Visions Unlimited Productions, Inc.

videography and photography for all

Florida Beach Wedding Secrets

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Are you planning a Beach Wedding in Florida?  Our pristine white sandy beaches in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties are the perfect place to plan a beach wedding . I want to share with you my inside beach wedding secrets on saving money, avoiding pitfalls and dealing with bumps along the way.

Are you considering the Florida Gulf Coast or SunCoast for your beach wedding? Our beaches are perfect place for your destination wedding.

Whether you are searching for beaches, caterers, wedding friendly resorts, vendors, cool wedding favors or just trying to find different beach wedding ideas and tips, I will help guide you.

In addition to getting married on Siesta Key Beach, my handsome husband, Mark and I have shot hundreds of beach wedding videos.  We are ready to share first hand experiences with you!

Dear Friends, please respect the natural beauty of Florida’s clean beaches by keeping plastics to a minimum. I NEVER release plastic balloons or flaming lanterns. They end up as litter which might hurt shorebirds, manatees, sea turtles and dolphins. From my experience, you need very little wedding decorations on the shore. Let Mother Nature be your backdrop and keep artificial flowers to a minimum. If you must throw rose pedals, please make them real and not plastic litter. Consider where the seashells come from in your decorations. These seashells were likely LIVE CREATURES before being harvested and sold. I prefer to see them alive and in the Gulf of Mexico. We appreciate the natural beauty in being married on the beach. I’m asking you to please honor that simplify when planning your beach wedding in Florida on Siesta Key beach, Long oat Key or Lido Beach.

Call Leslie time for free a15 minute consultation at: 941/315-3456

Rainy Beach Wedding Portrait by Leslie Harris Senac and Misty
Rainy Beach Wedding Portrait on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County

~ Leslie Harris-Senac, Film maker / Owner of Visions Unlimited Video Productions, Inc. in Sarasota, FL 34231

Unique Engagement Announcements

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Husband and wife team, Leslie and Mark shot this gorgeous sunset footage on Siesta Key at Turtle Beach.

At Visions Unlimited, we produce more than Wedding Videos. We also produce Engagement Announcement Videos that you can Email to friends and family, post to your facebook page, and mail as “Save The Date” DVDs.

This type of Love Story Tribute Video can be shown at your Rehearsal Dinner Party, during cocktail hour on a loop so that it will play over an over again, or on a large Projection Screen during your reception between salad and the main course. We can incorporate engagement photos taken by your photographertoo.

The possibilities are endless. Please reply with some ideas of your own. Some of my best creative ideas come from people like YOU!

~by Leslie Harris Senac, Filmmaker/Owner of Visions Unlimited Video Productions in Sarasota, FL

Leslie Harris-Senac with Camera on Siesta Key Beach
Leslie Harris-Senac with Camera on Siesta Key BeachLongboat Key coupleBride and Groom

Wedding Vows – For Better or For Worse

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In the United States over two million wedding ceremonies are held every single year. This said, no two shall be exactly alike. Think about it – the dress, the flowers, the colors, the cake, the size of the guest list, all of these aspects will differ… the list goes on. But one fact remains. Each and every wedding is guaranteed to include one element: the bride and groom. In this ritual that unites husband and wife together as a legal couple, the exchange of vows really is the very heart and soul of the entire ceremony.

The wedding vows are verbal articulations of the bride and groom’s feelings for one another, ‘for better or for worse.” Physically making the vow can be as simple as “Will you marry me?” & “I will”. Traditional rituals can be traced back so far that the actual meaning becomes marred, even within research. An example of a traditional Pagan wedding ritual vow is as follows:

As Long as Love Shall Last
“Do you now commit to each other to love, honour, respect each other, to communicate with each other, to look to your own emotional health so that you can relate in a healthy way, and provide a healthy home for children if you choose to have them; to be a support and comfort for your partner in times of sickness and health, as long as love shall last?”
Mary A. Axford – Pagan Wedding Ritual

Couples often go into great detail when making their wedding vows before the actual ceremony. This can take many forms, and depends on the individual couple. Sometimes the couple use traditional vows that have been written by another person. And sometimes the happy couple decides to write their own personal vows for one another.

It’s a wonderfully romantic idea for you to write your own wedding vows. In fact, this is becoming an increasing popular phenomenon. However, it is not as easy as it may seem.  Even the most expressive and creative person can find it hard to express exactly what they are trying to communicate to their lover. Remember, these words will not only mean more to your lover than any before, but they will also be articulated in the most public of scenarios.  The pressure is on!  But never fear, as help is at hand.

Rev. Georgeann Butler, and her husband Rich, create customized ceremonies for weddings, vow renewals, baby blessings, commitment ceremonies and other celebrations. They love working with couples to make their wedding dreams come true. Rich is also a Minister. They love working with couples to make sure their ceremony reflects their love, commitment and personalities. This makes your wedding ceremony heartfelt, unique and fun.

If you find that you are struggling to get the wording absolutely perfect there are many specialists readily available to guide you.  It is a good idea to make sure your notary or clergy understand your wishes before committing yourself to them – and when you do, the chances are that you will be guaranteed word perfect result that will express all of your hearts desire, and more.
Happy writing!

~ by Leslie Harris-Senac of Visions Unlimited Video Productions in Sarasota, FL with excerpt from allweddingideas.com.

Gasparilal Inn Wedding Ceremony
Gasparilal Inn Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Reception Decorations and Party Favors

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Wedding Reception Decorations

Brides are choosing centerpieces that are in the same color tones, but of different sizes.  This gives the reception tables a more interesting look and a less “coordinated” feel. Keep in mind that huge center pieces can be hard for guests to talk around, when sitting at the table. (It also can be a challenge for your wedding videographer to get shots of your guests when they are behind large flower arrangements.) Unique vase fillers include glass marbles, sea glass, acrylic ice, colored water, flowers and leaves, beads, and fresh fruits such as lemons and limes.

Rose Petals remain the most popular confetti. Also, flowering vines or individually cut flowers are placed directly onto table linens.  Reception chairs are decorated with either tulle, fabric overlays, floral swags and/or ribbons.  Other popular decorating items include Chinese lanterns, garlands and balloons.

An increasingly popular trend is the candy buffet or confection bar.  This consists of a variety of candies or treats placed in varied sizes of glass containers and grouped on a table.  Pretty silver spoons or scoops in each container allows guests to fill small boxes or bags as take-home favors.

Bolts of economical tulle fabric are typically combined with lots of white lights and/or floral garlands for draping between pews and decorating banisters and reception table tops.

Candles always a popular choice for your wedding reception centerpieces, lend a romantic feel to any room, and provide more light for your photographer and videographers.  Choices include pillars, tea lights, tapers and floaters.  Since some facilities do not allow candles, alternatives include faux tea light candles, LED lights, and fiber optic lights. The more light the better!

Head tables are replaced with a small table for just the bride and groom.  Many couples plan weekend weddings that start on Friday and go for the entire weekend.  Dove releases and add drama and excitement to the event.

Today’s couples most often pay for their own weddings and make their own decisions about what they want for their wedding day.  Using a budget calculator allows them to allocate their money and prioritize wants and needs.  You want to enjoy a wedding that is uniquely yours, and one that displays your own sense of style and personal taste. Personal touches appear throughout the entire wedding & reception. They can be found in attire, favors, decorations, stationary, photography, themes, flowers, gifts, and wedding locations.

Wedding Favors

Although completely optional, couples now opt for more unusual, useful, and personalized favors to thank their guests for coming.  In many cases, the favors do double-duty as place-card holders, table decorations, and even centerpiece arrangements where larger favors are grouped together in the center of the reception tables.

Favors can be ready-made items, although currently less popular, or hand-made and embellished with ribbon and accents that coordinate with the wedding theme or color scheme.  This is definitely an area of weddings that has gone DIY in recent months.

Wedding Cakes

Cakes decorated with handmade icing flowers, sugar shells/starfish and delicate dots and scrollwork remain popular.  Couples are choosing wedding cakes that fit with the location, theme and season of their wedding.  You can have a one-of-a-kind, custom-made cake.  Four to five layers is the average size for a wedding of 150-200 people.

Buttercream or smooth fondant frostings are most common. Popular cake flavors include Key Lime Cheese Cake, chocolate, carrot, spice and “white” although some couples are choosing non-traditional flavors such as gingerbread, espresso and hazelnut.  Flowers, sculptures, and large monogrammed letters are replacing the traditional bride and groom cake top.

~ by Leslie Harris-Senac of Visions Unlimited Video Productions in Sarasota with excerpt from: Your Wedding Company