Our first wedding in Orlando was special. Rome’s youngest brother, Chuck, happened to be the groom. Chuck married his college sweetheart, Tori.
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The wedding was in Apopka, Florida, a city of 27,000 people roughly 30 minutes outside of Orlando. We actually spent the entire trip outside of Orlando, namely in Apopka and Winter Park.
Michelle and I would never planned to spend time in this area, and thankfully for Chuck and Tori’s wedding we learned this area and left with some unforgettable memories.
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Chuck & Tori’s Wedding
Chuck & Tori’s wedding was at the Club Lake Plantation in Apopka. It is a gorgeous outdoor venue lined with luscious trees.
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During a summer wedding in Orlando, you can imagine that the temperature and humidity were both equally high – you can see the temperature differences between the wedding rehearsal and the big day. Thankfully, the dinner and dance were indoors with air conditioning. The groomsmen room was also thankfully air conditioned.
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We mentioned that this wedding was special, and it truly was. Seeing your brother at the altar is unlike any friend’s wedding we ever attended. It was amazing to see Chuck starting the next chapter of his life, and being in the front seat as he and Tori became a family.
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As the best man, I had to give a speech. My theme was about how easily you forget that siblings grow up just as you do. For me, it didn’t hit me that Chuck had grown up after graduating high school, graduating college, or starting his career.
It was when I called him once:
- Me: “What’s up?”
- Chuck: “Nothing – just hanging out in my backyard grilling”
And that was when it hit me – he was grilling in the backyard of his home, which he owns, in a yard, which he has.
While he told me this – I was in my apartment, which I rent, has no yard, nor grill…and three roommates.
We all probably had that moment – that conversation was mine, and a couple hundred people in Orlando know as well.
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Orlando Restaurants
When your brother gets married, you clearly have a job. Although we had a wedding in Orlando, we did have a chance to enjoy the area and try out some different restaurants.
The Tavern
Our rehearsal dinner was at The Tavern in Apopka, it was an Italian Restaurant that served us wings, lasagna, and pasta.
The service was excellent, and the food was great. We ended up taking all of the leftovers home, and enjoyed them after the wedding.
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The Hangry Bison
The Hangry Bison is a great lunch spot, as well as a place to grab a drink. We ended up here because Jos A Bank was missing two shoes for our groomsmen. As frustrated as we were, the associate was kind enough to drive to another location to pick the shoes up. It took an hour, and we spent our time hanging out here.
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The Hangry Bison has massive draft list, and they serve a mean burger. This burger is fully customizable, you select with a marker exactly how you want your burger built. We definitely recommend the pretzel bun.
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Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que in Apopka, Florida
Seeing that Chuck and Tori both went to Florida State, we had to start their wedding in Orlando watching Florida State play Syracuse. We first went to Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que, and they could not broadcast the game because they did not have ESPN. We were incredibly surprised, and I went to work to find a substitute close by.
Thirty minutes after we left, Bubbalou’s ended up adding the ESPN package.
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Apopka, Florida
Fun fact, this was the first time Michelle and I had ever been to a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. I called them from Bubbalou’s, and they immediately set aside two tables for our group.
They had a boatload of televisions for the football game, and a reasonable beer selection. With that said, the beer and food are what you can expect from a chain bar. If you need a place to watch a football game, with an incredibly polite and accommodating service staff, this Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is an excellent option.
Where to Stay
Chuck and Tori were kind enough to cover the Airbnbs for the groomsmen and bridesmaids, and they were amazing spots.
We all went to the Airbnb after the wedding – aside from enjoying some leftovers from the rehearsal dinner, we all ended up in the pool.
Chuck and Tori had an incredible Orlando wedding.