Greta and Bradley's Ybor City wedding featured a Tuscan-inspired celebration that centered around the theme of elegance. A warm color palette of burgundy, dark green, and terracotta complemented the autumn season and represented their love for Italy.
“I would describe our wedding as a rustic, elegant Italian glam. We were inspired by the beautiful feasting tables in Italy and its focus on sharing a meal closely with your loved ones. We love the simplicity of the Tuscan decor, and we tried to give that feel to our entire reception,” the bride shared. “Our colors were terracotta, with splashes of burgundy and dark green found in greenery on all the tables. Terracotta represented the rooftops of Florence and the burgundy was the perfect touch for an October wedding.”
As the Tampa bride planned her wedding she utilized Marry Me Tampa Bay's real weddings to find venue inspiration.
“I found some inspiration of venues on Marry Me Tampa Bay. I used [the website] to look up venues in the area and compare reviews from other websites, as well as visualize how some venues were used in past weddings,” Greta explained.
From the attire to the colors to the dinner experience, Italy was the overarching theme and inspired every detail.
“Bradley and I both identify with Italian culture. His family has Sicilian roots, and he grew up in a household that really feels as Italian as it gets. I used to live in Florence and though we crossed paths in our freshman year at USF, it was Florence, Italy that reconnected us,” the bride revealed. “We brought our interpretation of that culture to our wedding, and we definitely made it our own.”
To customize their 105-guest wedding, the couple included their personalities in their day. From décor to the music list, the couple curated every element including a personalized brew by the groom called “Le Nozze” which means “The nuptials” in Italian.
“Every detail was planned from the heart and with passion. The music, décor, signs, and menu were carefully chosen to represent our two worlds combined into one. Bradley is a distiller and brewer. He made a beer just for our wedding. The wine list was chosen based on my favorites, and we had special songs for special people. Our feasting table was probably the most unique. We created one large king Arthur feasting table with a runner, greenery, and candles down the middle. It was an absolute dream,” the bride beamed. “Behind our seats at the feasting table, we had a neon sign that said, ‘Sei sempre stato tu' which means ‘it was always you,' in Italian. My dress was also unique as it was made in Bari, Italy by a family-run business.”
To create the perfect ambiance of European romance, candlelight was used throughout the decor. The historic staircase leading up to the third floor was adorned with white candles in glass cylinders from Outside The Box Event Rentals and lush floral greenery.
“We rented glass cylinders to place along the stairs and on our feasting table with candles inside. It created the kind of elegance we were looking for,” the bride detailed. “We also rented a black easel to hold a golden vintage mirror that we used to create a welcome sign out of with a decal.”
While looking back on their carefully thought-out wedding day, the bride revealed that the first dance brought back the sweetest memories.
“My first dance with Bradley as my husband [was the most memorable]. We were really zoned in on our bliss like nothing else in the world existed at that moment,” Greta reminisced. “Seeing our family and friends throughout the night dancing, mingling, and having a good time was priceless.”
The Proposal:
Bradley and I stopped in Florence before heading to Southern Italy for his citizenship trip. Given that Firenze brought us together, he planned to propose to me on the Old Bridge in the center of the city. He did it on our way to dinner with family and friends from Italy and it was absolutely a dream.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I initially did not want a bachelorette but my bridesmaids planned a really sweet weekend in Miami. Though my dress was made in Italy, it was brought to their location in Miami. I had to travel to Miami for my fittings, which was so worth it, and since I needed to go one last time it ended up becoming a weekend with my girlfriends to getaway.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to France and back to Italy. We had wanted to go to Paris for the first time together and since COVID-19, and we had not been able to do our annual trip to Italy, so we really needed our Italian fix. In addition, our friends and family in Italy were not able to come to our wedding due to the borders still being closed, and we really wanted to see them after all this time.
How did the rentals add to the ambiance of your wedding?
We rented glass cylinders for Outside the Box Event Rentals to place along the stairs and on our feasting table with candles inside. It created the kind of elegance we were looking for. We also rented a black easel to hold a golden vintage mirror that we used to create a welcome sign out of with a decal.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Rustic, elegant Italian glam. We were inspired by the beautiful feasting tables in Italy and its focus on sharing a meal closely with your loved ones. We love the simplicity of the Tuscan decor and we tried to give that feel to our entire reception.
What were your colors?
Terracotta, with splashes of burgundy and dark green found in greenery on all the tables. Terracotta to us represented the rooftops of Florence and the burgundy was the perfect touch for an October wedding.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
We were really happy with the majority of our vendors but I have to say that our photographer, DJ, and planner went above and beyond and were extremely responsive throughout the entire planning process. They were on top of everything, clearly knew what they were doing, and actually cared about making sure we were taken care of and at ease. They took the time to hear what we visualized and the day of they really impressed us.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make sure you wouldn't spend just as much money at a venue accepting outside vendors than another venue with an all-inclusive package. It may seem like more, but it ended up costing about the same for the venue we chose when comparing it to our first choice, and it would have been a lot more simple.
Don't be afraid to say no. At the end of the day, it's your wedding day and you shouldn't have to worry about doing things the way someone else would like for them to be done. Do what will make you and your future wife/husband happy to look back on.
