Our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team, and all of the wedding professionals involved in Derek and Herman’s wedding were amazed by this electrifying couple and watching their wedding design unfold.
 
Both Derek and Herman asked for a wedding completely designed using only neutral colors. 
 
Our design team decided to go with black and white and this creation was anything but boring.   It was like no other wedding we have ever done. We took black and white to a whole new level using florals to create texture and balance while presenting them at varying levels to create interest.
 
The inclusion of lighting, lounge furniture, linen and unique and unexpected elements created intimate and romantic touches. From the organic elements in their stunning invitations and natural elements added to the centerpieces to create an organic display; no detail was over looked.
 
Derek and Herman looked smashing in their white tuxedo jackets with black satin shawl collar, vests and bow ties with matching white rose boutonnieres. 
 
A little white wood chapel set the stage for an elegant, understated intimate wedding ceremony, complete with a solo violinist. 
 
We transformed the outdoor reception space from open, grassy blank canvass into a dream wedding.
 
Guests were welcomed by an oversized black and white checkerboard patterned dancefloor surrounded by guest tables. The long tables were draped in white linen and layered with wide black runners that were adorned with uniquely textured vessels of flowers. The look was completed with textured black charger plates, wide banded china, black napkins and custom menu cards adorned with a single bloom.
 
Tucked into the corner was an elegantly appointed sweetheart table draped in black linen and a single elegant floral arrangement. The perfect vantage point to watch their guests enjoy the celebration.
 
Another amazing detail was their stark black wedding cake with white flowers, gold leaf and the words “love you more.”
 
The night ended with a kiss under a shower of sparklers surrounded by family and friends.
 
Congratulations Derek and Herman!

Our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team was honored to work with Katelyn and Mark on their recent Sarasota wedding.
 
You see Katelyn is a very talented wedding photographer, owner of Katelyn Prisco Photography and you most likely have seen her work on some previous blog posts.
 
When a wedding photographer gets married you know that the wedding will be unique, detailed and more than a little different. And this couple’s wedding was truly unique.
 
Dressed in a simple and elegant satin gown with a detailed lace back, Katelyn may have shed a few tears while reading a beautiful note from Mark. Her cascading bouquet and brilliant blue pumps were the perfect accessories.
 
Hosted in a design studios warehouse space, the wedding took on a cool industrial vibe with no florals, just unique touches of greenery. Beautiful textural succulents, thistle and cactus and monstera leaves added texture to the design.
 
They chose not to have a formal dinner, instead they set the stage for a fun and casual dining experience including ‘barbecue, brews and bad dance moves’ by sharing the perfect quote. 
 
“Food is everything. Food, Friends and Family: Those are the most important things in life!”
 
The menu that followed included two food trucks; the first offering yummy pulled pork, brisket, chicken and mac ‘n cheese and the second an assortment of yummy tacos.
 
“Dessert: because no great love story began with someone eating salad”
 
That about sums up the rest of the evening. Gourmet ice cream sandwiches and a food truck with donuts were a fun addition that had all the feels.
 
But, a beautiful bride with a donut bouquet is an absolute showstopper! 
 
Congratulations Katelyn and Mark! We had so much fun working with you.

Kim and Nick’s outdoor earthy, boho wedding was so much fun for our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team to plan, style and to get really creative with. 
 
Kim kept it pretty simple, she asked for deep reds, candles and earthy elements to set the mood for her gusts. So Farm Tables were a must! 
 
They wanted to get married AT the beach but not ON the beach, so we found them the most amazing Sarasota wedding location, The Cottage on the Rocks. It sits on The Point of The Rocks in Siesta Key Florida, nestled away from all of the hustle and bustle.
 
This private location is just what they dreamed of and it is one of our favorite locations.
 
Kim chose a beautiful form fitting lace gown with a long sweeping train. Complimenting her gown, she wore a simple floral headband with a long sheer veil cascading down the back. She carried a lush bouquet of deep red ranunculus, red and white anemone, burgundy hanging amaranthus and seeded eucalyptus.
 
The couple met before the ceremony to exchange handwritten notes, without actually seeing each other.
 
The tone for the day had been set with an invitation ensemble in soft earthy tones. But the day also included unique, personalized elements like the custom labeled craft beers for each of Nick’s groomsmen.
 
Guests were welcomed to the beachside Siesta Key wedding ceremony with an elegant rustic welcome sign, wooden barrels and lanterns filled with candles. Dark wood chairs marked the ceremony space where guests were asked to unplug and turn off their phones and cameras.
 
Taking full advantage of the treelined waterfront space, we infused the beachfront with lanterns hanging from the trees, market lights and hundreds of candles. The bohemian styling included fabric runners, lush floral, mixed metals and rattan charger plates.
 
Congratulations Kim and Nick, your love of life and each other inspired us.
 
 
 

Sujatha and Sanjiv were amazing to work with, and this wedding was truly one for the books. 
 
The couple resides in Canada and when you are trying to plan a wedding long distance in Sarasota, it can be a bit of a challenge; but our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team made it work. 
 
When Sujatha came to us and discussed her ideas, we knew we wanted to incorporate a lot of brilliant colors and really bring out the couple’s Indian heritage on their wedding day.
 
You will see that their reception design was nothing short of breathtaking. 
 
Their outdoor Sarasota wedding reception, at Mote Marine Laboratory, was designed to be a feast for the senses. 
 
The design incorporated layers of color and texture at every level of the reception space. Red brick floors were a base for an oversized white dance floor with crystal chandeliers floating above.
 
The dancefloor was surrounded by round tables draped in spectacular purple, fuchsia and hot pink linens.  Sparkling elements of gold were brought in through gold chiavari chairs, gold flatware, gold banded china and tall gold toned vases.
 
The vases cascaded with fuchsia and oranges roses and incorporated burgundy hanging amaranthus and thistle for texture.
 
A spectacular long head table sat at the head of the dance floor, the focal point being two high backed tufted chairs with colorful embroidered pillows. The table was set against a plant wall surrounded by trees and an explosion of brilliantly colored flowers.
 
Stunning details filled the entire space; colorful custom menu cards detailed the traditional Indian cuisine. Individual cupcakes and a beautiful wedding cake were adorned with brightly colored, hand piped henna designs from the Mehndi. 
 
One of the most spectacular elements was this custom designed elephant groom’s cake with a little surprise for the groom. #RollTide
 
Congratulations Sujatha and Sanjiv, we know you loved this design as much as we loved creating it for you.

Our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team really loved working with Maria and Charles on this stunning holiday wedding at the Ringling’s Ca d’Zan.
 
Maria wanted a very passionate and fiery wedding (to match her personality). 
 
Being from Columbia, we wanted to emphasize that Maria’s culture was a big part of their wedding celebration.
 
From Charles’s custom designed suit combining a brilliant red jacket with a black shawl collar and classic black bow tie to Maria’s stunning strapless lace gown by Spanish designer, Pronovias; their personalities were showcased.
 
Maria carried a breathtaking, cascading bridal bouquet of red roses flown in from Columbia, which were utilized throughout  the wedding décor, deep burgundy amaranthus and glossy red anthurium for one of the most unique bouquets we have ever seen.
 
Their passion and fiery love for each other, her Latin heritage and for life were showcased in all of the little details that made this wedding such a show stopper.
 
From a red satin box filled with gold coins to the towering urns exploding with brilliant red flowers the outdoor wedding ceremony complimented the holiday décor and twinkling light of the Ringling.
 
The evening reception that followed combined deep ruby uplighting to accent the Ca d’Zan’s façade, deep red linen, and spectacular floral arrangements; with gold rimmed glasses and gold chivari chairs completing the tablescapes.
 
We wish much love and happiness to Maria and Charles; this day was not only a wedding, but an incredible reflection of your personalities and an experience for all of your guests. 

Chelsea and Chris are an awesome, fun, adventurous couple; they gave us a color palette and we were able work from those colors to bring their wedding day to life.
 
Chelsea’s bouquet of burgundy and cream with rich golden accents and ribbon mixed with eucalyptus and succulents stood out against her lace wedding gown with cascading organza ruffles.
 
Chris kept his look classic with a traditional black vested tuxedo with a notch collar and a simple white pocket square.
 
Their Sarasota wedding began at the beautiful Long Boat Island Chapel, located right off Sarasota Bay. The gazebo with its brick walkways and lush topical trees and gardens set the perfect backdrop for Chelsea and Chris’ outdoor wedding ceremony.
 
Soft violin music and a special presentation of their wedding rings set the stage for them to exchange their wedding vows.
 
Their rich colors were carried throughout their special day in the bridesmaid’s flowers, ceremony décor and elements of their wedding reception.
 
The outdoor wedding reception was hosted at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium; this waterfront location showcases everything that is special about Sarasota and her islands.
 
Chelsea and Chris are so in love and it really shows. They loved spending time alone and their amazing wedding images really capture their love for each other and the fun they have together.
 
They closed out their special night escaping in a vintage car, matching their color palate, of course.
 
Congratulations Chelsea and Chris, our team at Jennifer Matteo Event Planning loved creating the wedding of your dreams.

There are few places in Florida to host sunset weddings more breathtakingly beautiful than a rooftop wedding in Sarasota. 
 
Our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team immediately knew that hosting Angelica and Jon’s wedding on the rooftop of the Westin Sarasota was the perfect location for a sunset wedding..
 
Their modern, custom designed wedding invitations set the tone of things to come with a touch of glam and a little accent of rose gold.
 
The resort’s rooftop pool deck with sweeping waterfront views was transformed for the couple’s wedding ceremony. They added chic and luxurious touches by including tall metal trumpet vases with cascading white phalaenopsis orchids that marked the aisle, while shimmering crystal chandeliers, clear ghost chairs, as well as an oversized white picture frame created a magnificent backdrop to exchange their vows.
 
Family and friends dined on an elegant six-course tasting menu that included whimsical touches like artistically presented Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Paella, and bite-sized sweet treats.
 
The clean, chic design and elegant details continued throughout the rooftop wedding reception with unique, understated table linen, floating candles, custom menu cards, and subtle touches to bring in rose gold accents.
 
We are sure that this stylish rooftop wedding with its chic, modern, elegant décor and touches of rose gold indeed checked the boxes on all of the Angelica and Jon’s wedding wishes.
 
Congratulations, Angelica and Jon, we wish you a lifetime of happiness.

Elegant in its simplicity, Erin and Amir’s Sarasota rooftop wedding was held earlier this year at Morton’s Gourmet Market .
 
Setting the tone for the wedding were these navy blue and white custom wedding invitations created with a clean contemporary design with touches of rose gold.  
 
Erin chose a beautiful satin A-Line gown with a full skirt by BHLDN with a deep V neckline, strappy back and sheer illusion side panels. Breathtaking rose satin peep-toe pumps with an oversized bow and crystal embellishment by Badgley Mischka were the perfect accent to this simple yet elegant gown.
 
Amir looked sharp in a retro inspired navy blue tuxedo with a black satin notch collar. Amir is the owner of Sarasota’s The Diamond Vault and he made sure they both had the perfect but understated jewelry for their special day. A tiny shark pin, simple pocket square and wristwatch accented his classic look.
 
Guests gathered on the Sarasota rooftop for an intimate wedding ceremony, officiated by a close family friend.  A beautiful modern, copper wedding arch, a custom piece created by our in-house designer Matthew Matteo, was accented with an asymmetrical arrangement of seeded eucalyptus and dotted with white roses, tulips and wax flowers to create a unique focal point.
 
Following the ceremony, the photographer took some relaxed photos of Amir and Erin in the market and downtown Sarasota.  The couple enjoyed a gourmet dinner and night of dancing on the rooftop under a canopy of market lights.
 
Our Jennifer Matteo Event Planning team wishes Erin and Amir a lifetime of happiness!

Julia and Brian's Spring wedding at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was simply stunning.  They wanted a timeless elegance balanced with earthy neutral tones that complimented their ballroom and overlooked Sarasota Bay.  

With views to die for, the guests enjoyed their marriage ceremony under the wedding oak. Afterwards, cocktail hour was enjoyed on the Bay Lawn while the sun set.

For the reception, lighting was a key element with pin lighting around the room to showcase the oversized curly willow branches and soft draping that brought oh-so much romance to the room!

With a color palette of neutral blues, ivory and sage, this wedding was modern, yet timeless and surely a day the bride and groom will look back on as they grow their family (they are expecting #2 shortly!) and life together!