Jackie and Tim both work as Prosecutors in New York, but the Attorneys did not cross paths in the big apple In August 2008, the two attended the same training session in Columbia, SC and shared immediate sparks.
Luckily, living in the same city meant that their romance could continue to blossom when the session was complete.
At the end of 2009, Jackie returned to the same training facility where she met the love of her life. She knew this session could not be as special as the first, but Jackie was wrong. On the final night of training, Tim flew to Columbia and staged a surprise proposal with the help of the facility and some colleagues.
“It was incredibly romantic and very sweet,” recalls Jackie.
When K and K Photography sent me Jackie and Tim’s wedding photos, my jaw hit the ground. Every single image was (and is) truly spectacular! It looks like one of those remarkable events that you pray to get invited to.
I fell even more in love with this wedding after speaking with the bride. “I wanted everything about the wedding to be personal or meaningful in some way,” said Jackie. Jackie grew up in the Sarasota Florida area where, coincidentally, Tim’s family owned a vacation condo. The couple knew Sarasota was the perfect destination for their October nuptials. 
Jackie and Tim also shared fond childhood memories of attending the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus and the Ringling Museum of Art with their families. They couldn’t have dreamed up a more stunning venue than the historic Ca’d'Zan Mansion, a glamorous estate built by John and Mable Ringling in the 1920s.
The colorful mansion, nestled along the water, helped to inspire many of the other wedding details. Everything came together with the help of Coordinator Beth Carrick of Flawless Occasions.
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Jackie looked absolutely radiant in her layered Vera Wang wedding gown with a floral belt.
The venue had no shortage of dreamy settings for taking pictures…
This next image, in particular, is screaming to be framed on the couple’s wall. 
Dressed in stylish blue Jenny Yoo dresses, the bridal party looked fabulous. You can tell by all the smiles and facial expressions that they were all ecstatic to be part of Jackie and Tim’s special day. 
Have you ever seen such beautiful clowns?!?
After planning an outdoor ceremony and reception, Jackie was so thankful that “The weather was absolutely beautiful (not a cloud in the sky), and the temperature was perfect. The sunset over the water during the ceremony and cocktail hour was amazing,” she said.
The couple incorporated many creative vintage circus elements into their wedding, including;
- Vintage Circus Lettering on signs and invitations
- Guest welcome bags full of vintage circus candy
- Escort Cards in Giraffe or elephant silhouettes
- A photo booth full of fun circus props
- A cotton candy machine during dessert
- Round red clown noses for fun photo-ops
- Custom trapeze and ringmaster cake topper featuring the bride and groom
Side note: That cake topper is off the charts! It was handmade by the talented Kate Chilko, a friend of the bride and groom.
Visit katechilko.com or email Kate to get one of your own.
From the below image, you can see how the beauty and style of the mansion helped inspire their complimentary color palette. Apple Blossoms Floral Design did a great job of adding some vintage flair and charm to the luscious bouquets and centerpieces.
When I asked Jackie to pick her favorite wedding memory, she said:
“I’ll never forget our first dance to Peter Gabriel’s “Book of Love.” We had just gotten married, we were dancing on the terrace of this beautiful mansion by the water with all of our family/friends around us, on a perfect night – I really could not have imagined it any better!
To conclude Jackie and Tim’s magical celebration full of beauty, love and laughter, guests showered the newlyweds with gold streamers as they made their exit (smiling from ear to ear).
If you are a soon to be Mrs, your to do list and calendar is probably filling up rather quickly these days.
Above: A real preppy bride and groom (Shannon and Chris) found on 
Photo credits:
A few years ago, when it was my time to find the perfect wedding dress, I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to play dress up. After putting on my second gown, I felt that immediate connection that told me it was “the one.”
