A Beautiful Day

Live long and prosper

2010-08-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

"A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes in it" Anonymous

There is something about me that I do not let too many people know - I love Star Trek Voyager. Yes, I am a big geek when it comes to these series. And since I am a big admirer of couples, who are not afraid to show who they really are on their Wedding Day, I really admire Kristen and Brandon. They were so adorable the moment I met them: Kristen was so involved into every detail of the planning, making sure even the smallest things were well taken care of. She was a perfect Bride who was so looking forward to her Wedding Day and for it all to come together. Brandon, on the other hand, as great Groom as he was, stayed in the background, always supporting Kristen and making sure that she had everything done the way she wanted. I almost forgot about Brandon until his Wedding Day...

And there he was - out of his t-shirt and shorts, all groomed and wearing a nice tuxedo. But what amazed me the most - he was surrounded by his friends and they were all relaxed and just enjoying the day and this unique experience. But the biggest surprise was still to come... at the Ceremony. What they did, those friends of Brandon's, they made the Ceremony unforgettable, by adding a "very special touch" - drawing Star Wars Swords and saluting the Bride and Groom as they made the exit. I still get shivers thinking about that moment... In years to come, Kristen and Brandon will show this ceremony picture to their children, they, in turn, will show it to theirs and it will become an immortal moment of Kristen's and Brandon's lives. To which I say: "Live long and Prosper"!

Dance Forever

2010-08-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

"It's like I waited my whole life for this one night
It's got to be me, you on the dance floor
Cause we only got once night
Double your pleasure, double your fun
And dance forever, forever, forever"
Chris Brown, Forever

This is the song that I always think of when I remember Aranica and Eddie's Wedding. They were two incredible young people, so beautiful, so fun and so... crazy! Theirs was the best Bride and Groom dance that I have ever seen throughout my career - they really expressed who they are, what they were all about and what they love to do. And those two love having great time. And it helped that the entire Bridal Party was not too far behind - their introductions were fitted for a great music video - each one of them made a really Grand Entrance. It was the best party ever - everyone could not wait for the dinner to be over and just dance, dance, dance. Besides, Aranica had this gorgeous vision in her mind of how she wanted her Wedding Reception to look - we created such a luxurious and rich look to it, so it was a perfect backdrop for this night - unforgettable and so much fun.

Details Create a Big Picture

2010-08-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Details create the big picture.
Sanford I. Weill

I have a very strong belief that every Bride is unique and so is her Wedding Day. And it is the day to celebrate who you are as a couple, as the individuals and also what brought you together. No matter what theme you choose, it should be enhanced by who you are, somehow connected to the Celebration.

"Exquisite" was the first thought that came to my mind when I met Cassie. She had that "it" about herself - once you talked to her, you could not get her out of your mind easily - she left you wanting to know more, to find out what she was all about. She wanted to incorporate her favorite color - lilac - into the theme. How traditional, you would think, but it definitely was not! Cassie found a very playful, subtle and feminine way to incorporate purple into her Wedding Theme. There were obvious touches - bridesmaids' dresses, flower and cake accents, lighting in the room. But when I saw her wearing purple pumps under her beautiful wedding dress - that just took my breath away! And there were clever little details everywhere you looked, that reminded everyone of Cassie's special touch, enhanced the playfulness and elegance of her night. All evening you were left wanting to know more, to find that another hidden touch that reminded you about Cassie.

Cakes by Nomeda

2010-07-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

I prefer to regard a dessert as I would imagine the perfect woman: subtle, a little bittersweet, not blowsy and extrovert. Delicately made up, not highly rouged. Holding back, not exposing everything and, of course, with a flavor that lasts. ~Graham Kerr

When I was a child, I had my favorite candy bar, the one that my Parents would be able to get me only for the special occasions, as you needed connections to get this candy bar. And you could buy it at the Opera House Cafe - needless to say, I was always looking forward to a long ballet night, as long as I got to eat my favorite candy bar. The name of it was "Nomeda". It is not a coincidence that my country is represented by one of the best cake makers in Tampa Bay area whose name happens to be Nomeda, too. Nomeda gained her confectionery education in the best Lithuanian culinary schools and has an extensive experience working as a Pastry Chef and as independent cake maker. The first time I worked with Nomeda, she provided 26 cakes to be placed as centerpieces on the Wedding Reception tables. I had never seen so many cakes in one place and I could have never imagined how different and unique each one of them could be. Nomeda can make it all - European or American type cake, or combine both cake making traditions to create a truly unique flavor experience just for you. She is the best of two world.

To learn more about Nomeda's work, please visit her web site www.cakesbynomeda.com

Classy and Fabulous

2010-07-27T10:48:00.001-07:00

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Coco Chanel

When I met Tracy for our first appointment, I thought to myself: "Some girls just have it all"... And the more I got to know her, the more I felt this way - she did have it all. Gorgeous, supermodel slender, great career, enormous engagement ring and to top it all - one of the tallest and most handsome grooms I have ever met. She knew what she wanted and she wanted the best. I was on the pins and needles on her wedding day, because the last thing I wanted was to disappoint her. One of the moments, really scary one, was when she entered her beautiful ballroom and went directly for the lounge area, where she spotted the wrong cocktail tables her decorator brought in. All she did is turn to me and say: "Vita, you know what I like - how could you have ever thought I will not notice this?" At that moment I just wished I could vanish and never come back. Our team made the magic transformation within a few minutes and then the night went without a glitch. And now, thinking back, that moment was defined by what Tracy really is - classy and fabulous, a lady who knows what she wants and how to get it in a classy and fabulous way...

Sunshine

2010-07-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine. Thomas Jefferson

Sunshine, white sandy beaches, emerald sea, luscious parks, mesmerizing sunsets, pink castles and glamorous hotels - I would not live anywhere else, but Florida. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to live in the land of never ending summer and sunshine, the land where all my dreams came true, where there are no bad days, as long as the Sun is shining. Sunshine charges my inner battery every morning and gets me ready to meet the world and adventures awaiting me. And I could not think of a better place to get married - weather in an intimate ceremony on the beach followed by the sunset; or the country club, surrounded by luscious landscaping and fancy guests; or in the pink castle, to have a Ball like a Cinderella - the only difference is that party will go on way after the clock strikes midnight.

Photos provided courtesy of Steve Poisall. To view Steve's work, please visit www.thegallerystudios.com

You belong to the Gallery

2010-07-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it. ~John Berger

I have heard this so many times: "I cannot believe my Wedding is almost over!" Your Wedding Day, this unbelievable experience of your Lifetime, is a beautiful moment that fleets away the moment it starts. In the years to come, you will be able to re-live your Magical Day through the pictures, through the eyes of the person, who captured not only the moments, but also the feeling of that day. To think about it - your Wedding picture might be the only memory of you, passed along in the generations to come...

To learn more about Steve Poisall and his work, please visit www.thegallerystudios.com or call Steve at 813 254 9575

Steve Poisall

2010-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Only then you start appreciating something great, when you get to compare it to the rest.

I met Steve more than 5 years ago, when I was just starting in the Wedding Industry and I can definitely say that everything I have learned about working with the wedding Photographer, I have learned from Steve.

Taking pictures on your Wedding Day should be lots of fun - you will get to re-live this special day through the photos in the years to come. But there is so much more than just have fun, pose and remember to catch all the important moments. If you are working with the true professional, you may never notice this, but you are actually on the very strict schedule and your every move is orchestrated by the man with the camera in hand. Timing and scheduling are so important on your Wedding Day - your guests are waiting, the food is cooking and the cake is sitting in the room temperature under the spot light; and do not forget all the special touches you so wisely placed, your introductions and the rest of the official part, the sunset and the Fond Farewell. As your night continues, the photographer is right there to capture and immortalize every special moment, anything, that will make your heart melt once you glance at these pictures in the years to come... And that is why Steve is one of the BEST I have ever worked with - he is creative, artistic, a real master of his art, but he is also one of the greatest professionals you will ever meet.

To view Steve's work, please visit his web site www.thegallerystudios.com or call Steve at 813 254 9575

Do you believe in Fairy Tales?

2010-07-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, Love gives us a fairy tale.

I started to believe in Fairy Tales, once I met Desiree. She is a Perfect Girl - pretty yet unassuming, with big blue eyes full of sparkle, dressed to the tee and full of zest for life. She is the Girl that all the other girls want to be friends with and all the boys want to marry. She had a Fairy Tale Wedding, surrounded by her Family and Friends. Golan and her spent their Honeymoon in Australia - just a dream for so many of us. And now, two years later, Desiree has yet another wonderful Story - a Baby Story, to add to her Fairy Tale Forever After. She is and will always be my Fairy Tale Princess Bride.

Friendship

2010-07-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.

Do you still remember the first time you fell in Love? I do, so clearly, as it happened yesterday. I was 13 and here he was - handsome, funny, popular and 14 years old. And he swept me off my feet - I was secretly in love with him until I was 18 and finally gathered enough courage to talk to him... And what a different person he was, once I got to know him... Like we lived in two separate worlds - we had nothing in common... So what is Love? Is it the chemistry, is it the type that attracts us or is it just lust and passion? No one will ever know... That is why Love will remain forever evasive muse that will tease with all her cruel force...

Friendship, on the other hand, is less glamorous, but yet so important glue that keeps relationships alive... Friendship, genuine one, lasts a Lifetime and once the connection is there, no one can take it away from you, it does not dye off... I grew up a single child and do not know what having a Sister or a Brother means, but I know what having a true Friend means. When I left my country 11 years ago, I thought I lost all my friends there - but we still are as connected, as if I have never left. I thought I will never have meaningful friendships here - and I discovered wonderful people whom I know and care for over 10 years now... I have known my Husband for 7 years and we still have so many things to tell each other every day, we still can carry a long and great conversation... I can honestly say, that he is my true Friend and I know I will miss his friendship more than anything, if we were ever part ways.

When I met Sasha and Andrew, they were in Love - of course they were - they were getting married! However, I could just tell by looking at them that they will grow old together - they completed each other. And not in that "opposites attract" way - I could just tell that even in 50 years they will still be able to have fun together and will have so many things to talk about over a glass of wine at the end of the day.

I always feel so bad when I see middle aged couples at the restaurant, sitting at the table and expecting waitress to entertain them, because they have nothing to say to each other. Love and passion subside over the years and only those feel happy together, who remain true and great friends.

Celebrating Love

2010-06-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Love is always bestowed as a gift --freely, willingly, and without expectation....We don't love to be loved; we love to love.

And celebrating love never goes out of fashion. There may be harder times and cozy, intimate celebrations, followed by the years of splendor, where weddings could be so elaborate they take your breath away... But no matter the times, there will always be a celebration - celebration to signify the love of two people, who found each other and cannot imagine living without each other the rest of their lives. And when I met Amy and Justin for a first time, I thought to myself - they are made for each other. She was a perfect Bride: so gentle, feminine and beautiful; and he was a perfect Man: handsome, caring and considerate. And both were so in love. Now, two years later, I still remember almost every single moment of their Wedding Day - the day that marked the incredible beginning of their Lifetime together...

"Vita's caring, compassion, and enthusiasm not only made our wedding day absolutely perfect, but made her a friend for life. Our day would not have been as special as it was without her."
"Vita created the wedding of a little girl's dreams and memories that will bring a tear of joy to a man's eye for life. We can not thank her enough for not only providing us with a perfect wedding day, but inspiring us to put our heart into everything we do."