Author Archives: Francesca

Bride’s Choice Award 2013

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The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 recognizes the top local Wedding Professionals that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® are awarded solely based on the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds. Awards are determined by a combination of four factors: overall rating (quality), total number of reviews (quantity), review performance from 2012 (recency), and consistency of reviews from year to year (consistency). This year’s recipients represent the top 5% of WeddingWire’s vendor community, across all service categories and all regions throughout the US, Canada and abroad.

Weddings, Wedding VenuesEvents by Francesca, Best Wedding Planners in Miami - 2013 Bride's Choice Award Winner
 

We are very excited to announce that we have won the Bride’s Choice Awards 2013! A BIG thank you to all of our past brides that have posted their reviews on WeddingWire.com.

The Knot Best of Weddings 2013 Pick

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We are proud to announce that Events by Francesca has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2013 Pick. Thank you to all of our brides who have written reviews about our services on The Knot.

Paige & Dave’s Destination Wedding

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Dave and Paige met at her older sister’s 25th birthday party in Boston. After meeting Paige at the party, Dave asked her mom and sister if he could marry her. It was love at first site. Three years later, Dave surprised Paige and asked her to marry him.

Paige had always pictured her wedding to be the best weekend-long party. They planned for just that. From dinner at Barton G to going to see the Miami Marlins play, they enjoyed every day. Paige even celebrated her bachelorette party on South Beach with her all of her girlfriends. Once all of their out of town guests arrived to the historical Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, we kicked off the wedding weekend with a cocktail party poolside. It truly was a weekend that no one wanted to end.

On Saturday, June 9th Paige & Dave had their wedding ceremony inside the Granada Ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel. They decided to ask Paige’s uncle to officiate the wedding – which made the ceremony intimate, sincere and emotional for everyone.

One of my favorite details of Paige & Dave’s wedding was their amazing bridal party. They were surrounded by so much love and joy. The bridal party made sure that Paige & Dave had the time of their lives.

Once our bride & groom were pronounced husband and wife, we transformed the Granada Ballroom from ceremony to reception. Our designer, Rick Interian from Avant Gardens, created the vision that Paige wanted for her wedding. Every detail tied in with the warmth of the ballroom.

It was a perfect day for this beautiful couple. Their guests had an amazing time in Miami, and didn’t want the fun to end. Here are some of my favorite shots taken by Ben and Laura Coppelman of our beautiful couple.

Thank you to all the vendors that made this day a dream come true for Paige & Dave. The Biltmore Hotel, our catering manager Natalia Placensia, Bruce Barbaree and Biltmore Event Design, Avant Gardens, Dj Peoples, Todo Dulce, Ben & Laura Coppelman, Captivated Films, Society Cleaners, Majestic Limousines & Ugo di Roma Salon.

Nicole & Lowie’s Epic Wedding

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Nicole was a senior at Duke and Lowie was in medical school in the Netherlands when they met in 2007. They met during Lowie’s research year at Duke, when Nicole and her roommates hosted a Valentine’s Day party.  After “homemade” Stouffer’s lasagna and Nicole’s politeness, they hit it off. Unfortunately, Lowie had to return to Belgium to finish medical school and the two continued their relationship long distance for two years. Once Lowie finished school, he moved to Durham, and like Nicole said “the rest was history.” After dating for three and half years, and a conversation with her parents, Lowie asked Nicole to marry him in the beautiful Duke gardens.

On Friday, May 18th, 2012, Nicole & Lowie exchanged vows and became Mr. & Mrs. at St. Jude Catholic Church.  Here are some of our favorite pictures by Ray Santana Photography of the ceremony.

The reception took place at the cosmopolitan Epic Hotel in Downtown Miami. Nicole selected a color scheme of ivory, gold, and shades of pink. With the assistance of the floral guru, Rick Interian, from Avant Gardens, the romantic floral and table setting was designed to what Nicole had envisioned for her wedding day.

I asked Nicole what she had always wanted her wedding to be like and she responded, “I wanted to stay up all night, I wanted everyone to dance a lot and I wanted it to be a party!” That’s exactly what their wedding night was, the perfect party.

Michael Sarysz, of Sarz Entertainment, and a percussionist kept the guests on the dance floor. Once the official party was over, the guests made their way to the after party. Nicole & Lowie stayed out with their family and friends until 6:30am. A night they will never forget.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, check out their highlight video by BNR Films: Nicole & Lowie

It is always great to know that a bride and groom would not change one thing about their wedding because it was a perfect day! Thank you Nicole & Lowie for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day! Wishing you a lifetime of love, joy, and many blessings. You’re an amazing couple and I know that this is just the beginning of an amazing journey for the both of you.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of our vendors who made this day perfect: Sunshine Gutierrez and the entire staff at the Epic Hotel, St. Jude Catholic Church, Avant Gardens, Sarz Entertainment, Ray Santana Photography, BNR Films, Meilan Limousines & Antiques, Hair by Lutz Karpf, Makeup by Cristina Liviero, Invitations by Leston, Thank you cards created by Fabulous Fêtes, Ana Paz Cakes, and Armonia Music Inc. 

MiaBella’s 1st Carnival Birthday Party

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This post is extra special to us because its our little girl, MiaBella’s 1st Birthday! When we were searching for a theme for this extra special 1st birthday girl, we wanted to do something that everyone could enjoy. Once we found the venue, the Historical Virginia Key Beach Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, we knew that the theme had to be a carnival.

To create a carnival, there were a couple must haves…we needed a large tent, a ticket booth, carnival games, prizes, lots of candy, colorful balloons, animal crackers, pin wheels, cotton candy, popcorn, peanuts, snow cones, gold fish, stilt walkers, face painting and a carousel. With these ingredients, we would create a fun filled carnival for our family and friends.

Our ring leader, MiaBella, made a grand entrance into her big top, and welcomed all of her guests. Her outfit was customized by Tutti Bambini in South Miami. (If your a mom, aunt, grandmother, godmother, or a friend who likes to spoil her friends kids, you have to visit Tutti Bambini! They have the cutest outfits, bows, accessories, everything you may ever want or need for your little ones!) Together we created the perfect little outfit for this beautiful little girl. We found her tights and embroidered bloomers on Bella Claire Baby storefront on Etsy.

This past year, we took MiaBella to numerous carousels and she loved every second of it. It was important for us to find a venue that we could incorporate a carousel into our carnival. One of the best parts of Virginia Key Beach Park is that it has a vintage carousel that MiaBella and our guests were able to enjoy.

MiaBella’s birthday cake was created by Sweet Designs. Dayanna designed the cake exactly how we wanted it. We couldn’t have been more happier! Our favorite part of the day, was seeing our little girls face light up when she heard her name in the Happy Birthday song! It proved that one year olds can and do enjoy their first birthday.

Some of are guests clowning around and having a fabulous time!

It was such an amazing day and it has been an unforgettable new journey for us. We could not have done it without the love and support of our parents, family and our friends. Each of you play a very special role in MiaBella’s life. We are so thankful to all of our vendors for making this day spectacular: Virginia Key Beach Park, Island Party Rental, JC BBQ for Kids, Daze Photography, CMD Productions, Sweet Designs & Lourdes and her girls at Tutti Bambini.

Thank you to all of our family and friends that came and enjoyed MiaBella’s 1st Birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

Nicole & Jorge’s Wedding

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Nicole and Jorge were dating for seven years before he planned the perfect evening to propose to her. They met working out at the clubhouse near Nicole’s house. She described to me that they were the type of friends that it felt as though they had knew each other their entire lives. Their first date would be described as the best night of her life…that was until her wedding day!

Nicole had always wanted a wedding that was elegant, romantic and sophisticated. A classic style that combined all of theses elements that she found at the Coral Gables Congregational Church and the Biltmore Hotel.

On February 26, Nicole and Jorge lived their romantic wedding day. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon wedding. They were surrounded by all the love in the world given to them by their family and friends.

With a perfect combination of gold and ivory, set in the gorgeous Alhambra Ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel, our beautiful bride combined all the elements for her perfect wedding day. With the help of our florist, Jorge Nevot from Nevot Flower Designs, the ivory and blush pink roses and hydrangeas in their glass vases created the simplicity and elegance that Nicole wanted.

One of my favorite details of Nicole and Jorge’s wedding was the graceful style of her wedding cake and the stunning brooch that topped it off. Cake Design by Edda did a great job to create a wedding cake that was a true reflection of what our bride had envisioned.

 I asked Nicole what was her favorite part of her wedding day and she to me that it was during the moment of their first dance. She remembers that it was the moment where she stopped feeling stressed because she felt overwhelmed with joy and love. These shots by Travis Harris Photography prove all the love these two share.

We were so blessed to be a part of Nicole and Jorge’s wedding. We wish the happy couple a blissful life filled with more love than they felt on the day of their wedding. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of one of the best days of your lives.

We could not have done it with out vendors. A BIG thank you to Coral Gables Congregational Church, the Biltmore Hotel, Biltmore Event Design, Travis Harris Photography, Nevot Flower Designs, AB Cover Designers, Ubi’s Music Productions, Cake Design by Edda, Meilan Limousines & Antiques, Makeup by Marz, Hair by Sissi Ceballo, and Confetti and Fog FX. 

Pinterest Obsessed!

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Every day we are looking for new inspirations for our weddings, birthdays, dinner parties, events, home, fashion, workouts, meals, and everything we need a little inspiration from. I have found my new obsession… Pinterest. With Pinterest you can organize and share all the things you love on your personal boards. You can follow other people and have people follow you and share the things that inspire you. Most of the pictures are linked back to websites, where you can find the inspiration and get more information on it.

They have a board for everything, but my favorite is Weddings & Events. You can search the boards for different ideas, color schemes, centerpieces, floral designs, dresses, hair styles… anything you can think of.  Its a great source for your planning. Plus you can upload pictures that you love and share it with those that are following you. Once you pin a picture on one of your boards, then others can re-pin your picture and share it with their followers. Its a very simple concept.

Now in order to do this, you need an invitation from someone that is already on Pinterest. If you would like to join this amazing online and app world, send us a comment with your email address, and we will send you the invite to get you started.

Happy Planning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

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Wishing each of you a fabulous 2012!

May this year be a year filled with lots of love, joy, happiness and many blessings.

We know that great times are coming in 2012 for each one of our clients!

Keep following our blog to see Events by Francesca in action in this year! 

Claudia & Michael’s Vizcaya Wedding

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Claudia and Michael are high school sweethearts. On October 8th, they celebrated their 8th anniversary by getting married. The ceremony and reception took place at the grand Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. We had plans of an outside ceremony, cocktails inside the Courtyard of the Grand House, and the reception would take place on the terrace overlooking the water. Unfortunately, the Miami weather had other plans… rain, wind, thunderstorm, and tornado warnings. But that did not stop us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When your surrounded by family and friends, nothing can bring down the happiness of your wedding day. Luckily, Claudia & Michael had a large bridal party to keep them smiling throughout the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It makes a huge difference when you are working together with a team that has the experience and flexibility to make a venue perfect during all worst case scenario backup plans. We worked with Contempo Linens, Avant Gardens & Mena Catering to accommodate our 130 guests inside the museum and create Claudia’s vision for her reception. Claudia’s color scheme went perfectly in the museum. The navy blue and ivory tones with the candle lights created a romantic ambiance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We created an intimate stand around ceremony lead by Rev. Eddie Rodriguez, where Claudia & Michael exchanged their vows and became Mr. & Mrs. We later converted the ceremony area to our party lounge room. Inside the museum we used every area possible as best as we could to create a different background for every aspect of the wedding. The East Loggia was used for the ceremony and for the party lounge, the Tea Room was used to display our cake and for the cocktail hour, the Courtyard was our dining room, and the Grand Staircase was used for the introductions and first dance.

It was a romantic and amazing night. The food was delicious, the guests spent the night on the dance floor, the cake and parfait were perfect for a sweet touch, and Claudia & Michael enjoyed every second of it!

I am so thankful that I was able to help Claudia & Michael on their wedding day, and help make this day a perfect memory. It could not have been made possible without such an amazing group of vendors. Adrienne and her amazing staff at Vizcaya Museum, Jorge and his staff at Mena Catering, Rick and his team at Avant Gardens, Amanda at Contempo Linens, Martha & Jesus from Unique Design Studios, Leo and his team at DvP Studios, Elegant Temptations, Rev. Eddie Rodriguez, Xio at Promo Djs, Gloria Pelo, Meilan Limo, and Christina & Crystal who are my backbone!

Alexandra & Chris’ Biltmore Wedding

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If there is one thing I learned during Alexandra & Chris’ wedding is that love was part of every detail. We had such a fabulous weekend! All of their family and friends came to Miami for a destination wedding.The guests checked in to the historical Biltmore Hotel for a weekend to remember.

The weekend kicked off with an intimate rehearsal dinner inspired by the couple’s choice of honeymoon…Italy! Once the dinner and speeches were over, the doors were opened for the guests to join the families for cocktails, hors d’Oeuvres, and dancing. The party definitely started!

On Saturday morning, I could not believe that the day had finally arrived. Alexandra and I had been back and forth for months with the details of the wedding, and I couldn’t believe her BIG DAY was here!

Shuttles transported the guests to a sweet and romantic afternoon ceremony at the Church of the Little Flower. Mr. & Mrs. Chris Crissy were announced husband and wife and we were off to the Biltmore Hotel to celebrate.

The reception took place in the glamours Country Club Ballroom. Alexandra’s mom, Charlottle, and her aunt customized every detail of the wedding. They customized the menu cards, the place cards, the favor boxes…every little detail was done with so much love.

Perrish Design centerpieces plus a combination of Nuage Design linens created the perfect combination that were simply stunning for the ballroom.

It helped that we had plenty of candles in the ballroom, especially since the power went out a couple of times in the City of Coral Gables that night. But that didn’t stop the party, the VoxBlu band kept the music going and the dance floor was jam-packed!

One of my favorite parts of the night was the toast given by Gabrielle, Alexandra’s MOH and little sister. I will never forget the advice that she reminded her sister that their grandmother always says… “may the ups and downs of your marriage only be in the bedroom!” With a ballroom filled with laughter, followed by four different cake flavors made by the talented girls at Todo Dulce, it made for a perfect evening!

 

We want to thank all the amazing vendors that helped make this wedding simply perfect! Dave Clavette and the entire staff of the Biltmore Hotel, Bruce & Deborah from Biltmore Event Design, Brett Tyler Photography, Senderey Video, Parrish Design, Nuage Designs, Vox Blu, Panache, Todo Dulce-Everything Sweet, Confetti FX, Church of the Little Flower, Majestic Limousines, and all the others that made this weekend fabulous!

Here is the highlight video from Senderey Video… Enjoy! Alexandra & Chris