? If you're planning a wedding what is your dream location? I hope you will share your interesting wedding stories.

If you're planning a wedding in south Florida remember TheSimpleWedding . We offer wedding ceremonies in English and Spanish. WE will soon be offering setups of chairs and arches for beach weddings. Please visit our website or call me at 954-254-6216

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Including Children in the Wedding

As this picture shows sometimes a romantic beach wedding includes a ready made family.
Many of the weddings I preform are second, sometimes third time around weddings and in many cases children are a big part of the wedding and ceremony. In a formal wedding of course it is quite natural to see children as ring bearers or flower girls, but in small intimate weddings where many times there is only the bride and groom and the children we have a different arrangement.
I see many very small bridesmaids and best men. And it is lovely.
When the wedding is on the beach and the couple is from up north it is often hard to keep the small wedding attendants from running into the surf rather than quietly holding the rings or flowers while the ceremony is underway.
I remember one small bridesmaid that spent the time pounding her flowers into nothingness, in the sand, while we continued on.
Usually though the children behave beautifully, if sometimes sort of trance like, while we carry on.
If you're getting married and there are young children who will be uniting into the family, right
along with the bride and groom, I think it is nice to really make them a part of the ceremony. There are several ways to do this. One would be a sand ceremony with a jar of sand for each child. They would then pour their sand in turn along with the bride and groom. It makes a nice impression on the children and they feel that it is their wedding too.
Another nice way to help children feel included is for the "step" parent to present, as part of the ceremony, a small gift to the child (children). A special reading or words of presentation from the giver can be included in the ceremony.
Many times children of the bride walk their mother down the isle. Children, no matter their ages, find this a very special thing to do.
So regardless of the age of the child or children which are about to become a part of a new family, be sure to give thought to how they can be made to feel special about this day and about the new family member.
A day as special as this day can go a long way to making the new family life more comfortable and to making the child feel more included. If handled badly, ignoring the child can create hurt feelings and resentment and just make a sometimes difficult adjustment all the more so.


Sunday, February 28, 2010

Lazy Sunday...It's Cold...Again

Well since nothing is happening this cold weekend I thought I would tell you, and show you, a wedding I did last summer.

This was such fun. I thought they had decided to get married on horseback because they were both really "horse" people but I was wrong. They were both just beginners but were having so much fun with it that they decided that it was the way to go.

I was so delighted to be able to do their wedding because my parents were married on horseback many years ago. Their's was not planned that way. They were going to be married in a little country church and they rode horse to get there. The minister, who rode a horse also, was running a little late and said to them that if they didn't mind he would just stand between the horses heads and do the ceremony. I've always thought it was a really neat thing so I was happy to be a part of a similar wedding.
My parents wedding took place in West Virginia many years ago. Their wedding was very successful and they shared well over 50 years together.

I have been performing weddings for quite a few years now and I really enjoy each and every ceremony which I have the honor to perform. Most of the weddings I am involved in are small, many times just myself and the bride and groom. And they're lovely.

If a wedding is in your future and I can be of service please contact me by email and please visit my website TheSimpleWedding.com

I hope you'll comment. If you haven't blogged...there is a little bit of information at the bottom of this page...look for comments and click on it.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Friday, February 26, 2010

When I tie the Knot... I tie the Knot

Meet David and Debra, newly weds...newly connected... Look closely at the picture

I married this couple this evening at their home in Tamarac. They were surrounded by family and friends at their small intimate wedding ceremony.
The couple wrote their own vows which were very personal to them. David had worked hard on his vows. They were lovely and very meaningful. He had them ready, on index cards in his pocket. Debra did her, equally meaningful vows, without the benefit of cards. The love in their eyes for one another was there for all of us in attendance to see and feel.

I truly enjoy my role as a wedding officiant. It gives me the opportunity to share in such a special moment in the lives of the couple. I can look in their eyes and see the love that they feel for one another. I get to listen as they tell one another of their love. It's wonderful.

I sensed that David and Debra had both been looking for this very special relationship and were both so happy to have found it. They are a lovely couple and they were surrounded by people who were special to them. Don't ever think that a wedding must be big and expensive to be special. It doesn't. The thing that makes a wedding special is what made this wedding special. That is the love that the bride and groom feel for one another and the love that exists between the couple and their guests. It makes for warm vibes.

Congratulations David and Debra. Thank you for letting me share your moment.

More on Key Biscayne Wedding

In yesterday's blog I failed to mention the bride and groom. I only gave you the dog's name. Well here they are again. It's Doug and Rita. What a lovely couple they are. I had met them only once before the day of the wedding but by the end of the wedding day, after taking them up on their generous offer to join them and their friends at their reception, I felt that I had known them for years.

I think the picture I have used here is so beautiful and so "Florida" . I want to thank Wick Beavers photographer for giving me the opportunity to use some of his pictures. Wick is a well know and acclaimed photographer doing high end photography and if you visit his site www.wickbeaver.com I think you will be impressed. I had a great time getting to know him a little at the reception.
I will be performing a wedding ceremony this afternoon. At the moment I don't know if it will be a home or a park wedding. Our weather, usually so nice and warm is now cold, cold, cold. I will be prepared for an inside or an outside wedding. The choice belongs to the bride and groom.
I'll let you know about it in my next blog.
Remember if you're planning or dreaming of a Florida beach wedding give me a call at 954-254-6216 or visit my website .
I fight poverty I work so visit my realestate website and if you Love Decals take a look
Thanks for reading and please forward my blog to friendswho like to blog.

Thursday, February 25, 2010


A Wedding on Key Biscayne

Sunday was a beautiful day for a wedding on the porch of the caretakers cottage at the foot of the Lighthouse. The wedding took place at dusk, in the Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne.The bestman was a wonderful dog named Jason who wore his bowtie proudly.The gulls were at their finest...flying overhead. Thank goodness we were on the porch with a roof over our head.The bride and groom were so in love and surrounded by a group of loving friends and family.If you're thinking of a beach wedding in south Florida we are just running over with really nice places. Visit my websitewww.thesimplewedding.com for information about great locations.Lots of good info there and if you don't find what you need by all means give me a call at 954-254-6216. .
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