ABC Planner: Staci Mandikas, with Eboni Reed, UNIQUE Weddings & Events, Brandon, Fla., www.designedbyunique.com, staci@designedbyunique.com.Years in industry: 9 (Staci), 5 (Eboni)Photography: Horn Photography & DesignBusinesses: Inspire Entertainment (DJ), The Hole Donuts, Alessi Bakery (cake), The Birchwood (venue/catering/bar), Christina Adams (musicians), 2Birds Events (florist), Jess Waldrop Makeup Artists (hair/makeup), Jared Keyes (officiant)Wedding date: March, 1, 2015 Guest count: 100 The couple: Karen and Joe are an unconventional couple with old souls and traditional families. They wanted a wedding that was elegant, romantic, unique, and fun. Involvement: Wedding-day direction Inspiration: They wanted their wedding to have a romantic feel, but not over-the-top when it comes to the décor. Organic and vintage, with a touch of modern and Victorian was the style they wanted. “Aha” moment: During our initial meeting, Karen and Joe expressed that they wanted a wedding that has the feel of a celebration at which they just happened to be exchanging their vows. At that moment, we definitely understood the feel that they were looking to achieve. Most unique design element: Karen’s dress was the most unique element. It was vintage. We loved how she paired this antique gown with a pair of sexy, modern heels! Color palette: Blush, green, berry, gold Budget: $20,000Staff hours: 50 Planning time: We were involved in the last 30 days prior to the event. Client meetings: Three set up/strike details: We arrived four hours prior to the ceremony start time, although our set up was minimal. The florist handled all of the centerpieces, and we setup the postcard well-wish station, donut station, as well as multiple accents. Revenue breakdown: 100% planningBiggest challenge: The couple was adamant about not having set seating for the guests, as they felt it would interfere with the relaxed feel that they wanted to achieve. The best we were able to do was to convince the couple to set a few tables as “reserved” for the immediate family. Not having set seating resulted in VIP guests upset about where they were sitting and families and friends being split up to accommodate the chairs per table. Hindsight: We would not have let the client move forward with such a large guest count and no determined seating. We will use this wedding as an example of why assigning seating will achieve order and not formality.