Mandi and Miles celebrated their destination Clearwater Beach wedding with a whimsical, bohemian theme and a fresh and airy color palette.
“We got married on Clearwater Beach during sunset. Our color palette was blush, white and gold. It felt clean, fresh, boho and airy. I wanted to keep things simple,” the bride explained. “Our arch was made out of bamboo and sea shells, and the reception was on a sand deck with lantern string lights. Our centerpieces were not traditional; we had funky pieces of wood/branches with floating candles.”
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Originally from Florida, the Los Angeles, California couple chose to have their wedding in one of their favorite places. Knowing that budget and a beach wedding reception was a must, the bride and groom chose Clearwater Beach wedding venue the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa.
“I’ve traveled all over the world, and Clearwater Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Clearwater is also close to both our families, so that made it convenient!” Mandi shared. “The Hilton provided us with a wedding coordinator who was with us during this entire journey. Courtney made us feel comfortable and gave us some amazing advice. She has good taste! As someone who is planning a wedding remotely across the country (2,138 miles to be exact), this was extremely important. I couldn’t ask for a better wedding. Our venue made this once-in-a-lifetime experience so incredible!”
As television producers, the couple didn't leave out any details when it came to producing their own wedding, including having fireworks during their reception thanks to the Sugar Sand Festival. Looking back, the bride shared one of her most chereished moments from her wedding night.
“The sunset during our wedding made it so memorable! We got so lucky, and I have never seen a sky like the one on our wedding day. It had rained very briefly in the morning, and the clouds created this beautiful formation. As the sun set, it looked as if an artist had taken a paintbrush and created this dazzling landscape,” Mandi reminisced.
The Proposal:
It was one day before my birthday. I woke up to a handmade card that said I was going somewhere special. We stayed at the same resort in Florida where we celebrated our one-year anniversary, five years later! Miles told me that we were going to a holiday party. While at the resort, we took a scenic route down the beach to get to our car, but we stopped along the way by a basket with champagne and a loud speaker for music. Miles asked me to dance to the song Linger by the Cranberries. As we danced, he got down on one knee and asked if I would spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes, and then I heard cheering from the balconies of the hotel. I turned around and his family members were watching and cheering! Literally a photographer was hidden in the bushes taking pictures and jumped out! Then, Miles brought me around the corner into a tiki lounge. When I walked in, I saw my best friends from college, my mom, brothers and sister and other family members who had flown in to celebrate the engagement with us! I was so surprised that I think I sobbed tears of happiness for five hours. By far the best day of my life!
How would you describe your theme?
Our wedding theme was beach-y, whimsical and bohemian! We got married on Clearwater Beach during sunset. Our arch was made out of bamboo and sea shells. The ceremony was on a sand deck, and we had lantern string lights. Our centerpieces were not traditional; we had funky pieces of wood/branches with floating candles. I have trouble sticking to one theme, like to do the unpredictable! Our wedding also happened to be during the Sugar Sand Festival, so we got to enjoy fireworks along the beach during our reception.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We absolutely wanted to get married and have our reception on the beach, and we wanted everything to be right next to each other so our guests didn’t have to worry about traveling/shuttling themselves around! It was also very important to us to have a venue that would work with us on our taste and budget.
The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa is beautiful, luxurious, near a ton of great restaurants, bars and lounges. Also, it was during the Sugar Sand Festival, so there was so many amazing things do to on the beach that week! The Hilton provided us with a wedding coordinator who was with us during this entire journey. We also had two (not one, but two) “day of” wedding coordinators. I had nothing to worry about. Courtney made us feel comfortable and gave us some amazing advice. She has good taste! As someone who is planning a wedding remotely across the country (2,138 miles to be exact), this was extremely important. They were very involved, and checked in with us frequently. The food at the Hilton is by far the best food I’ve tasted at any wedding. I still have dreams about the food we had at our wedding!I couldn’t ask for a better wedding. Our venue made this once-in-a-lifetime experience so incredible! The service was 100% 5 stars! My wedding party and I got our hair and makeup done at the Hilton Spa! They were so accommodating and sweet! They did a couple trials with me beforehand and were so much fun! That’s the beauty of the Hilton – they can provide everything! If you don’t want to stress about your wedding and getting to and from places then the Hilton is a great option.
What were your colors?
Blush, white and gold. It felt clean, fresh, boho and airy. I wanted to keep things simple. At one point we wanted to go with navy, but when I played around with the colors, navy clashed with the crisp background of the white sand and golden sunset.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Break the mold of the traditional wedding if you want to – it’s 2017! If you want a taco truck instead of a plated dinner then go for it; they’re out there! Also, as soon as you get engaged set up your bank account to transfer a certain amount of money to a “Wedding Savings Account” every week. Before you know it you’ll have your entire wedding paid for by you! That way you are in full control of the outcome of your wedding.
Ceremony/Reception Venue and Caterer: Hilton Clearwater Resort & Spa – Courtney Owens
Photographer: Abbey Saxton Photography
Florist: Iza’s Flowers
Cake: Sweets by the Bay
Band: The Spazmatics
Invitations: Minted
Dress Shop and Designer: Chic Parisian (Miami) – Monique Lhuillier
Hair & Makeup: Hilton Clearwater Resort & Spa
