Sarah and Ryan
“I wanted the wedding to feel romantic, soft, and dreamy. Our colors were black, white, cream, and blush pink. We chose black and white to blend in with the venue and then added the blush pink in for a little pop of color.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Sarah and Ryan’s timeless Tampa wedding was a romantic, candlelit celebration at the Oxford Exchange. Dreamy blush and cream florals paired beautifully with elegant black and white décor, enhancing the venue’s sophisticated charm. The night ended in high energy as a sparkling disco ball lit up the dance floor, creating an unforgettable party atmosphere.
The Hair & Makeup
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
“For my beauty inspiration, I really just trusted Femme Akoi Beauty Studio, and they did an amazing job. I wanted a natural/rosy look for my makeup, and I wanted my hair down, but with something to elevate it a little bit. I showed a couple of makeup inspiration pictures, and the hair was sort of freestyled on the spot, and I loved both.”
“They did hair and makeup for eight of us, and we all had very different skin types, styles, and looks, and everyone walked away so happy, which I think is so impressive. I was also impressed because everyone told me hair and makeup usually takes longer than expected, but they stayed exactly on schedule for all eight of us.”
The Proposal
“Ryan took me to dinner in Hyde Park, and afterwards we walked over to the fountain, and he proposed in front of it. This was the spot where we had our first kiss. He had a videographer hidden in the trees and a microphone hidden in his jacket pocket.”
Wedding Planning & Research
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay to get inspiration for the overall look of our wedding. I referenced the blog constantly to see pictures of others’ weddings. We also used Marry Me Tampa Bay during the initial hunt to find a venue in the Tampa area. We found our makeup artist, Femme Akoi Beauty Studio, on Marry Me Tampa Bay, and it is also the reason we chose our venue.”
The Bachelorette Party & Honeymoon
“We honeymooned at Sandals-St. Vincent. We chose it because it is beautiful, a quick flight away, and the resort is all-inclusive which made planning much easier and stress-free.
My four bridesmaids and I celebrated my bachelorette all locally in Tampa. One of my bridesmaids planned a whole weekend in Tampa of brunches, dinners, drinks and a spa day. It was perfect.“
The Design
“Oxford Exchange is so beautiful, so I really just looked to the venue itself for inspiration. I wanted the wedding to feel romantic, soft, and dreamy. Our colors were black, white, cream, and blush pink. We chose black and white to blend in with the venue and then added the blush pink in for a little pop of color.
Dinner was one of my most memorable moments because the conservatory looked so dreamy with all of the candles and flowers. I also loved dancing with the disco ball and the saxophone player; it was so much fun. Ryan surprised me with the disco ball, and I didn’t know it would be there until I saw them hanging it up during dinner.”
The Content Creation
Behind The Vows
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect when hiring a content creator. It was a last-minute addition based on not wanting a videographer, but wanting to be able to have memories captured of the most important moments of the day. Looking back, it was one of the best things we did, and they blew our expectations out of the water.
We were so impressed by Behind the Vows. They captured absolutely everything to the point where everyone was commenting, wondering how it was even possible for so much content to be captured in the limited time and in so many places at once. It was so unobtrusive, and the edited clips provided were amazing, and we watch them back constantly.”
The Experience
“It was important to us to have our own personal vows. We also tried to personalize little details like our cocktail napkins, which were love notes we had written, or our wedding favors, which were matchbooks that had our pets on them.
The most important thing to us was for our guests to have a great time. For us, this meant providing good food, good music and entertainment, good drinks, and making sure that the flow of the day was as smooth as possible. Our wedding was unique because of the guests. We didn’t put any thought into trying to make it unique, but it was because we had an intimate guest list, and everybody’s personalities came out throughout the night. The speeches, the dancing, and the conversations we had with our guests would be impossible to replicate.”
Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
Our DJ from Inpulse Entertainment exceeded our expectations. Curtis actually ended up creating a large part schedule for the day based on his experience, and he kept the flow going so smoothly all day. He perfectly read the room with the music as well.
Flora Fine Flowers nailed our floral vision and created the most beautiful floral display on top of the fountain.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Prioritize ease/logistics above anything. We achieved this by selecting an all-inclusive venue that was local and conveniently near hotels. Choose vendors who are familiar with the venue and have a proven track record of working together. Finally, make every decision with the goal of making the day as easy on yourselves as possible.
