Central Florida Bella Collina Wedding

Central Florida Bella Collina Wedding

 Esther and Kenso’s Bella Collina Wedding

   Esther and Kenso fell in love with , and chose , the stunning Tuscany themed backdrop of Central Florida’s Bella Collina Wedding Venue for their Central Florida April wedding and what a wedding it was! How can you possibly go wrong with a gorgeous bride, a handsome groom, and a beautiful venue?? This beautiful Haitian couple chose a classic contemporary and elegant theme for their Central Florida wedding. We have such a history with Esther’s family  ( We have already photographed 3 of her siblings weddings with 2 to go!) that Stan and I were really excited as well as nervous about capturing Esther and Kenso’s Bella Collina Wedding just perfectly. Everything went smoothly with the talented team of Lynn Stuckas of Your Events by L & L  who was in charge of coordinating Esther and Kenso’s stunning Central Florida Bella Collina wedding. Esther’s flowers were just beautifully done by Weddings by Carly Anes,   and complimented her stunning mermaid dress from Demetrios Bridal. Her off white mermaid dress was heavily beaded, with lots of sparkle to compliment the dress, while the form fitting skirt enhanced and complimented Esther’s perfect curves. The finishing touches were hair and makeup and beautifully done by LeJeune Artistry  . The reception ballroom at Bella Collina was beautifully decorated with linens by Eli of  Linen Creations, and D.J Geordany Jean Baptiste made sure that the music was a crowd pleaser, playing a well rounded selection of music from soca to hip hop to R & B. Of course we must include that Esther and Kenso’s stunning Bella Collina Wedding was captured by S & S Photography and their beautiful video captured by Kelvin Aultman  .
   A little history….Esther and Kenso’s families have known each other for over 14 years. “My siblings are best friends with Kenso’s only 2 sisters, not to mention our fathers who are both ministers and are also friends. My siblings and Kenso’s sisters arranged a meet for me and Kenso, planned a big party and everything. And of course, I was resistant …lol, they failed to recall that I dislike parties/crowds and believe it or not, I , most of the time, just like to keep to myself. But, after several tries, I agreed to meet with him, only to find out what a great human being this guy was. All I can say is that our love story has only just started, and I hope it NEVER ends.”

Memories of a Central Florida Bella Collina Wedding

Esther’s favorite memory of the day was when Kenso was saying his vows to her, and she says Kenso’s favorite wedding day moment was when Esther was walking down the aisle towards him. Her advice to new brides, “Start planning early and avoid the stress if you can!” I asked Esther if she would do her stunning Central Florida Bella Collina Wedding all again and she said ,” DEFINITELY!!”

 

Bella Collina Dressing Room Bella Collin Bride Bella Collina exit Reception at Bella CollinaLeaving Bella Collina Cake cut at Bella Collina Bella Collina Wedding invitation Bella Collina sweet moment with groom first dance Bella Collina first dance bella collina bridal party entering bridal party fun bella collina wedding planner bella collina reflecting pond bella collina fountain bella collina photo bomb bella collina bell tower bella collina bride and groom bella collina bride veil blowing kissing groom bella collina bride and groom portrait bride veil blowing bella collina garden bella collina bridal party with bride and groom bella collina bride and groom with parents bella collina bride and groom ceremony bella collina ceremony on the lawn bella collina bride and dad walking bride and father bella collina bella collina fun bridal party entrance bella collina bridal party bella collina fun bridal party entrance bella collina groomsmen bella collina groomsmen groom and guys walking bella collina bella collina ring bearer bella collina groom portrait bella collina bridal portraitbella collina groom mens locker room bella collina bridesmaids bella collina fun bridesmaidsbella collina bride bouquetbella collina bride walking bella collina beautiful bridebella collina fun bridal portrait bella collina bride dressing locker room sexy shoes bride bella collina

 

 

The Ballroom at Church Street: Brandy and Dave’s Wedding

Ballroom at Church Street Wedding

 

  Brandy and Dave met working aboard the Disney Fantasy Cruise ship in 2013. Brandy worked with the cruise staff team while Dave worked on the ship wide tech team. After nearly 4 years of sailing the seven seas with Mickey Mouse, the two lovebirds decided it was time to start a life together on land, in far away New Zealand. For Brandy’s 28th birthday Dave surprised her with a fantastic trip to the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga, the northern most point of New Zealand. It was here, overlooking the ocean, on the last day of their trip, that Dave got down on one knee and popped the question. Brandy of course said “yes!” and the excitement of planning their September 22 nd wedding began.

  When planning their wedding Brandy and Dave wanted a theme that reflected their life together thus far. They loved traveling, and decided to go with a vintage travel theme to match the grandeur feeling of the Ballroom at Church Street Station in downtown Orlando. Each table was themed around a different city in the world that they had visited together and of course they had to incorporate , at the head table no less, the Disney Fantasy Ship where they met. A ” Where in the world are you sitting? ” map directed guests to which city in the world they would be sitting and dining at. Party favors included a delicious candy station which included many different treats from the U.S , the U.K and New Zealand. A nice personal touch were the added photographs of each of their grandparents, on their wedding days ,which added the perfect vintage touch to their Ballroom at Church Street Wedding.

  Since Brandy and Dave are from two different countries the most important thing they wanted to make sure happened on their wedding day was getting their friends and families together, allowing everyone to get to know each other. Their guests came all the way to Orlando from Australia, the United Kingdom and Switzerland to celebrate with them, and celebrate they did with delicious food, lively dancing and drinking all night long until their fiery sparkler departure. Their Ballroom at Church Street Station Wedding was a huge success, that brought together 2 families, and 2 different cultures.

  All wedding days are a blur but no one will forget the epic Maid of Honors ” rap speech ” nor the fun father/daughter mash up dance Brandy did with her dad. Dave’s fondest memory was the tender and sweet dance with his grandmother to her favorite song. Congratulations Brandy and Dave, your wedding was great fun and S&S wishes you both many many years of happiness together!!

 

Venue: The Ballroom Church Street Station

Hair : Primped Up Hair & Makeup

Make Up: https://www.beautespeciale.com/

Florist: Betty J’s Florist

DJ: Scott Messina Productions

Cake/Cupcakes: Party Flavors Custom Cakes

Event Coordinator: Purple Hype LLC – Sara King

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pam and Christopher’s sweet summer wedding

After 7 years of dating Chris unexpectedly proposed to Pam in June of 2015 at a Styx concert! “We had seen them twice before and were super excited to be able to go again. The show was incredible and we had a great hotel which we ended up at after the concert. Our room had a view overlooking a river and he suggested we take a walk along the boardwalk. I was a little curious since it was an odd time of night to go (around 11:30pm I think) but it was beautiful. We walked onto the bridge over the river and joked about how many spiders there were (I am afraid of them of course). He told me how much he loved me and promised he always would then asked if I would do the same and when I said yes he pulled out the ring. I promptly dropped the water bottle that I was holding onto his foot, I was so surprised! But we laughed and I practically screamed yes and the rest, as they say, is history.” Pam’s Mother had purchased a dress for her to wear at her prom many years ago at the Goodwill store in her high school home town of Lockhart , for $14.00. She ended up not being able to go to her Senior Prom and the dress stayed with her as she moved and relocated 3 times….she loved her dress too much to part with. No occasion seemed worthy of it, until Chris proposed…”After Christopher and I got engaged I had no doubt that I would wear my long lost dress, it was perfect. The theme, flowers and decor all fell into place after that! ” Stan and I loved Pam’s entire look…from her dress to her beautiful summer flowers in her hair, the inspiration coming from her childhood…”My mother wore a flower crown for her wedding and I remembered how much I loved playing with it when I was younger. I thought about buying a crown online but the cost was way higher than I expected and the colors were good but not perfect. It took many trips to a handful of craft stores but I was able to find the flowers that I really wanted and after reading some DIY articles I decided to make my own crown. All in all it cost around $35 (for the stuff I actually used) and took about 18 total hours.” The guest list for their intimate July 31st wedding was short..her parents, his parents , his sister and boyfriend and a favorite Aunt…”Our parents, my aunt, and Christopher’s sister and her boyfriend have truly been our support system and very best of friends over the last 5 years which made them the most important people to have with us on our wedding day.” The ceremony was in a beautiful park tucked away in a Longwood neighborhood, with dinner at Lake Mary’s FishBones.Congratulations to a sweet, unique and beautiful couple!!

Mike and Chey’s beautiful St. Augustine wedding

Mike Conley ( originally from New Hampshire ) and Cheryl Martin ( from Orlando) immediately hit it off when they met on E Harmony’s dating website back in 2010. Chey said they couldn’t stop talking to each other…that’s a good start I’d say. 2 months after actually meeting they started dating, December 13 th 2010.
The engagement….Mike and Cheryl had been stuck inside dealing with the freezing winter of New Hampshire. Cheryl had planned a mini vacation with one of her friends, Trinh, to go enjoy the warm weather of Florida. Mike appeared to be rather upset that Cheryl was going to Florida and to Disney without him. So, with a “frustrated” Mike at home, Cheryl and Trinh boarded their flight to Florida. Saturday came along with Mike hardly talking to Cheryl since her arrival, and she headed off to Disney with her family and friend. Little did Cheryl know that Mike and Trinh had been plotting for several months along with a few family members. They all were in on it! Cheryl and gang stopped at their traditional photo op spot in front of Cinderella’s castle. Cheryl’s dad smiled and told everyone to move in closer for the photo op. As soon as the photo was done, Cheryl could see what appeared to be Mike out of the corner of her eye. She was excited thinking that he had just decided to surprise her with the visit. But instead he stopped and got down on one knee! He asked Cheryl to marry him and even in her shocked state, she said yes!
The happy couple chose St. Augustine for their April 26 th wedding, with Lightner Museum the ceremony site and Casa Monica the reception location. Mike fell in love with the area when attending his Best Man Sean’s bachelor party…it reminded him of Boston, but in Florida. The couple are ” big on history” and they ” fell in love with the architecture, the paintings, and the sculptures of Lightner Museum” Chey said she instantly became obsessed with Casa Monica…”It was stunning and the rooms made you feel so elegant. The vintage look and the general vibe of the place made it a must for us.”
When I asked Chey what she loved the most about her wedding day she replied, “I loved that we could get all of our family together in a place that had so much history.” Mike’s response was the same, “friends and family from all over the country took time out from their schedules to travel with us to celebrate our special day. Everyone was so relaxed and happy to be with us”
Mike had very useful advice for future couples…
First off, once you propose, try to convince your new fiance to enjoy engagement for a month or two. There is NO RUSH to plan the wedding -no matter what she or anyone else says- and you are only engaged once. Take the first couple of months to do something while you are engaged so you have something to look back on during engagement. Plan a few weekends away, a road trip, or go to a few concerts. Why skip the excitement of being engaged and jump right to married life? We did this and are very happy that we did not rush into things.

Second, during your wedding weekend, it’s about you and your to-be wife. If anyone offers to help, let them. You will have the chance to repay the favor on their day.

Third, just before it is time to get dressed, set 30 minutes aside for you and your best man. Go grab a quick bite to eat or a drink and talk. It helped me relax and transition into the ceremony.

Lastly, take in the day. Sit back and capture little moments throughout the night. Watch from your chair as your friends and family share laughs. Enjoy how happy everyone is to be there for you. These micro-moments are for you and your bride to hold onto for the rest of your lives.
And Chey’s excellent advice…
Take a deep breath every time you start to feel stressed the week leading up to your wedding, it is easier said than done. But you can only control so much and you have to hope that the people who are in your bridal party will be there for you and help make your day what you imagined. And enjoy it, stressing over the little things will not fix them, you just have to roll with the punches and have a blast and enjoy your big day!
Mike and Chey are a very special, loving, caring , gorgeous and smart couple! Stan and I had an amazing day with them and wish them many, many years of happiness together!!!

Hair and Makeup

Flowers 

Cake

Coordinator

DJ

 

 

Arturo and Sam’s Maitland Art Center Wedding

There are many beautiful wedding venues throughout Central Florida but one of our personal favorites is the Maitland Art Center and that was the venue of choice for Arturo and Samantha’s March 19th wedding. After a move from Texas the happily engaged couple fell in love with the Maitland Art Center which, according to Arturo, was a “surreal location. We both like the rustic look and the outdoors. The architectural elements are amazing, great for photos!” The happy couple choose a fairytale and whimsical theme and enjoyed very much designing and making their own wedding decorations. We encountered rain that day, typical as a central Florida wedding photographer to be challenged by the elements, but luckily it cleared just in time for our photography session with Samantha, and thankfully it stayed away for the rest of the afternoon. Arturo’s favorite memory of that day he says was, “Sam walking down the aisle, our first kiss, our first dance,so many…it was EVERYTHING!” That answer embodies the spirit of this wonderful couple. They were surrounded by so many friends & family along with laughter & love. So much depends on our ability to do our job and do it well…such a stressful job…and we want EVERY client to be thrilled with their pictures, no exception, it’s all about customer satisfaction. I asked Arturo and Sam what their experience with S & S Photography was like and their answer…”AMAZING!” We’ll take that!! Congratulations Sam and Arturo, we wish you many many years of happiness and joy!! Click this link  https://snsweddings.com/clientgallery/samblog/ to view more of their wedding pictures.

 

Karla and Steven’s Championsgate Wedding

Karla & Steven Bayes chose one of Orlando’s premier wedding locations for their beautiful March wedding…yes we are late posting this but better late than never! Orlando’s ChampionsGate Resort is a gorgeous Central Florida location perfectly suited to hosting Central Florida weddings. This venue is beautifully decorated, especially the courtyard and ballrooms. The accommodations are luxurious , the cuisine exceptional and the service superb. S & S Photography enjoyed working with a talented , organized and detail oriented co-ordinator and her team, Xiomarra Sanchez, owner of A Nite To Remember Events. ( Niteevents.com) Xiomarra and her team ensured that every detail, every desire, every element and every aspect of the wedding day was meticulously addressed , handled and taken care of immediately,for the bride and groom. When I asked Xiomarra why Steven and Karla chose S & S Photography for their Central Florida wedding photography needs she answered…”S & S was a no brainer when picking a wedding photographer for Karla and Steven. Charlene and Stan were the photographers for Karla’s Mothers wedding a few years back and they LOVED them! Working with S & S is EASY and a PLEASURE. I LOVE Charlene’s energy. The pictures speak for themselves. EXCELLENT photography and an EXCELLENT company”. We always look forward to working with A Nite To Remember Events and we look forward to the change in photography needs of Karla and Steven…from being their wedding photographers to, one day, becoming their FAMILY photographers!

Pro One Video

Jillian Caro 

Lange Farm Wedding

Lange Farm has acres of sweeping views that embraces a rustic country charm making it a wonderful setting for Central Florida weddings. Megan and Nick chose the seclusion of Lange Farm, just 30 minutes outside of Tampa, for their Central Florida wedding ceremony and reception. With over 80 acres Lange Farm embraces nature and pushes the hustle and bustle of daily life aside and allows its guests to relax and enjoy the surrounding scenery. As photographers Stan and I welcome the opportunity to travel to beautiful locations like Lange Farm…every direction we turn is another beautiful backdrop of scenery for beautiful wedding photographs. Congratulations Megan and Nick, thanks for choosing S & S!

 

Pensacola Wedding Photography

Adam and Tiffany chose their old college stomping grounds for their wedding this weekend in Pensacola and we are so honored to have been brought in to cover the event. We shoot primarily Central Florida weddings but have now covered all corners of the state, from Jacksonville down to the Keys, Sarasota over to Cocoa , and now beautiful Pensacola. Although it was quite a drive we have travelled further…Tucson AZ, North Carolina, Trinidad and even South Africa! This weekend Stan and I travelled almost 1000 miles and enjoyed every minute of it…did I mention that we left 3 kids behind…perhaps part of the reason we had such a good time, seems breaks from parenting are quite refreshing! We had a fun group to work with, a beautiful couple, lovely location and soft afternoon light. We even enjoyed a side trip on our way home to see Florida’s only caves at the Caverns State Pk in Marianna. Thanks for choosing Stan and I to be your Pensacola wedding photographers Tiffany and Adam, congratulations and many long years of happiness to you both!

 

 

 

 

 

Orlando wedding Photographer

Winter Park Farmer’s Market Wedding Photographers

Samantha and Josh definitely are one of the most unconventional couples we’ve had the pleasure of working for! After experiencing many life changing moments together like the birth of their son Jagger, buying a new home together, and being together for 9 yrs, marriage was not a priority says Sam. But, when Josh did propose, Sam says “It was on!”

They chose the Winter Park Farmers Market for both the ceremony and reception, and then the dress shopping began. Sam and her Maid of Honor Amanda headed to Bloomingdales where Sam saw, and urged by Amanda tried on, a beautiful blue dress. When she saw it she thought, “OMG that dress is beautiful!” But is was blue…so the search continued.

On another day, with Mom in tow, Sam tried on many traditional white, beige and blush dresses, but none was just right. Back at Bloomingdales they headed, where Amanda snuck in, amidst the traditional dresses, the blue one. That blue dress was the last dress Sam tried on and when her and her Mom both began to cry she knew it was THE ONE!

“It was the first I ever tried on and it became the last. I felt like myself in it!” Sam’s theme was vintage, rustic chic…very simple and relaxed. Her hair was classic vintage, and she choose a stunning diamond headband to complement and not overpower her hairstyle and dress.

Hairstylists Carrie Brown and Danielle Watkins at www.beautyagogofl.com did a beautiful job!

“What I loved most about S & S Photography is that their personalities were so amazing. Charlene and Stan were able to capture some of the most amazing moments during the wedding that I will always have! I am grateful to them for making our pictures amazing!”

orlando wedding photography

Ruth & Daniel’s Princess Wedding

In 2005 Ruth Cherubin and her family left Haiti for Florida and it wasn’t too long before she met and fell in love with her Prince Charming, Daniel Uva. Ruth picked the first dress she tried on at David’s Bridal! In her words it was “the only one I could see myself walking down the aisle to Daniel.”

Her choice of a Princess/ Cinderella type dress was perfect as she always “thinks of her husband as Price Charming” and he certainly looked the part in his classic, elegant black tux. The couple’s color scheme centered around Ruth’s love for the color red which to her represents passion and romance. The champagne accents represent elegance and class, two colors that represent the love they share and the fact that they are each other’s first love.

Love runs strong and true in Ruth’s family. Her parents flew in Pastor Raymond Brinks to perform the March 6th ceremony at Mystic Dunes…the same Pastor that married her parents in 1984! We wish this smart and beautiful couple a lifetime of happiness!

Hair and Makeup by BRELUXE
Flowers by JOHNATHANS

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