“Best of” 2023: Wedding Receptions Part 1

Romantic Black and White Ballroom Wedding | Hilton Tampa Downtown

“From the start, we agreed we wanted our wedding to be an upscale, nice event that didn’t feel stuffy yet instead was classic and fun. If we were to describe our wedding in four words, it would be elegant, romantic, timeless, and fun,” the bride shared. “Both being born and raised in Florida, we wanted to show our love by adding tropical flowers that made us feel like home. Our black and white themed color selection continued our classic design and helped us create fun ways to incorporate color with lighting and let our beautiful florals pop.”

Photographer: Ledia Tashi Photography | Videographer: Tampaniac Pictures | Planner: Kimberly Hensley Events | Florist and Rentals: FH Events | Officiant: The Honorable Judge Holder | Invitations: Minted | Dress Shop: The White Closet Bridal Company | Rehearsal Dinner: Epicurean Hotel, Autograph Collection | Additional Wedding Vendors: Designing Women and Co., After The Tone

Romantic White and Gold Downtown Tampa Wedding | JW Marriott Water Street

“The main design inspiration for our wedding was to make a large ballroom feel intimate, unique, and inclusive. We chose this design because we wanted to ensure that all our guests felt that they could be engaged in the reception experience,” the bride shared. “Our colors were sage green, white, and gold. These colors were chosen because the vision I had for our wedding included natural colors with metallic accents. Also, green has always been my favorite color.”

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church | Reception Venue and Caterer: JWMarriottTampa | Photographer: Marc Edwards Photographs | Videographer & Photo Booth: Sublime Studios | Planner: Days Remembered by ND- Wedding/Event Coordinator & Planner | Rentals: Gabro Event Services, Posy Exchange, Fuel4 Events, Encore | Linens: BBJ Linen | Cake/Grooms Cake/Cookie Favors: Hands on Sweets | Musicians: Matt Winter Band | Officiant: Deacon Eugene Beil | Invitations: Lili V The Company & Asso Inc | Transportation: Olympus Limo Tampa Bay | Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Bella Bridesmaids | Dress Shop: The White Magnolia Bridal Collection Tampa | Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero Designs | Shoe Designer: Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Jenny Yoo Collection | Rehearsal Dinner: Jackson's Bistro Bar & Sushi | Vocalist for first dance and cantor for ceremony: Jillian Rossi | Organist for Ceremony: Marty Purtell | Engagement Photographer: Chrystin Bethe Weddings | Wedding Website: The Knot | Live Painter: Event Painting By Julie LLC – Julie Rieutort

Romantic Peach and Pink Spring Wedding Inspiration | Whitehurst Gallery

“The theme of this shoot was Spring Garden Peach. I was picturing these specific bright warm tones bouncing off of the white architectural backdrop giving an editorial flair with the whimsical elegance,” Lauren Gertz, Owner and Lead Event Planner at MDP Events shared. “My color palette consisted of peach, yellow, orange, and accents of pink with touches of gold and white. I wanted to showcase bright bursts of gorgeous warm colors and make the color a very prevalent and loud part of the shoot.”

Photography Cornelia Zaiss Photography Stephanie Lanni Photography | Florals: Blooming Flower Boutique & Art | Rentals: Oak & Ash Events | Cake: CC's Sweets | Linens: Connie Duglin Specialty Linen | Bubbles Truck: Booze and Bubbles Tampa | Gown: The White Closet Bridal Company  | Couple: Noelle Corriveau and Marcus Goldwin r20

Timeless White Bradenton Tented Wedding | Concession Golf Club

“We really wanted to have a classic, timeless wedding, so we focused on modern simplicity and went for a clean look. I have always loved sailcloth tents and wanted to have a tented outdoor wedding, so everything really fell into place from there. We wanted to be able to look back on our wedding years later and still love our design choices,” the bride shared. “Our colors were white and more white! We went with a white color scheme because we felt like it fit in with our focus on a classic and clean aesthetic. My bridesmaids wore white, and all of our florals were white as well. We also had a black and white checkered dance floor to go along with that classic vibe.”

Photographer: Stella Paschall Photo | Planner: Haylie Paige Events | Florist: LilyBella Floral Design | Rentals: West Coast Events and Rentals | Cake: Kristen Marie Cake | Band: Phase5 Band | Officiant: Robert Bledsoe of Trinity United Methodist Church | Invitations: Minted | Transportation: SRQ Trolley, Dolphin Transportation Specialists, Naples | Dress Shop: Patsy's, A Bridal Boutique | Dress Designer: Martina Liana | Shoe Designer: VEJA | Bridesmaids Dress Shop: Bella Bridesmaids | Bridesmaid Designer: Amsale | Hair & Makeup: Lasting Luxe Hair and Makeup Artistry | Rehearsal Dinner: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota | Custom Bartops and Stage: Jaya Home Accents | Monogram Design: SarahMLevyDesigns

Luxurious Emerald Green St. Pete Beach Wedding | Don CeSar

“I really wanted our wedding to be clean and crisp. I wanted that ‘wow' factor when you walked in. I wanted a lot of white but didn’t want roses, and I love white orchids. Our wedding was timeless, sophisticated, and classy,” the bride explained. “I had my bridesmaids in emerald green, which was rich and timeless, and we integrated the green into the invitations and menus. I wanted white and gold, which went really well with the green.”

Photographer: Victoria Angela Photography | Planner: Whitney Carillon Events | Florist: FH Events | DJ: DJ Papi Wild Out Entertainment | Rentals: Gala Rental, Inc | Invitations: Dogwood Blossoms Stationary | Dress Shop: The Bridal Finery | Dress Designer: Ines Di Santo | Shoe Designer: René Caovilla | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Jenny Yoo Collection | Hair & Makeup:  EPY JOEL | Entertainment: Hora Loca Tampa

Intimate Classic “Father of the Bride” Backyard Lakeland Wedding

“There was quite an evolution of our wedding theme, but after we decided on getting married at my parents' home, we wanted to elevate classical elements while leaning on the beauty of my childhood home and its architecture. It was important to us to only accentuate the home with a classic, simple modern twist with natural greenery and florals and not try to change it with too many competing elements,” the bride shared. “We chose cool blue tones, as Anil's and my favorite color is turquoise. It was important it wasn't a ‘matchy-matchy' event, so we didn't have one true blue we were leaning on. This can be seen in my bridesmaid's dresses and light-colored hues throughout the event.”

creditsCeremony and Reception Venue: Private Home | Florist: Bloom Shakalaka | Caterer: Terrie Lobb Catering, Inc. | Bar: Tuckers' Southside Package, Lounge & Beverage Catering | Rentals: Under One Tent Events | Plant Rentals: Johnson plant rental | Desserts: Baked From The Hart FL | Harpist: Harpistry by Damara | Pianist: Sweet Caroline Entertainment | Invitations: Truly Engaging | Dress Shop: The Southern Swan | Dress Designer: Olivia Jacoby | Shoe Designer: Loeffler Randall | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designers: Marchesa, ASTR the Label | Hair & Makeup: Glitz & Glam Creative | Rehearsal Dinner: Fresco's Southern Kitchen & Bar |  Photo booth: Bourbon Booth – Luxury Photo Booth | Bridal Nails: PAINT NAIL BAR Lakeland | Valet: Lakeland Limos

Romantic Pink Tampa Heights Indian Wedding | Armature Works

“The design and inspiration came from wanting to contrast the beautiful brick at our venue and chose more emerald greens with hints of pink to accent,” the bride explained. “The one color we really wanted to build the wedding decoration around was a deep emerald green. After we chose that one color, the rest of the floral pinks and gold just perfectly fit our vision.”

Boho Glam Inspired Tampa Heights Wedding | Armature Works

“Our wedding theme was boho glam chic. We chose this style because we believed this would be perfect for our reception venue. We instantly felt this modern industrial vibe when walking into the space for the first time,” the bride shared. “Our colors were deep taupe, cloud dancer, burnished lilac, elderberry, and black accents. This went so well with the flowers selected by our florist!”

Ceremony Venue: St Stephen Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Armature Works | Photographer: Britt & Bean Photography, LLC | Planner: Carefully Curated Events | Florist: Gather and Grace Designs, LLC | Caterer: Good Food Events + Catering | Rentals: Glasshouse Rentals | Rentals: Booze and Bubbles Tampa | Rentals: Southern Chairs | Cake: Sweet Cakes by Clara | DJ: Tampa Bay DJ Company (DJ Cory Barron) | Invitations: Minted | Transportation: Not Your Mother's Taxi | Dress Shop: Ivory & Lace | Dress Designer: Morilee by Madeline Gardner | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Birdy Grey | Hair & Makeup: Jennifer Beauty & Co | Rehearsal Dinner: The Tampa Club 

Romantic Burgundy South Tampa Winter Wedding | The Orlo

“I would describe our wedding theme as classic and dramatic. We landed on the drama theme because I wanted deep red as an accent color and a trumpeter to command everyone's attention before I walked down the aisle, so you could say it was a natural fit,” the bride detailed. “Our primary color palette was neutral, and our accent colors were burgundy, light blue, and green. We chose the colors based on my preference to have a winter wedding and a deep red accent color.”

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church | Reception Venue: The Orlo House and Ballroom | Photographer: Aisles & Ivy | Videographer: Media Tree Studios | Florist: Carmen's Flowers | Caterer: Catering By The Family | Specialty Rentals: So Staged Event Design + Rentals | Linens: BBJ Linen | Draping/ Lighting: Tampa Bay Staging and Events | Cigar Roller: Cigar Creations | Cake: Sweetly Inspired by Lashea | Dessert Station: Hands on Sweets | Music Ceremony Trumpeter: Best in Brass | Music Ceremony Violinist: Grace Notes | Music Cocktail Hour Harpist: Emma The Harpist | Band: C'Nergy Band | Officiant: Father Ron Gliatta, Sacred Heart Catholic Church | Invitations: kt janes | Transportation: Ambassador Limousine & Sedan | Dress Shop and Designer: Maggie Sottero Designs | Shoe Designer: Lulus | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Revelry | Hair & Makeup: Marissa Moran: Hair & Makeup Artist | Rehearsal Dinner: Columbia Restaurant | Seamstress Alterations: Glady's Tailoring & Alterations | Tuxedos: Men's Wearhouse

Classic, Elegant Old Florida Outdoor Wedding | Tampa Yacht and Country Club

“Our wedding was classic, elegant, timeless, and most importantly, ‘Old Florida.' I used ginger jars, a silver platter, and a magnolia tree to describe the wedding design. We chose this design to stay true to where we were raised,” the bride beamed. “Our colors included white, blues, and greenery with a tiny touch of gold.”

 Ceremony and Reception Venue and Caterer: Tampa Yacht & Country Club | Photographer: Justin DeMutiis Photography | Cake: Alessi Bakeries | Band: Extacy Band, Tropics Entertainment | Officiant: Russ Hilton, Pastor Heath Weddings – Your Memorable Ceremony | Invitations: The Knot | Rentals: Gabro Event Services | Transportation: L3Limo | Dress Shop and Designer: The Perfect Dress of Sarasota | Shoe Designer: Antonio Melani | Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Show Me Your Mumu | Rehearsal Dinner: Epicurean Hotel, Autograph Collection | Furs: Laurel Furs | Custom Embroidered Napkins: Stitch by Stitch at West Shore Plz. | String quartet: Classern Quartet | Koozies: Custom Ink