Christopher & Niza - Southwest Florida - La Casa Toscana

Between my love of travel, the white sand beaches and this gorgeous couple; do Florida events get any better? I had the pleasure of getting to know Niza and her family at their Southwest Florida home. Although we had a connection through Niza's sister, I had never had the pleasure of meeting either Christopher or Niza until the weekend of their event. 

Planning destination events has been one of my favorite parts of my business. When I started my event planning career 99% of my clients were from over 500+ miles away.

Destination events are where my roots are planted.

The distance in planning did not make them skip a beat. The moment I met Chris & Niza I knew this event would be beautiful. (I mean look at them!)

But, their taste was flawless, their spirits gentle, and their family was so welcoming. With this combination, I knew this event would be one of the best yet! 

AND THIS SPACE IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

I am so honored to share a little of their story with you. 

Tucked away in the Bride's family home in Southwest Florida, La Casa Toscana is one of the best kept secrets in SWFL. I drove up to the house and met Niza for the first time. Her first words, "Wow you're so pretty!" Are you shocked, I was too. But, it wasn't just the first impression that stuck with me. It was what Chris and Niza had built their relationship on; the love of others. Every single vendor and every single guest felt wanted and welcome. It is no surprise when Niza asked if I would help with her last minute floral emergency, my team and I jumped on the opportunity to serve them. There was a hiccup the night before the event and Niza was in need of someone to put together the 2,800 long stem roses and 30,000 white rose petals! Bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and ceremony decor all had to be done in less than 24 hours. 

Although, I am NO florist!

My team and I did our best. (Pardon my cell photo in the garage).

Bride's Bouquet. The final product!

The evening was closing in and we were wrapping up our floral design for the evening when a piece of floral wire flung into the air and poked me in my left eye! It hurt so badly! Like I said, I am NO florist. Although, I could still see it did not stop the eye from swelling shut. The day of the event, I was shall we say, Pirate Wedding Planner? YES! I had a eye patch and no make up on half of my face. I figured there was no need to have streaming mascara too! But, when I say Niza and Chris loved everyone they really showed me so much love even in my pain. I was showered in items from CVS and constantly given anything I needed to help ease some of my discomfort. I was so impressed with their selflessness on THEIR big day. They really are something special. 

And if I am being truly honest, if they would not have been so gracious I am not sure how we could have made it through. Besides, the normal to-dos of a wedding day, we have the instruction of a one-eyed wedding planner, pouring rain on our ceremony and dinner set up, unseasonable heat of the upper 90's with about 100% humidity, and film crew trying to make Mostly Becky's promotional film. Even reliving this day I still feel some of the pain. Like I said, Niza and Chris were SO gracious to us. But, we think it turned out stunning! I mean see for yourself. 

Another iPhone picture.

So what do you think? We loved how it turned out so much we wanted to create a film to show it off. You can see it here. After this event, we have never been more certain that people are worth more than any detail. When you are surrounded by the love others exemplifying Christ everyone will be successful. Thank you Niza & Chris for sharing your day with us! If we could, we'd do it ALL over again. 

Can you believe that this venue is now available for rent? We couldn’t be more excited to share in this beautiful space serving the people of South West Florida! Come check us out!

Thanks to Echo Cinematics for their beautiful film and patience! 

And a special thanks to Maria Glassford Photography for allowing us to show off her beautiful images! 

“Becky was amazing to say the least! I had an outdoor wedding in Florida, and of course it poured. my reception area was a disater but Becky and her team made it happen! It looked beyond perfect... So perfect I didn’t even know that everything was knocked down or that things had broken till after the wedding that the photographer shared that with me! I love Becky and her team so much, not only are they professional but they go above and beyond in all areas and really strive to make your day perfect! ”

— Niza

Zach & Elizabeth Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sometimes when you meet someone you just know. You know they were meant to be together, you know they love each other. One of the best parts of planning weddings is getting to see this over and over. 

The first time I met Zach and Liz their welcoming spirit was contagious. Everyone around them feels it! They are kind, generous and most of all fun! With these two we couldn't have anything but a beautiful wedding day! We organized and designed this amazing day in Cedar Rapids, IA. The beautiful Ceremony was in the backyard of Zach's grandparents home. We danced the night away at the Downtown Double Tree in Cedar Rapids. We could not have done this without the help of all the amazing vendors! 

I am so happy to share some of their beautiful and fun day with you all. 

Congrats to you Zach & Liz- Wishing you the best! 

XO

Becky 

Many thanks to the following: photography by @emilycrall, coordination and design by @mostlybecky, videography by @nepoproductions, florals by @piersonsflowershopgreenhouse, cake by @julesbakery, hair & makeup by Jo Sweet, DJ by @uniqueeventsiowa, paper suite by @andisinvites, bridal gown by @morileeofficial from Iowa Brides & Weddings, maids' gowns by @verawangbride from @davidsbridal, menswear by @skeffingtons_formalwear, hosted at & catered by @doubletree. #pairofparsons

Rachel & Seth Fort Dodge, Iowa

When your sister gets married you get the privilege of filling many shoes. I was the wedding planner, designer, decorator, Maid of Honor and sister of the bride. This wedding was such an honor to be apart of. Not only is Rachel my best friend, I have had the absolute pleasure to watch her and Seth grow not only in their relationship, but in their relationship with the Lord. Seth and Rachel started their love in High School. 

Every day after school, Rachel would get into the car in our High School parking lot and say "Oh my goodness he looked at me!" Who, I would reply. "Seth Lehman...." She would just sit there googly-eyed. One thing you will learn quickly about Rachel. She knows what she wants and there is no changing her mind. 

She exercises this in all areas of her life. Especially with Seth. It was no surprise when their 9 year relationship turned out to a forever commitment. I love them, and am honored to have Seth join our family. 

XOXO

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A Wedding Surprise in Des Moines, Iowa

One thing I truly do love about my job, is no matter how many weddings I have planned (way too many to count), there is never a single one that is the same. The Wedding Day has become a beautiful opportunity to show your individual uniqueness. 

I am often asked, "What is the craziest wedding you have done?" And it is my pleasure to share with you a little story about 3 beautiful people I got the pleasure of knowing, just a little bit. It may not be the craziest, but is one of the specialist moments I have be lucky enough to be apart of. 

"Hi, I am looking for help planning my reception. Here's the thing, my husband and I are already married and we have a beautiful son. I am really looking for a great party,  with amazing decor and really just a great party! Do you think you can help" And of course I jumped on the opportunity! Events that are out of the ordinary are my specialty! Within a few weeks, I knew this would be an event I would really enjoy planning. 

"Hi Becky, so glad we could talk, well, I have some news....I'm pregnant and I was thinking, I would love to reveal the gender of the baby at the reception, do you think that is something we can pull off?" 

Immediately I started to brainstorm with my lovely bride. Together we came up with a one-of-a-kind gender reveal.....A BALLOON DROP over the dance floor! That was it! How was I going to pull this off? 

The problem, most balloon drops, or should I say ALL balloon drops are transparent! So, after many dead-ends, my amazing assistant and I just made one! I will spare you the grueling details of this process. But, I will tell you this. We got it put together, hung up on the vaulted ceiling, and no balloons were in sight! 

That nigh before the reception, I could hardly sleep. I was so nervous, I had no clue if my balloon drop would be still connected to the ceiling when I arrived in the morning. 

But, to my surprise, it was there! And no colored balloons could be seen. I was ecstatic! After being cornered by many guests who were trying their best to bribe me to spill the secret the time finally came for the gender of the baby to be revealed. 

This moment was priceless, and I was so blessed to be apart of it! 
Thank you Quinn for allowing me into such a beautiful moment in your life! 

XoXo

It's a girl!!!