Solutions Bridal Expo 2009

Thank you to all the vendors and brides who participated in the 2009 Solutions Bridal Expo!! What a great event it was this year, including time with each vendor available, a mock reception to see what your wedding reception could look like, a fashion show with beautiful designer gowns and even Free prizes!! We are looking forward to the next one already! Check out a few shots we took and a few from TJMorrisey Photography! Thanks again to all!! ~A`vie

*Photo by TJMorrisey
Angela announcing the Little Bridal Book available for Brides at the show with vendor information and articles. What a great touch!

*Photo by TJMorrisey

Angela and Amy drawing for free prizes.

*Photo by TJMorrisey

Part of our A`vie's booth. Centerpiece provided by The Plant Shoppe.

Beautiful flyers given out by A`vie designed by Footstone Photography and Design.

Set up for the mock reception. Thanks to PartyTime for the outside tent area. Gorgeous!

Stage setup for the Solotions Bridal Fashion Show

VIP seating. VIP brides where able to be the first to get in the door at Registration to talk with the vendors first, they had front row seating to the Fashion show, received a gift and special cake during the show.

Caroline X2

Two Weddings

Two Grooms

Two (separate) Brides named Caroline

One from Chicago
One from Gainesville

Same name, same wedding date, different weddings but both special to each one individually.


Yes, A`vie has two weddings on the same day with both brides named Caroline! We are thrilled for both of our Caroline's! One will be married at Holy Trinity Episcopal with a reception at The Thomas Center, and the other Caroline will be married at First Baptist Church and a reception to follow. Angela and Amy will be seeing double Caroline!

Enjoy your beautiful day ladies!

Carlson's 50th Anniversary

We had the privilege of coordinating The Carlson 50th Anniversary party on August 8. It was a very special and unique event for many reasons. For starters, our client (daughter of the couple) lives in North Carolina and we did not get to meet her until one day before the event! A’vie was able to recommend vendors and her final choices included Plantation Hall at Haile for the venue, Celebrations Catering, The Plant Shoppe, Ms. Debbie’s Sugar Art, Eric Redmond as the pianist, Paul from Footstone Photography, and Professional Valet Parking Systems. As guests arrived cocktails and appetizers were served while the wedding video played on the projector screen. Yes, there was video footage of the wedding from 50 years ago! During dinner a slideshow with music played for guests- it was a huge hit! Then came the surprise…Father Tim was there to renew their wedding vows! A bouquet was brought to Mrs. Carlson and she joined her husband in front of all 85 guests to recite the vows they said 50 years ago. Then the couple danced to “Wind Beneath My Wings” which was beautifully performed by Eric. To follow suit of a wedding, the couple ceremoniously cut the beautiful three tiered cake. To honor this special couple and their huge accomplishment, the microphone was passed around to almost a dozen guests to give a toast! The beautiful flower arrangements were given by our client as gifts to several guests and vendors as well! It was a pleasure to be a part of this fantastic celebration of love and family. From all of us at A’vie: Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Carlson!
~Noelle

P.S. Pictures to come from Footstone Photography

Keri and Cole's Wedding was beautiful and simple but a WIN for all

Keri and Cole were married June 14th at the Baughman Center. Family and friends celebrated during the reception at Plantation Hall at Haile following the ceremony. Here is Angela helping the beautiful bride, Keri, get ready!

The Plant Shoppe brightened up the room with these stunning blue hydrangeas and roses!

Keri and Cole added their own style by placing this picture of them on their guestbook table. In the middle is a picture of Keri and Cole, and above and below is each of their parents on their wedding day!

Wayne’s World provided the musical entertainment and the photographer Caroline Johnson and videographer Mike, from Videotronics, were there to capture every moment! Catering by Anne provided delicious southern-style food, and Ms. Debbie’s Sugar Art made this beautiful cake!

We had so much fun! Thanks Keri and Cole for letting us be a part of your special day!

Benay, Angela, Lindsay & Denise

~Lindsay

Feeling Butterflies

Megan Teague and Bryan Tucker were married this past weekend, Saturday, May 30th, 2009 at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The ceremony and reception took place in front of a ceiling-high animal fossil of the Mammoth in the foyer of the museum. Everyone felt butterflies watching the happy couple, then actually saw the butterflies after the ceremony in the Butterfly exhibit! Guests were invited to a live butterfly release in the museum’s own butterfly rainforest, where exotic butterflies are released in addition to the 55 different species of butterflies already inside. Here at A’vie, we’d like to thank the museum staff and all of the vendors who helped make this special day exceptional for “Almost Dr.” and Mrs. Bryan Tucker!

~Lindsay

Martina and Ryan's Wedding

You haven't seen nothing yet. We had the most fun at Martina and Ryan's wedding in October. Their wedding ceremony and reception was Plantation Hall at Haile inside the Haile Village Center. We took so over the 'Square' area with their ceremony 'On the Square' and then the cocktail hour under the trees and then the reception in Plantation Hall with a tent brought in for all our guests so the reception hall was left for our food from Celebrations and Music from Jay's Entertainment. The food was outstanding and delicious and fit the theme of the wedding perfectly. A reception is never complete without so much so we were dancing under the watchful eyes of Jay's Entertainment, Darren and Rodney. They know how to keep the party going.

No party can happen without some fun photographers that really like to party so here we go with K-Gallery's pictures. Matt and Krystal you really out did yourself. You 'Rocked' with some amazing pictures.

So to match Martina's style and personality we were blessed to have all the flowers done by The Plant Shoppe. Betsy did a spectular job on her flowers with all those unique fun and different. If you are ever in need of something off the wall you need to talk with Betsy.

True Beauty!
So just for some more fun with the wedding party we went to Sharab's downtown for some drinks and great shots.

Just a 'Little Sexy Bride'

Some wonderful pictures before they met all the rest of their wedding party

Their first time meeting each other. I love when we do this before a wedding. It makes it so much easier on all. You are able to have time together without anyone watching, except some cameras, but you have to have those memories captured.

We highly encourage you to exchange a personal card and/or gift if you are open to it. Ryan surprised Martina with his grandmothers diamond in a unique setting. It was just as stunning as Martina.

WOW!!! Vivacious Bride

Sweetheart Table with some beautiful accessories. We provided the linens. Aren't they gorgeous.

Look at the lovely couple
Just a little something from Martina to Ryan

Finally to the evening was a cake by Danette Drageset.

Until we dance again...we shall have beautiful memories of your wedding day.

~Angela and the A`vie Ladies

Martina and Ryan's Wedding at Plantation Hall at Haile

....Martina and Ryan's wedding was so much fun. I just love it when we get the opportunity to work with a fun couple. It makes our job even easier. We were able to do so many unique items for them from decorating, signature drinks and the coolest colors ever. We had the privilege to work with K-Gallery as our photographer...if you know them you know we had a lot of fun. Even when they took our whole wedding party to Sharab's. I am so glad that we were able to get them out of there. I thought I might have lost them. They were having way too much fun. Even before the wedding and reception began.

The pictures are yet to come but wait until you see the knock out bouquet that Betsy from The Plant Shoppe did. She rocked the bouquet. The bride received chills when she saw it for the first time. I just love it when everything comes together. Makes it worth every meeting and every phone call and all the emails.

It didn't stop there we still have great food from Celebrations and music from Jay's Entertainment to wrap the evening up. What a day of Celebration, Fun, Fantastic Weather and a Great Bride and Groom.

To all that came and were there...wait to see the pictures. They are going to be amazing from K-Gallery. ~Angela

Megan and Frank

As we get closer to the fall Wedding season we wanted to recap one of our favorite weddings from last fall- Megan and Frank Beidler. They held their ceremony and reception on the Hauswirth family property and it was nothing short of spectacular. This 3 day event was a brides dream full of family, friends, and fun! Megan and Frank kicked off their wedding weekend Friday night with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for their family and wedding party and then opened up the historic Thomas Center for a Champagne Reception. The night included piano music played by Jonathan Gil, a lavish fruit, cheese and vegetable display as well as desserts by Chef's Brothers catering. Guests were also given a lesson in the history of the Thomas Center by the lovely Sayers dressed in full costume.

Saturday brought even more delightful Wedding day cheer as guests arrived in charter buses provided by A Candies Limousine. They approached the beautiful ceremony site over looking Paynes Prairie through two massive old oaks ornamented with Spanish moss. Along side the ceremony was a massive tent set by Party Time Rentals for their nearly 400 person guest list. Guest's ears were charmed with the music of "Patchwork" a 5 piece wandering orchestra during the ceremony as Megan and Frank said their " I Do's". Our favorite part of the ceremony had to be the children's parade which did not include one ring bearer and one flower girl, but a parade of about 20 small children. The girls tossed flower petals and the boys rang bells as they all skipped down the aisle to let guests know the bride was on her way.

The reception was nothing short of amazing with the delicious southern inspired buffet done again by Chef Brothers, beautiful centerpieces from The Plant Shoppe, cupcakes to die for by Ms. Debbie's Sugar Art, and a flawless performance from the band The Tremors and the Earthquake Horns - what a fabulous band! Thankfully we had the pleasure of having the K-Gallery photographers there to capture all these wonderful memories!

Megan and Frank finished out the weekend with a Farewell Brunch held at Albert's restaurant at the Hilton University of Florida.

Here is what Frank had to say about his wedding day and his experience with A'vie:

On behalf of Megan and myself I just wanted to say “thank you” one more time for helping with our “big day.” I hear so many friends tell us that they don’t get to enjoy their own weddings. We didn’t feel that way. In fact, at various points throughout our engagement friends would ask how “stressed” we were. Thanks to A’vie our stress was minimal. I think in retrospect that was the biggest value of having a wedding planner. A’vie made the plans, timelines, delivery dates, etc. and let us focus on decisions like where everyone should be seated. It was a wonderful arrangement. There’s simply no question in my mind that for people sitting on the fence about whether to arrange for a wedding planner A’vie is the right choice. It’s a life saver. The staff is so friendly and so organized I just can’t imagine we would have had as great a wedding without them. And I know – for a fact – that we would have been so busy worrying about the details that we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it