One Couple's Luxe Green-and-Black Lakeside Private Residence Wedding in Orlando, Florida

When someone says “backyard wedding,” what thoughts come to mind? For some, words like casual and DIY may bubble to the surface. But private residence weddings certainly don’t need to be plain, as Tommy and Gamo proved with their wedding in Orlando, Florida. Tommy and Gamo settled on their friend's Florida backyard, which backs up to a lake, for their wedding, but there was nothing casual or blase about their decision. Using the home’s architecture and the surrounding landscaping as inspiration, the duo planned an epic, modern black-and-green wedding packed to the brim with velvet and acrylic accents.

"With no notice, Gamo and I decided to tie the knot," shares Tommy. "The funny thing is we didn’t know you had to get married within 60 days of getting your marriage certificate. So we scrambled and picked several dates and 022222 resonated with us. Our inspiration was what we cherish most in our daily lives—my family, close friends, many of Gamo’s childhood friends and our home both inside and out."

Although Tommy and Gamo ultimately settled on a friend's backyard for their wedding, much of the inspiration came from their love of their own backyard and home. "Both our personal styles are eclectic and modern and we absolutely love our backyard," says Tommy of the various places the couple drew inspiration from for their wedding. Tommy goes on to share that the couple, "wanted the ceremony to be focused on our love for each other and the outdoor environment. As such we let the beautiful natural landscaping of Bald Cypress trees, Spanish moss and Hour Glass Lake be front and center for our ceremony. After recognizing how expensive floral was and what was really important to us, we chose what we love best—unique potted floral. We love dark, moody, unique and natural elements and our reception was no exception. Long black tables, black ghost chairs, dark green velvet chairs, black table settings and an eclectic mix of potted plants and containers. We purchased all the ceramic containers ourselves and visited local growers to hand pick over 30 varieties of potted specimens. We accented the potted plants with fresh curly willow tips and burgundy James Story Orchids."

While Tommy and Gamo took on some projects for their wedding themselves, Tommy emphasizes that, generally speaking, he advises couples to focus on hiring pros for the big day: "I’m not a fan of DIY anything for weddings. I think you should always hire professionals. Because I am in the wedding industry is the only reason why we did our own centerpieces, but it still took several friends to bring the dinner reception tables to life."

Tommy's background in events also informed the advice he has for current to-be-weds: "Even being in the wedding industry for nearly 20 years didn’t prepare me for the overwhelming task of planning and executing a wedding. Be thoughtful about your decisions, take time to reflect on what is important to you and make sure they are part of your big day. Take advice from wedding professionals, especially those you hire. The best investment you can make in your wedding is to hire a wedding planner, they are worth every penny. Lastly; the day will go by very quickly. Pause as much as you can and don’t rush the moment."