Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Birchwood Wedding
Barbara and Tony's downtown St. Pete wedding featured a fully draped hotel ballroom, tall centerpieces in crystal candelabras and a champagne, gold and ivory color palette.
“The entire theme was based on my wedding dress. My dress was ivory and silver with Swarovski crystals covering it,” the bride shared. “We wanted a traditional theme with a few modern touches. I showed my wedding dress to the design team, and the vision started there.”
With a team of designers and wedding planner in place, the Tampa couple focused on creating an enchanting evening for their 170 wedding guests.
“We spared no expense at our age in life. We went over the top to make everything incredibly beautiful and unique,” Barbara beamed. “The feel of our reception was most important to us: the music, lighting, location, great cocktail hour on the roof and beautiful custom altar, it needed to feel like a fairytale. Every person that we know has told us that they have never been to such an incredible wedding.”
On the referral of their trusted wedding vendors, the pair hired St. Petersburg wedding photographer Limelight Photography.
“We are in our fifties and are not educated on the new trends, styles of photography and the way photo packages work, so we took the recommendation of [our florist and designer] and hired Limelight Photography,” the bride explained. “When we visited Limelight's studio, we immediately knew. It was so obvious by their studio displays that they had great attention to detail like we do. They were amazing!”
Looking back, some of Barbara's most memorable moments occurred at the start of her wedding ceremony and at the end of the night.
“The walk down the aisle was one of my favorite memories. It was orchestrated with live music and a soloist performed the song From This Moment On by Shania Twain. My brother walked me part of the way, then he stopped, and I finished the aisle alone as a mature woman,” the bride reminisced. “At the reception, Tony surprised me with the “Pike Dream Girl” fraternity song (He is a Pi Kappa Alpha Florida State University alumni). They all came from behind me, formed a triangle on the floor and proceeded to sing the dream girl song and present me with a plaque to be an official dream girl of Pi Kappa Alpha.”
The Proposal:
We had a spontaneous trip to the One and Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas for Valentine's Day weekend. Tony had always told me that he would never propose on a holiday; it was too cliché, so I did not expect anything. He pretended to ask the chef at the Dune Restaurant to create a special dessert for Valentine's dinner as soon as we checked into the hotel. After dinner, the server brought out our “dessert” covered by white porcelain lids. Before Tony could speak, the server goofed and pulled the lid off of my dessert to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring that I had ever seen! As I cried and was practically hyperventilating, Tony said, “Barbara, will you marry me?” I, of course, said “Yes.” Spontaneously, fireworks were set off in the ocean from a floating barge that we could see from our window. It was unbelievably romantic!
Tony and I found each other after a tragic ending to long-term marriages with children. Who knew that our best chapter of lives has just begun at this age?!
How would you describe your theme?
The entire theme was based on my wedding dress. My dress was ivory and silver with Swarovski crystals covering it. We wanted a traditional theme with a few modern touches. I showed my wedding dress to the design team from ConceptBAIT, and the vision started there.
What were your colors?
Champagne, gold, ivory and mint green with a lot of white lilies and roses.
What was the inspiration for your linens?
My wedding gown was the inspiration. We wanted different linens instead of what the venue provided, so [my designer and planner] gave us a presentation, and we loved the lace table linens custom made for us.
Over The Top Rental Linens created gorgeous custom made lace table clothes to coordinate with my dress.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We are in our fifties and are not educated on the new trends, styles of photography and the way photo packages work, so we took the recommendation of [our florist and designer] and hired Limelight Photography. When we visited their studio, we immediately knew. It was so obvious by their studio displays that they had great attention to detail like we do. They were amazing!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Use a good wedding planner; they are worth their weight in gold. Pick your guests carefully and only include people who truly love and support you. Spend extra time on the music; pick your songs carefully. Flowers are worth the investment; they look so pretty in photos. Make your guests comfortable for the weekend and take your time to find the perfect gown. Pay attention to the venue. It can set the tone for your entire wedding. Lastly, the groom should be just as involved in the planning as the bride!
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Birchwood *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Photographer: Limelight Photography
Videographer: Voila Cinematic
Planner: Sandy Rule Events
Design & Florist: ConceptBAIT
Caterer: The Birchwood
Linen Rentals: Over the Top Rental Linens *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Glassware, China and Flatware: A Chair Affair *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Lounge Furnishings and Bar: AFR Event Furnishings
Uplighting and Confetti Canon: Bay Stage Live
Cake: Chocolate Pi
Band: DeLeon Entertainment
Officiant: Sixto Ward
Invitations: UrbanCoast
Transportation: Empire CLS
Dress: Allure Couture
Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom
Hair & Makeup: Rachel Artistry
