Maria and Will
St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and
The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club
“Our theme for the wedding was elevated simple chic. I love neutral tones, which worked out perfectly since that palette is very bridal. Our color scheme was neutrals: ivory, white, and gold. We wanted timeless colors that will never go out of style.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Maria and Will’s luxurious downtown St. Petersburg wedding was an elegant destination celebration filled with all-white flora and chic decor. The bride and groom exchanged traditional vows in a Catholic mass before hosting their 165 guests in a formal, historic hotel ballroom reception.
“The most unique part of our wedding was who we had surrounding us,” the bride beamed. “From family to friends, it’s going to be hard to beat. Both sides are some of the most fun and special people we know. Not to mention, we had our 5-month-old daughter there, which will be a core memory for us forever. I am so blessed to finally be a true family; one name, one God.”
The Bach Party and Honeymoon
“I hosted my bachelorette party in Miami. I was three months postpartum and had my mom fly in to watch Josefina. Being 15 minutes from her allowed me to enjoy the moment, knowing that if she needed me, I was so close. It really allowed me to be present with my friends.
We are taking our honeymoon in Marbella, Spain, when our baby is a little older and we are ready to leave her for 10 days. We chose Marbella since it’s a luxury beach destination that’s a little party and a little chill, just like us.”
The Proposal
“Our proposal was on a yacht in Miami on September 23. We had a long engagement, which I highly recommend. It gave us time to plan and save for the big weekend!”
The Photography
Amber Yonker Photography
“We looked for romantic, timeless, and sexy when choosing our photographer. We found Amber Yonker Photography on Instagram, which is the best place for a photographer to showcase their work.
We chose Amber because I loved her photos initially, but after our phone interview, I knew she was the girl for the job. Her energy is so fun and the perfect mix of silly and serious. She got the best shots ever. I truly can’t imagine not having her there for the weekend.
Our most memorable moment was our first look. I think we were both so excited/nervous for the day to start, so seeing each other was a breath of fresh air. Our photography and videography made the moment so special. It was the only calm moment of the weekend, and I remember the feeling so well.”
The Inspiration
“Our theme for the wedding was elevated simple chic. I love neutral tones, which worked out perfectly since that palette is very bridal. Our color scheme was neutrals: ivory, white, and gold. We wanted timeless colors that will never go out of style.
Our personalities were incorporated into the wedding with our theme, colors, the hotel, and through our guest experience. We had entertainment with an electric violin on Friday for the welcome party, fire dancers, and an absolutely insane party. Saturday, we had LED dancers, saxophone, drums, and curated a different vibe.”
Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
We had the best vendors ever! The Vinoy is absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking, and every minute of the guest experience was top-notch. We had everyone asking how we found this hotel. Curate Entertainment came through so hard, again, guests asking how we found them and asking if we flew them in from Miami.
Amber Yonker Photography and Shannon Kelly Films were there to help me relive the best day of my life. I can’t express how fast the weekend went, and being able to play it over again has been so special. I loved both of them so very much and thoroughly enjoyed working with both of them. So Staged was one of my favorite vendors from start to finish. Val and her team helped with rentals and florals, which I highly suggest to streamline vendors. They were so easy to communicate with and made the weekend so gorgeous. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our weekend perfect.
What advice would you give to other couples?
Slow down and enjoy! Being a fiancé is such a short part of your life. Don’t rush the wedding, slow down and save! If you are debating getting the extra vendor or spending the extra dollar, do it! You can save for an extra 6-8 months and get everything you want; you won’t remember the time you waited, but you will remember the compliments, the feeling, and the vendors forever.
