“Best of” 2023: Receptions Part 2

Boho Tropical Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Sunken Gardens

“I would describe our wedding as moody tropical. We chose it because it was a great fit with the venue. I did not want it to be the typical tropical theme,” the bride revealed. “The colors were burgundy, crème, peach, and dark green.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Sunken Gardens | Photographer: Marialeja Photo | Videographer: Lens Culture Photo and Film | Caterer: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering | Rentals: Gabro Event Services, BBJ La Tavola | Dominican Cake: Sugarita | DJ: DJ DANI | Live Musician: Ariella Duet | Transportation: Star Trolley – Arrive In Style | Dress Shop: The White Magnolia Bridal Collection Tampa | Suit: Men's Wearhouse | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Birdy Grey | Hair & Makeup: Vanessa Hair Makeup | Signage: St Pete Laser Company | Welcome Sign & Seating Chart: I do Events and More

Black-Tie Southern Inspired Wedding | Palma Ceia Country Club

“We chose to have our wedding in our hometown because we love Tampa and wanted our friends and family to be a part of our special day. Our theme was Southern classic. I always knew I wanted a very traditional wedding with a flair, and that’s how we decided to go with a Southern classic spin. From being a black-tie wedding to shucking oysters and having an espresso martini ice luge, it was our southern day!” the bride gushed. “We went very traditional with white, black, and pops of gold and green through the greenery and flowers.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue, Caterer, and Rehearsal Dinner: Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club | Planner: Theresa Nicole Events | Rentals: Over The Top Rental Linens, Vivant Event Rentals, Style House Rentals, So Staged Event Design + Rentals, Letz Dance On It | Cake: Cakes Plus Tampa | Band: Bobby & The Aristocats | Invitations: kt janes | Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier | Barber: Izzy The Barber | Tux: Generation Tux | Hair: CR La Mansion Salon & Spa – Candy | Makeup: BevelUp – The Place for the Face – Nicole

Neutral, Boho Madeira Beach Wedding | The West Events

“I would describe our theme as ‘beachy boho in Brooklyn.' Americo and I met in New York City. One of our favorite elements of the city is that they take any space, including warehouses, and make it feel personal and elevated. They also always have some kind of floral element. My goal was to bring our love of Florida beaches, flowers, and industrial vibes together,” the bride beamed. “We went with a neutral color palette of white, beige, dusty rose, and mixed metals. I was going for a classic elegant feel, so I wanted the lighting and florals to be the statement, not colors.”

Photographer:  Trent Broglin Photography | Planner: DK Event Planning – Diana Homan | Florist: @2 Birds 2Birds Events | Bar Service: Catering by Lundy's | Violinist & DJ: Total Entertainment by Matt Winter | Cake: The Cake Girl | Furniture Rentals: Southern Chairs | Hair/Makeup: Mallory Christain | Bridal Gown: Dany Tabet | Grooms Attire: Suitsupply | Transportation: Barrier Island Transport Entertainment – BITE | Hotel: Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach | Mobile Photo Bus: Rollin' Retro | Beach Ceremony and Officiant: Tide the Knot Beach Weddings | Flower Preservation: Rejoiceandblossom | Pet Care: Furry Ventures Pet Care | Jewelry: Love Locked

Elegant Blue Downtown Tampa Wedding | The Florida Aquarium

“Our main priority was to create a unique experience for our guests, so the aquarium was the perfect setting. It combined the perfect amount of interesting and elegant between the marine life and the beautiful rooms they have,” the bride gushed. “We used four different locations in the aquarium and took our guests through a true journey of fun: ceremony – shark room, cocktail hour – balcony and touring the aquarium, dinner – banquet room, dancing – rooftop. The rooftop was our favorite location of the rooftop. We wanted a lounge feel, so we brought in light-up furniture, a dance floor, and the most amazing band that had us dancing all night. We used a lot of blues in our decor to match the blues of the aquarium, which worked great because blue is both of our favorite colors.”

Florist: Northside Florist Weddings | Lighting: The Production Crew | Cake and Desserts: A Piece of Cake & Desserts | Band: Actual Bank Robbers | Officiant: Groom's Grandfather, Rev. Vernon Squire | Invitation: Minted | Rentals: Gabro Event Services | Dance Floor: Xpress UrSelf Media

Pastel French Vineyard Sarasota Wedding Inspiration | Fiorelli Winery

“I wanted to focus on something whimsical and bright with a French flair. We wanted to take everyone to a whimsical French winery with bright bursts and subtle pastel tones,” Lauren Gertz, Owner and Lead Planner at MDP Events shared. “I have always wanted to showcase the pure beauty of pastel colors and how they can blend perfectly together with other bright tones, such as lilac, yellow, blush, peach, and orange. With lots of color through the florals, we focused on the French flair and muted pastel shades for the china, flatware, and glassware.”

Venue & Wine: Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard | Photographer: Autumn & Jendry | Rentals: Oak & Ash Events | Hair/Makeup: Bridal Beauty by Tara | Flower Wall/Neon Sign: Posy Exchange | Escort Cards, Bar Sign, Table Numbers: @KJ Designs | Linens: Linens By The Sea | Cake: Cakes by Ron | Ice Cream Cart: @RiseandNyes | Model: Nicole

Periwinkle Blue Garden Wedding | Tabellas at Delaney Creek

“The theme of the wedding was English garden/Bridgerton, with some rustic, industrial vibes from the venue,” the bride shared. “Our colors were periwinkle blue, navy, and gold accents. Periwinkle is such a light, spring color, and it's not used tremendously. It's a color I enjoy in my personal life, so it was fitting for the wedding. Navy and gold really rounded out the color scheme and helped tie in Bridgerton/high tea vibes.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Tabellas | Photographer: Caroline Allen Photography | Videographer: Grovefilm Videography | Florist: By The Bay Floral | Caterer: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering | Rental Signs: Alpha-Lit Tampa St.Petersburg | Cake: Cakes By Brandee  Publix | DJ and Entertainment: DJ Josh Brown, ML Productions Mobile Disc Jockeys | Officiant: Pastor Jerry | Invitations: Zazzle | Transportation: Olympus Limo Tampa Bay | Dress Shop and Designer: Dream Gown Bridal & Formals | Shoe Designer: Amazon.com | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: AZAZIE | Hair + Makeup: @theluxelounge.fl | Rehearsal Dinner: Hotel Tampa Riverwalk | Voicemail Guest Book: @echophone.co

Elegant Boho South Tampa Wedding | The Epicurean

“The design and concept were probably one of my favorites, timeless and classic. The overall vibe was classic, elegant boho. We incorporated shades of peach, evergreen, ivory, and gold,” wedding planner Liz Camacho of Liz Kamali Events shared. “The idea of having farm tables mixed with rounds was to give it somewhat of an outdoor farm feel; they live on a farm in Australia and own cows, goats, etc. We incorporated eucalyptus on the tables for an outdoor element and to give a scent that the guest could always remember.”

Venue & Wine: Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard | Photographer: Autumn & Jendry | Rentals: Oak & Ash Events | Hair/Makeup: Bridal Beauty by Tara | Flower Wall/Neon Sign: Posy Exchange | Escort Cards, Bar Sign, Table Numbers: @KJ Designs | Linens: Linens By The Sea | Cake: Cakes by Ron | Ice Cream Cart: @RiseandNyes | Model: Nicole

Romantic, Ethereal Neutral Ybor City Wedding | Hotel Haya

“Our theme was very soft and romantic, with a lot of earthy notes. It was textural, ethereal, earthy, and soft. I spent a lot of time on Pinterest and picked inspirational photos of things I liked in general (clothes, buildings, flowers, art, etc.) and tried to translate that into an overall vibe,” the bride shared. “I chose very muted tones in grey, beige, blush, and cream! It felt timeless and modern simultaneously.”

Photographer: The Edges Wedding Photography | Planner: Theresa Nicole Events | Florals & Décor Rentals: The Revel Co | Rentals: Vivant Event Rentals | Cake: Hands on Sweets | Entertainment: Marby String Quarte | Officiant: Sensational Ceremonies, LLC | Dress  Designer: Grace Loves Lace | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Jenny Yoo Collection | Rehearsal Dinner: Flower Crown Kombucha

Luxurious, Purple, Tropical Sarasota Wedding | Longboat Key Club

“Our theme was tropical beach inspired. Since we were in Florida, we wanted tropical and beach elements with a classic, Old Florida, feel. Our main colors of purple and gray made a perfect background for tropical flowers, seashells, and driftwood,” Lauren shared. “Our colors were purple and gray. Purple is my all-time favorite color, and we loved how well gray went along with it.”

Photographer: Matt Rice Photography | Videographer: Baby Blue Film | Planner: NK Productions Wedding Planning | Chairs/Lounges: So Staged Event Design + Rentals | Cake: Cakes by Ron | DJ: Goodley Entertainment Group | Officiant: Pastor Todd | Invitations: Trout Designs | Transportation: SRQ Trolley Dolphin Transportation Specialists, Naples | Shoe Designer: Custom Hey Dudes from Etsy | Hair & Makeup: James Griffith Salon | Photobooth: The Fancy Booth | Draping: Palacios events | Fireworks: Zambelli Fireworks | Cigar Roller: CigarXperience | Chargers: The Treasury Rentals | Linen: BBJ Linen | Painter: Event Painting By Julie LLC

Modern Black and Gold Tampa Heights Wedding | Armature Works

“Our design was modern and tailored urban. We are fond of modern design, and it informs much of what we do,” George shared. “Our colors were black and gold with lots of white and green in the floral design. We kept it modern yet classic and tasteful.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Armature Works | Planner: Piper Marie Events | Florist: Events in Bloom Tampa | Caterer: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering | Band: DJ Inpulse Entertainment | Music: Sunset Strings | Officiant: William Masters, Esq | Transportation: Affari Transportation | Attire: Bespoke & Co | Shoe Designer: Christian Louboutin | Rehearsal Dinner: The Tampa Club | Getting Ready Location: Tampa Marriott Water Street

Luxurious Black-Tie Pink Downtown St. Pete Wedding | The Vinoy

“I’ve always wanted a traditional, elegant, black-tie wedding with a hint of old Florida charm, so we ran with that from the start,” the bride explained. “Our wedding colors were light pink, white, and gold with some greenery accents. I love pink, so it came as no surprise to anyone that we would have a pink wedding. Nick knew what he was getting into. Our ceremony backdrop was the Vinoy Tower, so the natural pink background was just perfect.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue and Caterer: The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club | Photographer: Photography by Avery | Videographer: Voila Cinematic | Dance floor and Wrap: Dream Dance Floors | Charger Rentals and Linens: BBJ Linen | Draping/ Feasting Tables: Gabro Event Services | Flatware and Glassware Rentals: The Treasury Rentals | Linens: Over The Top Rental Linens | Chair Rentals: So Staged Event Design + Rentals | Stage Décor, White Bar Display, Aisle Boxes: Infinity Event Solutions | Cake: Hands on Sweets | Golf Cart: Beach Ride Rental | Ceremony Entertainment: Bella Musica | Entertainment: The Hit Factory Band | Cold Sparklers: Tampa Bay DJ Company | Officiant: Father Noel Clark | Invitations: URBANcoast | Dress Shop and Designer: Monique Lhuillier | Shoe Designers: JIMMY CHOO, Manolo Blahnik, and CHANEL | Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Bella Bridesmaids | Bridesmaid Dress Designer Alfred Sung | Hair & Makeup: Ashlee Ann hair and makeup artist | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Carolina Herrera | Groom's Tux: Alton Lane | Groom's Shoes: Stubbs & Wootton

Romantic “Old Florida” Downtown St. Pete Wedding | The Vinoy

“I would describe our wedding as soft, romantic, and Old Florida-inspired. It perfectly aligned with all the romance and history our venue had to offer,” the bride shared. “We chose blush, ivory, and gold colors because they played off our venue's color palette.”

Orange and Pink Florida Chic Ybor City Wedding | Hotel Haya

“I wanted pops of color that felt very Florida in nature, but I also wanted to keep a timeless feel with some more basic elements. We wanted very Floridian colors. Muted soft pinks, creme, and bright pops of orange felt timeless and fun,” the bride beamed.

Florist: 2Birds Events | Cake: Hands on Sweets | DJ: Tampa Bay DJ Company | Hair & Makeup: Savannah Olivia Beauty Boutique | Invitations: The Knot | Bridal Gown and Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN Chicago | Shoe Design: Badgley Mischka |  Rehearsal Dinner: Rooster & the Till | Welcome Party: BarrieHaus Beer Co.

Elegant Coral and Pink Tropical Sarasota Wedding | The Resort at Longboat Key Club

“We would describe our wedding as tropical, elegant, and classic. Knowing how beautiful the Harbourside Lawn was, we wanted to keep our décor simple yet elegant to highlight the beautiful foliage and palm trees surrounding the space,” the bride explained. “I had my heart set on a black and white classic dance floor as one of our focal points, so many of our design decisions stemmed from there. We chose gold chairs and gold accents on our tables, such as shimmery napkins and framed table numbers. We focused on lighting up the space with lots of candles and overhead lanterns since we knew it would become dark fairly early in November.”

Photographer: Cornelia Zaiss Photography | Videographer: Baby Blue Film | Planner: Swanky Soiree Events | Rentals: US Tent Rental | Cake: Cakes by Ron | Band: Bay Kings Band | Officiant: Pastor Wes Morris | Invitations: Sterling Stripes | Transportation: Siesta Trolley, Inc | Dress Shop: Garnish Boutique | Dress Designer: Anna Campbell | Shoe Designer: Dolce Vita | Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Jenny Yoo Collection | Hair & Makeup: Brides by Kelly Anne + Co | Photobooth: White Tie Events

Vibrant Turquoise and Coral Central Florida Wedding | Streamsong Resort

“I wanted someone with the experience and talent to make our vision come to life. I have known and worked with Jean King at Monarch Events & Design for 20 years and have seen her consistently create the most beautiful weddings,” the bride gushed. “Her superpower is getting inside the head of a bride to see her vision, and then she runs with it, taking it to a whole new level. Her service is impeccable, and she will do whatever it takes to make her couples happy.”

Ceremony and Reception Venue, Caterer, and Rehearsal Dinner: Streamsong Resort | Videographer: Imagery Wedding Films | Planner and Invitations: Nancy Spooner Weddings | Cake: Kristen Marie Cake | Officiant: Pastor Tim Gregory | Hair & Makeup: The Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group by Priscilla Marie | Live Music: Stan Hudson | Wedding Rings: McAuley Fine Jewelry | Guestbook and Table Numbers: Wirehearts | Seating Chart: It's Only Write | Unity Ceremony: Unity Cross Wedding Sculpture