stacey & matt | st. peter beach wedding photographer | don cesar ceremony and reception photography

… insight from stacy …

what was your favorite moment, or favorite part, of your wedding day?
I absolutely loved the whole weekend, but my favorite moment was the look on Matt’s face at our first look! It was the best! I’ll never forget it.
is there anything you wish you had done differently when planning your wedding?
i was really busy at work all year, I wish I had been able to take a step back to be working less intensely while planning. I had to really maximize my holiday time, weekends, and small breaks in work for planning.
which three vendors were most important to you when planning your wedding?
Band, food, photographer. If the venue counts as a vendor, it was the absolute most important aspect to me.
what was your biggest wedding day savings? (and was it worth it?)
To stay in my budget, I had two large flower arrangements at our ceremony and chose a lush setting outside in the courtyard. I also kept expenses low related to paper items that would be thrown away, like programs and menus.
what was your biggest wedding day splurge? (and was it worth it?)
The band and absolutely! Most importantly we wanted to entertain our guests well. To us, that meant a band that would pack the dance floor, good food, and to make sure the drinks were always flowing. The bar being far from guests during my sit down dinner was a big concern for me, so incorporating wine service during dinner was also worth it.
what was the best advice you received when planning your wedding? (and did you listen?)
Enjoy planning and yes, I did! I loved picking out the details for our wedding weekend and meeting fun, new people in the process! My mom told me to remember to reapply my lipstick on my wedding day, but I didn’t want to leave the reception for even a bathroom break, so I didn’t follow that advice. It was definitely a good advice though!
was there anything encountered during wedding planning that was unexpected?
When I was early on in my vendor search process, I was surprised at some of the delays in responses.
was there a moment(s) during your wedding day that surprised you?
How quickly time flew between our first look and walking down the aisle! A few wardrobe malfunctions with a red bull spill and veil detaching were also surprises!
when you look back on your wedding day in 50 years, what do you think you’ll remember most?
The look on Matt’s face at our first look and the pure joy we felt all weekend.

… how it all came together …