Jessica and Eric
J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
“Our wedding embodies my personal style. I love fashion and interior design, so I wanted the wedding to feel like an extension of me. I’m a big fan of the quiet luxury aesthetic, and that’s reflected in the wedding design.
The building is so beautiful and historic on its own. I didn’t want to choose any colors or decor that would take away from that or clash with the red brick.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Jessica and Eric’s Irish-Dominican Ybor City wedding was a modern, quiet-luxury celebration featuring black and ivory details with pops of green and brass, set against a historic Florida cigar factory’s red brick. The local bride and groom chose Tampa as neutral territory for their 113 far-flung family and friends in April and wove both of their cultures into the day, from Dominican-made cigars and Latin-inspired appetizers to a live band playing Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel.
“I was intentional in selecting details that reflect Eric and me. My family is from the Dominican Republic, and my heritage and culture are important. You can feel that throughout: we had cigars for our guests that were made in the Dominican Republic, the appetizers were all Latin-inspired, one of the wedding cake layers had dulce de leche filling, which is similar to the cakes I grew up eating at family parties, and we had a portion of the night where we played Latin music,” the bride revealed. “We love to have fun, do not take ourselves seriously, and love good food and good wine, and we felt like that was reflected throughout. As my husband said during his thank-you speech, who else can say they went to an Irish-Dominican wedding? It was a great blend of both of our cultures.”
The Proposal
“Eric proposed on March 8. I should have known something was up when we were driving from our hotel to the beach. Eric was so concerned about being late and missing the sunset. It didn’t make sense to me because we are always late for things, and we have seen beach sunsets many times. It wasn’t until we were on the beach and Eric was on his knee that I realized we were not actually going to an event at the Don CeSar.
I was caught by surprise when I saw it was my sister and her friend photographing the proposal. I wanted a private engagement, but it meant the world to have her there. We had a celebratory meal at Malio’s on the Beach, and the next morning, he surprised me with brunch at The Library with my family. It was the perfect weekend.”
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“I had my bachelorette party in Charleston during Valentine’s Day weekend. My friends are all over the U.S., so it was going to be a destination no matter what. Since it was in February, their only request was to have it somewhere warm. I had previously been to Charleston and had a ton of fun. Plus, they had a lot of great Airbnbs, restaurants, and activities for bachelorette parties and big groups, which made planning easy.
We are spending two weeks in Japan for our honeymoon. Eric and I are fortunate enough to travel a lot, so we wanted this trip to feel special and unique from all of our other trips. We are also foodies and love going to places where we can dive into the culture, get lots of steps in, and learn about the history of the city and country. This will be our first time traveling to East Asia, and we could not be more excited!”
Researching Wedding Vendors
“I found our wedding venue through Marry Me Tampa Bay!”
The Inspiration
“Our wedding embodies my personal style. I love fashion and interior design, so I wanted the wedding to feel like an extension of me. When selecting clothes or home decor, I lean towards pieces that are a mix of modern and classic. I tend to lean towards neutral colors like black and ivory but love pops of green and adding brass accessories.
The building is also so beautiful and historic on its own. I didn’t want to choose any colors or decor that would take away from that or clash with the red brick. I’m a big fan of the quiet luxury aesthetic, and that’s reflected in the wedding design.”
The Venue
J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
“I looked for convenience and comfort for our guests—centrally located in Tampa, so easy to get to and from hotels, and indoors so they did not have to suffer in the Florida heat. In terms of the style, I did not want to do it in a conventional wedding space, so I looked for that.
While doing research on event spaces, I discovered J.C. Newman Cigar Co., and it checked so many boxes. I loved that it was in Ybor City and a cigar factory, which made it feel quintessentially Tampa. It was a blank canvas, and we were able to bring in our own decor and vendors, but it had a personality of its own with the beautiful red brick, the cigar museum, and the outdoor fountain. Eric is a history buff, which is one of the main reasons I felt drawn to the venue.
Tiffany Haas, their event manager, was also great to work with! She answered all my questions and was super collaborative in helping us bring the vision to life.”
The Details
“For Eric, music was important. We wanted a live band and someone who plays oldies like Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, and Van Morrison. He’s also a big Rüfüs Du Sol fan and introduced me to their music, which is why it was our entry song. He is also in the spirits and wine industry, so he hand-selected all of the alcohol served and created the drink menu. One of the wines was even called Gryphon, another spelling for our surname!
We incorporated ourselves into the wedding guest gifts. We made hats that said Club Griffin and koozies with a line drawing of our dog, Leia. We even named the bar Leia’s Libations and had that printed on the koozies!”
From The Venue
“Jessica and Eric were truly a dream couple to work with! Jessica’s vision was effortlessly chic and elegant, and her attention to detail was absolutely unmatched, right down to the beautifully curated guest place settings. Every detail came together so perfectly.
They definitely knew how to throw a party, too! The dance floor was packed all night, the energy was incredible, and their guests were having so much fun they didn’t want the night to end. It was such a joy to be part of Jessica and Eric’s celebration!”
—Tiffany Haas, J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
Most Memorable Moments
“One of my favorites would have to be our first dance to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli. We practiced it once in our living room a week before. We wanted it to feel natural and just allow ourselves to feel the music.
What we did not expect was all of our guests up on their feet shouting the lyrics as we twirled around. Although it was only us two on the dance floor, it felt like everyone was there with us, and it set the standard for the night that we were all ready to dance and party.”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors were great! I truly loved working with them and could not recommend them enough. I particularly want to shout out Maddie, the owner of Mad Florals, and Janelly of Emerald Flour. They both executed my vision beautifully without breaking the bank. They worked with me on different design options and provided advice on how to visually accomplish what I wanted without having to pay a premium price. They deserve so much love and recognition for their work!
What advice would you give to other Tampa couples?
Look for unconventional wedding venues, check out Facebook Marketplace for decor, and consider booking the small, lesser-known businesses.
