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.

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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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.