Lake Mary Events Center Wedding
August 18, 2017 | Marilyn & CJ
Everything about Marilyn and CJ’s wedding felt so special and relaxed! I knew just from our early communication that their Lake Mary Events Center wedding would be rich with family, friends and lots of love! It felt even more special to have Marilyn’s sweet little girl with us for their formals (a beautiful brown pitbull they raised). One of my favorite reasons for getting ready at the Alfond Inn is how animal-friendly they are! Having her with us for their formals really helped Marilyn and CJ feel like they had ALL the important people in their lives with them – even if one is a dog!
A chance meeting and surprise proposal
Marilyn and CJ met as co-workers! Since they were both in relationships at the time, they kept a safe distance (Marilyn said she was actually pretty short with him because she was so afraid she’d start to like him!). CJ left for Afghanistan shortly after, and reached out to her from the other side of the world – just to check in. When he returned, they were both single and decided to meet up for some margaritas and guac. After that, they did what any not-sane person would do on a first date – and went on the Slingshot. Now – for those non-Orlando people – the Slingshot is this vomit-inducing hybrid bungee-skydiving torture-ride. I can’t imagine doing it sober, much less after a few margaritas and tacos. But for Marilyn and CJ, it sealed the deal and they were together ever since!
CJ actually told me the proposal story, and it’s so cute! He had actually known he wanted to propose about a year before he did. Marilyn had said she always wanted it to be a surprise, so he purposely picked a fight with her while she was out of town one weekend. When she returned to their house, he proposed the second she walked in the door. It was a complete surprise and she was caught totally off-guard!
The wedding day
Since family has such a big place in both of their hearts, they brought in Marilyn’s family business, Decor Galore, from New Jersey to help with the floral and planning of the day! They got ready at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, before heading to the Lake Mary Events Center for their wedding! Their ceremony took place in the rotunda, which has beautiful floor to ceiling windows and draping. Following their outdoor cocktail hour, guests entered the candlelit ballroom for a huge party with Rhythm of the Night.
Following their wedding, they embarked on a dream honeymoon to the Southern Caribbean! They traveled through Puerto Rico, Curacao, Aruba and St. Maartin!
Why KWP?
From Marilyn, “Where to begin! I saw SO many weddings of friends of friends on Facebook and other sites of weddings KWP has photographed over the years and I knew as soon as I saw them that if/when I ever got married I wanted KWP to document the day! Even though I don’t know a thing about photography, I noticed that there was a clear quality difference between KWP photos and those I have seen from other Orlando photographers. And more than quality, its Kristen’s eye for a good photograph…that’s something I knew I couldn’t get with anyone else! So when the time came to choose a photographer I didn’t even bother looking anywhere but KWP!”
Featured In: Bride Link
Vendors:
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Getting Ready Venue: Alfond Inn
Wedding Venue: Lake Mary Event Center
Catering: Puff ‘n Stuff
Photography: Kristen Weaver
Hair and Makeup: LeJeune Artistry
Floral Design: Decor Galore
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Cake Artist: Anna Cakes
DJ: Rhythm of the Night
Bridal Salon: Bridals by Natalie
Rentals: Orlando Wedding and Party Rentals
Stationery: Minted
Linens: Over the Top
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