Orlando, Florida on Lake Formosa picnic wedding of Molly and Josh pt.1of2

Isn't it nice when you already have the venue of your choice? On Lake Formosa lies the perfect place for a picnic wedding. It has a large grassy field and a nice little boat dock. Unfortunately it is only available to Molly and Josh's family, because it is Molly's parents house. Then right next door is her grandmother's house.

The concept behind this was to have a picnic wedding and it was done perfectly. John Michael Events even provided an ice cream cart with ice cream outfits!



John is a good family friend of Molly and Josh and helped shoot for us. He made this gorgeous sunrise shot over the ceremony area.






























All of the guests were carted from a nearby parking area to the house by pedicab.



















Ky, another of their family friends, helped with the florals and a lot of the event decor. She did an amazing job.





Come back tomorrow for part 2. You'll never guess how they left the wedding!

The awesome people who helped make this happen!
Venue - Their parents backyard off of Lake Formosa in Orlando, Florida
Officiant- First Baptist Church Orlando
Musician/DJ- Roger Patenaude
Florist- Ky Miller (friend)
Caterer/Ice cream - John Michael Events
Cake Artist- Brenda Henderson (friend)
Hair and Makeup - Krystal (friend)
Dress designed by and sold at Nancy's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses from Zara
Groom's Suit - Absolutely Fitting
Photography - Pilster Photography with second shooting by our awesome associate James Shaffer and John Radcliffe.

Outside the Ballroom: FAQ-Finding the Perfect Venue

Finding the perfect venue for your wedding can be tricky. You want it to reflect your personality and the theme you've chosen. Or if you love a venue that much it may determine the theme for you.

Before you chose a venue keep in mind the number of guests you plan on having. Lots of venues can accommodate a large guest list but some are geared toward smaller, more intimate events. You'll need to account for a dance floor, your DJ, a bar, eating area, etc. Everyone wants to have enough elbow room and plenty of space to show off their moves.

One of the most important things to do before choosing a venue is to do a site visit. It gives you a chance to picture where everything will go and make adjustments if necessary. When doing a site visit it's important to make note of things like columns around the room as they can obstruct your guests view. Also make sure there is plenty of seating for your guests. I've seen outdoor ceremonies where family was seated and friends had to stand in the back. It may work for some venues but I personally don't recommend asking people to stand during the entire ceremony.



Parks with gardens are one of my favorite types of venues but I don't feel comfortable with all the onlookers. The same goes for wedding on the beach. A lot of people don't mind the audience but that type of wedding is just not for me. Another thing about any type of outdoor wedding is weather. I attended a beach wedding last October and not only were there tons of beach goers but it was hot. Really hot. In a situation like that you should provide your guests with cold water and even a fan to keep cool with. Jess and Wade provided their guests with these super fun paper umbrellas to keep the sun off of them.





Timing is everything! If your having a sunset ceremony the beach would be a perfect place for the wedding. It's not too hot and you'll have a great view... just make sure you're on the right coast ;-) If you're not a big fan of the beach like me a lakeside wedding may be more appropriate for you. If you're having an indoor ceremony or reception during the day make sure there are plenty of windows to let in that natural light.



If you want a venue that's really outside the box head to local art galleries or restaurants and find out their policy for private events. Rix Lounge at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is an awesome restaurant that can be rented out for private parties like weddings. The Orlando Science Center is also a great venue to check out.

Don't forget to check out our "Outside the Ballroom" feature for some of our favorite venues! You can also check out the Knot database to find other awesome venues. You can search across the country or locally. And be sure to read this article, also from The Knot, about finding the perfect venue.

Sanford, Florida backroad engagement session with Kevan and Jason

Nothing like an engagement session to motivate. Apparently Jason has been working on this car for quite a while now, maybe even years. Kevan his fiance, him, and I had done some great brainstorming for a shoot out in the middle of nowhere that involves a broken down car, a picnic and both of them. We had a backup plan, but if he didn't finish this car we were definitely going to plan B. On top of that, this is his thing, so we totally wanted to include it in the session.



I don't think that I mentioned to Kevan that red was my cameras favorite color, but she knew the candy for it's megapixels. These shoes were awesome!











So the week of the shoot I'm watching both of their Facebooks, and I see him talking about still getting parts. He must have gotten this car running the day before the shoot. We didn't start it much, he was too worried that it might not start again.



























This shot started because we wanted to move the car down the road a few yards. Jason just didn't want to chance starting it, so he pushed it.





I can't even take credit for finding this great location. Jason apparently has driven by it before and suggested it. It had all of the elements we were looking for and it's only in Sanford! When we started talking about deserted roads, I was sure we were going to have to get further out into the Florida woods!












Kevan is amazingly creative. She brainstorms like I do with millions of ideas! We squeezed in what probably should have been 5 different sessions. The only thing stopping us from doing anymore was the sunlight! We can't complain about the sun too much though, it gave us a gorgeous sunset.