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Real Wedding – Azalea Lodge at Mead Botanical Garden – Mandy Morgan and Bradly Freed 

At Dubsdread Catering we love being dedicated members of the team that makes your big day your best day. While we are masters at the planning and executing the behind-the-scenes work, we know our clients have their own unique perspective on their event. We thank recent couple Mandy Morgan and Bradly Freed for graciously sharing their experience to benefit others.

BRIDE AND GROOM: Mandy Morgan and Bradly Freed
WEDDING DATE: April 1, 2022
VENUE: Azalea Lodge at Mead Botanical Garden
EVENT COORDINATOR: David Osmola, Senior Wedding and Event Coordinator

VENDORS: 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Cornerhouse Photography
FLORIST: Colonial Florist 
DJ: Xclusive Dee Jays
DESSERT: Publix
PHOTO BOOTH: Our Photobooth Rocks
OTHER: W Draping

ONE YEAR OUT:

How/where did you get engaged? 
In 2017, Bradley hiked the entire 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail, and I have been hiking sections of the trail since 2020. This past May, Brad planned a trip to take me to his favorite 25-mile section of the trail, Roan Mountain, which is on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. When we reached the peak of the mountain, Brad got down on one knee and said he wanted all of his future adventures to be with me. Of course, I said, “Yes!”

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?
We are SO EXCITED that we got booked Mead Botanical Garden as our wedding venue. It is very special to us. I am president of the Tarflower Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and have been leading a restoration project at the garden since 2016. Brad and I both regularly volunteer at the gardens, and we were so thankful to Dubsdread Catering to work with us to hold our wedding ceremony in a special spot near our project. 

What aspect are you excited to plan the most? (Ceremony, food & beverages, photographer, DJ)
We are most excited about planning our reception and music. Our wedding theme is Disco Garden to incorporate our love of nature and also music because Bradley and I met at Electric Daisy Carnival 2018, when he sold me a ticket to the festival. Now, we are excited to go dance at EDC every year so bringing a piece of that to our wedding day is wonderful. We are looking forward to having fun with our friends and to dancing all night long to our playlist. 

A FEW MONTHS OUT / PLANNING PROCESS:

How do you feel the planning is going?
The planning is going well. I am a planner by nature and have almost everything done from florist, cake, DJ and room lighting. Now we are down to the little details of center piece arrangements, guest book table and finalizing our playlist and program.

What have you found to be more difficult than you expected?
We are finding some of the logistical details to be a little stressful. Such as who or what transportation will service us for our sendoff, who will collect all of our things (i.e. special decor, guest book, etc.) at the end of the night, and how can we make it simple for our guests to get to the after party. Also, seating charts are driving us mad! 

What has been more fun about the process than you expected?
We had so much fun picking out flowers and working on the playlist for the different portions of the event. I know in the end it will be a fantastic time and no matter what little hiccups we might encounter, in the big picture it will be the best night of our lives.

WEDDING DAY:

What was the best, most memorable part of your big day?
Getting married in the Oak Hammock was so special to us and so gorgeous with the arching oaks. We knew it was a different area that has not previously been used for weddings, but it was absolutely perfect. 

If you could change one or two things about your event, what would they be? 
We wish we would have gone with the plated option versus the buffet option. The buffet took a bit longer and cut into the open dance time, and if you couldn’t tell from my previous comments, music and dancing are a big thing for us!

Is there any advice you would give other couples planning their event that you wish some-one had told you?
Our wedding day was forecasted to be rainy and stormy the entire evening and we were very anxious about that, given that our heart was set on getting married outside. I had to come to terms with the fact that this is not a situation I had any control over, thus all that anxiety was not conducive for change. Not everything will go perfectly as you imagine, but no matter what, the day will be memorable, with all the ups and downs!

At some point you just have to let go and be along for the ride! Things will work out, little logistical stuff will get taken care of, and you will be marrying the love of your life no matter what. Also, our Dubsdread Catering wedding coordinator David was amazing and made sure everything worked just right! As it turned out, the weather was perfect and I am still thanking the weather Gods for that!

Photos courtesy of the bride, groom, and Cornerhouse Photography.

When you book a wedding with Dubsdread Catering at one of our exclusive venues, we provide wedding coordination at no additional charge. Our coordinators become dedicated members of your team bringing experience and expertise to help you execute your vision. Contact them today via our Contact Us page to make our team your team in making your dreams come true.