Liesel and Steve’s waterfront Dunedin wedding captured their personalities perfectly with an eclectic mix of fresh flowers, gold details, and fresh Florida oranges.

“Our theme was mixed. We incorporated a black-tie wedding, but also found ways to add in a bit of elegant simplicity,” the bride shared. “We included all the things we love: a gold-gilded frame from my late grandmother for our seating chart, Steve’s favorite flower, orchids, and art deco details seen in The Fenway and throughout our big day. We also handmade each floral centerpiece since we wanted fresh flowers and had a specific look we were going for.”

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Looking to highlight their city, the Liesel and Steve chose the newly renovated Fenway Hotel for its inclusive offerings and waterfront location.

“The Fenway is a Marriot Autograph Hotel with experience and history of great service,” the bride explained. “The location was absolutely stunning overlooking the water and was the sunset for our evening wedding and reception. It had the simple elegance we wanted for our venue.”

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Liesel knew she wanted a classic yet elegant look that would make her feel beautiful for her big day and was ecstatic when she came across a glam squad that she instantly loved.

“Something that was important to me was supporting local and successful Dunedin businesses, and I was more than thrilled to find Femme Akoi,” the bride gushed. “They had a beautiful portfolio and were able to come to my hotel room to beautify my ladies and me. Their service was great, and I was very satisfied with both my hair and makeup. They were timely, efficient, and very kind!”

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With their guests in mind, the Dunedin couple spent a lot of time putting together sweet keepsakes and an enjoyable weekend itinerary.

“We created an itinerary for the weekend that included times and locations of events related to the wedding weekend, as well as fun events for our out of town guests to check out,” the bride shared. “As a little gift for our guests, a close friend handmade small cups for snacks after dinner. These were meant as little keepsakes to commemorate our wedding. Each cup was hand spun and painted, and inscribed with our names on the bottom! ”

Reminiscing of their special day, Liesel and Steve will never forget hearing their favorite Queen song during the reception.

“Over our 12 years together, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has turned up in many of our fondest memories. It was one of the five songs we asked to be played but we had no idea it would be the last song of the evening,” the bride shared. “When it came on, our whole wedding party of 100 people came onto the dance floor, made a circle around us, and everyone belted out the lyrics as loud as they could. It was legendary!”

What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I’ve always admired classic beauty and that’s exactly what I wanted for our special day. I often wear my hair in a low bun and very light makeup. I am fortunate that Steve has always found me to be gorgeous, and I wanted to simply enhance my look for my special day. I felt very much like myself, just better.

Something that was important to me was supporting local and successful Dunedin businesses, and I was more than thrilled to find Femme Akoi. They had a beautiful portfolio and were able to come to my hotel room to beautify my ladies and me. Their service was great, and I was very satisfied with both my hair and makeup. They were timely, efficient, and very kind!

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that was in Dunedin, beautiful, affordable, and was able to handle all food, drink, and decor, including tables and chairs, for us.

We hired The Fenway because it was a Marriot Autograph Hotel with experience and history of great service. The location was absolutely stunning overlooking the water and sunset for our evening wedding and reception. It had the simple elegance we wanted for our venue. No one is excited about wedding food but we were; ours was superb. The Fenway made everything gluten-free for me, including a gluten-free coconut rice pudding with diced fresh fruit and house-made blood red orange sherbet on top. Everyone loved not having a traditional cake.

The Proposal:
I had no idea it was going to happen. We never picked a ring together, so I was totally surprised. It was at home, quiet and personal, just as I always imagined it would be. We were about to go to the Dali Museum when Steve said he had to get something out of the garage. He had been hiding the ring in his golf bag. When he walked back in he had a look on his face that I had never seen before; I was worried something was wrong. Little did I know he quickly realized that hiding a big ring box in shorts pockets didn’t work. He took the box out of his pocket, instead of taking it to the museum as planned, got down on one knee, and proposed!

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our theme was mixed. We incorporated a black tie wedding, but also found ways to add in a bit of elegant simplicity. We included all the things we love: a gold-gilded frame from my late grandmother for our seating chart, Steve’s favorite flower, orchids, and art deco details seen in The Fenway and throughout our big day. We also handmade each floral centerpiece since we wanted fresh flowers and had a specific look we were going for.

What were your colors?
I decided to have my three bridesmaids wear black because they all have different skin and hair tones. I wanted them to feel beautiful and happy with what they were wearing, so I had them pick their own dresses. Since our wedding was black-tie optional, my husband’s groomsmen all wore tuxes. We wanted our flowers and table settings to be bright and tropical like Dunedin. To bring that feeling, we chose oranges as each person’s place setting and bright-colored potted orchids on every table.

Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Fenway *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Jasmine Baetzel Photography
Florist: The Bride’s Bouquet
DJ: Frank Lebano & Co. Mobile DJs
Band: Gloria West and The Gents
Officiant: Derek LaBuda
Invitations: Basic Invite
Handmade Pottery for Guests Gifts: Valerie Murray
Dress Designer: THEIA
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Groom’s Suit: Suit Supply