For most, planning a wedding is usually enough on one’s plate, add the element of distance with a bride who lives in another country, then a sprinkling of 350 guests, and multiple days of events. Andrea and Will knew that they would need a planner that is a destination wedding specialist to help bring their spectacular plans to fruition. So, that’s when they called on me to manage, plan, and design their wedding. I was lucky to have Andrea in town for a few weeks in the early planning stages. She had the flexibility to travel back and forth from Peru where she was living at the time, which made planning a breeze. It was important to Andrea and Will to locate a venue that could accommodate not only the guests, but also all of the events. They needed a venue with multiple locations that offered enough variety in order for each event to be in a different location, yet remain onsite.
After seeing several locations Andrea fell in love with the Four Seasons Miami, it was a perfect fit. Three vastly different areas to host each event, world-class service, and delectable food that would impress even the most discerning palate. Food was of extreme importance, as Andrea wanted to incorporate authentic Venezuelan cuisine into each event. This was a great way to bring her own personal style and culture into the wedding, so it was important that the chef would be open to this. I will delve more into menu later. As the guests list spanned the globe, for the first event the couple wanted a great “Welcome Party” for their guests. We chose an outdoor area called Bahia; this area had the magnificent water wall a more tropical feel that would set the perfect ambiance for this event. Andrea wanted each event to have its own style rather than tie the décor together.
For the Welcome Party we designed a more tropical theme using bright vibrant colors in Tangerine, Lime, and Fuchsia. We designed a specialty monogram that was projected onto the water wall to personalize the area for the couple. Butlers passed authentic Venezuelan hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails were served; the guests were treated to hand rolled cigars, and some tropical music. This was a fantastic start for their wedding weekend.
The couple chose St Jude Church for their ceremony; the church was beautiful so we kept décor to a minimum. We used a few signature pieces that would have high impact such as the antique gold settees.
For the reception Andrea was looking for Versailles type opulence, but in an understated way. I used the hall of mirrors from Versailles as inspiration and brought in the golds, creams, and crystal. One accent that was important to Andrea was the use of her family crest as a décor element, which we used in creative ways. For Andrea’s flowers we stayed somewhat neutral using whites and creams with touches of green and blush. We imported opulent crystal candelabras from Italy and combined these with some domestic vessels that were adorned with gold lace accents to tie everything together, being sure to utilize an abundance of candle-power. To add to the tablescape, we used gold accents through out, beaded chargers, gold rimmed stemware, and menu cards with a wax gold stamp of the family crest. To complete the look the ballroom was draped floor to ceiling in white. The lighting design for the room created a candle lit glow, we up lit and color washed in warm amber. Additionally, we designed a seamless white dance floor with a custom made replica of her family crest in antique gold that was used on the dance floor. This crest was also used at the entrance to the hotel on the water wall, to again personalize the area for the couple. The décor for the room was stunning.
When it came to the food for the reception the chef was not only open to the Venezuelan style but also embraced it. He served authentic passed hors d’ oeuvres that differed from the previous night, and offered a Snapper dish wrapped in a banana leaf that was to die for, this was served family style during the plated entrée as an addition to the meal. Later the lounge area was opened and a stunning array of mini desserts was served including the brides favorite macaroons.
For the day after “I Do” Brunch we used another spectacular outdoor area, the Palm Terrace, which would allow us to incorporate the beautiful wading pool into the event and food presentation.
For this event Andrea wanted a clean and crisp look with Aqua accents. We used white linen for the tables and accented with Aqua cushions, napkin accents, and blue stemware. We set the tables around the perimeter of the wading pool, and for novelty we placed some of the stations inside the pool to encourage the guests to get their feet wet.
A shoe valet was set up complete with Aqua flip-flops for the guests. We continued the Venezuelan food infusion with an authentic Arepa station, which was a huge hit with the attendees. This was the perfect end to a fantastic wedding weekend, and a perfect start for a wonderful couple.
CREDITS
Article written by: Tiffany Cook of Tiffany Cook Events