• Real Weddings

After dating for six years and being engaged for one, Trish and Morgan were very excited to finally tie the knot! By incorporating the talents o the couples' families and friends, they created a classic wedding day with a touch of whimsey. We know that you are going to love so much of this posh pink and black wedding. Perhaps ... the delicious Monique Lhuillier gown or their venue, The Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine. A venue rich in history and full of luxury.
As always, you must see more of this pink posh wedding. Check out the full gallery here, fantastically photographed by Claire Marika Photography. Be sure to read on to hear some advice from the bride on things she would have done differently and a few things she was glad she did do. All great advice.

From the Bride:At first, we had no idea what kind of wedding we wanted, though we knew a few things for sure — our dogs would be there and it would be a hell of a party. Our dogs are a part of our family, Lilly made a perfect flower girl and Rocco was a star as ring bearer!

Then I found the dress, well, actually my dad found the dress — but the point is the dress (by Monique Lhuillier) changed everything. I think that happens to a lot of brides, where one element suddenly sets the tone of your wedding. The dress upped the ante. My dad raised me and was super involved in the planning of our wedding. He added so many excellent additions to make our day true perfection!

I am a photographer and artist, so luckily I have a lot of creative friends that were able to help with all the details! I designed the logo and wedding programs by finding free vintage postcard printables online and combining them with font to make a desired effect, I also created the logo for our wedding website this way. I wanted a consistency in everything, so I used the same imagery on the place cards — which was a pain, but worth it!

The imagery on the place cards was actually a secret code indicating food choices to the servers. I couldn't find any invitation to match our wedding style, so Naomi Shiek from Woodland Papercuts took inspirations from our venue and the wedding logo I created (with the magnolia) and custom cut us an elegant invitation.

On The Venue: Casa Monica Hotel breathtaking architecture, lush tropical gardens and flowing fountains give one the impression of a wedding set in paradise. Whether you are envisioning a grand gala or intimate celebration, Casa Monica Hotel offers the romance, luxury, and ambiance that will be sure to sweep you off your feet. The ultimate setting for magical weddings,

Being a photographer also helped me realize the importance of other factors to help the day run smoothly and get the photos we wanted — one was that we absolutely must do first look photos so we could enjoy the cocktail hour, the other was the importance of LIGHT. I asked Tagas Events to add the glowing lanterns to the room to add another element to our photographs. Of course we loved that Morgan and Trish used our free printable for their Thank You Photo. You can download and customize yours here.

Trish and Morgan gave their wedding party gifts in customized Wedding Chicks tote bags and gave the grandmas and the mother of the groom customized Wedding Chicks Keepsake Hankies. Check out the Wedding Chicks Shop to find more customizable gift ideas for your wedding party!

Check out the wedding video from Claire Marika Photography below to get a closer look at this whimsical wedding!

https://vimeo.com/55044235

Photographer & Cinematography: Claire Marika Photography Event Designer: The Wedding Authority Venue: Casa Monica Hotel Cake: Sweet Weddings Bakery DJ & Officiant: Junction 88 Productions Dress Designer & Veil: Monique Lhuillier Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse Jewelry: BHLDN Lighting: Tagas Events Stationery: Woodland Papercuts Prop or Furniture Rentals: A Chair Affair Bridesmaids Dresses: Lazaro Ceremony Music: Sylvia and James Kalal Doggie Delivery/Care: Dog Town Resort Tote Bags, Hankies, and Thank You Printable: Wedding Chicks Doggie Bowtie: BowWowCouture Makeup: Jill Stonier | Hair: Casey Powell | Flowers: Blooming Flowers and Gifts

Read More Advice From The Bride:
Things the bride would have done differently:I would have had the placecards for our parents placed for them at their tables - in the chairs I intended for them to sit. The friends and other family that sat with them, in their excitement, took the best seats at the table and our parents ended up with their backs to the action. They meant no harm and I feel it was something I should have considered in advance.Things the bride is glad she did:I don't regret crowd surfing at my wedding. EVEN though my dress had to be repaired afterwards (Yes, I am one of those crazy people that is repairing and cleaning the dress and planning on wearing it again. "When?" You may ask would I wear this gorgeous dress again? WHENEVER I WANT. It will be my glorious nap-taking gown, and, one day when I'm 95 I will put it on and let all my grandkids play in the tulle. If I still fit in it that is, if I don't .... well, we can still play in the tulle.

I don't regret telling my husband he wasn't allowed to put cake in my face, and than smashing it in his. I also don't regret licking it off his face — the picture is really funny.

I don't regret doing the first look photos — SERIOUSLY SO IMPORTANT, DO THESE!

I don't regret using anemones in the boutonnieres. The florist warned me they would wilt, and they did, but they lasted until the reception which is all we needed since all the boys took their jackets off immediately.

While it would have been fun to go out to the after party, I am really glad I DIDN'T. My husband and I retired to our suite and read through our wedding cards and ate some of our cake (ask the hotel to deliver some to your room). It was beautiful and the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Thank you cards — I printed photos of the guests at the wedding (dancing, cocktail hour, etc.) and sent them along with the Thank You cards. I got A LOT of complements on that. I think it made them feel special and involved in making the day important — which they were.