Graduation + Weekend Recap

With all of the excitement of the wedding, I barely got the chance to relish in my graduation. I graduated the day before the wedding, which was actually planned that way, trust me. It worked perfectly because I had all of my family members in town to celebrate both occasions. 

I didn't walk in my university's graduation ceremony at the main campus, but I did borrow a cap and had all of my family meet me at my small campus for photos. Many of my fellow hospitality students had the same idea, and I even had the chance to snap a photo with a lovely classmate. 

The photos of everyone in order are my mom, my brother, my dad, then S planting a kiss, and then my cousin. My cousin recently started college and joined a sorority. Sororities aren't my thing, but I had to have her show me what I call the "sorority pose". You know, the one where all the girls put their elbows out at an angle in every photo? Either way, I think we look super cute. I never really had any school spirit, but I did manage to find a dress that is black and gold - the colors of my university. 

Also, you may have noticed a new button on my sponsors tab, Sunshine Bloggers. I'm collaborating with Kristyn and Angel on connecting Florida bloggers. This morning I posted over there about small blogger gatherings and tips for meeting bloggers for the first time. Be sure to check it out!

This past weekend I worked both Saturday and Sunday for two weddings. Both were beautiful in their own way. These photos are from my Instagram, so if you've been following along, now is my chance to tell you more about them.

This photo above was Saturday's wedding in our dinosaur exhibit with a beautiful crinkle linen from my own caterer, Puff n Stuff. The sunflower centerpieces and  bouquets were actually made by the bride herself. They had a lovely balance of sunflowers, gerbera daisies, and even dandelions! You can see in the background a sign in our T-Rex's jaw. I think we may be one of the only museums in the nation that does that. The sign for this evening said "Thanks for celebrating with us!" and we've had brides and grooms order custom signs from us too with their name and date. I love the dinosaur exhibit, and I also love feasting tables like this one above.

Now this wedding ceremony was the most beautiful ceremony I have ever had the pleasure of working. I worked with an amazing videographer team, Imprint Cinema, and an awesome girl DJ, Kristin of Our DJ Rocks.   I love a bride that has amazing taste in vendors, including the florist, Lee Forrest, who brought in lovely ribbons, flower petals, and even a hanging chandelier for this old oak tree ceremony. This is the kind of wedding that event coordinators dream of working. Anyway, I took more photos of the reception with my camera and will be happy to share those soon! 

Today both S + I had off and it was lovely since it was our day off together for the weekend. We slept in - which was much needed since I worked my butt off for the weddings this weekend. We started our day at the pool with a quick dip for S and a few magazines for myself. Afterward, we hit up our favorite antique shop for their Memorial Day sale. I was looking for some beautiful art deco rings, but didn't have any luck finding one that I was in love with. Instead, I found this gray American Tourister hat box. I already have a larger blue American Tourist luggage that is also circular, but this is perfect for quick weekend trips! I also have a Pan Am bag that is perfect for my carry-on. You can see both my Pan Am bag and my blue American Tourister luggage on Instagram.

Lastly, with the weather getting warmer, I'm having trouble enjoying my glass of red wine in the evening. It is just too hot - I need a cold drink of choice. Beer is a good choice when I have food like pizza or chips to pair it with, but I need something lighter for more afternoons by the pool. The only liquor that I enjoy (besides whiskey/bourbon/scotch) is cachaca, which is a sugarcane rum from Brazil. This evening I made a caipirinha, the classic Brazilian drink made with muddle sugar and limes, topped with 1 1/2 shots of cachaca, served on the rocks. My mom is Brazilian so me and caipirinha's are old friends by now. If you've never tried one, I would suggest it on a hot summer day coming up!

Both weddings took place at the Orlando Science Center