Wedding at the Carlouel Yacht Club, Clearwater Beach, Florida with a stop at the Sandpearl of Katie & Justin - Part 1 of 2

Katie and Justin's wedding anniversary will be an easy day to remember for me. Not just because they are an amazing couple, but my son was born the day before (More on that in a future post, let's just say it is a long story.). May is not the best time to have a baby if you are a wedding photographer, and I am so thankful that I have such awesome and understanding clients. I am also thankful to have such amazing photographer friends to come in and help me out.

There was no way to predict what day my 9lb 22inch bouncing boy was going to come on, and I didn't want to let these two down if he came on their wedding day. I lined up one of the best photographer's I know, an awesome friend and the type of guy that you want at your side. I think Chip Litherland has won every major award there is in photojournalism, and if he hasn't he should have. So when the baby came a day early, it meant that Katie and Justin got an all-star team to shoot their wedding. I even lined up Charlie Doerner (He would have been Chip's 2nd shooter if I had to leave), another great photographer, as an assistant.








Now look closely inside this ring. That is one of their actual fingerprints engraved!



Beautiful!



Now how many brides are calm, cool and collected enough to blog on their wedding day. Katie had this blog written and sent before the curlers were out of her hair. I think she is looking if there is a company out there looking for a social media expert!



Wow! I loved this. "Falling in love is like owning a dog."







It's exhausting being a bridesmaid!











One of my favorite things is hanging out when there is so much going on. It is always a challenge to make a shot that captures all of this. You could study this picture for a long time watching what all is going on in it, and I love that about it.





Love the back of this mirror!







































With this photo team we set a record for number of images produced between the three of us, so you can imagine how difficult it was to narrow them down and how awesome they must be. Not only that, Katie is a planner and there were so many little details to her wedding, we had to be on our toes to catch them all.

Come back tomorrow for the details and the reception.

Vendors:
Photographer - Pilster Photography
2nd Photographer - Chip Litherland
Assistant - Charlie Doerner
Ceremony & Reception- Carlouel Yacht Club
Catering- Carlouel Yacht Club
DJ- Advance Entertainment
Floral- The Bride’s Bouquet
Cake- Cakes by Nomeda
Hair/Makeup- Camposecco Artistry
Day of Coordinator- Eventions of Florida
Linens- handmade by Katie's Grandmother!
Dress- James Clifford Collection
Shoes- Linea Paolo from Nordstrom
Bridesmaid's Dresses- J Crew
Bridesmaid's Shoes- Enzo Angiolini from Nordstrom



I love working it to get the shot!

Outside the Ballroom: Bella Collina

After weaving and winding through hills and trees we saw a clearing up ahead. As we exited the canopy towards the sunlight, on a hilltop, there in front of us, was a gorgeous venue surrounded by scenery that's not typical of Florida. It was as if we had gone to another country!

Taking back roads in Florida can be exciting as there is so much to explore. One of Florida's secrets is that it has some gorgeous countryside and amazing rolling hills in the middle of it. Two little towns, Montverde and Clermont, are pretty well known for these.



Now I had seen photos of Bella Collina on their website but they just don't do it justice. I was at a total loss for words as Chad pulled off the road to get some quick shots of the venue. I couldn't believe that such a place existed in Florida. I'm so used to all the touristy stuff and little DeLand that finding a gem like this blew my mind!



Bella Collina is a fairly new venue having been constructed just 2 1/2 years ago. It is a Tuscan inspired country club featuring incredible design and stunning views. The main entrance has a gorgeous fountain and stunning view of the lake.

The "lobby" boasts a very intimate seating area for relaxing and a hallway that leads to the main dining room. Something we thought was totally awesome was the pizza oven they have. How much fun would it be to have gourmet pizza at your rehearsal dinner!







The amount of attendees you can have will depend on the site you choose. The grand lawn can accommodate up to 200 guests without a tent (130 with a tent) while other locations such as the valet circle seat about 90. When I say valet circle I do mean the place you go to have your car parked. The cool thing about this location is that the posts can be removed and you're left with a great site for your ceremony that has a gorgeous backdrop. Not only will you have a fountain behind you but also a view of the lake.





You'll also find some intimate seating areas nestled throughout the venue. Some have fire pits while others feature beautiful reflecting ponds.





They have this awesome bell tower that you can ring right after your ceremony. But I must warn you... you've got to be pretty strong to actually get it to ring as it's a lot harder than it looks! Someone who worked there saw Chad getting some shots of it and she tried to ring it for us. After quite a few tugs on the rope she was able to get it to ring... once ;-)



The wine room is perfect for a great rehearsal dinner or small cocktail party. It can accommodate about 20 people but if you want to open up the doors into the hallway you can have about 60 guests.



Bella Collina also has a beautiful on-site spa. The bride and her bridesmaids have the option of using their private rooms upstairs to get ready so that the groom won't get any peeks at the blushing bride. This awesome staircase leads to the private rooms.





What you need to know about this venue:
Location: 16355 Vetta Drive Montverde, FL
Price range: $$$$
Ceremony site: Yes

Reception site: Yes
Outside caterer's allowed: No
Parking Available: Yes
Valet: Yes
Outdoor space: Yes
Capacity (without a dance floor): up to 100 inside. 200 outside.
Styles: Banquet/Reception Hall, Restaurant, Country Club

Outside the Ballroom: This is a series about discovering other amazing venues that exist for weddings and other events, ranging from castles, to traditional antique ballrooms, to bed and breakfasts, to anything that cannot be classified as a modern ballroom or meeting room. We also want to hear from you about the venues you've discovered, so please submit them in the comments or email them to info@pilsterphotography.net with Outside the Ballroom in the subject. For more info you can find it at the Introduction.