Hi friends, it's Eve here - We wanted to share the details of our Big Day Giveaway winners!

Anthony & Casey were one of our last contestants to send in their entry and they grabbed our attention with their unique view on how awesome a big day can be.

Kim and I love many aspects of their wedding, including the fact that a huge chunk of the money they are spending is going to charity, and also that most of the wedding components are totally environmentally friendly. These are just a few things that we hope other brides can gain inspiration from We also LOVE the color pallet and can not wait to photograph this gorgeous event.

First I'll tell you little about the special couple. Anthony and Casey met about five years ago while in college at Florida State University.  They were from the same hometown and grew up knowing each others families, but Anthony and Casey were never close friends until college.  Five years later, they were best friends, and moved to Charleston, SC together where Casey is going to grad school for marine biology! They eventually got engaged enjoying a perfect sunset on Folly Beach, SC September 27, 2011.

They are getting married this October in Jupiter, FL at the waterfront homes owned by the Renewal Coalition. The Renewal Coalition is a non-profit organization that provides all expenses paid vacations for active-duty service men who come home with injuries and/or PTSD and their families. The homes were donated by the Lankler family, they are absolutely gorgeous and a perfect place to allow the soldiers and their families relax and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the mangrove lined waterfront property. 100% of the fee that they are paying for the venue will go to the organization and allow them to buy plane tickets for the soldiers and families.

The homes have an 'Old Florida' feel, with a huge Banyan trees and tons of foliage surrounding the homes and backyard including mangroves which line the water and views of the Jupiter sandbar!  Their goal is to really let the natural beauty of the venue shine, they want to incorporate as much natural decor as possible and keeping linens simple and earthy.  Having their wedding be eco-friendly was a priority for Anthony & Casey as there can be a ton of waste associated with decorating for wedding. Casey's says "I would be a terrible marine biologist if I didn't practice what I preach about conservation and stainability" She has decided to use local and recycled materials for the decor.

Below are some samples that were included in their submission.

LEFT: Once the guests drop their cars off with the valet they will walk down this path. It is going to be lined with hanging lanterns.

RIGHT: The ceremony site. Now imagine this with our driftwood alter, lanterns hanging from the tree, and hanging baskets of orchids to add subtle color. This is also where we will have our seagrape and palm frond adorned aisle with any extra driftwood lining the chairs.

LEFT: After the ceremony guests will walk up to this porch area where the cocktail hour will be held—this will create nice flow from the ceremony to the cocktail hour and then to dinner on the connecting veranda only with a softer, natural color scheme for the linens. Candlelight will create a warm, natural and beautiful cocktail hour and reception space.

RIGHT: This is one of two docks on the property that would be perfet for sunset and moonlit photo opportunities! Being a marine biologist, of course Casey made sure that the moon phase was ideal (almost full) and that it would be approaching high tide on their wedding day. This should provide clearer, bluer water for this part of the waterway (i.e. when the water is a pretty blue instead of murky brown)!

The flowers that Casey and her girls will carry and accent on some of the tables will be simple orchids, with just enough
splash of color in the center. The basket and bouquet are woven with palm fronds for the bridesmaid’s bouquets and perfect for the flower girl to hang over her shoulder as she tosses seagrapes!

They want to have fresh, beautiful, and deliciously healthy food served at their wedding so no one is too comatose to get down on the dance floor! These are a couple of great examples of how their food can be just another natural component of the décor. In addition to a bar set up for cocktail hour they will have a drink station that is as pretty as it is yummy. With unique and different frames to hold drink placards.

These are the color pallets that Casey is using while she plans out all the important decor details.

Jessica didn't believe in soul mates until she met Kevin. Kevin felt the same. Not long after dating these two knew it was fate. They complete each other! These two work together rescuing animals and continue to find homes for all the forgotten pets throughout South Florida. We recently read a cute FB post from Kevin stating "My girl saved 7 dogs tonight, how many did yours save?" We need more people like this on our planet! They are so beautiful on the inside and out. Their wedding celebration was perfect and full of amazing surprises. From their "Dirty Dancing" choreographed first dance to the beautiful fireworks display, these two thought of it all. We wish them a life time of happiness and love, they really deserve it. 

You can check out their awesome first dance here.. captured by yours truly :)

Rosanna has been a long time friend so we were super excited when she called to ask if we would travel to Barbados to photograph her wedding. Needless to say the trip exceeded our expectations! We had an amazing time with our friends laughing and relaxing, we saw monkeys, bats, swam with sea turtles, and got to cruise around the beautiful island experiencing their culture. 

The wedding ceremony was held in a gorgeous cathedral with stained glass windows and amazing architecture. Reception followed at a huge plantation estate with lush tropical landscaping and mood lighting. Not a single detail was missed, they did a fantastic job planning and executing this perfect wedding. The memories we made will stay with us forever!

Rick and Rachel fell in love at Florida State University and have been inseperable ever since. They both enjoy boating so we thought it would be appropriate to do their e-session out on the water. We mosied around pnut Island on a gorgeous evening, the weather couldn't have been better! We can't wait to be with them on their Big Day, they are so much fun to be around.

Sometimes we like holding hands too ;-)

Towards the end of our journey we noticed this poor seagull that was caught up in fishing line and couldn't break free from the channel marker. Rick, being our brave hero went out on the bow of the boat and cut the bird free. It was a great feeling to know that bird would be able to fly free!

You can check out their awesome first dance here, captured by yours truly :)

http://youtu.be/Snn8KQ5hVzo