Weddingbee Blog

Kara and Pete wed in Gulfport, FL with a ceremony and reception that reflected their laid-back personalities and details that honored their family members past and present. From DIY flowers to their unconventional cake, the couple’s love for the unique shined at their daytime wedding.

The Details

1. Bride’s Name: Kara
2. Groom’s Name: Pete
3. Venue(s): Peninsula Inn and Spa, Gulfport FL
4. Wedding Date: 2/28/2010
5. Bridal Gown Designer: Ambria’s Gallery of Wearable Art
6. Florist: Flowerama and DIY
7. Photographer: Jason Angelini
8. Cake: Peninsula Inn and Spa
9. Wedding Coordinator: None
10. Bridesmaids’ Dresses: JC Penney and Anthropologie
11. Honeymoon: Oasis of the Seas Cruise

The Story

I really wanted a vintage feel to our wedding for various reasons. I’ve grown up loving antiques and vintage everything, so it just felt right. Also, my husband is into genealogy so I wanted to include our family history. Our main way to display this was our table numbers, made out of wedding pictures from our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc.

I carried a family bible that has been in my husband’s family since 1946, which all of his family members (and now me!) have signed after they get married.

Our chuppah was made of a tallis from both of our grandfathers.

I wore my grandmother’s bracelet that was given to her for her 50th anniversary, along with my engagement ring that belonged to my husband’s great grandma.

The ceremony included many Jewish traditions. Before the ceremony we had a Ketubah signing and unveiling.

Our wedding bands are uncut, plain bands, which is also a Jewish tradition. We had them engraved with the words “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” in Hebrew.

In Jewish tradition, the bride walks down the aisle with both of her parents. I knew that I’d want to have both of my parents by my side for my special moment!

One of my favorite moments in all Jewish weddings is the breaking of the glass, and it was such an amazing feeling to watch my husband step on that glass and celebrate!

We did not have any dancing at our wedding because I just don’t like to dance. With one exception… the hora!

It took us months to find our perfect venue, but when we walked into the historic inn we both immediately said it was the one, and felt like us. It is located in Gulfport, FL, which is a fun, artsy town that allowed for some unique detail shots.

My MOH was my only sister, and my bridesmaid was my sister in law. I asked them to pick out dresses that featured pink and flowers. My sister in law’s dress was from Anthropologie, and my sister’s dress was from JC Penney, and only $30 on sale!

I decided to DIY my own centerpieces and aisle flowers, with the help of my family. I collected different vases and pitchers from thrift stores and put them on doilies collected from antique stores.

I knew that I didn’t want a cake. Our chef was french and suggested a croquembouche, and I loved the idea! Many people told me that I was crazy for not having a wedding cake and that it is bad luck… but after they saw and ate our croquembouche they changed their minds! We bought our cake toppers from Etsy.

My mom helped me make our favors—chocolate pixie cookies and sugar cookies in the shape of wedding cakes. I got many comments after the wedding about how yummy they were. I bought a custom stamp to make our favor tag, which I also used on our envelopes and cocktail napkins.

What were your favorite or most memorable aspects of your wedding day?

My husband and I did a first look. We had to see each other before the ceremony for the Ketubah signing, so I thought it would be nice to have a private moment together before all of the wedding chaos. It really calmed my nerves, and it was amazing to be able to spend time with him before the wedding!

We got all of our family and bridal party pictures done before the wedding, so after the wedding was just me and my husband! I loved walking around Gulfport with him and having some semi-alone time.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

No! Our wedding was perfect for us. We are very laid back people and I think our wedding reflected that. I did a lot of DIY, which I loved doing, and I had everything finished (except the flowers) way before the wedding so I could just relax and enjoy myself.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Don’t worry about what other people tell you; it’s OK to be different! I worried about what some of the older friends and family members would think of my short dress and I thought everyone would be upset that there was no dancing, but all I got were compliments about how “us” and unique our wedding was.

Prioritize! I saved a lot of money by not having things that just weren’t important to me. We didn’t have any limos or transportation, and we didn’t have to pay for a DJ. Everything adds up quickly, and by saving money in those areas we were able to give our bridal party and parents some great gifts. Also, look around you and ask family members and friends if they have anything you could use. I wore my mom’s Tiffany necklace and bracelet and we used a family friend’s chuppah. Not only do you save money, but it’s much more meaningful to have the special people in your life be a part of your big day!

all images by Jason Angelini Photography

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