Tiffiny and Jordyn’s downtown St. Pete wedding embraced the tale of their love story, which inspired their black and gold color palette with vibrant pops of crimson. The pair exchanged vows in a performing arts theater before dining and dancing in a bold ballroom reception that appeared straight out of The Phantom Of The Opera!
“The inspiration was simply a night at that theater. One of our early dates in the Tampa area was inside the Mahaffey Theater, and after our wedding planner heard about how our love story grew from those early dates, she really brought the idea of our ‘Happily Ever After’ story together,” the bride shared. “The colors for our wedding were gold, black, white, and red. We didn’t come to the table with a clear vision for wedding colors. We started with ‘we like blue,’ but our planner was the mastermind behind the colors because once we sent her the pictures of our wedding dresses, she put together an entire presentation of color options that showcased my love for bright and bold and Jordyn’s love for classic and modern.”
The Wimauma couple wanted to not only enjoy the wedding day surrounded by their 70 guests, but they also wanted to enjoy the wedding planning process. Recognizing the value of working with a seasoned wedding planner who could assist them with style suggestions, vendor correspondence, and all of the logistics, the couple turned to Staci Mandikas of UNIQUE Weddings + Events for her creative vision and invigorating personality.
“We needed a planner who could listen to our ideas about the wedding and then present us with a bunch of options, so all we had to do was choose. We wanted to find a planner we both vibed with and who took care of all the communications and coordination so we could be fully present and also completely stress-free for the decision-making part of the process,” Tiffiny articulated. “UNIQUE Weddings + Events did a great job of putting together vendor lists for our ceremony and doing the initial communications to bring us vendor teams that would fit in with our plans. Staci’s great energy and her ability to create something out of the nothing we gave her was why we chose her and the UNIQUE team to plan our wedding.”
Although their visions for the wedding and personal tastes were across the spectrum, the pair incorporated a color palette and details that fit both of their personalities. The result was a unique celebration that truly reflected both of them and their personalities.
“Jordyn wanted the vibe to be chill, and I wanted the vibe to be lively. Lucky for us, we both love our music, so music was the easiest thing to incorporate into our wedding that was reflective of our personalities. We wanted the music to help create the vibe of fun, happiness, love, and togetherness, and it felt like we were able to accomplish that. All the event details of our wedding were chosen with the experience of our guest list in mind,” Tiffiny detailed. “Our colors were also reflective of our personalities because Jordyn likes natural or traditional color choices, and I like bright and bold colors.”
The brides’ wedding day attire selections were also a reflection of their unique styles, with Jordyn opting for a classic white dress and Tiffiny choosing a bright red gown. The stylists at Truly Forever Bridal guided each bride through the selection process, ensuring the garments were perfect fits.
“Jordyn chose a white dress because it was simple and traditional; it also helped that the dress had pockets. Jordyn searched for local wedding dress stores and found great reviews for Truly Forever Bridal. For my super sentimental heart, there were a couple of factors: red is the color of Love! Red is also the color that keeps me connected to my grandmother because it was our favorite, and my mom wore a white and red dress when she got married. Those two ladies taught me so much about love, and I just wanted to keep them both close to me as I walked down the aisle to celebrate the new forever love I had with Jordyn,” Tiffiny beamed. “We shopped for the dresses together, as best friends, and the Truly Forever Bridal team listened attentively to each of our requests and worked hard to meet our expectations. When Jordyn requested alterations like removing lace from the dress, their tailor was confident she could complete the alterations that would make the dress perfect before our wedding.”
Garnet draping and uplights paired perfectly with collections of candles to set the mood in the reception space. Dining tables dressed in black linens were accented with gold Chiavari chairs and glimmering glass charger plates from A Chair Affair to elevate the place settings and add a touch of sparkle.
The entire celebration was a culmination of love that created a plethora of unforgettable memories for the couple and their guests. The Gala Photobooth created the perfect keepsakes, with printed and digital photo strip favors that also doubled as an interactive guestbook where friends and family could leave their well-wishes for the newlyweds. Unable to select just one memory as an ultimate ‘favorite,’ Tiffiny recounted several moments that the pair will forever treasure.
“We were surrounded by family, friends, music, and love for our wedding day, and that was the memorable moment for us,” the bride reminisced. “Some moments we will absolutely revisit forever are the surprise live performance in Jordyn’s wedding vows, the flawless speech by our nieces, the surprise guest recording played during our dinner toasts, the fireworks, our first looks, and our first dances. I’ll personally never forget how Jordyn added her own little romantic touches into our wedding day.”
The Proposal:
We didn’t have a formal proposal when we chose to get married. Our decision to get married was something we talked about often, and one day we made a decision on a date and just went for it.
What were your wedding dress(es) inspiration?
Jordyn chose a white dress because it was simple and traditional; it also helped that the dress had pockets. Jordyn searched for local wedding dress stores and found great reviews for Truly Forever Bridal.
For my super sentimental heart, there were a couple of factors: red is the color of Love! Red is also the color that keeps me connected to my grandmother because it was our favorite, and my mom wore a white and red dress when she got married. Those two ladies taught me so much about love, and I just wanted to keep them both close to me as I walked down the aisle to celebrate the new forever love I had with Jordyn.
We shopped for the dresses together, as best friends, and the Truly Forever Bridal team listened attentively to each of our requests and worked hard to meet our expectations. When Jordyn requested alterations like removing lace from the dress, their tailor was confident she could complete the alterations that would make the dress perfect before our wedding.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We needed a planner who could listen to our ideas about the wedding and then present us with a bunch of options, so all we had to do was choose. We wanted to find a planner we both vibed with and who took care of all the communications and coordination so we could be fully present and also completely stress-free for the decision-making part of the process.
UNIQUE Weddings + Events did a great job of putting together vendor lists for our ceremony and doing the initial communications to bring us vendor teams that would fit in with our plans. Staci’s great energy and her ability to create something out of the nothing we gave her was why we chose her and the UNIQUE team to plan our wedding.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
The inspiration was simply a night at that theater. One of our early dates in the Tampa area was inside the Mahaffey Theater, and after our wedding planner heard about how our love story grew from those early dates, she really brought the idea of our ‘Happily Ever After’ story together.
What were your colors?
The colors for our wedding were gold, black, white, and red. We didn’t come to the table with a clear vision for wedding colors. We started with ‘we like blue,’ but our planner was the mastermind behind the colors because once we sent her the pictures of our wedding dresses, she put together an entire presentation of color options that showcased my love for bright and bold and Jordyn’s love for classic and modern.
How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your event?
The rentals from A Chair Affair really enhanced our event. When we walked into the reception room, those floor-to-ceiling drapes, the table settings, the colors, and everything in that room was breathtaking for us and for our guests. Everyone who had a hand in setting up our reception area understood the assignment, and we will always be grateful for how amazing our event was.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We had our honeymoon in Hawaii because it was a place we planned to visit together, and traveling outside of the country wasn’t an option for us because of concerns over COVID.
Why did you choose to incorporate a photo booth at your wedding?
We chose to incorporate a photo booth in our wedding because we wanted to offer keepsakes from our wedding that were a bit unique to each guest, and having the photo booth helped us do that. We chose Gala Photobooth because they offered fantastic package options that included photo props, multiple photo backgrounds, and customized photo guestbooks that were filled with photos and well wishes from our wedding night.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our caterer exceeded our expectations and gave us a delicious meal our guests talked about for weeks. I still remember the moment Jordyn and I tried the chicken and waffles option at the initial tasting because it was one of the few times we completely agreed on a menu item. Our cake baker also did an amazing job with bringing our custom dessert station concept to life.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
The wedding is over so fast, and no matter how amazing your day is, you’re going to have some things you wish you had thought to do in the moment. While you are planning, ask people you love and trust about the things they wish they had thought to do at their wedding or their reception. Make a list of things you’d like gentle reminders of for your event, and let your planner know to give you gentle reminders for them. Even if you think you don’t want it before the wedding, try to get a video of the whole event because those little moments in your ceremony can’t be recreated, and one day you may want to be a spectator to that one little moment in time.
Make sure not to let your guest list take on a life of its own. When we had our wedding, COVID was still pretty prevalent, and it really showed us how difficult it can be to keep the guest count small and intimate, even in the middle of a pandemic.
