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

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 , a fancy photo sharing thing.

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.