Brittany and Ryan's romantic downtown St. Pete wedding brought a soft garden vibe to the industrial character of a former train station. The St. Petersburg bride and groom chose a subdued color scheme injected with lots of greenery to soften the space.
“Our colors were mauve, white, and gold, with a lot of greenery. I wanted something classic that I wouldn't look back in a few years and say ‘Why did I think that was a good idea?!'” Brittany revealed. “Our venue had brick walls so it was pretty industrial. I wanted to offset the industrial side with a lot of greenery and light colors.”
To transform her blank slate wedding venue into a welcoming environment, the bride turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for ideas.
“I follow Marry Me Tampa Bay on Instagram and used the photos for inspiration,” Brittany shared.
Showcasing their love for one another during the ceremony was one of the most important elements to Brittany and Ryan.
“We decided to write our own vows to keep the ceremony as personal as possible. So many of our guests came up to us throughout the wedding and commented on how sweet they were. I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd! We now have the vows hung up in our bedroom so we can read them as often as we want,” the bride gushed.
When it came time to plan the menu for their 105-guest celebration, the couple knew they wanted a wedding caterer that was both affordable and known for delicious cuisine. They experienced Amici's Catered Cuisine on multiple occasions and knew they were in great hands.
“We attended Amici's ‘Date Night' tasting which was super informal and probably my favorite part of wedding planning!” Brittany raved. “They had a bartender, a DJ, an incredible amount of food, and other types of vendors with samples. We actually went to a wedding that was catered by Amici's a few days after our tasting, so tasting their food again really sealed the deal! Their service was outstanding.”
Brittany says that one of the most unique elements of their wedding was that the couple kept their wedding party small, which limited stress during the planning process and also spared many of their friends from otherwise costly expenses.
“We wanted a small bridal party from the beginning. I had a maid of honor, matron of honor, and my husband had a best man. We had no bridesmaids or groomsmen! I can't tell you how much easier it made it on everyone! I still had my close friends at our rehearsal dinner and get ready with me the day of, but they didn't have to spend an arm and a leg on a dress they were never going to wear again,” the bride confessed. “Our vendors also kept commenting on how easy it was to work with a small bridal party.”
The couple treated their guests with an open bar and hired a bartending company that could offer personal shopping for plenty of flexibility and selection at an affordable price.
“We wanted a bartending service that did all of the shopping for us so that they could decide the appropriate quantities. We also wanted a lot of flexibility in our drink options and didn't want to have to pick from a set menu of certain brands. Spunky Spirits was amazing!” Brittany gushed. “My favorite part is that they charged us upfront for a set quantity and reimbursed us for anything that wasn't opened. It was a nice surprise to have a little check waiting for us when we returned from our honeymoon. We also got to keep all of the opened liquor bottles which stocked out at-home bar cart.”
During the evening's festivities, the DJ coordinated a special dance that ended up being one of Brittany and Ryan's favorite moments of the night.
“Both of our grandparents have been married for over 60 years. Our DJ did an anniversary dance, and they were the last two standing at the end. The DJ asked both couples if they had any advice for us as newlyweds, and their responses were so sweet! It was super cool to include them in that way,” the bride reminisced. “My grandpa broke his hip a year before our wedding, and I think the wedding gave him all of the motivation to get walking and dancing again!”
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I was pretty laid back when it came to our wedding theme. I shared my Pinterest board with our wedding coordinator, and she brought everything to life! Our venue had brick walls so it was pretty industrial. I wanted to offset the industrial side with a lot of greenery and light colors.
What were your colors?
Mauve, white, and gold, with a lot of greenery. I wanted something classic that I wouldn't look back in a few years and say “Why did I think that was a good idea?!”
The Proposal:
We were on a road trip in Arizona and had a handful of scenic places on our list. Ryan knew he wanted to propose sometime on the trip, but kept waiting for the perfect time. Everywhere we went was flooded with tourists, and he wanted it to be just us. He suggested we wake up early to watch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon, and I thought nothing of it. We hiked down one of the trails, and as I was taking a picture of the sunrise, I heard him rustling behind me. I turned around, and he was on his knee!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Hotel Mousai in Puerto Vallarta. We wanted an all-inclusive, adults-only resort where we could lay by the pool for a week with not a care in the world. It was the best week of our entire life; we're dying to go back!
What did you look for in a wedding caterer?
The taste of course! We also didn't want to spend an insane amount so pricing was key in our decision making too.
We attended Amici's Catered Cuisine‘s “Date Night” tasting which was super informal and probably my favorite part of wedding planning! They had a bartender, a DJ, an incredible amount of food, and other types of vendors with samples. We actually went to a wedding that was catered by Amici's a few days after our tasting, so tasting their food again really sealed the deal! Their service was outstanding. I was a ball of nerves on our wedding night so I didn't have much of an appetite. They ended up boxing all of the leftovers so we could eat them after the wedding.
What did you look for in a wedding bartender?
We wanted a bartending service that did all of the shopping for us so that they could decide the appropriate quantities. We also wanted a lot of flexibility in our drink options and didn't want to have to pick from a set menu of certain brands.
Spunky Spirits was amazing! My favorite part is that they charged us upfront for a set quantity and reimbursed us for anything that wasn't opened. It was a nice surprise to have a little check waiting for us when we returned from our honeymoon. We also got to keep all of the opened liquor bottles which stocked out at-home bar cart.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Get a wedding coordinator, and one who provides decor!
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Morean Center for Clay
Photographer: Brittany Pannebaker Photography
Planner and Florist: Janova Events
Caterer: Amici's Catered Cuisine *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Bartender: Spunky Spirits *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rentals: Gabro Event Services
Cake: Pink Mixer Baking Company
DJ: Events Done Right Tampa Bay
Officiant: Chris Hurst
Invitations: Minted
Dress Shop and Designer: CC's Bridal Boutique – Mori Lee
Shoe Designer: Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: David's Bridal
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
