#ThankYouMiami How-To: Planning Your Miami Wedding, Part 2

July 7 is a very special day at Thank You Miami HQ because it is the anniversary of our "SO Miami" wedding. Exactly three years ago we (read, our moms) tapped our local know-how to put together a party worthy of our Miami love story that included everything from a key lime pie cake by the Queen of Miami cakes to the mariachi band from Sábado Gigante. When we first started our blog, we took you step-by-step on how to plan your Miami wedding with the vendors we used and loved. Today, in honor of our three year anniversary we are building on that foundation by bringing you three new tips that we picked up from Wedding Salon's recent bridal show in Miami. A huge thanks to Carrie Rodman Wedding Photography for letting us use her amazing photos from the event!

1. Nothing is more Miami than a waterfront wedding. Wedding Salon gets us. We know because they picked The EPIC Hotel in Downtown, with its stunning views of Biscayne Bay, for their high-end bridal event. The boutique hotel (below) was the perfect setting for showcasing the show's numerous and varied wedding displays, proving its worth as the backdrop for your wedding. Plus, nothing beats the fact that it is situated on the water...

2. There is no need to stress about hair and make-up. Whether it's for you, your bridesmaids or your mom, hair and make-up are covered by express beauty service providers like Glam & Go and on-demand beauty services like GLAMSQUAD (below). They are perfect for everyone from busy moms to wedding parties because you can book a hair and/or make-up appointment with as little as two hours notice. And, time and time these services have proved they hire only the best beauty professionals. P.S. Did you know you can get a $20 credit at GLAMSQUAD just for signing up to their mailing list today. #winning!

3. Colorful flower arrangements help you bring Miami's vibrancy indoors. We're obsessed with white everything so, for our wedding, we chose white flower arrangements as part of our décor. During Wedding Salon's event, the displays by Precious Moments Social Events (below) and local flower vendor Rio Roses showed us how beautiful it can be to bring some of Miami's colorful aesthetic to your decorations. Their bright flower arrangements livened up the setting and made us reconsider our preference for white-on-white-on-white.

As you prepare for (or daydream about) your Miami wedding, we hope that these tips have been helpful. For more tips, inspiration, and vendors, make sure to keep an eye on Wedding Salon's calendar for the dates and locations of upcoming shows. Most importantly, remember to enjoy every moment - the wedding planning process really does go by so fast! Over here, we're still in awe that we're going on Year 4 of wedded bliss...

Are you planning your Miami wedding? Congratulations! What locations do you have on your radar? Why do you like those venues? How many guests are you planning to invite? What color scheme are you considering? What other tips would be helpful as you start and/or continue your wedding planning? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami How-To: Planning Your Miami Wedding

We've only been married one year and our friends and family already want us to renew our vows. I think they just want an excuse to come party with us in Miami. After all, we did host what all of our guests refer to as the "wedding weekend to remember". But a wedding party that successful is easy in Miami.

Miami is already a ready-made party mekka. You just have to know how to make it work for you. Here are a few tips to make your Miami wedding as amazing and as successful as ours:

1. Pick a holiday weekend. We chose the Fourth of July. The long holiday weekend allowed our guests from out of town to extend their stay, giving them extra time to enjoy Miami beyond our festivities. And, because most of our visitors arrived a few days early, our wedding celebrations were extended by almost a week. Hello?! Who doesn't want to be the center of attention for a whole week?!

2. Settle only for the best of the best. I have to give my mom props for finding the best person for each task (i.e. the mariachis from Sabado Gigante). You just can't go wrong when you have the best of the best and, in Miami, the best instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. The most important people to vet are your Day-Of Planner (trust me, you will need one) and your DJ/band (they can make or break your party with a wrong song selection). Here are some of the people without whom our wedding wouldn't have been as fabulous an occassion:

• Venue: The Palms Hotel and Spa. You can't have a Florida wedding without the proper vibe, and the Palms has nailed that southern Florida vibe. It doesn't hurt that they host weddings almost every weekend of the year so they know what they're doing.

• Cake: Cake Designs by Edda. The Queen of Miami cakes helped us carry the Florida vibe into dessert with a delicious four-tier key lime-flavored creation featuring a sugar orchid.

• Dress: Chic Parisien. Not only did they have every dress imaginable, but they made me feel like a princess from the moment I walked in. If your bridal shop doesn't treat you amazing, walk out immediately. Dress shopping is your moment and you should enjoy every second.

• Bridal Party Hair and Make-up: Gloria Pelo. She is a professional hair and make-up artist with an extensive portfolio. I am not big on wearing make-up, but she gave me the natural look I wanted and gave me the confidence to rock it!

• Day-Of Coordination: Guerdy Abraira from Divine Design by Guerdy. Guerdy and her team reminded me of Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. She was involved very early in the planning process and had fantastic ideas to improve every aspect of the wedding. The day of the wedding she had a solution or an answer for everything, making the entire occasion seamless and allowing me to enjoy my day stress-free.

• Music: AA Musicians. We were limited to choosing a DJ to accommodate our expansive guest list, but they offer bands and DJs. The DJ that was assigned to our wedding kept our guests dancing the entire night and everyone still raves about what an amazing dance party it was...even my mom, who fought for a band throughout the entire planning process.

3. Throw in a surprise element for your guests. Since I am Mexican, my parents decided to add our own special touch to the wedding: a mariachi band that walked in as my husband and I cut the cake. This surprise element made for a fantastic photo opp and was a fantastic way to end the celebration.

Happy planning!