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About Me
- A Friend of the Bride
- Jennifer Fitzsimmons is a wedding and event planner based in the Tampa Bay area, available for local and destination weddings. Visit www.afriendofthebride.com or contact me at 813-546-5202
The Wedding Day
Dan and Diana could not have asked for more perfect weather for their outdoor ceremony. You can see in some of the photos (promise the professional ones will be up soon!) just how perfectly blue the sky is. They also had one of the most touching ceremonies I have ever been a part of. It was a Quaker ceremony, also known as "A Ceremony in the Manor of Friends". Quakers believe that everyone is equal to God so their "services" are run as meetings. With no Pastor, Priest of Officiant, just everyone able to stand and speak when they want to express themselves. The Wedding Ceremony was held as a meeting. The grooms father called the meeting to order, with a brief overview for many of the guests who were unfamiliar with the Quaker traditions. Then the brides father walked her in, not tradition but as the only daughter daddy wasn't giving in on this one! The bride and groom joined hands, there were a few moments of silence. The groom spoke to the group, then directly to his bride. Some moments of silence, then the bride spoke, then randomly wedding guests rose and spoke. Spoke about memories of the couple, knowing when they were in love, how they met, some funny stories by friends and family members, some very touching by the parents, grandparents, etc. Following the ceremony, every single guest signed the marriage license as witnesses.
The reception was just as personalized. The 4 level wedding cake, each level depicting part of the couple's lives. The couple commissioned a local artist to create notecards as the guests favors. Each guest received a pack of 4 notecards, each notecard representing places the couple has visited or lived. And what a great party! The dance floor was packed all night and I even got to escort my first wedding crashers out of the building! You know your wedding reception is a big hit when you have wedding crashers that were actually bridal party members for another wedding at the same hotel :-)
The reception was just as personalized. The 4 level wedding cake, each level depicting part of the couple's lives. The couple commissioned a local artist to create notecards as the guests favors. Each guest received a pack of 4 notecards, each notecard representing places the couple has visited or lived. And what a great party! The dance floor was packed all night and I even got to escort my first wedding crashers out of the building! You know your wedding reception is a big hit when you have wedding crashers that were actually bridal party members for another wedding at the same hotel :-)
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