Jasmine's Wrap-up

It amazes me how quickly six weeks can go by when you are having as much fun and learning as much as I have been while working at A’vie Weddings and Events. I came into my volunteering position this summer eager to acquire as much knowledge as possible about event planning and implementation. I was excited that I would be lending a helping hand with weddings in particular as they are a very unique and personal type of event. Due to time constraints, I was only able to assist directly with three weddings, but that was plenty to give me a taste of the hard work and dedication that goes into making these events come to life.

The very first weekend of the semester, I already had my first event to look forward to, which was the Deller-Karahalios wedding. It took place at the parents of the groom’s home in Earleton, FL. Because it was an outdoor wedding in the month of May in Florida, we were hoping that the weather would cooperate, but it did not. Rainy conditions were experienced, but thankfully, it was before and after the ceremony. On a more positive note, the reception décor was beautiful, and the buffet food and cake provided by Celebrations Catering and Ms. Debbie’s Sugar Art were delicious. This wedding took a great deal of effort and perseverance to put together, but the turnout was phenomenal and I enjoyed beginning with a bang.

Two weeks later, I worked a Jewish-style wedding of the Keathley-Rubin families. The ceremony took place in the Turtle Court of the Thomas Center, which provided a gorgeous backdrop for photography. It was at this wedding that I had the pleasure of witnessing the fantastic DJs of Jay’s Entertainment in action, all of whom had lively and fun personalities. They did an excellent job of keeping everyone on the dance floor well into the evening. However, there was a lot of construction on the exterior of the building, making it a less aesthetically pleasing venue for the guests as they first arrived. This was a wedding bursting with traditions, including the fabulous “something blue” shoes that the bride wore.

The final event that I had the pleasure of working was the Cauthen-Hall wedding at the University Auditorium on UF campus and the reception at the UF Hilton. This was the first wedding in which there was a transition from one location to another between ceremony and reception, which I think went very smoothly but would not choose to do over a single location. Stunning shades of berry accented every part of this event beautifully, and Jay’s Entertainment was present once again with as much energy and enthusiasm as they had at the previous wedding. This was the most relaxed of the three events I worked and I was happy to end on a very high note.

It is difficult to sum up all that I have learned, but I will provide a few of my personal suggestions: opt not to have a wedding outdoors; have Ms. Debbie’s Sugar Art bake the wedding cake; have Darrin from Jay’s Entertainment as the DJ; do not invite more guests than can fit comfortably at the venue; try not to transition between ceremony and reception; and most of all, have fun! All in all, I feel honored to have been able to gain further experience in my field of study with A’vie.

~Jasmine Garcia