THE MANSION

We gather here today, 

To explore all the beauty that is The Mansion at Tuckahoe in Jensen Beach, Florida- The wedding venue that my husband and I choose for our October of 2023, nuptials.

If you're in the search of a cozy wedding venue on the Florida Atlantic Coast, I highly recommend this option!

This stunning venue sits on pristine grounds, overlooking the bay of the Indian River, and the grounds are truly breathtaking.

On arrival, you pass through a gated, winding , brick driveway under a canopy of palm and oak trees. The glistening blue waters of the Indian River shine just beyond the hill of manicured, green lawn, which sits atop the beautiful seashell white two-story mansion under the sunny Florida sky. even without any additional adornments.

Inside the mansion, 

You will find separate bridal and groom suites on the upstairs level- Fully equipped for getting ready. In addition to large styling areas and bathrooms, the upstairs common lounge area glowed with a perfect natural sunlight that made for perfect sunset pics on balcony. Perfect for pre-festive celebration!

For cocktail hour, guests were invited inside, to enjoy themselves amongst the ambiance of the spacious front foyer, complete with built-in fish tanks and fireplaces. The Terrazzo flooring reflect the beautiful old Florida charm and Southern elegance.

THE CEREMONY

The Mansion at Tuckahoe offers several options to choose from when it comes to hosting your wedding ceremony. 

We celebrated on the front lawn amphitheater, which comes complete with a stage, sound hook ups, and an awning cover. For decoration, we did an arbor on the stage with some added faux eucalyptus garland and real flowers. On the aisle chairs we placed a bundle of baby's breath and as guest arrived, they were greeted with a welcome program, and a paper fan- A great idea my My mother in law had, and It was a hit. Florida's heat can show no mercy.

Since the area dips down into a "bowl" shape, there is also terraced seating built into the architecture.

You can opt to have your ceremony on a spacious outdoor courtyard area or inside the Mansion, itself. Given that it's Florida and the weather is temperamental- it's certainly a bonus to have both as an option!

*Note: It's so important to have a backup plan in the event of bad weather, that this venue requires the submission of an indoor seating arraignment prior to the event date, as a precautionary measure.

THE DRESS

The dress I wore was a beaded, fit-n-flare gown that features a deep V neckline with dainty spaghetti straps, low open back, + short train.

Named, "Cerulean", this sheath gown is designed by Theia Couture, and, in my opinion, holds elements of classic simplicity, with a sleek, sexy and (fully-beaded!) finish. This pretty little number

If you like this look, you should know that beading will add weight to the gown that you may not experience with other styles. It's worth considering if a heavier gown is something you will be comfortable with for the big day. For a Florida wedding, it was warm, but the light straps and low back countered that, making it comfortable.

As for my jewelry- I chose to keep it budget friendly, as I am not much of a jewelry wearer, in general. Both my earrings, and necklace are from Etsy sellers.

THE RECEPTION

The wedding reception is the heartbeat of the wedding celebration. It’s a time for laughter, dancing, and creating unforgettable memories with loved ones.

The day flew by fast and before we knew it, we were walking into our reception, so overwhelmed with gratitude, to see the cheerful faces of our wonderful friends and family.

Our reception, was held underneath a clear tent, Off the backside of the mansion. The patio catches a nice breeze off the water and when the sun sets serves as a romantic backdrop of sparking city lights over the water.

We went into our first dance to "Baby I love they way" by Peter Frampton, and did our best to duplicate the steps we had practiced in our living room (I went okay lol).

 Personal touches, like photos of the couple or custom table settings, can make the space feel unique and special. At each table setting, we provided a "Wedding Mad-Libs" sheet for our guests to fill out. On the back of the sheet was also a simple questions:

Where should we go for our Honeymoon? Do you have any fun travel experiences/ stories?

And oh, how their personalities really come through in the responses! Each person has a crazy airport experience, or travel adventure of their own, so it was a great to read the responses which were both informative and very humorous. (Ty and I read them on the drive back from Florida to Chicago and were cracking-up!)

During our reception, a photo booth was set up inside with props and instant print outs for guests. It was really fun, just make sure your guests know it's there!

*Make some signage, or have the DJ announce that it's open to guests!