Tori and Blake's bohemian beach wedding was originally slated for the Virgin Islands, but the global pandemic threw a wrench in their International travel plans, so they pivoted and picked Tampa Bay for their destination wedding.
The Kansas City bride and groom had visited Tampa Bay many times for vacation, so they knew it would be a great option for an intimate destination wedding with two dozen of their loved ones. To fit the relaxed vibe of their celebration, the pair opted for soft pastel hues and arid-inspired flora.
“Our theme was ‘where the desert meets the sand,' think a luxury boho, San Diego inspired look. We wanted to be on the beach without the beach being the main focus,” the bride shared. “Our colors were light peachy pink and succulent green. The neutrals that were used were white and gold. These were chosen to fit our theme, flowers, and feel of the day. I am obsessed with light pastel colors with a mix of succulents.”
The overall wedding weekend experience is what the bride attributes to being the most special aspect of their celebration.
“Our wedding was so uniquely us, from sharing a vacation rental with all our friends, and completely transforming a house on a beach into a wedding venue, to the colors and the overall feel,” Tori beamed. “And our officiant was our best friend who knows up deeply.”
Tori and Blake chose a private venue and turned to Grant Hemond & Associates to transform their space into a wedding entertainment zone.
“Since our wedding was essentially in the backyard of a house, we had to bring in all of the equipment and lighting which was a big aspect I was worried about previously,” the bride explained. “Our wedding DJ came highly recommended and was amazing to work with. We hired Grant Hemond & Associates to DJ throughout the day, include mics for the ceremony, music for cocktail hour, first dances and music throughout the night, and lighting once it got dark.”
The couple carefully considered their friends and family when planning their event and even customized a dessert bar with their guests in mind, which included edible art from Sweetly Dipped Confections.
“The dessert bar was a fun part of the day. We had multiple guests with different allergies. I thought the dessert bar was a cute way to make sure everyone could get something that they are able to eat,” the bride shared. “We hired Sweetly Dipped Confections to create beautiful pieces for us. The cake pops were amazing, we had traditional cake pops to look like succulent clusters and flipped cake pops to be potted succulents.”
Planning a wedding during COVID has its own challenges, but Tori and Blake also had to overcome inclement weather. Though regardless of those obstacles the couple focused on enjoying their day.
“Going into my wedding, I had a very detailed timeline that I was very crazy about following. I literally spent three years planning this, and to say I had high anxiety to make sure everything was accomplished is an understatement. [Because of COVID] so many things had to change or be altered from what we originally imagined, but it ended up meant to be,” the bride revealed. “When the rainstorm hit on our wedding day, we could have all been upset and feel like the day was ruined, but thanks to our amazing friends, videographer, and photographer, we went with it! Our DJ was amazing about moving everything inside, keeping himself and the equipment safe, and getting right back to playing music as soon as he was able. We played in the rain and then jumped in the ocean. While you can plan and plan and plan, at some point, you just have to let it happen and go with the flow. I wouldn't change any of it! It made the day so perfect – and so uniquely us.”
What were your colors?
Light peachy pink and succulent green. The neutrals that were used were white and gold. These were chosen to fit our theme, flowers, and feel of the day.
The Proposal:
For Blake's 29th birthday, we went to Myrtle Beach to celebrate. We explored the city, had way too many drinks, ate amazing seafood, and went putt-putt golfing. The day after, we took the day a little slower. Blake wanted to go to a nice dinner as our last night before we went back home. This sounded like a good idea, however, I really wanted to nap prior to that.
Blake tried to get me to take a shower to look pretty, however, the nap is what won. On the way to dinner, we stopped at the beach for pictures. There our friend (and later our officiant), Josh, took selfies and captured the big moment of the proposal. Blake got on his knee and asked to spend our lives together. This was followed by Face Timing my family and enjoying dinner.
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I wanted my makeup to be pretty natural glam. I wanted to make sure I still looked like myself, just elevated. I wanted my hair long and flowy but wanted to make sure that it stayed curled and pretty in case of humidity, heat, or a rainstorm (which we had all three).
I hired Michele Renee The Studio because I liked the work that I saw on her site and Instagram. From what I heard through reviews, her team is very skilled and talented. I was absolutely blown away by how the girls and myself turned out. Our hair stayed all day through heat, humidity, and rain. Our makeup was airbrushed, which I was hesitant about, but it was beautiful and lasted all day long. I cannot say enough good things about her team!
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Due to COVID, we did not have a honeymoon. Since we drove to Tampa, we did a “mini-moon” road trip to Miami for a couple of days, Savannah, and Nashville, then back home. Once COVID is in a better place, we plan to go to Europe for a couple of weeks as a real honeymoon.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Since our wedding was essentially in the backyard of a house, we had to bring in all of the equipment and lighting which was a big aspect I was worried about previously.
Our wedding DJ came highly recommended and was amazing to work with. We hired Grant Hemond & Associates to DJ throughout the day, include mics for the ceremony, music for cocktail hour, first dances, music throughout the night, and lighting once it got dark. After our first dances and speeches, we got hit hard by a thunderstorm. Our DJ was amazing about moving everything inside, keeping himself and the equipment safe, and getting right back to playing music as soon as he was able.
What was your wedding dessert inspiration?
The dessert bar was a fun part of the day. We had multiple guests with different allergies. I thought the dessert bar was a cute way to make sure everyone could get something that they are able to eat.
We hired Sweetly Dipped Confections to create beautiful pieces for us. The cake pops were amazing! We had traditional cake pops to look like succulent clusters and flipped cake pops to be potted succulents. In addition, we had a cookie cake as our main cake that was flown in from New Jersey and was gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. Lastly, we had sugar cookies featuring our succulents, Mr and Mrs, and our names.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Our advice for wedding planning, especially right now with COVID, is to go with the flow. So many things had to change or be altered from what we originally imagined, but it ended up meant to be. When the rainstorm hit on our wedding day, we could have all been upset and feel like the day was ruined, but thanks to our amazing friends, videographer, and photographer, we went with it! We played in the rain and then jumped in the ocean. While you can plan and plan and plan, at some point, you just have to let it happen and go with the flow. I wouldn't change any of it!
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Three Palms Retreat
Photographer: Ashley Ice Photography
Videographer: Archer Video
Planner: Mason and Magnolia Events
Florist: Petals Presents and Parties
Caterer: Savory Roots Catering
Table and Chair Rentals: Traditional Rentals
Cookie Cake: The Cookie Cake Company
Cake Pops: Sweetly Dipped Confections *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Sugar Cookies and Mini Cupcakes: Shannons World of Sweets and Treats
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Joshua Peck (Family Friend)
Ceremony Dress: Urban Bridal
Shoe Designer: David's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Azazie
Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee The Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Invites: Love and Letters Design
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
