Alicia and Brendan’s Romantic #Wedding at #KapokSpecialEventsCenter in #Clearwater Florida1/26/2017 I had such an amazing time playing for Alicia and Brendan’s wedding at the Kapok Special Events Center in Clearwater. I love the Kapok Event Center. The chandelier in the ballroom is just magical!!! The ceremony site looked beautiful decorated in red and white. There were rose petals and candles everywhere. (Why can’t I enter the heart eye emoji from my computer?! >:( Or maybe I can and just don’t know how.) I had the COOLEST and possibly freakiest experience at the wedding while I was playing for the guests before the ceremony started. I was set up at the back behind the last row of chairs. I had just finished playing a song. I briefly set my harp down. The chair closest to me...moved. It was as if someone sat down in the chair and pushed it back a couple of inches. There wasn’t anyone around. I like to think it was someone close to the couple that came to the wedding in spirit and wanted to hear me play. It was a really cool moment. The ceremony was great. The officiant did a great job keeping the ceremony light and comical, but also spiritual. After the ceremony was finished, I had the honor to play for the guests during the cocktail hour. I had so much fun! I had a couple guests approach me. One guest said “I never thought I’d ever hear ‘Stairway to Heaven’ on the harp. It was awesome.” Another guest asked if the song I just played was from ‘Final Fantasy’. When I replied “yes” she said “I knew it!” with excitement. Little comments like that make my night. During the cocktail hour they served hor'dourves and refreshments.. But they also had this big platter of melted cheese. OMG talk about amazingness (not that I had any but it looked sooooo good! And I’ve never seen anything like that before). After I was finished with the cocktail hour, I finally had a chance to meet the bride and groom. Alicia looked sooo beautiful! I didn’t get a chance to really see her during the ceremony because I was in the back. She looked stunning and was so excited! The bride and groom were very sweet. It was an honor to provide the music for their special day. Wishing Alicia and Brendan a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness. I was so excited to play for Wendy and Devyn’s special day. I’ve waited for a year for the day to finally come! Wendy and I went to highschool together and haven’t seen each other in ten years (am I really that old?! It seems like 3 years ago). It was such an honor that Wendy asked me (on the day of her engagement) to play for their wedding. They tied the knot at the beautiful Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. This was my first time playing at this venue and it was gorgeous! As soon as I entered the doors I was greeted by the most amazing smell! I was ready to hit the spa… but that didn’t happen. Lol The ceremony took place on the terrace next to the bay. They had the most gorgeous floral arbor. I’ve never seen an arbor adorned with so many gorgeous white and lavender roses; it was stunning. It was a beautiful day for a wedding too! Thankfully in Florida we can still have nice outdoor weddings in January. Wendy looked absolutely gorgeous (this was no surprise to me, she’s beautiful!) and she had the biggest smile throughout the entire ceremony. I couldn’t help but smile too. After the ceremony, I relocated my harp to play for the cocktail hour. Wendy requested that I play a special song for her mother in honor of her grandfather that had passed. This was an incredible special moment. I approached Grace, Wendy’s mother, and asked her to come listen. As soon as I began to play “How Great Art Thou” she immediately recognized the song. Grace called over a few other family members to gather around the harp to listen. It was such a beautiful moment and I’m honored I got to play such a meaningful song for such great people. Even though it seemed I was having such an unlucky day (broke my shoe, my ipad wouldn’t charge, and I lost my driver’s license) on January 1st, it turned out to be a great day playing for my friend Wendy and Devyn! I’m so happy for the bride and groom and thankful to have been included in their day! Wishing Wendy and Devyn all the best! xoxo I knew that I would have a great time at Jessi and Chuck’s wedding when Jessi told me Chuck was contemplating the “Circle of Life” from the Lion King as their processional song. Obviously, this couple had a great sense of humor! I think Jessi convinced him to go with a different song to exit to. Lol Jessi and Chuck tied the knot at the GORGEOUS Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg in the tea garden. It was absolutely perfect. They had garden lights hanging throughout, a fountain, and beautiful decor. Jessi looked absolutely STUNNING and it was so apparent how excited she was to be marrying Chuck. She didn’t stop smiling! The ceremony wasn’t your typical ceremony. They included many personal things that made it really special and sweet. The couple wrote their own vows and made sure to include a few things that made the guests chuckle. They included reading by special guests. They also included a few traditions. For Jessi, it was a tradition to sing a hymn to the tune of “Edelweiss”. This was the first time I’ve heard this and I LOVED it! The guests all had the words printed for them and sang along while I played. This was fun! Even though the ceremony wasn’t a typical Jewish ceremony, the couple choose to include the breaking of the glass to honor Chuck’s heritage. I loved everything about this ceremony. The guests were great too! I had a lot of interaction with them which always makes playing even more enjoyable. After the ceremony was finished, I relocated my harp to Fred’s courtyard to play for the cocktail hour. I was told there would be a “fountain” on during the cocktail hour. The fountain really turned out to be a giant (ok maybe not GIANT) beautiful waterfall. Before the ceremony began, a guest asked me if I “knew any Led Zeppelin”. I made sure to play “Stairway to Heaven” at the cocktail hour for said guest. I had a lot of fun playing this wedding. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday then to play for a fantastic wedding! I also got to work with a few of my favorite vendors! Shout out to the amazing Rad Red Creative, Nikki from Nicholle Leonard Design Studio, Andrea from Events in Bloom, and Jill from Jillian Joseph Photography. Thank you Jessi and Chuck for allowing me to play for your special day! I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, and adventures! I was sooo excited for Stephanie and Adam’s wedding! I got to know the couple at a Starbucks when we were picking out their ceremony music. They are the cutest and sweetest couple ever! Stephanie reminded me of me and my indecisiveness. Lol It took us a little bit to decide the music for the ceremony but once we did it was the PERFECT combination! The bride and groom had the most beautiful location for a wedding… lakeside at Lake Eloise at Adam’s Grandmother’s, G-Mommy, house. I just love these people!! G-Mommy? How stinkin’ adorable is that name! I can’t stand it. I love it so much. The couple tied the knot under huge (cypress?) trees. The ceremony site was incredibly gorgeous and the weather was perfect! There was a beautiful breeze coming off the lake. It was THE perfect day for a wedding. I wish I could say everything went perfectly…. I somehow managed to forget my music stand at home (let’s just say there was a miscommunication between my hubby and I). Thankfully, I was able to borrow a small table from G-Mommy to put my ipad on. Other than that things were great! Adam’s daughter was a junior bridesmaid… let me just tell you.. She was sooo adorable. She is the cutest girl with bright blonde hair. I loved watching her stand with the bridesmaids. She was very mature and did an excellent job! She was so happy to watch her Daddy marry the woman of his dreams. Stephanie looked absolutely breathtaking!!!! I was obsessed with her dress. She was the most beautiful bride. After the ceremony, I had the pleasure of playing the cocktail hour. One of my favorite DJ’s, DJ Melvin, hooked me up to his sound system. Thanks DJ Melvin! The sun set during cocktail hour and painted the most beautiful sky. Stephanie and Adam couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening with their family and friends. I’m so thankful to have been a part of it! I’m so happy for their beautiful family and wish them a lifetime of happiness! |
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Kristen Elizabeth
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