Your Fantasy Affair MAKES STRIDES Against Breast Cancer

At 8:00 AM on October 18th the Your Fantasy Affair team headed to Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando to MAKE STRIDES for a cure! Our team was comprised of our fabulous wedding coordinators, family, friends, and our brides/grooms and their loved ones. There were over 50 of us in all, and we’re especially proud of our Brides & Grooms that came out to support such a special cause.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all our friends, family, and wedding industry insiders that supported our team. With your credit card and cash donations, the Your Fantasy Affair team raised over $2000 for the American Cancer Society. Thank you for your support in raising awareness about this devastating disease.

However the 5k walk didn’t start and end with walking and fundraising! We had a great time laughing with our brides and friends, and talking about what else? WEDDINGS! We can’t wait for next year where we hope to raise over $5000 for breast cancer research!



YFA Newlyweds: Marcus & Ashley Watkins w/ Bride, Jacque Robinson

Bride, Jacque Robinson, brought along her HS Varsity Volleyball team to "Make Strides"

Grooms against Breast Cancer!

3 of the YFA team: Heather Rodriguez, Sarah Pickar Sleeth, & Sharia Riley. What did your shirts say? "Brides Against Breast Cancer!"

The MAKING STRIDES cheerleading squad roots on our walkers and brides!

Thank you friends & family of the Rileys for coming out!

Brides & bridesmaids rest in the park after crossing the finish line...

AT THE FINISH LINE!

Upgrade Your Wedding Style

Don't let your budget hold you back! Take it from Ashley & Marcus who wed at the Sunset Harbor Yacht Club in Daytona Beach. They added style tips from lead coordinator, Sharia Riley, to their own ideas and turned their everyday affair into extraordinary. Here are a few quick tips to upgrade your wedding style:

1- Go for colored linens! Chair covers or rented chairs (chiavaris, cloth backs, etc) are a must.

If you want your "WOW!" don't scrimp when it comes to big items in your reception room. Throw a colored linen on the table that will make your guests "ohh" and "ahh." For Ashley's desired fall theme, Sharia suggested a iridescent fire orange pintuck. And don't forget to cover up or replace those ballroom chairs. It will make all the difference in your pictures!

2 -If you want a "white bouquet," go for it! But don't use ALL white flowers. Consider incorporating light pinks, light peaches, ivories, and light greens into your assortment to give your bouquet depth.

3- Don't skip the kids. Yes, sometimes they don't behave perfectly, but try and tell us that this flower girl isn't precious! Sometimes budget and formalities don't permit children to the ceremony and/or reception, but reconsider throwing out the flower girl and/or ring bearer.

4- Can't afford a $15,000 Vera Wang? Take a tip from Ashley and hit the sample sales to look for a stunning gown that would normally be outside your budget. You can upgrade your look without upgrading your credit card debt!

5- Skip the tuxedos. Modern weddings have the groom and groomsmen in attractive day suits instead of a formal tuxedo... and we love the look!

6- Add style to your table numbers! Hit your local craft store or scrap booking shop and look for stylish numbers, die cuts, and embellishments to spice up your tables.

7- Personalize, personalize, personalize!

For Ashley & Marcus, we skipped using the traditional names for their popcorn bar, and instead incorporated names and places that were important to the couple. Want pizza popcorn on your bar and the groom is from Chicago? How about you name it, “Chicago Deep Dish?”

Think about also personalizing for your guests. For Ashley & Marcus, each guest had their own thank you note sitting at their place setting that was personalized to them by the note and the name.

Photos by Elton Anderson Photography.