Hanging wisteria stretched above the dance floor, moss cascaded from the oak trees above the ceremony, and lavender, blue, and green flowers filled gold vases throughout Sydonie Mansion. Kylie and Logan built their Florida garden wedding around a venue that already had much of what they were looking for, then spent the better part of a year adding their own details. 

That included far more than a few pieces of signage. Kylie embroidered handkerchiefs for Logan and their parents, while the couple made their invitations, menus, temporary tattoos, heart-shaped sunglasses, photo backdrop, and more. Their pets got involved, too, with their golden retriever Baxter joining them for portraits and their fur babies appearing on everything from cocktail stirrers to the signature drink sign. And those weren’t the only details waiting for guests once they arrived.

What We Love About This Florida Garden Wedding:

• Hanging wisteria over the reception dance floor
• A first look followed by garden portraits with their golden retriever, Baxter
• DIY details throughout
• A parent-dance song mix-up that ended with all four of them on the dance floor

Featured Vendor:
Jennifer Holly Photography

Building the Color Palette Around Lavender, Green, and Gold

Lavender had been Kylie’s favorite color for years, and Logan had one fashion request: he wanted to wear a green suit. Those two colors became the starting point, with champagne bridesmaid dresses and light blue accents eventually joining the palette. Their mothers wore blue as the couple’s “something blue.”

The larger garden direction developed once they began looking at venues. Kylie had already seen Sydonie Mansion online and was “about 99% sold,” but they still scheduled other tours. Sydonie was only their second stop, but they “knew it was the one immediately,” she says.

They worked with the mansion’s existing romantic garden style, bringing in green, gold, blue, and lavender through the flowers and reception details. Levan’s Catering provided gold dining ware with sage napkins, while gold vases and rented Chiavari chairs continued the look. Over the dance floor, they added hanging wisteria, a unique addition that brought the garden theme to life all night.

Sharing Private Vows Before Baxter Joined Them in the Garden

Kylie and Logan went back and forth over having a first look. They worried that seeing each other beforehand might take something away from the moment Logan saw Kylie walking down the aisle.

Ultimately, they decided to meet in the garden before the ceremony, where they exchanged private vows and had a little time together before guests gathered. Kylie says it helped settle their nerves without diminishing the aisle moment later. 

Then Baxter arrived. Their golden retriever joined them for portraits in the garden and, between photos, became particularly interested in watching the koi fish.

Thanking Their Parents During a Traditional Ceremony

Kylie and Logan don’t live near their families, so walking into the ceremony gave Kylie a rare view of everyone gathered in the same place. Her dad walked her down the aisle, where Logan was waiting.

The ceremony remained traditional, with one addition: the couple included a thank-you to their parents for raising them and for the examples of marriage they had given them.

Violinist Jose Rodriguez played during both the ceremony and cocktail hour, including songs Kylie had specifically requested even when they weren’t part of his regular set list.

Turning One Giant To-Do List Into a Year of DIY Projects

Kylie started planning by saving ideas from Instagram and Pinterest before building a large mood board on her iPad. Their day-of coordinator supplied to-do lists, but Kylie, who describes herself as “a very organized planner,” took things considerably further. “I actually ended up making a multi-page to-do list that incorporated every single thing we’d have to do and divided tasks by month,” she says.

That organization came in handy because wedding projects eventually took over their home. Kylie has always loved arts and crafts, and the couple made their invitations, signage, menus, temporary tattoos, L + K heart sunglasses, and a photo backdrop themselves.

Some of the smallest projects were also the most time-consuming. Kylie hand-embroidered handkerchiefs with individual notes for each of their parents as well as Logan. At the bar, their fur babies appeared on the signature drink sign and stir sticks alongside embossed cocktail napkins. A massive mirror with a vinyl welcome message greeted guests as they arrived.

Breaking everything into monthly tasks kept the final weeks surprisingly manageable. By then, they only had a few small things left to finish.

Deciding What Was Actually Worth the Wedding Budget

Kylie’s parents contributed significantly to the wedding, and the couple began by accounting for the major expenses: venue, catering, flowers, photography, cake, and DJ. Flowers were especially important because of how much color they would bring into the garden setting.

Their catering package helped elsewhere in the budget. Tablecloths, chargers, plates, and gold silverware were already included, leaving room for extras such as the gold Chiavari chairs and hanging wisteria.

When another potential expense came up, Kylie and Logan had a question they would ask each other: “Are we gonna look back and feel disappointed we didn’t have this on our wedding day?” Sometimes the answer made the decision easy.

The DIY projects also saved money, although Kylie is quick to acknowledge that the final total still grew. “We definitely ended up 10k over budget, but we had the perfect day and wouldn’t change a thing.”

When the Wrong Parent-Dance Song Started Playing

Most of the wedding ran exactly as planned. Then Kylie and her dad started their father-daughter dance. “As soon as the words started I looked at him and said, ‘Wait…this isn’t our song.’” The DJ had accidentally played the song intended for Logan and his mom. Logan got up to speak to the DJ while Kylie and her dad kept dancing, but the original father-daughter song couldn’t be found.

So Kylie improvised. She motioned for Logan and his mom to come out and join them. The song was extended, and what began as the only real mishap of the day ended with both parent-child pairs dancing together and photos of all four of them on the floor.

Planning Early So the Final Weeks Stay Manageable

Kylie and Logan have little they would change about their Florida garden wedding, other than avoiding that parent-dance mix-up. Their biggest planning takeaway is much less glamorous than flowers or wisteria: make one enormous list. 

Dividing their tasks and DIY projects by month meant they could finish smaller jobs early and concentrate on whatever actually needed attention at each stage. “In the last few weeks before our wedding we only had a couple small tasks left to check off,” Kylie says. For a couple who spent roughly a year making everything from embroidered handkerchiefs to temporary tattoos, that might be the strongest endorsement of the spreadsheet.