My friends Jim and Bonnie were planning a September 27 minimony at Butterfly World. Bonnie needed an appropriate, simple wedding dress. I was setting up an appointment for her at a local bridal shop to find an off the rack dress since there’s not enough time to order, but then I remembered the Monique Lhuillier ivory dress that I wore for our 10 year wedding anniversary bash at our home a few years ago and offered to let Bonnie borrow it. She and Jim came over a few nights later and while Jim and my husband Paul drank wine and talked downstairs, Bonnie and I played dress up upstairs. My dress fit her perfectly! She tried on two of my other dresses too, but the Monique Lhuillier was Jim’s favorite. She’s accessorizing with a beaded sash, earrings and tiara all by Laura Jayne (www.laurajayne.com) made with opals, crystals and pearls. And I gave Bonnie a pair of Angela Nuran Ingrid pumps (angelanuran.com/product/ingrid-style) dyed ivory to match the flirty little frock. We had so much fun that night. They brought Thai food which we thoroughly enjoyed as we sat outside on our lanai overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.

Now let’s back up and talk about Butterfly World, the largest butterfly park in the world and it just happens to be in South Florida. It’s pretty amazing to stroll amongst 20,000 butterflies that will land on you on a whim! While it would be a beautiful minimony backdrop, there were concerns. Like rain. Anyone familiar with Florida knows the weather is unpredictable. If it rained, there’d be no indoor refuge. No way to keep other park visitors from encroaching on their privacy. No spot for a tiny reception. I asked Jim and Bonnie what they were doing for a dinner celebration afterwards for their small party, but with covid, they didn’t feel safe going anywhere.

After mulling over our friends’ predicament, Paul and I offered them our house for their wedding minimony and reception. We’re thrilled they took us up on the offer! They’ll exchange vows on the pool deck top tier overlooking the Intracoastal to the east with the pool reflection below. My incredibly gifted friend, Tim Horvath, will photograph the event (check out his IG feed @travelingjones). Tim took the stunning photo below of Jim (maskless to drink wine), Bonnie and me discussing where bride, groom and officiant will stand for the vows. There’s loads of space in the covered lanai for everyone to sit for dinner. Outdoor grill to keep the food warm. Outdoor bar for wine, champagne and drinks. Bonnie and her daughter are making bouquets and floral arrangements. We’ll decorate the night before and day of. I’ll set the tables with Venetian lace linens that Paul and I bought on our 1 year anniversary Mediterranean cruise which included Venice. Those linens alone are a hilarious story for another blog. If it lightly rains, everything can happen beneath the covered lanai. If it’s too windy and rainy even for the lanai, we open the sliding doors to move inside to the great room, and they’ll exchange vows in front of the big marble fireplace. There’s more than enough room inside for the group to be comfortably seated for dinner.

I’m not a wedding planner, but will do my best to help our friends have a wonderful wedding day. As they become man and wife in front of 9 witnesses, it will be beautiful, intimate and safe. We’re looking forward to this! In a few weeks, I’ll post a follow-up blog showing how Tim’s artistic eye captured this day, share some thoughts, reactions and “what I learned” information after hosting our first minimony!

Photos by Tim Horvath