My girlfriends and I booked a weekend at the Don Cesar for a weekend of fun and relaxation! They have a Spa package there, though we had to alter the package a bit (the original package was only for two girls, and we were five girls). It was really great! The rooms are really fancy, and I just loved the suite that we stayed in. On our first night there we ate at the Maritana Grill, which was delicious and expensive! During the second day we checked out their pool and spa, and we each got an hour long message. The second night we ate at the restaurant again. I don't think we burnt many calories that weekend. The food was delicious, but really rich. I would have to say that the best part was the spa treatment, and being close to so many great shopping stores.

This wasn't a regular bachelor party as much as it was a chance for many of our friends and family members who are avid golf players to play on a really nice course. We set it up so that several groups of four would play one after another. Per game, it cost about $40 a player, though I'm not sure if that includes the cart rental or not. Everyone who went said that it was a great course, very beautiful, and a perfect way to see some excellent Florida golf courses. Many also said that it wasn't an easy course, but those who do golf often said it was a perfect challenge. I know my husband has gone several more time to Eagles with relatives who fly in for a week's vacation.

Guest Accommodations: 4 Stars - We didn't have many friends and family that stayed in a hotel, but for those family and friends who were from out of town we chose the Grand Hyatt just because it is such a nice hotel, and also because this was where we would be spending our wedding night weekend. The front lobby is beautiful, really clean and fancy, and the rooms are also really nice. We did get a special rate for the rooms that were booked in the block we organized, but it wasn't that great of a discount. There are, obviously, cheaper places to stay, but I think this is one of the nicest and it is in a nicer location.

Wedding Night: 5 Stars - I do not regret for one moment staying in a hotel on the night of our wedding, even though we do have our own apartment in town! Rather than book the Amour package, which was just flowers and valet parking (and maybe some other things), we went with the Deluxe Suite option. This meant that we had a huge room, with a great marble bathtub, and cable TV. We had the room booked for the entire weekend, so we had until Monday morning to check it out and have fun with all the amenities. It was also nice to have a separate sitting room in our huge room, because then friends could come sit with us and chat after the wedding.

I loved our caterers! I really think they did an excellent job of helping us decide on a menu, they did a great job setting everything up, of coordinating with the Event Center, and making sure the food was served hot and on time. We decided upon a great menu, but my favorite part was that they made their own ice cream! It was delicious! I think having ice cream was an excellent alternative to regular wedding cake, although we still had a wedding cake. I loved that they were also able to caterer for such a large group with such ease. I really appreciated the number of servers they brought in during the meal, because everyone was able to get their food hot and within minutes.

This was a great location for our wedding reception, mainly because there was so much room! This was one of the first places we started considering potential locations, and we really loved it because the main hall could be made smaller, but still have a dance floor. Once we had our final count we were still able to use the full hall, which is perfect for a guest list of 200. They were able to take care of the dance floor, decorations, linens and chair covers. The room looked so fancy when we stepped in for our wedding reception, it was like a dream! They take care of the bar service, because they have their own liquor license. We held an open bar for two hours, which I think was about right. They also put us in contact with some great caterers, which was helpful, and some DJs that they recommended. Being able to work with such a professional and excellent team of event coordinators and staff made planning the wedding 100% easier. Once we had the hall picked and put down the deposit, they took care of the rest.

Carrie took our engagement pictures! We arranged a consultation, and we loved her and hoped that she could take our engagement pictures! We really liked Carrie because she encouraged us to show love and happiness in the pictures, and it was so nice being able to act 'lovey-dovey' in front of a camera in not a cheesy way. It's hard to explain, but I really think Carrie brought out the best in us in the way she posed us and suggestions she made. We made arrangements to have two on-site engagement photo shoots, which cost more but was well worth it. We had lovely engagement pictures to choose between. We have kept her card and information and have recommended her to other brides-to-be and couples.

The reception hall was taking care of the centerpieces, but I wanted a special bouquet and I wanted the groom (my husband) to have the matching boutonnieres. I also wanted the bridesmaids to have smaller bouquets that looked the same as mine. We went to Milly's because I have ordered flowers here for my mother, and I really love the staff. I was so happy to tell them that I was getting married. They have a huge catalogue of what the bouquets could look like, along with the flowers they recommended in the colors that I wanted. We were able to come up with something really elegant. I was so happy when the flowers arrived on my wedding day! That's another good thing, they also deliver.

We visited two Jared stores, one in Clearwater and one in Tampa, and they more or less have the same selection. The staff was cheery and really happy that we were there to look at rings. My husband was set on getting me a simple engagement ring, because he didn't believe in all the flash and craziness. I would have gone with something pink or maybe a topaz ring! My wedding band was not so simple-he though having a band with jewels was fine! They have a nice selection of engagement rings and wedding bands, and in the end I am really happy with my traditional ring! I guess I love it more because on our wedding day my husband surprised me with a pendant and matching diamond earrings! I am so lucky, because he loves me in a simple, straightforward way, but he still understands my love of flashy jewelry!

This was the location my husband chose to get his tuxedo. I went with him, and I think the staff was nice and helpful in assisting us to make the right chose. I had brought one of the bridesmaid’s dresses with me, and one sales girl was really helpful in finding a matching vest for the groomsmen. What I like about Tuxedo Junction is that they carry classic tuxes, but they also have some of the trendier suit models and styles. In the end, my husband with happy with the fitting, I was happy that the tux looked good, and we were both happy that the suits were ready on time without any errors.

For the wedding invitations, I loved the idea of having our own stationary to write to our guests with. Crane & CO have an excellent and beautiful collection of letter-pressed stationary cards and matching envelopes, which were perfect for us! The cards were really simple and stylish, on excellent quality paper, and they had our names written across the front. It was simple and elegant. We were able to include the return address on the envelope for an additional fee. Instead of RSVP cards, we asked our guests to call us. We had already sent our save-the-date cards, and in a way we were trying to save some paper and the environment.