This sweet couple, Laurie and Jeff, were married in Jeff’s hometown of Sanibel island, Florida. Laurie’s son walked her down the aisle, while her daughter was maid of honor. This was such a lovely way to involve family and their wedding photos are bursting with love!

Tell us about the wedding!
Both of our families are Jewish. We are considered reform, more of a relaxed Jewish culture. The wedding was intimate and formal with lots of love and romance. We had relatives and friends travel from as far as Maine to our beautiful Florida.

The ceremony and reception were at the Sanibel Harbor Marriott Resort & Spa which was just across the water from where my husband grew up on Sanibel Island. My son Ethan walked me down the aisle and my daughter Sydney was my maid of honor. My husband Jeffrey had his twin brother Scott as his best man and his step brother Mike as his groomsman.

We wanted a simple but traditional ceremony. We had a white chuppah custom made on site, we shared challah and kosher wine during the ceremony and had the breaking of the glass at the end of the ceremony. Our wedding ketubah was a painting on canvas designed by artist Judith Joseph. The ring we selected for my husband is inscribed with the hebrew wedding vows we exchanged.

During the reception we danced the Horah and my new husband and I were lifted up on chairs and danced/carried around the room… We actually made sure the ceilings were high enough for this when we picked the ballroom (lol!).

What was the inspiration for your wedding?
Our colors were white, ivory and gold. The theme was romantic and sparkly. We used only white flowers for tables and personal arrangements and a few large succulents because Jeff and I love those type of plants and Jeff is an accomplished bromeliad, orchid, cycad gardener as a hobby. He also loves birds and so we used table names that were (for the most part) local birds. The gold sequin tablecloths made just for our wedding were more for me… Loved them!

What was the hardest part about wedding planning?
Our beautiful waterfront venue was about an hour and a half from home so selecting vendors and having meetings was a little challenging because of the distance. However all on our team did a fantastic job and they all accommodated us with email or phone conferences when we couldn’t meet in person.

Did you do any DIY (do it yourself) or special projects/things at the wedding?
I designed and printed all of the programs, table name signs, and seating cards. It is not something I would do again… I have great ideas but the execution was harder than I expected. I also made and painted the framed seating chart… that went a little better.

What was your favorite part of the wedding?
My favorite part was the 15 minutes before the ceremony to when the doors opened to allow my son and I to enter the ceremony … I had special time with my daughter and son and then, wow, when those doors opened there was a rush, actually felt like a wave, of love and joy and excitement that hit me when our family and guests turned to see us enter. I don’t remember my feet touching the floor all the way to the chuppah to meet Jeffrey!

My 13 year-old daughter Sydney gave a fantastic maid of honor toast that included references to pepper, Chris Farley, and learning to ride a bike. Our best man Scott was uncharacteristically emotional during his toast, his speech was touching and funny and made is feel very special.

What 3 words of advice do you have for future brides/grooms-to-be?
Breathe… Smile… Remember

Thank you so much for sharing Laurie! Mazel tov to you and Jeff and the family!

Now for beautiful wedding photos from their wedding. Photos by  Maria Angela Photography.

{Wedding Suppliers}

Photographer:  Maria Angela Photography // Dress Designer: Justin Alexander // Shoes:Badgley Mishka // Floral Designer:Focus Florals // Cake Designer: Kakes by Karen//DJ: Ron Rutz // Reception Venue:Sanibel Harbour Marriott // Dress Store: The Perfect Dress // Tuxedo and Mens Attire:Vera Wang