Jackie and Kyle's downtown St. Pete wedding was a summertime soiree that started with an LED glowstick party on the dance floor. Inspired by her bridesmaid dress color, the bride intertwined her accent color throughout the attire and decor.
“Having a wedding in the middle of the summer means hot, so we wanted to keep colors light and airy. I thought the color Sky Blue from Azazie was the perfect airy color,” the bride explained. “We wanted something unique, so we thought a mixture of the past, present, and future was a great inspiration for our big day. I was inspired by my grandmother’s vintage blue glassware and used it for centerpieces and went to thrift stores to find other blue glassware (like carnival glass or depression glass). We also had a mixture of modern and vintage glass trays that we used for displays on tables.”
MORE: VINTAGE WEDDING INSPIRATION
During the planning process, Jackie routinely read Marry Me Tampa Bay wedding features and articles, and she was a member of the MarryMeTampaBay Wed-To-Be Facebook Group.
“I loved being in the Facebook group and following along with all the brides and seeing their unbiased opinions on vendors in the area. I am so glad that Marry Me Tampa Bay has a space for brides to talk,” Jackie shared. “Their blog featured so many great weddings and articles offering great advice. My videographer, venue, and makeup artist were found on Marry Me Tampa Bay.”
The bride and groom chose downtown St. Pete to host their 120 guests as it is centrally located in Tampa Bay and is convenient to the airport for their family and friends flying in from out of town. With so many moving parts to their wedding day, they needed an all-star venue team to guide the way.
“I have always pictured our perfect wedding venue having exposed brick and unique accents, and NOVA 535 was perfect for that. I don’t think there is one thing that I disliked about the venue. From our first time visiting all the way through the event, NOVA was immaculate. The venue matched our vision perfectly. From the exposed brick walls to the historic building, to the beautiful staircases, what is there not to love,” the bride beamed. “The areas upstairs for the wedding party were huge and could fit us all easily, the bamboo courtyard was a magical entrance for the guest and a great cocktail hour location, but the biggest reason we hired NOVA was the staff. From all levels, they stepped up during the planning stage and during the event. I was nervous about having our ceremony space be transitioned to the reception space during cocktail hour, but the staff was absolutely mind-blowing and allowed my vision to come to life.”
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Knowing these would be moments they'd keep forever, the Oldsmar couple commissioned Bonnie Newman Creative to completely capture and curate their wedding memories through photo and video.
“Bonnie is truly the best of the best. She has such an amazing way of capturing the best moments in the best way. Not only is she absolutely amazing with her work but she is so personable and truly can understand the needs of her couples,” Jackie gushed. “We watch our video all the time, and it truly feels like we are transported back to our big day. I am so happy we decided to choose Bonnie Newman Creative to document our wedding.”
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For a summer wedding it's important to select a hair and makeup artist who can make sure your beauty look lasts all night, and the bride chose Femme Akoi's signature braid to help keep her cool.
“I wanted a soft glam makeup look with a dramatic eye and a nude lip. For hair, I knew I wanted an updo since it was going to be hot outside. I always envisioned braids and a sparkly hairpiece,” the bride explained. “I saw other brides recommending Femme Akoi as well as some bloggers so I knew they would be great. After my hair and makeup trial, I couldn’t believe how amazing they were! Grissel listened to my makeup inspiration and made it happen! Alex was an iPod master and made my vision come to light. I am so happy I chose Femme Akoi for my hair and makeup for me and my bridesmaids. They were professional, attentive, and fun!”
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The chic and modern design at the Hyatt Place St. Petersburg Downtown presented the perfect backdrop for stunning pre-wedding portraits. All of the months spent researching and wedding planning came to a crescendo when Jackie saw her groom's reaction during their first look.
“Our first look was the most memorable. It’s definitely not the most traditional, but Kyle and I really wanted a few moments just for us. We were both so nervous it was nice to just see and hold each other,” Jackie reminisced. “Also, shout-out to the Hyatt Place St. Petersburg Downtown for clearing the lobby for us for our special first look!”
The Proposal:
Kyle proposed on July 7 at Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs. What I thought was a quiet weekend getaway turned out to be the best surprise! After a nice dinner on the water, we decided to go for a walk on the beach. Kyle led me over to a romantic and relaxing set up where he asked me to be his wife.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We really wanted a venue that had adequate space for everyone. When securing your venue and your date you only have a rough headcount of who will be invited to we wanted to make sure that if that number fluctuated that all guests would still be comfortable. We wanted a venue that had separate space for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception or a space that could be transitioned quickly without guests noticing. It was also very important for us to have a venue that had great makeup/getting ready area for the wedding party.
I have always pictured our perfect wedding venue having exposed brick and unique accents, and NOVA 535 was perfect for that. I don’t think there is one thing that I disliked about NOVA. From our first time visiting the venue all the way through the event, it was immaculate. The venue matched our vision perfectly. From the exposed brick walls to the historic building, to the beautiful staircases what is there not to love. The areas upstairs for the wedding party were huge and could fit us all easily, the bamboo courtyard was a magical entrance for the guest and a great cocktail hour location, but, the biggest reason we hired NOVA was the staff. From all levels, they stepped up during the planning stage and during the event. I was nervous about having our ceremony space be transitioned to the reception space during cocktail hour, but the staff was absolutely mind-blowing and allowed my vision to come to life. I would recommend NOVA 535 to any engaged couple looking to have a seamless wedding.
What was your wedding beauty inspiration?
I wanted a soft glam makeup look with a dramatic eye (sparkles for me) and a nude lip. For hair, I knew I wanted an updo since it was going to be hot outside. I always envisioned braids and a sparkly hairpiece.
Femme Akoi has countless amazing reviews so I knew they would be great. I saw other brides recommending Femme Akoi as well as some bloggers so I knew they would be great. After my hair and makeup trial, I couldn’t believe how amazing they were! Grissel listened to my makeup inspiration and made it happen! Alex was an iPod master and made my vision come to light. I am so happy I chose Femme Akoi for my hair and makeup for me and my bridesmaids. They were professional, attentive, and fun!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer and videographer?
Photo/video is one of the best ways to relive your big day, and I wanted to make sure I had the pictures and video to relive it. We were interested in a team that could cover our whole day and include a large number of photos and videos. We also wanted a team that would work very closely with each other to get the best photos and videos of the day. Bonnie and Jon were the perfect team for us!
Bonnie is truly the best of the best. She has such an amazing way of capturing the best moments in the best way. Not only is she absolutely amazing with her work but she is so personable and truly can understand the needs of her couples. We watch our video all the time, and it truly feels like we are transported back to our big day. I am so happy we decided to choose Bonnie Newman Creative to document our wedding.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Having a wedding in the middle of the summer means hot, so we wanted to keep colors light and airy. I thought the color Sky Blue from Azazie was the perfect airy color! To go along with the airy blue colors we chose, I really wanted to incorporate some décor of the past. We wanted something unique, so we though a mixture of the past, present, and future was a great inspiration for our big day. I was inspired by my grandmother’s vintage blue glassware. I used some of it for centerpieces and then went to thrift stores to find other blue glassware (like carnival glass or depression glass). We also had a mixture of modern and vintage glass trays that we used for displays on tables.
What were your colors?
Sky blue color was our main accent color. It was the perfect way to keep our venue looking light and airy on a hot summer day. We also loved the way the color popped inside our venue.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
I really wanted our wedding day to be as stress-free as possible. I did so much prep work before the big day to make sure I had boxes labeled with the décor items, location of items, and a picture of how I wanted the items set up. It took a lot of time but it was well worth it to make sure our day went smoothly.
Keep yourself organized! It will help so much to have all of your vendor contracts, guest lists, etc. together!
The day goes by way too fast. Make sure you eat lunch while getting ready for the day, dance your heart out at the reception, and soak in the amazing day with your new spouse.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: NOVA 535 *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer and Videographer: Bonnie Newman Creative *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Coordinator: Ruby Thomas Dolce of NOVA 535
Florist: Hobby Lobby
Caterer: Delectables Fine Catering
Rentals: Generation Tux
Cake: Publix
DJ: DJ Jaey of NOVA 535
Officiant: Mike Vasquez
Invitations: Basicinvite.com
Transportation: AllPro Limo
Dress Shop and Designer: The White Magnolia Bridal Collection
Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Azazie
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi Beauty Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Alterations: Alterations by Wendy
Getting Ready Hotel: Hyatt Place St. Petersburg Downtown *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
