Venue Spotlight: Villa Woodbine

This Mediterranean Revival-style gem in Coconut Grove is just dripping in romance and elegance. From the moment you come up its long tree-covered driveway you’ll feel transported to a fairytale paradise. Villa Woodbine is a popular venue for all sized weddings because of its stunning historic architecture, beautiful landscaping and garden, and it mostly outdoor layout. Here are The Bride Candy’s top favorite features in Villa Woodbine.

The Entryway

The first thing you see at the Villa is a stone-arched entryway to its two-story façade with a view of the courtyard fountain and the gardens beyond. Its beauty is in its elegance and that it’s surrounded by greenery. Directly above is a wrought iron balcony that’s a romantic spot for couples photos. Many couples also choose to arrive by vintage car and park it in front of the entryway – it’s the perfect statement piece to welcome your guests. Consider adding a floral arch around the entryway or a cascading arrangement to the balcony above for even more impact.

The Courtyard

The entryway opens up directly to the interior courtyard of the mansion. And what a beautiful courtyard it is! Vines climb up the walls and pillars, with a stunning three-tiered fountain at the courtyard center. Many couples choose to have their first dance on its stone tiled floor. Adding flowers around or even in the fountain elevates this space even further. If you’re having a cocktail hour, it will likely happen here, as will dancing after dinner. 

The Staircase

Descending from the second-floor bridal suite is an impressive Moroccan-tiled staircase. The matching entrance table is nestled next to its lowest landing. Visible from all angles of the courtyard, it’s another prime statement piece of the venue. Most couples choose to use the entrance table for their guestbook or menu cards and the staircase for photos. Add flowers to the staircase’s wrought iron railing for an enchanted photo backdrop. 

The Grand Oak

The crown jewel of Villa Woodbine is the grand oak tree that reaches and towers over its expansive back garden. Wrapped in lights, it’s fern-covered branches create a natural canopy. The oak’s trunk is the most common backdrop for a garden ceremony, and you’ll likely have dinner under it also.  Take the option to hang a grand chandelier from it! Adding a floral arch is also advised, especially if you’re having a sweetheart table – the tree and arch make the perfect backdrop for it.

If you’re looking to have a romantic wedding at a venue that feels like a cross between an Italian villa and the Miami tropics, Villa Woodbine should be at the top of your list. Get in contact with us to see how we can bring your Villa Woodbine wedding dreams come true.

Destination Bride

Photography by BowtiePhotography

Florals by The Bride Candy

Venue Holiday Inn Miami Beach

Miami is a hub for destination weddings. So it’s common for  people in the wedding industry to work with brides and grooms from all over the globe. Sometimes we don’t get to meet our clients until the day of the wedding. Recently, I created a beautiful tropical themed wedding for a sweetheart named Kaytie. Let’s get to know a little about Kaytie’s story and why she chose to be a destination bride.

Kaytie admits to selling him lots of shoes and socks just so he would spend time with her (so cute).

Why Destination ?

Kaytie is from Minnesota and Nick is from Miami. They meet in North Dakota but now live in Minnesota. Nick was in the air-force and met Kaytie while she was working at a shoe store while in college. So why Miami? Most of Nick’s family lives in Miami and a few can’t travel. So they decided to bring the wedding to them. It was the perfect excuse to enjoy the warm tropical weather in February. Most brides choose a destination wedding because they like to travel and usually choose warm beautiful locations. A wedding is the perfect excuse to make it a vacation, which also makes the wedding experience more fun for the guests. It’s also quite common to choose to do a destination wedding because of family related things. 

Kaytie: “We were both obsessed with the arch for the ceremony. It was exactly what we wanted. I also loved the bouquets, they were beautiful and we got so many compliments on everything.”

Me: Blushes

Adventurous Wedding Style

Most of my destination brides choose a style to reflect the location of their wedding. They choose to make their wedding experience feel like they are in a different part of the world. Kaytie was one of those brides. She and Nick wanted the beach to be the focus of attention when it came to decoration . They chose tropical greenery to match the aesthetic of the tropical foliage in South Florida. It was sleek, timeless, and elegant, giving you the feeling of adventure and romance. She and her husband are modest in style and chose neutral colors and flowers. Kaytie’s dress flowed in the wind as she walked. It was really romantic and she looked beautiful as she walked down the aisle.

Traveling Love 

I asked Kaytie what her favorite part of the wedding was. She said she loved seeing both their families intertwined. They have family from all over the country. It meant the world to her that people came from all over to celebrate her and Nick’s love. I think she speaks for most destination brides. What could be more wonderful than to experience another part of the world with the people you love most? Weddings are magical and romantic and are the essence of celebrating love. This is the perfect way to get the perfect wedding setting. 

My favorite part 

The destination bride is a woman who seeks to celebrate love with adventure. What I love about my destination brides is the experience of meeting someone from far away and making their wedding dreams come true. I have met so many amazing women from all over. My favorite part of Kaytie’s wedding was when I was leaving - I felt someone hug me from behind and say “I loved everything, thank you”. It was her, and that’s a memory that I will always remember. I not only got to meet a sweet girl from Minnesota full of love and adventure but I also got to make her wedding day just a little bit more beautiful. Kaytie, thank you for choosing me as your florist! It was my honor to create your wedding day flowers and to get to know you and learn your love story .

I sometimes never meet my destination brides until the day of the wedding. Through emails and phone calls I get to learn about each one in the process and who they are as a person. I’ve met some pretty amazing, interesting people. It’s one of the things I love most about my job.