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Christina and Janet met in an NYC bar in 2013. Christina says that she spotted Janet across the bar, smiling and chatting with her friends. Mesmerized by her beauty, she could not speak a word when she approached Janet so she did the first thing she could think to do and that was poke Janet in her side to get her attention…..creepy, yes. But it worked. Instantly their chemistry & attraction to one another was unlike anything they had ever experienced. They had the look of love in their eyes.
They separated for a few years but as they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder and Christina could not stop thinking about Janet.
“I wondered what she was up to, where she was traveling to (Janet was a flight attendant) and hoped one day we would be together again.”
After reuniting in 2018, it wasn’t until they moved in together that Christina realized that Janet had made a warm, loving home for them and their cat, Cocoa Kitty, and that’s where she always wanted to be, right next to her, forever.
“When Janet had knee surgery in 2019, she had a difficult time getting around our apartment, was unable to shower, use the bathroom, get in and out of bed, etc. I remember thinking, at her weakest moment, I want to be her strength forever. “
So Christina planned her proposal. They were in their apartment in New Jersey and while Janet was making dinner Christina prepared the living room with candles, flowers, dim lighting, romantic music, and a photo collage of them playing on the TV. Christina had also purchased a blinged out collar for Cocoa Kitty and when Janet joined her on the couch holding their fur baby, Christina asked if she could be her furever Mommy (Cocoa Kitty was initially Janet’s cat) then she got on one knee and asked Janet to be her forever love… Janet said yes!!
And then the planning began…
During the tough time we all know as The Covid Years, they wanted to figure out a way where they could incorporate a vacation with their closest friends and family for their wedding. Since travel was limited in certain states, it seemed easier for their loved ones to travel down to Orlando. With Janet being a flight attendant and Christina’s love for jet-setting, they decided on a travel themed beach wedding and chose navy blue, teal, rose gold, & ivory as their colors to represent the sky, the ocean, the sand, their love, and their pure intentions. For their guest tables, they chose blue linens and used tall clear vases with varying heights filled with water and floating candles on the surface. Greenery and white roses surrounded the vases making a beautiful centerpiece. For their place settings they used large faux monstera leaves with a folded napkin and, the pièce de résistance, the favor, a custom wine bottle opener in the shape of a plane.
For the venue…
As soon as Christina and Janet stepped foot into Margaritaville, they knew this is where they wanted to have their wedding. From luscious tropical floral décor in the hotel lobby, to the sounds of Jimmy Buffett (they’re Parrotheads!), to the beautiful sights from the Anchor Terrace, and the warm glowing sunset in the background - this was their spot, this is where they would become wives. Since this was the first time that many family members were going to be traveling since COVID began, it allowed for them to stay close by or plan a vacation around the couple’s wedding weekend.
For their wedding day must-haves, Christina and Janet wanted their guests to dress comfortably and casually - “Beach Wedding Attire”- meaning flip flops, sundresses, and floral shirts to match the décor at Margaritaville. Next was an awesome DJ (Shout out to Our DJ Rocks - we love you!) because Christina wanted to dance all night long. For décor, they wanted rainbows everywhere, but elegantly, all around their ceremony - guests held flags as they were pronounced wives! Janet also wanted to have a memorial dedicated to her parents - there was a reserved spot during their ceremony and reception and bagpipers performed during cocktail hour as an homage to their parent’s heritage.
Christina and Janet had an amazing day, but when asked if there was anything they would do differently, they said there were a few regrets that came to mind, but nothing that totally ruined their day. Here are their suggestions for you in your planning process.....
After they had signed their contract with Margaritaville, construction began to expand the property. The construction site became the backdrop to their wedding, which Margaritaville strategically hid in order to not affect their pictures or wedding, but dirt mounds can still be seen in the background of some pictures. They regretted not taking the time to create a shot list that included locations for where they wanted their photos taken.
🔥HOT TIP🔥: If your photographer has never been to the venue before, ask them if they would be willing to do a walkthrough to outline photo spots so you can make a complete shot list. It’s a great chance to see your photographer again, get them to know your vendors (ahem, your coordinator) and you can talk through your photo locations so that unfortunate nuances like these don't occur.
Since most of their guests were on vacation they didn’t want them to feel obligated to attend a ton of wedding events but instead, enjoy their visit to Orlando. That being said they regretted not having a welcoming party or an after party in order to have more time with everyone.
🔥HOT TIP🔥: Combine your rehearsal dinner with a welcome dinner or drinks. It doesn’t have to be fancy or cost as much as your dinner. Simply a gathering at a local watering hole will do!
Lastly, they wished more people took advantage of the photo/video booth and signed the guest book.
🔥HOT TIP🔥 - Ask your DJ during your meetings with them to announce the guest book, the dessert table, and any activities like photo and video booth. Just a small reminder for guests to participate in your well curated activities and yummy desserts!
Despite those few things that they regretted, they still had an amazing day and made the most memorable moments. It’s important to remember those incredible moments that mean the world to you on your wedding day. Soak them in and cherish them forever.
For Christina, it was the moment that
“...our wedding officiant, our friend, Captain Bob, pronounced us as wives, kissing my new wife, turning around and seeing our family, cheering & smiling, waving rainbow flags, and walking down the aisle to “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John.”
For Janet, it was walking up on the opposite sides of the altar simultaneously. Janet was accompanied by her sister and brother and Christina by her mother and father. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri played in the background which made for the perfect entrance. It was important to them, as women, to be equal during their ceremony. They didn’t feel it was fair to have either one of them standing or waiting for the other to arrive as in traditional wedding ceremonies.
We LOVE this idea and the layout at Margaritaville that made this possible!
We can tell you over and over why we love wedding planning but it’s so great to hear that that translates to our couples. We asked Christina and Janet why they chose us and their answer was easy…
“That’s an easy question: CHELSEA! We vibed with her instantly! She understood exactly what we had envisioned in our minds and was able to plan every detail out and put onto paper what needed to get done. She created our vision board and hit the nail on the head on everything we had described to her. Also, no other coordinator seemed to have had a genuine interest in our wedding. Chelsea was in it FOR US! We can’t say enough GREAT things about her, Morgan and Ashley. They made us have the best wedding ever!”
There’s always that one something that couples stress out over but when looking back on it, there was actually nothing to stress about at all! Christina and Janet’s unruly stressors were the dancefloor and the donut table:
“When we saw the reception floor plan, we thought the dance floor wasn’t going to be big enough, which was silly because there was plenty of space to dance! Secondly, we had planned to do a donut table ourselves, which fell through during the wedding weekend because the donut stands were all on backorder. We had also had desserts and treats for our guests but there wasn’t enough since there were no donuts. Also, some people took more than they should have which also caused a shortage. 🙁 In hindsight, we should have given this donut table idea to Chelsea and her team and had them execute the plan because there would not have been any stone unturned.”
For every experience you have there are always things to be learned. Since we hope you only have one wedding, these learned experiences get passed on to other couples, like you, for things to do/not do on your wedding day. For Christina and Janet their words of wisdom are as follows:
Stick to your budget but prepare for last minute additional expenses.
Be sure to have a clear conversation with your partner on any must haves or wish list items. It’s better to over plan and over budget than to scramble last minute to figure out how everyone is going to be paid.
On the day of the wedding, have fun! Months and months of planning are all to make your wedding the most precious event of your life. Enjoy the moments because the day will go super duper fast!
And the most important advice of all: “Brides, shower/bathe as soon as you wake up because the moment your people start to arrive on the day of, you’ll be on someone else’s time and you don’t want to stress about anything on your wedding day!”
We absolutely adored being a part of Christina and Janet’s day! Remember, when planning your wedding, do the things that are important and have meaning to you! Don’t sweat the small stuff and most of all, LET YOUR PLANNER HELP YOU!
Did this get you thinking about a few things a planner might be able to help you and your fiancé with? Schedule a consultation call today and we’d be honored to help your day be flawless. !
Stellar Vendor Team
Planner: @seasyourdayevents
Cake: @cakeandbakefla
Photographer: @annamadisonphotography
Florist: @amyblossoms
Venue: @margaritavilleresortorlando
DJ: @ourdjrocks
Hair and Makeup: @gutzandglam