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NEW, NEW, NEW

2011-06-03T15:17:00.003-04:00

We have exciting NEW news! Our blog has moved to our new webpage at www.mmdevents.com! We will no longer be posting on this site. From now on you will find all the latest updates on events, photos from events, and fun stuff happening with MMD Events. Go on over to our new website and check it out! Let us know what you think too! Are we friends yet on Facebook....? Head on over to Facebook as well and 'like' us too!!

Vintage Furniture

2011-05-27T13:00:00.003-04:00

Our "I Heart Vintage" furniture was featured at the last Tampa Bay NACE meeting. NACE stands for the National Association of Catering Executives. We love going to NACE meetings and we love when we get asked to participate in the meetings. When the opportunity came about for us to bring our vintage furniture collection to the meeting we were all in. Kismis Ink Photography was so nice to take these wonderful images for us. We cannot thank you guys enough and we love the photos!

Here are some of the photos from our I Heart Vintage furniture collection that is growing daily. Please contact us if you would love to have our furniture at your next event!

Kind Words from Clients!

2011-05-26T16:14:00.009-04:00

This past weekend we were honored to be part of Allison and Matt's wedding at the Clearwater Hilton Hotel. This morning we received such kind words from the brides mother. We love when our clients go the extra mile and say thank you to us! We are waiting on the edge of our seats waiting for photos to come in, but we had to share such a sweet thank you!

Hi Amanda,

I just wanted to tell you what a great job you did. It was everything Allison dreamed. I was so worried she would be disappointed in something. I wanted it perfect for her. It was. Everyone is raving about the flowers the room all of it. Thank you so much. Feel free to use as a reference anytime!!

Thanks again,

Elaine MacCollom

PS Even my really perfectionist friend was impressed!!

Remember to Save The Date on our website launching on June 1st! As a preview look at our new logo! Also make sure to follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @MMDEvents for new photos from our events!

Style Unveiled Blog Feature!

2011-05-23T13:00:00.006-04:00

Every day at MMD Events something fun and creative is going on. This naturally makes work something that we all enjoy coming to. There is nothing better then walking in the doors and seeing this amazing bouquet in a vase sitting on the table. Come to find out, it was not for a bride but it was for Amanda to create and hopefully be featured in the Style Unveiled Bouquet Dress Challenge.

Amanda was asked to pick her favorite wedding dress and to make a custom bouquet to go along with it. Amanda created this amazing bouquet filled with camel roses, chocolate mini cymbidium, beige cymbidium orchids, and succulents that Amanda gilded. Yesterday morning we received a pleasant surprise when Amanda was featured on the Style Unveiled Blog!

A huge thank you to Rebecca from Limelight Photography for taking these photos! We cannot thank you enough!!! We wanted to feature some of the other amazing images that Rebecca took for us. Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by the warehouse for these photos!!

And this photo is for Amanda...everything needs a tiny deer.

Pretty in Pink

2011-05-12T14:52:00.000-04:00

Each Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show has a different theme so that vendors can coordinate their booths around each theme and show off their version of that style. In April the theme was 'Rose Garden' and Amanda made our rose garden pretty in pink. I wish that I (Jackie) could have this at my home everyday! Our table was styled with a pretty light pink linen provided by Connie Duglin Linens, chivari chairs and chargers provided by Signature Events by Design, and of course our very own 'I Heart Vintage' chairs accented the table. This table scape is truly made for a princess :). Huge thank you to CSE Photography for these amazing photos!

Brides mark your calendar down for July 10th for the next PWG bridal show! There are always a plethora of amazing vendors who attend and we would love to meet you there!

More Thanks!

2011-05-04T16:00:00.004-04:00

Amanda received an e-mailing from the mother of one of our clients asking if she could create some centerpieces for the rehearsal dinner. Of course we were thrilled that not only did the couple want us to be part of their wedding but we were asked to be part of their rehearsal dinner. Amanda created some gorgeous blue hydrangea and pink rose centerpieces in silver containers.

Below is some kind words that were given to us!

Amanda-

I want you to know that the table arrangements with hydrangea and roses were PERFECT! It meant a lot to me to have a beautiful and romantic setting for the rehearsal dinner and your lush and lovely flower arrangements did the trick!
Courtney and I had no trouble getting the special grandmother, friends and matron of honor to take the flowers once dinner was over.. so they were enjoyed all weekend.

Best regards,
Grace

Congratulations again to the newlyweds, Courtney and Rich!

A huge thank you again to Limelight Photography for their amazing wedding photos! We absolutely LOVE the images from Courtney and Rich's wedding!

Kiva in Action

2011-05-02T14:00:00.007-04:00

In January we announced that we were going to start lending money to Kiva. If you have not checked out this amazing company, we strongly suggest that you should. We are passionate on lending to others and helping others out. We are going to start a new blog series featuring the borrowers that we are lending money too.

Our first feature is the Ampliacion Villa El Polvorin Group from Peru. When we came across their listing we loved the passion and their dream to one day own their own workshop and reminds us a lot of ourselves here at MMD Events. As most of you may know we just moved into our new warehouse and can relate to this group. We are so happy to lend to this wonderful group and wish them all the best!

"Mrs. Isidora Ccallo is 48 years old, lives with her husband and has 3 children. More than 2 years ago she opened a clothes-making store together with her husband. They make men's polo shirts and take them to different departments of Peru to sell. At the beginning, they worked for different workshops, but thanks to their hard work and sacrifice they were able to buy sewing machines, overlockers and other items to later be able to have their own workshop like they had always dreamed. With the loan they will continue investing in fabrics to keep making t-shirts."

Did You Miss It?

2011-04-29T13:00:00.002-04:00

Don't worry if you missed our feature in Style Me Pretty on Wednesday we have you covered. We would like to give a huge thank you to everyone involved with this shoot! Everything was fabulous and went so well! This inspiration shoot has been so hard to keep a secret for so long now. We are so happy that we can finally share these photos. Everyone we worked with on this shoot was amazing and we all had such a great time. Thank again to everyone and hopefully this rustic shoot has inspired some people!

Photography: Justin DeMutiis Photography

Rentals: Signature Events By Design

Cakes: Cakes With A Kick

Table Numbers and Chair Signs: Every Last Detail

Paper Products: Meant To Be Sent

Linens: Connie Duglin Linen

Thank You Photos!

2011-04-28T13:00:00.005-04:00

Back in March we blogged a super sweet thank you letter that we received from one of our clients Courtney. This thank you note took us by surprise because her wedding had not even taken place yet. We were honored when she asked us to make her a mock bouquet for her bridal portraits. We were able to blog the super sweet thank you card but not the bridal portraits because her soon-to-be hubby had not seen her dress yet :). Finally we can show everyone her amazing photos from her bridal session done by Limelight Photography. Courtney looked stunning not only for her bridal portraits but on her wedding day as well! Congrats to the newly married couple and we cannot wait to share their wedding photos with everyone also!

Recap!

2011-04-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

We have had such a busy past few weeks here at MMD Events. As most of you know we just moved into our new warehouse that is fabulous. Once everything is all put together, lots of photos will be posted!

On March 27th we were once again involved in the closing night party of the Film Festival. All of the vendors involved are absolutely fabulous and we love being apart of such a talented team. We received amazing photos from K&K Photography and we had to show everyone just a few! Thank you to Jeff and his fabulous team for taking these photos!

We have also been super busy with weddings! Lots and lots of weddings! One thing that we are big on is every wedding we produce is different. We are excited to receive all of these photos from photographers. And photographers watch out, our e-mails are in your inboxes! Stay tuned for more blogs on some of the fabulous weddings we have been apart of.

As some of you have seen, we were just also at the PWG Bridal Show on April 10th. It was also nice to be in company of some other awesome vendors. Thank you so much to Duncan Photography for some amazing photos of our gallery area! Also, congratulations to Signature Events By Design for winning best gallery!

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-04-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday weekend and are recovering from having a few days off. We are back in the swing of things here at MMD Events and wanted to bring you another great bouquet shot. We are excited to blog this bouquet for two different reasons! This bride wanted a bright, colorful, and cheerful bouquet that was not ordinary. This bouquet is great for spring time! The bright pink and orange roses really pop in this bouquet! Congratulations to DeDe and Jason on their wedding and we send them the best wishes with married life!

We are also so excited because the photographer for this wedding, Kimberly Photography just welcomed a precious little baby boy into the world! Congratulations to Kimberly and her family for welcoming the new bundle of joy!

Lots of fun things happening at MMD Events! Stay tuned for more exciting new posts! If you have not done so already, follow us on Twitter @MMDEvents!

We need your help!

2011-04-04T12:43:00.005-04:00

So we heard a rumor today that the BizBash Florida's Readers' Choice Awards voting was still open. Naturally we checked it out, and yes the rumor is a true story, voting has been extended till April 11th!! So please, please, please help us out and vote for the amazing Amanda Allen. Voting takes just a second and it super simple. Just click HERE and vote!

We will find out next Tuesday, April 12th the winners of the Reader's Choice Awards and the winners of the Event Style Awards which our Vintage Furniture Collection has been nominated.

How Sweet It Is...

2011-03-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

We spent our Valentine' Day at a wonderful event that we love to be able to be apart of. The Pepin Heart Hospital held its annual fundraiser on Valentine's Day, and it was a sweet night of country lovin'.

This year's theme was Sweet Heart Rodeo. Guests were encouraged to put on their best western wear and head to this rodeo.

We are still so thankful for Jason Mize Photography for helping us out. We sent out a Tweet the day before Valentine's Day asking for a photographer to come take some photos of all the decor we had provided. Jason Mize came to our rescue. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule AND especially since you had to come take these photos on the evening of Valentine's Day. Which iif you have not done so already, follow us on Twitter @MMDEvents.

If you know us, you know we love details and the we love when a photographer captures our work!

That's right boys and girls there was even a mechanical bull to ride! Unfortunately, none of the MMD Events staff rode the bull that evening :).

This wagon wheel filled with real flowers and ribbon hung high above the dance floor, or should we say where people were boot scootin' booging all night long!

Thanks again to the Pepin Heart Hospital for allowing us to be part of this special event. We are always happy to be involved with an excellent event like this one!

Vote, Vote, Vote

2011-03-21T18:00:00.001-04:00

So we need everyone's help again!! Our very own Amanda has been nominated again for Designer of the Year for BizBash Florida Readers' Choice Awards. Voting just opened at 3PM today and voting ends March 31st. So this is a quick time span to spread the word. We were honored when we first found out our Vintage Furniture Collection was nominated for Best New Product fir the 2011 BizBash Florida Event Style Awards, but now we are even more excited that Amanda has been nominated as well!!!

Please go to the voting page here and vote for Amanda! Please tell all your friends (facebook and real friends), tweet, text, mail, whatever means you communicate by and please VOTE!

Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute Blog!!

2011-03-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

Recently we were featured in Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institutes Blog and we are thrilled to be blogged about again! This wedding took place on 10.10.10 and was definitely a wedding where we could be creative. We featured Shannon and Kurts wedding a few blog post back about how we loved their luggage tags as the name place cards. Thanks again to all the vendors that made this amazing day a huge success. Also, thank you to LWPI for the wonderful blog post!! And of course, way to go Amanda on another great feature!!

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-03-17T11:00:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! In the spirit of all things green today we moved our bouquet of the week till today! This green bouquet is filled with green and white hydrangea, mini cabbages, spider mums, kermit mums, hypericum berries, and ivory feathers. This wonderful bouquet made by Amanda is hand tied with off-white ribbon and a nice natural stem finish. This beautiful bouquet was used this past weekend at wedding at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa!

The bridesmaids bouquets were a smaller version of the brides bouquets filled with green hydrangea, spider mums, kermit mums, hypericum berries and peacock feathers. Congratulations again to Melinda and Daniel!!

We are off to set up for a St. Patty's Wedding! Keep checking back for more photos or better yet, follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @MMDEvents!

Kind Words from Clients!

2011-03-15T14:00:00.001-04:00

We love when clients take the time to thank us for a job well done, but we love when the client tells us thanks before their big day has even arrived. Courtney and Rich are getting married April 15th and we cannot wait till this wedding.

During our past meetings Courtney expressed to us that she really wanted a trial bouquet and she would be using it for her bridal portraits. Naturally we said yes we could do that and at the time we had no idea how much of an impact this bouquet was going to make. Brides always get excited to see their bouquet for the first time on their big day, but image if you got to see your bouquet weeks before the wedding was even here. Thank you so much Courtney for these kind words to us!!

We are even more excited and thrilled for the wedding of Courtney and Rich!!

2011 BizBash Florida Event Style Awards

2011-03-11T16:38:00.005-05:00

Apparently BizBash loves vintage as much as we do! We are happy to announce that our I "Heart" Vintage Furniture has been nominated for Best New Product. Check out the Event Style Awards List to see who else has been nominated for these awards, and take it from us, there are a lot of other Tampa professionals nominated. We feel honored to be among this talented group.

Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute Blog!

2011-03-08T13:00:00.002-05:00

Our own Amanda Allen has been an instructor at St. Petersburg College for Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute for the past 2 semesters. This past weekend Amanda received a great mention in the LWPI's blog for the end of the year party. One point that Amanda really focused on with her students was networking. She believes that it is very important in this industry and stressed that a lot to her students. At the end of the semester, Amanda's class put together a networking party that vendors were invited to. This networking party was such a success. This is a great article about the power of networking and a great article centered on her classes party.

This is another great mention for Amanda and her passion for teaching this course!

Thank you again for all the vendors who attended the party and thank you for LWPI for this great blog post!

Thanks!

2011-03-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

We love when we have couples who take the time out of their busy lives to remember us and give us a little thanks for helping make their special day a fabulous one! The other day we received a thank you card in the mail and it meant a lot to us, and wanted to share it with everyone.

We received a call from Alexis, the Social Catering Manager over at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, because she had gotten engaged and wanted us to be part of her special day. Naturally we said yes because not only do we love her, but we feel so honored when another industry professional chooses us to help with their wedding. She works with tons of industry professionals every weekend and we felt so honored that we made her list to share her special day with. She could have choose anyone, but she picked us. Every thank you card we receive from couples we love, and this one especially meant a lot to us here at MMD Events!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love roses, and especially on Valentine's Day? We thought we would switch it up on our blog and feature our centerpiece of the week! Since its Valentine's day we went traditional and want to feature a centerpiece loaded with roses! Once again this fabulous centerpiece was created by our lead floral designer Amanda. The base of both of these centerpieces were filled with rose petals that match the roses on top. We hope that everyone has a wonderful day and Happy Valentine's Day!!

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-02-07T13:30:00.001-05:00

Candy, flowers, jewelry, and cards, Valentine's Day is just one week away! In the spirit of Valentine's Day approaching, we decided to feature some of our red and pink bouquets.

Valentine's Day Fun FACTS:

According to Hallmark research, 141 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually. So for everyone who feels that Valentine's Day is a "Hallmark" holiday, well it is the second-most popular greeting card exchanging holiday. Can you guess what the most popular greeting card holiday is....Christmas!

Hallmark research also found out that over 50% of of all Valentine's Day card are purchased six days prior to the 14th. Start shopping now to beat the rush!

More than 1,600 Hallmark greeting card designs are available.

Who loves vintage- we LOVE vintage!!

2011-02-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

We wanted to share some more photos from our I Heart Vintage collection. We love our furniture from the neo-vintage, found furniture and found objects collections. We are so happy with the photos that CSE Photography took of our furniture, we can not say thank you enough! The other morning we received great news that our I Heart Vintage furniture collection was featured in Eventline- an online newsletter from Special Events.

If you would like more information about our collection or would like to use it at one of you next events please contact us at info@mmdevents.com

Get Creative!

2011-02-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

When a couple comes to us and asks us how to tie in a certain element into their wedding we always try to think outside the box. We had the pleasure working with a couple who loved to travel. When we first met them this was apparent and we had to tie in their love of traveling into their special day. Instead of having table numbers, we decided to label the tables as locations that the couple love to travel to. Taking that even a step further, each table location had a short paragraph of why that destination was important to the couple.

When thinking about how we were going to get the guests to their destination, we thought luggage tags would be perfect! After cocktail hour, guests were invited to find their luggage tag and then they were off to their anticipated destination.

We love to be creative and we love when we can take something that is special to the couple and translate that into their wedding.

A BIG thanks to everyone who made this event a huge success:

Lighting, Florals, Decor, and Furniture: MMD Events

Tent and Dance Floor: US Tent Rental

Photography: Phillip Llyod Photography

Linens: Connie Duglin

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-01-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

Time is just flying by! We are almost into February and we just can't believe it. Talking about flying, this weeks bouquet is filled with feathers! We love when brides allow us to be creative and this bride allowed us to choose what we thought would look best! The bride told Amanda that she wanted reds, purples, and nothing too large. Amanda took that idea and ran with it and this bouquet was created! This bouquet is filled with black magic roses, eggplant mini calla lillies, purple lisianthus with feathers accenting the edges of the bouquet. The stems were hand-tied in red fabric with studded pins. This bouquet was used for a New Years Eve's wedding that was just fabulous.

Kelli and Craig's Wedding Part 2

2011-01-27T14:00:00.001-05:00

We are back with more photos from this amazing wedding. A few weeks ago we featured Kelli's bouquet as our bouquet of the week and we now have the professional images, thanks to BinaryFlips Photography. We just can't get enough of this bouquet.

Choosing our favorite photo from this wedding was a hard one. So instead of one favorite photo, we decided to have 2 favorites! The first photo we just love because it captures so much emotion!

Our second favorite photo is of Kelli and Craig and it is just precious. Once again this photo just shows the love between these two.

And to Kelli and Craig- what a wonderful wedding, we loved working with the both of you and best wishes with married life. Love MMD Events!

Kelli and Craig's Wedding Part 1

2011-01-26T14:00:00.003-05:00

We have been anxiously awaiting the images from Kelli and Craig's wedding and we finally have them! This romantic wedding took place back in November at the Ritz Carlton Beach Club in Sarasota. The feel of the whole wedding was South Beach "loungy" but upscale and at the same time laid back. (Got all that?) Well the amazing staff here at MMD Events pulled this look off! We also loved all the peacock touches that were incorporated in with this wedding.

We also want to say a HUGE thank you to BinaryFlips Photography! Not even sure where to start in saying how much we enjoy working with BinaryFlips and can only hope there will be more weddings together!

Kelli and Craig's evening started off with the ceremony being held on the beach that embodied modern simplicity but accented by vivid color.

After a romantic ceremony on the beach guest then headed to the terrace to enjoy cocktail hour.

Guest then left the cocktail terrace and headed to the sunset terrace for dinner and an evening of dancing. The reception had wonderful purple uplighting, and many different elements of the that fit into the peakcock themed wedding.

Remember that awesome peacock bouquet featured a few weeks ago...well check back tomorrow for part 2 of Kelli and Craig's wedding.

And lets not forget to thank everyone who made this wedding a huge success:

Venue: Ritz Carlton Beach Club Sarasota
Photography: BinaryFlips Photography
Cake: Ritz Carlton Beach Club Sarasota
Linens: Connie Duglin
Chivari Chairs: Signature Events by Design
Design, Decor, Lighting, and Florals: MMD Events
DJ: RJ Vida

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-01-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's Monday so that means bouquet of the week!! This bouquet was once again created by our lead floral designer Amanda and this bouquet was massive! Large is an understatement when it came to the description for this bouquet. This design was a "large" size hand tied bouquet comprised of white hydrangea, large ivory roses, lisianthus, ranunculus, and white anemone with black centers. The thing that was different about this bouquet is that it was a round with a looser slightly more organic feel. The stems were wrapped in black ribbon which really accented the black centers on the anemone.

Bouquet of the Week!

2011-01-17T10:30:00.001-05:00

And we are back with our first 2011 Bouquet of the Week! Once again this amazing bouquet was made by our lead floral designer Amanda. The tear drop bouquet (modern day cascading bouquet) is filled with vanda orchids, mokara orchids, cool water roses, amnesia roses, purple lithianthus, and antique lavendar hydrangeas. The stems were wrapped in lace to add a delicate touch. Thank you so much to Life Long Studios for these amazing images. And best of luck to the newly married couple Patty and Erik!

Remember we still need your votes for Amanda for the 2011 Spotlight Awards (Designer Creative Director of the Year)!

More Vintage Furniture Collection!

2011-01-14T13:00:00.002-05:00

As we promised here is another piece from our new vintage furniture collection. This is a vintage bench that would be great for a sweetheart table or as an accent piece during cocktail hour for guest to enjoy.

As most of our photo shoots includes models we were excited when our very own MMD Mascot, Batley, was going to be featured again in one of our photos. We were thrilled that she could step in from her busy lifestyle of chasing squirrels to model this bench for us.

To see more of the collection e-mail us at info@mmdevents.com or follow us on Facebook as more photos appear on there as well!

We Still Need Your Votes!

2011-01-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

We hope that everyone is still spreading the word about our very own Amanda Allen being nominated for the Designer/Creative Director of the Year with the 2011 Spotlight Awards with Event Soultions. You can vote once per e-mail address! Its an easy process and here is all you have to do...go to the Event Solutions voting page, enter your e-mail address, click on Designer Creative Director of the Year category and vote for Amanda. We have all seen her amazing creations and let make sure she brings this award back to MMD Events!

2011 Wedding Professional Hot List

2011-01-13T11:30:00.001-05:00

We received excellent news this morning that we were awarded the 2011 Wedding Professional Hot List by MomentVille.com! The Hot List recognizes excellence within the wedding indsutry and is based off of thousands of reviews from brides and grooms. We were among the best reviewed vendors within the past year!! Go to MomentVille.com to read more about the press release and to see who else joins us on this list!

New Vintage Furniture

2011-01-12T14:08:00.010-05:00

We are so excited about our new vintage furniture collection here at MMD Events. Some of you may have seen photos from the Postcard Inn New Year's Eve bash or at the Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show this past Sunday. We wanted to share more photos of the new collection. We have many more pieces to this collection that we will be releasing photos of throughout the month. Stay tuned to our blog and our Facebook page to see more photos unveiled! Once again a big thank you to CSE Photography for coming out to PCI on New Years and taking these wonderful photos!

Details for Kiva!

2011-01-03T16:30:00.001-05:00

Hopefully everyone had a great New Year's day and are ready for what 2011 will bring to everyone. On Saturday we blogged about our new idea on donating to Kiva. As we promised here is how we need everyone's help to make this a huge success.

There are a few different ways that everyone can get involved. The first is that for every new client we receive we will donate $25. The holiday season is a thriving time for engagements, so if you know friends and family members who are newly engaged, send them our way so we can donate money! The second way to get involved includes everyone's participation on Facebook. We will donate .25 cents to every new fan who "Likes" our page. There are tons of people on Facebook so send them our way! Also, we will have "Money Monday's" where for every person who "Likes" our status we will donate an additional .25 cents. At the end of each month we will tally up all our new fans, new likes, and new clients, and we will donate that monthly money to Kiva. Even better, we will let YOU decide where the money will be donated! So everyone check out Kiva, find out where you would like our money to be donated to, and we will set up voting on our Facebook page and vote for your favorite entrepreneur. Once again, invite all your friends and family to get involved. The more poeple involved, money we will donate!

New Year Means New Ideas

2011-01-01T10:30:00.006-05:00

When a New Year starts most people make "New Year's Resolutions". Instead of a New Year's resolution, we here at MMD Events have talked about an idea that we want everyone to know about today. This idea starts now and we need everyone's help to make this a success.

A few years ago, right after getting married, Matt and Amanda found an article in an entrepreneurship magazine talking about an organization called Kiva. Many of you probably saw Kiva chosen as one of Oprah's Favorite Things this year, but Kiva was on Matt and Amanda's favorite things list about 7 years ago! Kiva is an organization that empowers individuals to lend to any entrepreneurs across the globe. Matt and Amanda have personally been involved with Kiva for 5 years now and want MMD Events to get involved as well. We understand how to have ideas for a businesses and wanting the businesses to be successful and profitable. We believe in lending through Kiva to help others live out their dreams and be successful. Kiva promotes dignity, accountability, and transparency throughout their company.

So how does Kiva operate? First, Kiva partners with a microfinance institution also known as field partners. Basically the field partners in other countries know the local area, know the clients, and do all the leg work required to get the Kiva loans to the entrepreneurs who are hoping for a loan. The field partners then disburse loans and post a loan request on Kivas website with the entrepreneur's stories, pictures, and loan details. Once that step is completed, lenders (like us) browse the loan request and select which loans they would like to fund. This can start at $25 and can be as much as the entire loan amount. After we give the money to Kiva, the field partners accept the money and use the funds to replenish the loan that they have already made to the entrepreneur. The entrepreneurs must repay their loans to the field partners and then the field partners transfer the fundS to Kiva and credit the appropriate lenders with their loan repayments.

Once again, we believe in this lending because it helps entrepreneurs carry out their dream of starting their own company without putting their family in debt. We also believe in giving locally, not just globally. Every year we are involved with the Gasparilla International Film Festival in which we donate $20,000 which helps Tampa's thriving economy. We are hoping to match that donation this year through Kiva as well.

Check out Kiva's website and stay tuned for more details and we will explain how we need everyone's help to make this a huge success!

Have a Happy New Year!!

Bouquet of the Week

2010-12-06T14:47:00.008-05:00

This weeks bouquet is inspired by the holiday season which seems to be flying by! The white roses are tied together with light blue ribbon and accented with pearl pins. The white and light blue combination reminds us of a 'winter wonderland' theme. Thank you to Limelight Photography for these once again amazing photos!

And if you havent done so yet, make sure you vote for our very own Amanda Allen in the 2011 Spotlight Awards for Event Solutions Designer/Creative Director of the Year!

Event Solutions 2011 Spotlight Awards

2010-12-01T13:22:00.006-05:00

As most of you may know, our very own Amanda Allen has been nominated for the 2011 Event Solutions Designer/Creative Director of the Year!! We are so proud of Amanda and now we need everyone's help to bring this award to MMD Events! All you have to do is go to the Event Solutions Voting Page, enter your e-mail address, click on the Designer Creative Director of the Year category and vote for Amanda. You can only vote a total of once per e-mail address so use your vote wisely.

Thank you so much and we will keep everyone updated! Voting ends January 31st so make sure to vote before then!!

Bouquet of the Week

2010-11-29T12:12:00.008-05:00

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! Since we know everyone is scoring great 'Cyber Monday' deals right now, we figured you probably needed to take a break and check out our bouquet of the week!

This weeks bouquet is from Miranda and John's October wedding at The Palmetto Club at Fishhawk Ranch. This bouquet is filled with antique hydrangea, sahara roses, clustered stephanotis with pearl centers, fall red tinted seeded eucalyptus with galax leaf accents all tied with ivory satin ribbon. Once again this amazing bouquet was made by our head floral designer Amanda!

Also, thank you so much to Aaron Bornfleth Photography for these amazing images!!

Jake's Comedy Club Bar Mitzvah

2010-11-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

This past week we had the honor of being apart of the Markman Bar Mitzvah held at the Palma Ceia Country Club. As soon as we received these photos we had to blog them! A big thank you to Tampa's Bar Mitzvah Photographer Booray Perry for the wonderful photos. This amazing evening was planned by Monica Varner with Elan Event Studio. For the evening the room was transformed into "Jake's Comedy Club."

The tables were accented with white lampshades with vases filled with white cymbidium orchids and a lamp base of hydrangea and other green and white hydrangea, mini calla lilies, and orchid's. Each table was named after one of Jake's favorite stand-up comedians.

No VIP space is complete without its own Step and Repeat to welcome guest into the comedy club.

The blue uplighting gave the guest the true feeling that they were in a comedy club. To top the night off Jake entered the room and performed his very own stand-up performance that was truly something that no one will forget.

Once again a big thank you to everyone who made this night a success:

Event Coordinator: Elan Event Studio

Design, Decor and Flowers: MMD Events

Tampa's Bar Mitzvah Photographer: Booray Perry

Venue: Palma Ceia Country Club

Videography: Voila Cinematic

Cake: Chocolate Pi

Entertainment: M&M Entertainment

Bouquet of the Week

2010-11-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

Wondering if yellow and navy blues are the right colors for your wedding...well look no further! This weeks bouquet uses the right amount of navy blue accents to compliment the yellow flowers. The brides bouquet used a variety of navy blue peppers, soft lamb ears, yellow mini calla lillies, mimosa and yellow tulips all hand tied in navy blue satin ribbon. The bridesmaids bouquets were solid yellow roses tied together for a tight round vibrant look against the bridesmaids blue dresses.

We know this is the bouquet of the week but we had to share the photos of the flowers on the the escort card table and the centerpieces on the head table. Guest could find their place cards next to the manzanita tree covered in hanging votives in a base of wheat grass. The yellow flowers accented the base of the stand.

The centerpices on the head table were once again curving manzanita trees with flowers hanging off of it. The base of the manzanita was covered in growing flower beds of tulips and daffodils. These centerpieces had everyone talking! Our head floral designer Amanda out did herself yet again.

Thank you to Limelight Photography for the wonderful photos!!

Jennifer and Chris Don Vicente Wedding

2010-11-18T13:00:00.010-05:00

We truly enjoyed working with Jennifer and Chris for their September wedding held at the Don Vicente in historic Ybor. A couple of weeks ago Jennifer's bouquet was our bouquet of the week (remember that amazing broach), and like we promised more photos are here. Thank you to Limelight Photography for the wonderful photos.

Special thanks to everyone who made this special day come true for Jennifer & Chris:
Design & Decor: MMD Events
Cake: Chocolate Pi & Dessert Shop
Photography: Limelight Photography
Venue: Don Vicente
Wedding Coordinator: Events by Special Moments
Entertainment: DeLeon Entertainment
Linens: Connie Duglin

Bouquet of the Week

2010-11-15T12:20:00.006-05:00

This week's bouquet is for anyone who loves different shades of purples, peacock feathers, and a fierce bouquet. Once again these amazing bouquets were made by our lead floral designer Amanda.

The bridesmaids bouquets included dark purple mini calla lilies and purple lisianthus all accented with fiddle fern and peacock feather blades. To keep with the peacock theme, the stems were wrapped in a peacock fabric with a peacock feather applique at the bottom.

The brides bouquet was also something that we had to share! This bouquet was over 20 inches across! This massive bouquet included Picasso mini calla lilies, dark purple mini calla lilies, purple lisianthus, deep purple hydrangea (all the way from California), and all wrapped in the peacock fabric and multiple peacock feather appliques at the bottom.

Bouquet of the Week

2010-11-08T14:17:00.003-05:00

This weeks Bouquet was chosen in spirit of the cold weather. This was made by our head floral designer Amanda. The green berries and leaves add a winter feel to the bouquet. Try to stay warm everyone!

Bouquet of the Week

2010-11-01T13:06:00.005-04:00

Our bouquet of the week was created by our lead floral designer Amanda for a wedding this past February. The bride Julie wanted to incorporate a little splash of purples into her bouquet. We just loved this bouquet so much we wanted everyone to get inspired!

Kate Spade Inspiration Photo Shoot

2010-10-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

We are so excited to share our latest Kate Spade Inspiration Photo Shoot with Tina Bass Photography, which was featured on Wedding Chicks and Every Last Detail!

Inspired by our local Kate Spade store, our goal with this shoot was to show brides that they can use bright colors and bold patterns and still be chic and modern. Placed with unique plates, the simple, chic menus created by Emily Ley Paper were the starting element. A simplistic colored border and matching font coordinated with the color of the napkins and the “place books”. Place cards created by Emily were made to look like “titles” for miniature books, doubling as favors at each place setting. Various found objects and a unique table number created by Every Last Detail added to the eclectic feel for the table.

A gorgeous centerpiece in shades of pink garden roses was placed on top of fashion magazines, standing out against the backdrop of a chic black lamp. A champagne and gold overlay was draped over a kelly green satin linen, all provided by Connie Duglin Linen. Gold chivari chairs from Signature Event Rentals were adorned by custom chivari chair toppers created by Simply & Forever Boutique, adding the perfect amount of style and sophistication. Combined with a custom bench cover made of a black and white floral print, the black and white seating completed the whole table.

Our stunning model wore a gorgeous gown provided by White Closet Co. and was all dolled up by Hope Henderson Artistry and Hair By Monique. She was accessorized with Stella & Dot jewelry, Bethany Lorelle hairpieces, and an adorably chic clutch from Oatmeal Lace Design. These bright colors and bold patterns are perfect for a stylish bride wanting a wedding that is a little different, yet still incredibly chic. And of course the details are what complete this whole eclectic chic look!

All Photos provided by Tina Bass Photography

Vendors that made it all happen…
Flowers & Event Design: MMD Events

Detail Design & Coordiation: Every Last Detail

Venue Location: Postcard Inn

Paper Products: Emily Ley Paper

Linens: Connie Duglin Linen

Dress: The White Closet Co.

Rentals: Signature Event Rentals

Chivari Chair Toppers: Simply & Forever Boutique

Hair: Hair By Monique

Makeup: Hope Henderson Artistry

Jewelry: Stella & Dot

Hair Accessories: Bethany Lorelle

Clutch: Oatmeal Lace Design

Thank You from Miranda and John!

2010-10-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

We love hearing back from our clients and especially such a sweet couple like Miranda and John. Their Tuscan Vineyard themed wedding took place in the beginning of October at The Palmetto Club. We should have professional photos of their wedding posted soon!

Congratulations again Miranda and John!!

Bouquet of the Week

2010-10-25T13:39:00.003-04:00

This beautiful bouquet is from Jennifer's September wedding at the Don Vicente in Ybor. Jennifer provided us with a gorgeous brooch to tie into her bouquet. Photos from Limelight Photography will be coming soon!

Photo by MMD Events

Jasmine & Don's Ritz Carlton Wedding

2010-10-07T13:45:00.009-04:00

We had the pleasure of working with Jasmine and Don to create their Persian themed wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota. And of course we loved working with their planner, Jamie ofConfetti Events, too! Jasmine and Don had a traditional Persian ceremony, complete with an amazing table full of different foods. They chose the bold colors of red and turquoise to reflect the bride's Persian heritage. Aaron Lockwood was kind enough to send us photos of their exquisite April wedding for us to share!

Just look at that lighting- it totally makes the whole wedding! Congratulations Jasmine and Don, and thank you for trusting us with your wedding!

Upcoming Bridal Show AND Sample Sale!

2010-09-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

Come see us at the upcoming Florida Signature Bridal Affair this Sunday, October 3rd! You'll be able to see more of what MMD Events can do IN PERSON! From inspiration tables to flowers, draping, and decor, we're going to have some great decor and inspiration, so you won't want to miss it! (You can preregister {here}, or buy tickets at the door on Sunday.)

And there's an extra special addition to this show! For the first time ever, The Dressing Room will be a hosting a special Sample Sale of wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses, with discounts of up to 70% off of retail prices! If you still need a dress (or two) for our wedding, come ready to try on and find the perfect, most gorgeous dress!

If you want more information about the show or MMD Events, or if you would like a free ticket to the Signature Bridal Affair, email Lauren!

Sarah and Doug's June Davis Island Garden Club Wedding

2010-09-01T15:48:00.009-04:00

Sarah and Doug's June wedding pretty much marked the start of the summer for us, and we've waited all summer to be able to share it because... this wedding was recently blogged on Style Me Pretty!

It was awesome to work with Lori and Jessica of Simply Divine Events- they really know how to pay attention to the details, which we of course love! Sarah and Doug wanted a bright, casual, and fun wedding at the Davis Island Garden Club, and it all came together beautifully! The photos from Binaryflips are absolutely gorgeous- just see for yourself.

Congratulations Sarah and Doug- and congratulations on your bundle of joy as well!

A Wildflower Inspired Photo Shoot

2010-08-12T15:28:00.005-04:00

We recently teamed up with Chic Sweets and Limelight Photography to create a photo shoot styled around an adorable wildflower motif that Natalie of Chic Sweets fell in love with. Well, the photo shoot was recently featured on Style Me Pretty! We were in the midst of prepping for a wedding when the shoot posted, so we're a little bit late sharing the new.

The colors for the shoot were yellow and blue, and we wanted to infuse a bit of vintage into the modern color palette. We mainly used yellow crespidia and white delphinium on the table, and crespidia, orchids, and tulips for the bouquet. Our planner and assistant, Lauren, is in love with yellow, so she was loving having all of the yellow flowers around!

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this, Natalie, and thanks for the great photos Rebeeca!

Modern, Chic Pink & Gray Inspiration Shoot

2010-07-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

We wanted to post some of the photos from our Modern, Chic pink and gray inspiration shoot with Kristen Weaver Photography and Every Last Detail that was recently featured on Style Me Pretty!

We used peonies, baby's breath, and dusty miller to achieve the perfect modern, chic look we were going for. We displayed our magnetic escort card boards with custom made escort cards from Every Last Detail. Lauren created various other details for the shoot, including table numbers and chair decor for Signature Event Rentals' chivaris. We worked with lots of vendors on this shoot, so here is the list:

Photographer: Kristen Weaver Photography
Event Design, Coordination, & Styling: Every Last Detail
Event Design, Decor, & Florals: MMD Events
Cardbox: Creative Custom Cardboxes
Chivari Chairs: Signature Event Rentals
Details: Every Last Detail
Dress: The Dressing Room
Hair Accessories: Bethany Lorelle
Hair & Makeup: Michelle Renee
Jewelry: Monet
Linens: Connie Duglin Linens
Paper: Southern Fete
Shoeclips: Linden Lovebirds

For a more detailed description of the shoot's details, go {here} to Lauren's post on Every Last Detail! Thank you to everyone who made this shoot happen so beautifully! We can't wait to do another one!

MMD Events Featured On Style Me Pretty!

2010-07-21T12:16:00.003-04:00

We are SO excited to share this! A photo shoot that we recently did with Every Last Detail and Kristen Weaver Photography was featured on Style Me Pretty yesterday! Now that it's featured, we'll be sharing all of the photos in a full post shortly. But for now, here's a peek, and you can go over to SMP to see some more!! :)

Be sure to keep a lookout for MORE from this shoot!! There are lots of DIY, usable ideas for your wedding! :)

Jillian & Jack's Wedding

2010-07-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Jillian & Jack were married at the Don Cesar in April. It was an absolutely gorgeous spring day, and everyone at the wedding was so much fun! Iwona of Iwona Photography was there to capture all of the gorgeous pink and silver details that we created for their wedding.

Congratulations Jillian and Jack! We had so much fun working with you for your wedding!

Recent MMD Bouquet Designs

2010-06-29T16:34:00.006-04:00

Part of the territory that comes with being an event design and decor company, is flowers. Flowers make up a very large part of weddings- whether it's centerpieces or bouquets, they play a very integral part in a wedding's theme and esign. We decided to go into floral design in early 2009 to help achieve an all around flawless and consistent design for our clients.

Amanda has been around flowers her whole life, as her mother is a florist, and she most definitely has a knack for it. Her edgy and innovative designs paired with classic styles have given brides exactly what they want for their wedding day, and more. "More is more" is our motto, after all!

Some bouquet designs from recent weddings...

Photo by Limelight Photography

Photo by MMD Events

Photo by Limelight Photography

We always love coming up with new types of designs for bouquets. Incorporating classic elements with modern trends is our speciality for all of our designs, flowers included!

Tanya and Paul's Wedding

2010-06-18T17:17:00.003-04:00

We wanted to share this awesome video from Tanya and Paul's March wedding. Their wedding took place at the Marriott Waterside in Downtown Tampa, and it was truly amazing. Alex and Alex (yes, there are 2 Alex's at Voila!) of Voila Cinematic did such an amazing job capturing every aspect of the wedding. This shows exactly why having a cinematographer for your wedding is a MUST!

http://vimeo.com/11719789 from Voila Cinematic on Vimeo.

Tanya and Paul's wedding was so much fun. They are two of the sweetest people ever- we have such great brides and grooms! Thank you to all of the vendors who made this wedding a success, and thank you to Tanya and Paul for being amazing!

Tampa Bridal Showcase!

2010-06-01T10:01:00.004-04:00

Come visit us at the Tampa Bridal Showcase this Sunday, June 6th at the Wyndham Hotel! You'll have a chance to see what our decor and florals are like IN PERSON! Come with your inspiration, ideas, and questions- we want to hear all about your wedding plans!

Admission is free with online RSVP, and there is a free honeymoon giveaway! You don't want to miss this show! Come see us!

Anne and Vance's Spring Wedding

2010-05-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

We did another fabulous spring wedding at the Sirata Beach Resort in April. The colors of yellow and navy were absolutely perfect for the spring. We created centerpieces with flowers "growing" out of them like a garden. From the patterned navy and yellow votives to the escort card display, this wedding was the epitome of a spring wedding! Limelight Photography was there to capture Anne and Vance's day and they were kind enough to share some of the photos with us.

Vendors:

Florals and Event Design: MMD Events

Photography: Limelight Photography

Chairs and Chargers: Signature Event Rentals

Leah and Chad's Elegant, Modern Wedding

2010-05-24T13:02:00.007-04:00

April of this year was a month full of gorgeous weddings! Leah and Chad's elegant, modern wedding took place at the Sirata Beach Resort. Leah's colors of blue, white, and silver were evident all throughout the room. From the centerpieces to the chairs, everything was completely modern and elegant. Limelight Photography sent over some of the photos from their wedding for us to share!

Chairs and chargers were provided by Signature Event Rentals. Linens were provided by BBJ Linens. Florals and event design by us, MMD Events.

GIFF Closing Party

2010-04-13T17:05:00.004-04:00

In March we had the extreme honor of doing the Gasparilla International Film Festival's Closing Night Party. We had originally planned for it to be on the roof of the Hyde Park parking garage, but a rainy weekend caused us to use our Plan B (always have a Plan B- especially in Florida!). We ended up doing the party in an empty store space in Hyde Park, and it still turned out awesome! Limelight Photography sent us the photos, and they came out great!

We're definitely thinking decor like this would make for an awesome stylish wedding!

Kerri and Jeremy's Beach Wedding

2010-04-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

March was an extremely busy month for us! Kerri and Jeremy's orthodox Jewish wedding took place at the Sand Key Park beach. We constructed a custom structure for them that would designate their ceremony space, but still allow their guests to have a view of the beautiful ocean. They chose colors mimicing sea glass, setting a fun and elegant tone. Limelight Photography captured Kerri and Jeremy's beautiful day.

The reception took place at the brand new Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach, on their Sky Terrace. We constructed cabanas to go over each table, providing guests with shade from the afternoon sun. Kerri and Jeremy's wedding was a wonderful family affair, with most of the guests flying in from South Africa!

Congratulations Kerri and Jeremy! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your beautiful day!

We Love Thank Yous

2010-04-07T12:00:00.001-04:00

We love it when we get Thank You notes from our brides! These two notes are from some March brides that had amazing weddings! We can't wait to share the pictures!

Lauren of Soirees in Style sent us this sweet Thank You for a February wedding she had. We did and awesome ceiling treatment! Can't wait for those photos either!

A Tampa Yacht Club Wedding

2010-04-05T13:52:00.006-04:00

We started off the Spring wedding season perfectly with Sarah Kate and Mike's wedding at the Tampa Yacht and Country Club. They had a peach color scheme, with lots of vintage details. From the crystal compotes to the vintage blue and white vases, it was absolutely exquisite. Limelight Photography sent us some of the photos to share!

Congratulations Sarah Kate and Mike!

Pink Initiative Event

2010-03-12T18:14:00.012-05:00

We started 2010 off with an awesome charity event benefitting the Pink Initiative. Pink Initiative is a charity that raises money for breast cancer research, and it's all put on and supported by event professionals. Lifelong Studios sent us some of the photos from the event. You can also see the whole event setup in a time lapse video put together by Voila Cinematic, which we posted a few weeks ago.

On top of raising money for breast cancer awareness, we had a blast! We actually built a Go-Go dancer platform, and the dancers were awesome! There was a VIP lounge area, complete with our custom furniture and a special VIP bar. It was an awesome event, and we want to send a huge thank you to everyone who participated!

Lighting, Draping, and Decor: Us!

Event Coordination: Elan Event Studio

Venue: The Quorum Hotel

Photography: Life Long Studios

Video: Voila Cinematic

Chivaris and Tables: Signature Event Rentals

DJ: Inspire Entertainment

Linens: BBJ Linens

PR/Event Help: RSBP Events

Cake: Cakes by Nomeda

Paper Products: Not From A Box

Food: The Venue; Rigatoni's

Vodka: ZYR Vodka

Furniture: Cort Furniture

Dancers: Jumpin Bumpin Productions

Shannon & Nick's Wedding

2010-02-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shannon and Nick's wedding took place last November at the beautiful Palmetto Club at Fishhawk Ranch. Shannon and Nick were so much fun to work with and were an awesome couple. Jeff from K&K Photography stopped by and took a few photos of the wedding decor for us to share! Congratulations again Shannon and Nick!

We had so much fun doing Shannon and Nick's Wedding last November! Thank you again to Jeff of K&K Photography for these awesome photos!

Need a Wedding Dress?

2010-02-25T13:29:00.003-05:00

We are excited to announce the very first Anglo Couture Trunk Show, March 19th through March 21st at the InterContinental Hotel in Tampa! Anglo Couture is designed for today's avant-garde bride. Each Anglo gowns has an impeccable fit and feels like second skin. Anglo Couture uses the finest silks and precision measurements are taken to ensure a flawless fit for each and every bride.

Brides may schedule an appointment to view the fall 2010 Anglo Couture collection and place orders for their special day. Each bride will get the opportunity to work with the designer, Vicky Anglo. The brides can choose a gown from the existing fall 2010 collection, make changes or create a one of a kind wedding gown just for them. The trunk show will be an upscale, fun atmosphere, and each bride will be going home with a surprise swag bag!

For more information and to see the Anglo Couture dresses, visit: http://www.anglocoutureline.com/

Appointments are required, as Vicky wants to give each bride special attention. Call the Anglo Couture office at 727.526.5800 to schedule your appointment!

2009 Thank Yous

2010-02-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to update with the last of our 2009 thank you notes before the 2010 ones start rolling in!

We love our brides and grooms! They're always so much fun to work with!

Isabella's Ball "A Winter Wonderland" Charity Event

2010-02-03T11:29:00.004-05:00

In December we had the extreme pleasure of participating in Isabella's Ball. This wasn't just any other charity event though. Isabella's Ball really was for a little girl named Isabella. Isabella has a disease known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, and this was a celebration of her 5th birthday. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), known as "brittle bone disease", affects 20,000 to 50,000 people in the United States. OI often causes the person to have muscle weakness, hearing loss, scoliosis, blue sclerae, fatigue, and short stature. Organized by Confetti Events, the ball raised money to benefit the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation and the Tampa Shriners Hospital.

The event was a huge success! Donors and supporters raised over $1500 for the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation and the Shriners Hospital! It was so wonderful for MMD Events to play a part in this heartwarming event! K&K Photography sent us some of the photos that they took of the event, so we thought we would share a few!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make Isabella's Ball a great event!

Time Lapse Video of Event Setup

2010-02-01T12:58:00.004-05:00

Check out this awesome video of a recent event's setup! Alex of Voila Cinematic set up a camera to take shots of the room every 24 seconds as we were setting up for the Pink Initiative event last week, and this is the result! Get a glimpse of what we do...

Time Lapse 4 of 52 (Extended Version) from Voila Cinematic on Vimeo.

Alex does absolutely amazing work! Thanks for doing this Alex!

Melissa & Jerry's Beach Wedding

2010-02-01T12:23:00.004-05:00

Melissa and Jerry's beach wedding took place on November 21st last year at the Hilton Clearwater Beach. Ironically, Aaron Lockwood was also the photographer for this wedding! How crazy is it that we had two of the same weddings on the same day?!

Congratulations Melissa and Jerry!

MMD Events' Bridal Show Designs

2010-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Perfect Wedding Guide wedding show this weekend was awesome! We met so many wonderful brides, and had great conversations with quite a few of them! Everyone loved all of the decor that we did, so we definitely wanted to share it! We did all of the flowers as well as all of the draping throughout the show. We debuted a few new huppah designs as well, so we were really excited about that!

Do you like all of our new designs? We especially love the whimsical vintage tablescape we had for our vignette!

Shayna & Tony's Wedding

2010-01-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

We just received the photos of Shayna and Tony's November wedding from Aaron Lockwood, and we wanted to share this awesome color combination ASAP! The orange gave the wedding a bit of a Fall feel, and the purple infused some modern elegance into the whole event! We're so happy to say that Shayna was very happy with how her flowers and decor turned out...she gave us a rave review on Wedding Wire! Thank you Shayna!

In the last photo above you can see the draping that we did. It added just the right amount of elegance to the room. Draping is always a great way to dress up a venue! Congratulations Shayna and Tony!

Elegant Fall Themed Wedding

2010-01-09T12:54:00.005-05:00

We recently received photos of the gorgeous Fall wedding that took place at the Countryside Country Club in October, photographed by Jon Michael Images. We think the photographs came out wonderful!

We had a great time incorporating the Fall season into this wedding. We used pumpkins, leaves, and the bride actually made some fiddlehead ferns for us to use. They looked awesome! From the pumpkins to the the awesome linens and head table, everything was perfect for this Fall wedding! And wasn't the bride just stunning?

Congratulations Katie and Craig!

MMD Events at the Florida Signature Bridal Affair This Weekend!

2010-01-07T15:58:00.003-05:00

MMD Events will be a floral and decor sponsor for the Perfect Wedding Guide's Signature Bridal Affair this weekend, on Sunday, January 10th!

We'll be setting up lots of gorgeous decor and flowers, plus an awesome Groom's Lounge for the guys to hang out in! This show is the biggest of the year, and it's going to be FULL of Tampa Bay wedding vendors! If you need vendors, this is the show to go to! Plus, you'll want to see our decor...it's going to be fabulous!

See you on Sunday!

Gina Leigh Photography at The Dressing Room

2009-12-07T11:15:00.005-05:00

As we mentioned in our last post, we did the decor and flowers for a trunk show at The Dressing Room recently.

Gina Leigh also stopped by The Dressing Room and she sent us some of the beautiful photos of our vintage chic decor that she snapped!

Decor at the Dressing Room Trunk Show, Limelight Photography

2009-12-04T13:30:00.001-05:00

We recently did the decor for a trunk show at the Dressing Room in St. Petersburg. We decided to go with a rustic vintage look, and everyone loved it! We had so much fun hanging out with Judy and seeing all of the beautiful dresses she had there! Limelight Photography stopped by to check everything out, and Rebecca snapped a few photos while she was there!

Of course the dresses at The Dressing Room are so absolutely gorgeous! Our decor perfectly complimented their beauty! The Dressing Room is a great place to find beautiful wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. Thank you to the owner, Judy, who is such a joy to work with!

A November Bride's Thank You Email

2009-11-30T14:27:00.004-05:00

We recently received the sweetest email from one of our November brides! Shannon was so much fun to work with, and she was so incredibly sweet! We can't wait to share the photos from her gorgeous wedding!

Amanda and Matt,

Thank you both so much for making our wedding day so wonderful! Everything was better than I pictured it would be and it was the perfect day. Nick and I appreciate how willing you both were to work with us and how you were able to do exactly what we wanted in our budget. We also appreciate the little extras you guys threw in as well :).
Laurie and Jessica were also awesome! I could not believe how perfect the day turned out to be and we still have guests telling us how beautifully everything was decorated. I have been recommending you to all of my friends and I hope at some point we will be able to work with you both again. (Maybe a big blowout anniversary party or baby shower :) )
You guys are amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Shannon and Nick

Photo Shoot with Limelight Photography at the Intercontinental Hotel

2009-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

We put together a photo shoot at the beautiful Intercontinental Hotel with Limelight Photography and several other amazing wedding vendors! Chic Sweets provided a beautiful dessert table that looked incredibly delicious. The wonderful linens were provided by Linens By The Sea, and the chivari chairs were compliments of Signature Events By Design. Café Ala Carte provided refreshments from their beautiful espresso cart. We even had Shutterbooth there, and we created a lounge area around the booth! The Dressing Room and Anglo Couture provided the beautiful dresses that our model wore. And our model was actually our very own bride, Ms. Tanya Strove! We were so excited to get to work with her! Thank you to everyone who played a part in making the photo shoot as gorgeous as it was!

Thank you again to Limelight Photography for taking these gorgeous photographs!

Everglades Themed Corporate Event

2009-11-23T13:30:00.008-05:00

We were honored to work with uDream Events to transform The Palmetto Club's ballroom into the Everglades for the Newland Homes Party! It was so much fun to put our creative juices to work and bring the Everglades indoors!

Carrie Wildes sent us the photographs that she took of the event, and we're so excited to share what we did! We created trees and canopies, complete with moss hanging from the "branches" and flowers growing up the "tree trunks". The scenes projected on the walls using different Leko lights set the tone incredibly well. There were a few animals roaming around the party too (with caretakers of course), which was a hit with the guests! The food, provided by Good Food Catering, was even Everglades themed, and it looked and tasted amazing!

We had so much fun creating the decor for this event! We definitely loved working with everyone who was involved in the event! And a special thanks to Carrie for taking the awesome photos!

More Thank Yous!

2009-11-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

We've been so busy over the past few weeks, which means...more Thank You cards!!

This Thank You came from a recent bride's mother. Katie's wedding was a gorgeous fall themed event, and we're so glad to hear that she was happy with the decor!

We worked with Cristina of uDream Events for an Everglades themed corporate event at the Palmetto Club! It was so much fun working with her to transform a ball room into the Everglades!

Quorum Cares Customer Appreciation Party

2009-11-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

MMD Events recently designed the Quorum Cares Customer Appreciation Party benefitting the Moffitt Cancer Center. Of course the theme for the party was pink, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it was gorgeous. We were able to do so many cool things for this party! Limelight Photography was at the party, and they captured some of the work that we did.

Everything looks so beautiful in pink! Thanks to the Quorum for hosting the party, and to Limelight Photography for taking such beautiful photos!

Gasparilla International Film Festival Benefit Party

2009-11-16T13:27:00.004-05:00

We had the pleasure of doing the decor and florals for the 2010 Gasparilla International Film Festival's Benefit Party and Art Auction on September 11th. The party was held at the amazing Ritz Ybor - it's an awesome venue if you've never been there! The art was beautiful, and everyone had a lot of fun!

CSE Photography was there photographing the event, and they sent us some of the photos! We wanted to share some of them because the colors are just fantastic!

Aren't the colors great together? It was such a wonderful look for a party! Thank you to Monica and Erica of Elan Event Studio for putting together such a great event!

NACE Event Decor

2009-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

We did the decor for the NACE event in August at the Don Cesar, and Limelight Photography sent us some of the photos! The combination of the brown with blue worked perfectly for the event! Plus, we love using our blue lighting...it looks so cool!

2009-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

We recently received another sweet thank you note that we wanted to share.

This came from Vicki, the owner and designer of Anglo Couture. Vicki designs and makes custom wedding gowns here in Tampa! She started Anglo Couture so she could create different styles depending on each bride’s vision. We're so excited that Vicki is doing this! One of her dresses was actually featured in our most recent photoshoot, so be on the lookout for it soon!

Photoshoot with Limelight Photography at Pepin's Hospitality Centre

2009-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

We did a photoshoot with Limelight Photography at Pepin's Hospitality Centre a few weeks ago, and of course we have to share it! This shoot had a more rustic theme to it, playing off of the Center's decor and color scheme.

Photoshoot with Limelight Photography at the Marriott Westshore

2009-11-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

This shoot was photographed by Limelight Photography at the Marriott Westshore. We wanted to create a sort of whimsical feel, and pink was the perfect color to do that with! And the table centerpieces are very "Alice In Wonderland", don't you think?

Photoshoot with Limelight Photography at Westin Tampa Bay

2009-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

This shoot took place at the new Westin Tampa Bay with Limelight Photography. The Westin is absolutely gorgeous, and it was the perfect location to have this exotic wedding photoshoot!

A Sweet Thank You

2009-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

We received this Thank You note from Brooke of RSBP Events the other day, and it was so nice that we wanted to share it! Matt set up an amazing bar with lighting for a birthday party she was coordinating. It looked great, and everyone loved it! Thanks Brooke!

Photoshoot with K&K Photography at the Doubletree

2009-11-03T12:38:00.013-05:00

We wanted to share some photos from a recent photoshoot we did with the amazing duo of K&K Photography at the Doubletree Hotel in Tampa. The theme for this shoot was pink, and it's so modern and fun! We love it!

Trunk Show at The Dressing Room

2009-11-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Dressing Room, an upscale bridal boutique in St. Pete, will be hosting a couple of trunk shows in the next couple of months. The next one, taking place on November 13th and 14th, will be featuring dresses by Simone Carvalli.

Our floral and decor will be featured at the Simone Carvalli trunk show, so we will be there! Be sure to stop by and take a look at our work, as well as the beautiful Simone Carvalli dresses! This trunk show is by appointment only, so call soon to secure your appointment!

Here are some of Simone Carvalli's incredibly elegant dresses for you to swoon over:

All photos from Brides.com

We hope to see you at the Dressing Room November 13th or 14th!

A Thank You from a Mother-of-the-Groom

2009-10-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

We coordinated the wedding of Adam and Lindsey Johnson this past weekend in Tampa at the Rusty Pelican. They were the sweetest couple and so in love- it was so nice to work with them! We also worked closely with Adam's mom in the planning of the wedding, and she sent us this wonderful Thank You note! We thought it would be nice to share the kind words that she wrote.

Thank you Anne for being so wonderful to work with!

Tampa Bridal Showcase Featured Vendor

2009-10-26T16:30:00.001-04:00

MMD Events has been super busy lately, but we wanted to do a little update on what is coming up for us! We will be a featured vendor at the Tampa Bridal Showcase on Sunday, November 1st at the Intercontinental Hotel in Tampa! We're so excited to be given the privilege of being a featured vendor for this excellent bridal show! We will be providing the design, decor, and floral elements for the show, so stop by to see some of our work!

We hope to see you on Sunday at the Bridal Showcase!

Discovery Channel’s Pitchmen Premier Party April 15, 2009

2009-09-15T19:16:00.006-04:00

Looking back a little…MMD Events was honored to be chosen as the event design team for the premier of “Pitchmen” starring Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan. The party, held at the new Westin Tampa Bay, was well attended by much of Tampa’s elite and a few of Hollywood’s as well. Guests walked the red carpet passing gorgeous Bentlys to hit the media lounge for “pitchtinis.” Highlights of the night included moving speeches by the leading men, the chain saw massacre of a gorgeous cake by Let Them Eat Cake, and of course the premier of the show. The highlight of my night was sitting in the media lounge with Rebecca Zoumberos of Limelight Photography, who graciously photographed the night, watching the celebrities walk the red carpet.*

*Sadly this story has a sad ending, Billy Mays died June 28, 2009; our condolences to his family and friends.

Wedding Decor Part 3 of 3: Dress your wedding like you dress yourself!

2009-09-15T18:29:00.003-04:00

As we age, we start building a signature style. We begin to frame ourselves, how we want others to experience us. When we shop we ask ourselves – is this me? Does this fit my style? Smart shoppers know that a true bargain is something that we really wear – that truly becomes a part of our wardrobe. We all agree on these rules.

So why do we throw out all of these rules when we plan our wedding?

An engagement brings on the temptation to shop and to bargain hunt, then suddenly everything wedding and bridal goes into the cart. When it’s all said and done you reach your wedding day with a bag full of wedding trinkets that were cheap individually, but have added up to several hundred dollars collectively and none of it truly reflects your style.

Here’s a perfect example: A bride of mine shopped so much at JoAnn Fabrics that when she returned all the random stuff she had bought “on sale”, it was enough to cover her lighting design bill!

How do you dress your wedding as you dress yourself? Ask yourself these questions:

- Does this work for me?
- Does this reflect the wedding style I’m trying to achieve?
- Where will I put this?
- Is it exactly what I want?
- How does this purchase affect my price per table?
- Is it worth it?

Remember to design your wedding thoughtfully and with attention to detail – just as you would, yourself.

A Thousand & One Nights May 8, 2009

2009-07-28T11:10:00.006-04:00

Looking back a little…MMD Events was proud to work with Heather Leather and her fabulous charity, Windows for Widows out of New York City, on their “A Thousand & One Nights” fundraiser at the Sirata Beach Resort. Windows for Widows is a nonprofit organization committed to providing emotional and financial support to Egyptian widows and their families. Did you know that in Egypt, where only 20% of the work force is made up of women, women are left penniless after the death of their husbands? This leads to loss of homes, loss of rights and often loss of their children to orphanages. In a society where women are devalued without their husbands, Heather and her charity have stepped in to make a difference in the lives of these individuals. As funds are raised, they are personally distributed by Heather and her team on a case by case basis. Widows apply for funding and are granted it based on a set of qualifications. To learn more and to see how you can help, please visit http://www.windowsforwidows.com/ .

The “A Thousand & One Nights” charity fundraiser, held on May 8th, took St. Pete Beach by storm with live music, belly dancing, Mediterranean cuisine, Arabian décor and a fabulous hookah lounge. Hundreds of people turned out for this worthy cause and thousands of dollars were raised.

Heather personally donated much of the funds necessary to make this night fashionable and memorable. Look for this event next year; it was truly one of a kind!

Wedding Décor Part 2 of 3: Table Design and the Concept of Price per Table

2009-07-14T14:10:00.005-04:00

The concept of décor is really just the idea of looking at your wedding holistically. It is the idea that every piece of your wedding is not just a necessity – it is an opportunity. Everything from chairs, tables, linens, napkins, favors and centerpieces to candles, table numbers, place cards, menus, chargers, etc. Think of all of these things simultaneously, because they are all table décor.

A $200 centerpiece on a table with linens that don’t touch the ground, hotel candles and chair covers that don’t compliment your theme is not $200 well spent. Poorly planned elements detract from well-planned elements. For example, a wedding reception I planned had small restaurant tables that caused me to really step back and focus on total table design because every detail becomes completely noticeable on such a small table.

Instead of looking at your reception tables as “price per centerpiece”, approach it as a “price per table”. Your wedding theme is better served by combining elements rather than hinging everything based upon the centerpiece alone and trusting that your guests will feel what you intended for them to feel. You can see a $200 example of this “price per table” concept below that includes chivari chairs, linens, paper goods, a centerpiece, etc.

A tip for when you are working with your florist: ask them to build you a tablescape. No centerpiece is an island, everything looks better with candles. If your florist builds a tablescape complete with candles that fits your budget, your table will look complete and thoughtful.

Price per Table Concept: $200 example

Chivari Chairs: $75
Standard Linen: $12
Chargers: $10
Napkins: $5
Menus: $20
Table Numbers: $3
Centerpiece (including candles): $75

Wedding Décor Part 1 of 3: The Power of Lighting

2009-07-06T15:58:00.008-04:00

You can’t have a discussion about wedding décor these days without considering the power of lighting. It can create space, depth, unique shadowing, and of course light. It emphasizes the hard work one has put into designing their space, and gives an overall completeness to the style of your room. Giving it that “platinum wedding” feel a basic ballroom can be beautifully lit for around $500 - $1000.

Another wonderful trait of lighting is that it will de-emphasize boring or unpleasant aspects of a room. For example, in a picture below you’ll see how some of our brilliant up-lights, ceiling patterns, and color washing on the dance floor completely transformed a wedding reception venue with putrid yellow walls and a horrific carpet into a completely dreamy venue.

When shopping for your lighting package, be sure to choose a professional. Lately, I've witnessed more and more DJ's providing lighting as an add-on to their jams. Now, I don't want to knock any DJ's, but lighting is a décor element. A lighting professional understands the aesthetic value of lighting and how it shapes the design of your wedding. A DJ or other non-professional may offer a bargain, but a lighting professional adds the value of understanding décor and the style you are trying to achieve.

Thoughtful design is the key here. It does not have to mean expensive. A bargain is only worth it if at the end of the day you got exactly what you wanted. Take my advice, make lighting a part of your budget and hire a professional lighting designer. Then you’ll be one step closer to having exactly what you want for your dream wedding.

Vote for our Blog!

2009-06-22T10:46:00.002-04:00

Please click the above button to nominate MMD Events' blog for The WeddingChannel.com's Bridal Blog Awards, today! Thank you for your continued support and stay tuned for more blog posts!