Janel and George
St. Athansius Syriac Orthodox Church and Hilton Tampa Downtown
“I wanted something between an old-Hollywood and a modern romantic vibe. I wanted it to be sleek and modern, yet still have a classic feel. I felt that sticking to black and white, with lots of candlelight, gave me the best of both worlds. I wanted the bright white flowers, but wanted to switch it up from the basic white, cream, and gold that we’ve been seeing for so long now. I knew that the black and white was going to give off more of a trendy vibe, so I tried to add more of those traditional elements in to balance it out.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Janel and George’s luxurious downtown Tampa wedding was an evening filled with chic decor, an abundance of white flora, and the sparkle of crystal chandeliers and romantic candlelight. The pair exchanged vows in a traditional church ceremony, before dining and dancing with over 400 treasured guests in an elegant ballroom reception.
“We both live in Tampa and have large families (hence the 450 guests) that are located in the Tampa area, so choosing to get married here was an easy decision!” the bride detailed. “Cohesiveness was a huge factor for me throughout the planning process. I wanted to ensure a consistent flow in every aspect of my wedding. The design and seating arrangements had to make sense, and the schedule had to flow properly. I wanted my guests to feel like nothing was missed, because I spent a lot of time thinking it all through!”
The Proposal
“George proposed in St.Pete in Vinoy Park. He had a vendor named The Picnic Boys set up a garden igloo for us. Flowers lined the entrance and were scattered all over the igloo. A charcuterie board, music, and champagne were waiting for us inside, along with a sign in front of the igloo that read, ‘Janel, will you marry me?’ When he got down on one knee, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I completely forgot what he said, but I know I said yes!”
The Portraits
Whitehurst Gallery
“Whitehurst Gallery was conveniently five minutes from our church, and I wanted my pictures to feel royal, grand and romantic, which I think we accomplished there! Most other locations were beachy, and I didn’t feel like that suited our overall vibe.”
The Photography
Lifelong Photography Studios
“I wanted my photographer to understand the timeline of the day. For example, it is customary for the groom’s family to come pick up the bride before the ceremony, so I needed a photographer who was capable of traveling from my house to the groom’s house, then back to my house, and finally to the church. I also needed someone who would not be overwhelmed by us. Before I hired Tammy with Special Moments Event Planning and got her recommendations, I had actually talked to another photographer who flat-out told me it was too much for them and that they could not do it.
When I first looked into Lifelong Photography Studios, their photos struck me as classic and timeless, which was very important to me. After talking to Buffy, our lead photographer, I knew they were the best people for the job. She had shot weddings for people at my church before and was not shaken up by our needs. She understood the importance of certain moments in our ceremony, knew the demands of our guests, and was confident in her capabilities. She and her team absolutely delivered! They captured all the important shots, even through the massive crowds, were great hype people, and delivered beautiful pictures in a timely manner!”
The Bach Party and Honeymoon
“I went to Rosemary Beach, FL, for my bachelorette party. I’m not a big fan of going out, and I wanted something more casual and relaxing. I found that this was the best option. It was a cute coastal town with amazing waters, and we found a gorgeous vacation rental where all 15 of us could stay right on the beach. We had nice dinners, an amazing boat day, and just enjoyed hanging out together!
We chose to go to the Maldives and Dubai for our honeymoon, and it was absolutely amazing! Since we got married in November, we were looking for places that would still have nice weather and found this duo. It was the perfect combination of relaxing/beachy and city/adventurous!”
The Inspiration
“I wanted something between an old-Hollywood and a modern romantic vibe. I wanted it to be sleek and modern, yet still have a classic feel. I felt that sticking to black and white, with lots of candlelight, gave me the best of both worlds. I wanted the bright white flowers, but wanted to switch it up from the basic white, cream, and gold that we’ve been seeing for so long now. I knew that the black and white was going to give off more of a trendy vibe, so I tried to add more of those traditional elements in to balance it out.
The most obvious show of our personalities is the overall style of the wedding. We tried to add unique touches throughout the day that were different than what most of our guests are used to. Through the music, the food, and the entertainment, we wanted to give our guests an experience they would enjoy and remember. My husband and I both had a hand in selecting every detail, from the serpentine tables and cherry blossom trees that we had purchased and imported to the flowers, chairs, and linens; it was all thoughtfully arranged.
We had the most creative freedom with our music choices and our late-night snack vendors. We had an Arabic singer, plus we gave our DJ an exhaustive list of songs we wanted to hear, and he did an amazing job mixing them for us so we could enjoy our favorite music on our day.”
The Reception Venue
“Given the size of our wedding, our reception venue options were limited to only a few places, so of those options, I just looked for what ballroom gave me the most to work with. The most important factor was that I knew our guests would all fit in the ballroom at the Hilton Tampa Downtown.
Their ballroom exuded a grand vibe. The chandeliers are beautiful, it looked modern and sleek, and when we visited, the staff was friendly and welcoming. Overall, their services were excellent! They worked with us on so many of our specific requests.”
The Coffee & Gelato Experience
Cafe à la Carte & The Gelato Carte
“The Gelato Carte and coffee cart were an added personal touch, as my husband and I love both gelato and coffee! I was originally looking for a gelato cart, and when my planner showed me The Gelato Carte, and I saw that they also had a coffee cart, I was sold!
Their carts are pretty, their flavors were delicious, and they did exactly what we needed them to do.”
The Planning
Special Moments Event Planning
“Because my wedding had so many cultural and traditional influences, I wanted to make sure I got a planner who understood the flow of the day, the specific rules, timeline, etc., so when they were communicating with vendors, it was all detailed and organized. Tammy from Special Moments Event Planning had planned a couple of weddings for some family members and understood the cultural differences, traditions, and sheer size of our weddings, so she was the first person I called when I started planning.
I could not have done what I did without Tammy. There were so many moving pieces that I would not have been able to keep track of without her. Finally walking into our venue as husband and wife, after almost a year and a half of planning, stressing, and trying to get everything organized, was probably the most memorable moment for us both. The weight and anxiety was lifted off my shoulders, and I could finally just enjoy the day I spent so long waiting for.”
What advice do you have for other Tampa Bay couples? Try not to stress the minute details. I know every detail feels like a big deal while you’re planning, but the day of goes by so fast, and there will ultimately be things out of your control. Just enjoy the day and savor it as much as possible.
