Third Annual Wedding & Reception Showcase

Golden Eagle Country Club

Tallahassee, Florida

Monday, June 14, 2010

6:00 PM

The Tallahassee Association of Wedding Professionals in conjunction with Golden Eagle Country Club are rolling out the red carpet for a Wedding and Reception event like no other!

Come experience and see what a true ceremony site and reception can be while meeting with some of the finest wedding professionals Tallahassee has to offer.

Whether it be the perfect wedding dress, floral arrangement, wedding cake, honeymoon or venue, our showcase will leave no question unanswered.

Be sure to attend our education seminars, too, and discover the latest styles, trends and specialties that are available to you right here in Tallahassee!

Register for this spectacular showcase and Romantic Honeymoon Giveaway by logging on to www.goldeneaglecc.org and click on the link!

All participants must be present to win!

$5 Cover at the Door

Like so many decisions in any wedding, there is no established etiquette that demands or even suggests that you wear a certain style in a certain color to a courthouse wedding. With the brides that I have worked with in the past that are planning civil ceremonies, I have found that many turn from the traditional wedding gown styles and look more toward simple tea-length bridesmaid’s designs. Most, if not all, of these collections even carry neutrals and white color choices for such an occasion of wanting to feel like a bride without all of the frills.
You could consider looking for a sophisticated dress among the designer racks at department stores or in specialty boutiques. The new fall and winter collections are in stores now and are often designed a little more formal than the summer styles.
A formal suit with a skirt or slacks also are seen often in courthouse weddings as a more practical approach to dressing for the day. The jacket, slacks/skirt, and shirt or camisole would be available for use in your daily wardrobe even after the ceremony. To set yourself apart on your special day, consider finding a pair of flashy shoes or jewelry to dress the ensemble up.
During your hunt for the perfect dress, if you have something close, but not exactly like you want for your special day, consider having it altered more toward your dreamed design. Advance alterations will not only make the garment fit better, but it also is an opportunity for you to have drastic design changes made. For example, a sweetheart neckline rather than straight or a narrowed skirt rather than flared.
These are just some ideas of things that brides have discovered in the past when searching for their gowns. I hope they will help you in your journey to find the perfect wedding dress!
-Hayley Mann
Hayley Lauren Couture LLC
(850)668-0259

Located just outside Tallahassee, the Retreat is across from Bradley’s County Store off Centerville Road (approximately 12 miles from Capital Circle NE) with a beautiful view of Bradley’s Pond.

Bradley’s Pond is a one-stop shop for your rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception needs and is also perfect for seminars, meetings, parties and reunions.   From a private dressing room for the bride to a beautiful brick gas fireplace in the main room, the Retreat at Bradley’s Pond is an ideal location with a variety of thoughtful amenities.

One of the most beautiful features of the property is the pergola underneath the live oak trees facing the pond itself.  Whether you choose to have both your ceremony and reception at Bradley’s, or just a simple event, the view is one of simple splendor.

Historic pictures of the Bradley Family tastefully surround the walls of the main room.  There is a beautiful brick gas fireplace on one end and a performance cove on the other.  A dressing room for the bride with a vanity, full length mirror and settee are also part of the facility.

Offering brides a blank slate, the main room is adorned with historic images of the Bradley family and is decorated in a neutral palette that compliments any wedding décor.  Brides completely custom tailor their events with the ability to choose any caterer or bartender.  The location rental also includes the use of a full commercial kitchen, abundant onsite parking, as well as tables and chairs for up to 200 people.  The all day access begins at 8am and ends at midnight.

The Bradley’s Pond team includes Kathy Armstrong, Mr. Page and Michael Page.  Kathy is your contact from start to finish (the process of setting up an appointment to view the facility, booking the facility, the in-between time when you have questions or want to come back out and take another look and even after your event).  Mr. Page is our official tour guide (occasionally, Mr. Page will let Michael play that role) and will normally be the person that meets you at the facility at the specified date and time.  Michael and Mr. Page literally live two seconds from the building and can be there at a moment’s notice.

To learn more about The Retreat at Bradley’s Pond, visit www.bradleyspond.com

For this video, Waterford Productions received a Gold 2008 AVA Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals in the Special Event: Wedding Category.  The international competition recognizes outstanding work by creative professionals in writing, editing, directing and shooting video productions.

All month long, Star 98 will be giving away tickets to Tallahassee’s boutique bridal event, the TAWP Bridal Expo.  Ticket winners must be at the Expo on March 1st at the Leon County Civic Center for their chance to win this dream vacation!

The all-inclusive and recently refurbished Almond Casuarina Beach Resort combines elegant, natural settings with Caribbean sophistication. Set on 10 acres of tropical gardens and soft white sands, it’s simply paradise on the south coast of Barbados. Boasting 267 rooms, the resort provides unlimited food and beverage, with a choice of á la carte or buffet-style dining in a relaxed or upscale atmosphere, and guests can take part in diversions such as kayaking, sailing and windsurfing, a half-day picnic, yoga at sunrise or simply lying in the shade of a palm tree. Providing a service team to help guests plan their perfect vacation, Almond Resorts pioneered the distinctive “For You. About You.” concept, offering diverse sightseeing options, with a wide array of natural attractions, abundant sporting choices and lively nightlife.

So be sure to listen to Star 98 for your chance to win, and check back to www.TAWP.org for all the latest about the area’s most elite wedding event  For more information about the amazing honeymoon, visit www.almondresorts.com or call 1-800 4ALMOND.

To preregister for the expo, click here.

I am trying to plan my reception, but I am stumped on what songs to use for the different events.  What are some popular songs that are used?

Thanks!

Melissa B.

Expert Response from Steve Christian, Steve’s Party Mix

Below is a list of popular songs for each event from many different genres.  Hope this helps!

FIRST DANCE SONGS
Bless This Broken Road - Rascal Flatts
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo
From This Moment - Shania Twain
Truly, Madly, Deeply - Savage Garden
At Last - Etta James
Always and Forever - Heatwave
All My Life - K-Ci & Jojo
Because you Loved Me - Celine Dion
Everything I Do - Bryan Adams
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
In My Life - Beatles
Could I Have This Dance - Anne Murray
Don’t Want To Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart

DANCE WITH PARENTS
Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
I Loved Her First - Heartland
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Beautiful in My Eyes - Joshua Kadison
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison
Daddy’s Hands - Holly Dunn
Daddy’s Little Girl - Al Martino
Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion

SONGS FOR GARTER/BOUQUET TOSS
Rocky - Soundtrack
Girld Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
I’m Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
Legs - ZZ Top
Ladies Night - Kool & Gang
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
Bad Boys - Inner Circle
Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood

CAKE CUTTING
Love and Marriage - Frank Sinatra
Chapel of Love - Dixie Cups
I Got You babe - Sonny & Cher
Love Me Tender - Elvis
Happy Together - Turtles
Hit Me With Your Best Shot

MOST REQUESTED SONGS - ALL TIME
Electric Slide - Marcia Griffiths
Wild Thing - Tone Loc
Marcarena - Los Del Rio
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
Super Freak - Rick James
YMCA - Village People
Play That Funky Music
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Ice Ice baby - Vanilla Ice
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Thats The Way I Like It - KC & Sunshine Band
Brickhouse - Commodores
Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Old Time Rock & Roll - Bob Seger

MOST REQUESTED - RECENT
Low - FloRida
Soulja Boy - Soulja Boy
Cha Cha Slide - DJ Casper
Cupid - Cupid Shuffle
Yeah - Usher
Hey Ya - Outcast
Honk Tonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins
Mambo #5 - Lou Bega
I’m a Believer - Smashmouth
Here For The Party - Gretchen Wilson
Don’t Ya - Pussycat Dolls

TOP REQUESTS - DECADES
            60′S
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Can’t Get No Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Mony Mony - Tommy James
Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Hang On Sloopy - McCoys
Crazy - Patsy Cline
Proud Mary – CCR

        70′S
Sugar Sugar - Archies
Joy To The World - Three Dog Night
Rock & Roll Pt.2 - Gary Glitter
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk
You Can’t Hurry Love – Supremes

       DISCO
Stayin Alive - BeeGees
YMCA - Village People
That’s The Way I Like It - KC & Sunshine Band
Brickhouse - Commodores
Celebration - Kool & Gang
Play That Funky Music (White Boy) - Wild Cherry
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Get Down Tonight - KC & Sunshine Band
You Should be Dancing - BeeGees
Superfreak - Rick James
We Are Family - Sister Sledge

      80’s
Billie Jean - Michael jackson
What I Like About You - Romantics
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Love Shack - B-52’s
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Our Lips Are Sealed - GoGo’s
You Can’t Touch This - MC Hammer
Come On Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Brass Monkee - Beastie Boys
Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
We Got The Beat - GoGo’s

    50’s and other oldies
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Jailhouse Rock -Elvis
Tequila - Champs
Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin
Rock-N-Robin - Tommy Helms
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck berry

   LAST DANCE SONGS
Last Dance - Donna Summer
New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
I’ve Had The Time of My Life - Bell Medley & Jennifer Warnes
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Could I Have This Dance - Anne Murray
Goodnight Sweetheart – Spaniels

Planning a fall wedding, Katy gave herself 13 months to pull off the elegant southern themed event.  The focus of her planning was, “wanting our guests to feel really welcomed.  While we knew that this was an important day for us, we also recognized that this was a day to honor our family and friends who had come from near and far.”  Katy and Tyler faced a major challenge in planning their wedding—they were living in separate cities.  Tyler drove to Tallahassee on weekends and they would schedule vendor meetings and planning activities back to back so he could be involved in the process.

The day of the wedding, Katy and her bridesmaids gathered at the Governor’s Inn for their preparations.  The girls took over the Chiles suite with their makeup artist, dresses and yummy brunch.  Once ready, the girls headed to the streets for a quick portrait session.

Breaking with tradition, the couple chose to see each other before the ceremony and have some quiet time together.  Their photographer, Terri Smith, was assisted by fellow photographer Linda Long, and the two arranged for the couple to have the big reveal at the site of their first date, Andrew’s restaurant  in downtown Tallahassee.

“Our favorite part of the day was meeting each other before the ceremony for pictures. It was so meaningful to get to see each other just by ourselves and with the photographers. We got some nice shots and it helped calm our nerves. It meant more to us than seeing each other for the first time in front of 200+ people.”

After spending some time with the couple in downtown, the entire bridal party hopped on a trolley and headed for FSU’s Westcott fountain for more photos.

Once finished with portraits, it was time to head to the church—St. Paul’s Methodist. The church was decked out in amazing floral designs by their florist, Missy Gunnels.  The sweet, simple ceremony was a true reflection of the couple’s intimate devotion for one another.

After the ceremony, the party moved to the FSU Alumni Center for a candlelit reception.  The couple stopped outside for a few romantic nighttime portraits before heading in for their first dance.

“We served heavy hors’doeuvres and drinks, hoping that this would create more of a party atmosphere, which it did! Guests were out of their seats and on the dance floor.”  DJ, Steve Christian definitely helped with Katy’s wish, supplying a variety of great music that kept the party moving all evening!

Looking back, Katy says she would not change a thing and advises future brides, “Probably the most important thing to remember is to be patient when choosing vendors.  We met with many different people and found the best that we felt would suit our style and make the wedding day all that we had hoped for.”

TAWP Vendors:

Florist: Missy Gunnels Flowers

Photographers: Terri Smith Photo, Terri Smith

Long’s Photography, Linda Long

DJ: Steve Christian, Steve’s Party Mix

After much experimentation, Linda and Olyn created their own technique of “relaxed portraiture” which combines photojournalism and documentary coverage with more formal portraiture techniques. The result is images designed to make the subjects look their best, while capturing the winks, funny faces, passionate glances, excitement and joy that is a couple on their wedding day. Long’s Photography set itself apart by letting the personalities and love of their couples shine through in their images.

What started as a part-time weekend business quickly grew to be a full-time enterprise. Linda handles the day-to-day operations of the business including image editing, album design and client relations. Olyn is the techno-guru, handling all our technology– from the website to the shopping cart and the camera gear. Both Linda and Olyn photograph weddings and portraits– together and apart.

The portrait side of Long’s Photography took a very personal turn in 2006 when Linda and Olyn welcomed their first son into the world. As new parents, a new window of ideas opened and Long’s Photography launched their first studio space. Photographing children is not only rewarding, but it is also heartwarming. From infants to seniors, Linda and Olyn work to preserve moments in time that both children and parents can treasure.

Linda currently serves on the board of the Tallahassee Association of Wedding Professionals and has been elected Vice President of the organization for 2009. She also serves on the board of the Tallahassee Professional Photographers’ Association. Their work has been featured in Tallahassee Wedding & Reception Magazine and they were honored with the cover shoot for the 2008 issue.

To view samples of their work or for additional information, visit their website at www.LongsPhotography.com or their blog at www.LongsPhotographyblog.com

Each vendor will have a showroom to show brides examples of their work, to give brides the opportunity to stroll through a mall like atmosphere and chat with vendors they are interested in.  With the large format booths, not only will vendors have more area to show what they do, but brides will have a better opportunity to truly “shop”!

Brides will also have an opportunity to learn from local professionals.  TAWP vendors in each category from planners to photographers and travel agents will be presenting informational programs in the center area– teaching couples what to look for in vendors, what questions to ask and what some common mistakes might be.  So, girls, feel free to bring along the fiance, mom, sister or bridesmaid– they can get a mini-course in wedding planning while you shop the aisles!

Brides will also have an opportunity to win doorprizes– from free gifts to discounts on services, the doorprizes are a huge bonus!  Brides tickets are only $9, with each accompanying ticket at only $5!  Doors open at 1:00pm and the show ends at 4:00pm with a bridal fashion show.  Pre-registered brides will also receive FREE parking, so be sure to register online at TAWPExpoRegistration!

Any questions can be directed to the Expo chairperson, Linda Long at Linda@LongsPhotography.com.  Vendors interested in participating may contact Edna Hall at flowrmaker@aol.com