Megan and Hunter
Opal Sol
“We wanted a wedding that was timeless. We decided to do a ‘coastal elegance’ design with palm fronds, orchids, light blue hues, and tuxedos. This theme brought together our personalities in that we wanted to show off the beauty and naturalness of the beach and the timelessness of our love for one another.
Our colors were light blue, green, and white. We chose these colors to play on the raw beauty of the beach and our surroundings. We wanted a wedding that was very naturally beautiful and felt that with the colors we could draw people’s attention to this natural beauty.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Megan and Hunter’s chic Clearwater Beach wedding was an elegant celebration accented with cool coastal blue hues paired with classic white flora and tropical greenery. The local couple exchanged vows in a traditional Catholic ceremony before hosting their 135 guests in a timeless hotel ballroom reception.
“The most memorable moment was walking down the aisle and seeing all our friends and family who had traveled from near and far to celebrate and support Hunter and me as we began our lives together,” the bride reminisced. “It was incredibly moving to realize just how many people came together to make our wedding so special, and it reminded me of how truly beautiful it is to be surrounded by so much love.”
The Bridal Beauty
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
“ I wanted the wedding to be naturally beautiful and timeless in nature. I didn’t want anything to look orchestrated or too overdone, because I was just excited to be marrying the love of my life in front of all our family and friends.
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio was recommended to us by both my sister and Coastal Coordinating. My sister lived in Dunedin for several years and created Femme Akoi’s logo. Therefore, when my planner recommended Femme Akoi, we were all in. I looked at their Instagram and saw all of the amazing work that they were doing for brides and the entire wedding party.
Femme Akoi listened to me when I told them I wanted a natural, effortless look. They were very inclusive and allowed me to bring my mom to my wedding trial and test out her hairstyles. They exceeded expectations at every step, listening to my critiques and making me feel absolutely stunning on the wedding day.”
The Proposal
“The proposal was truly unforgettable. Hunter had been coordinating with my sister for weeks to make me believe that we were doing a sunrise brand photoshoot for one of her clients on St. Pete Beach. I woke up early, thinking it was just another creative project, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
As the sun began to rise, the photographer positioned us for photos by the water. As the photographer began taking photos, Hunter got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. When we walked back to the car, family and friends were waiting to pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate the beginning of our lives together.”
The Reception Venue
Opal Sol
“We had the incredible opportunity to be the very first wedding at Opal Sol. For anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit Opal Sol on Clearwater Beach, I highly recommend it. Opal Sol was absolutely stunning. Alexis was incredible to work with, going above and beyond at every stage of the planning process. When we had to switch venues at the last minute due to hurricane damage at our original location, Alexis stepped up without hesitation. She made the decision to move our wedding to Opal Sol feel effortless and stress-free. Even with such a tight timeline, Alexis worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless transition.
Choosing that venue ended up being the best decision we could have made. The staff was exceptional—from the event coordinator, Alexis, to the valets—everyone greeted us by name and made us feel genuinely special. Those thoughtful touches made us feel truly appreciated and were just one example of how Alexis consistently went above and beyond to make Opal Sol perfect. The wedding was truly flawless, but the thing that stood out to us the most was the whole weekend, everyone at the hotel made us feel welcome. I am so grateful that we met Alexis and want everyone to know that if you work with the Opal Sands or Opal Sol you are in good hands.”
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“I chose to celebrate my bachelorette party in Charleston, SC, and we spent the entire Valentine’s Day weekend there. Since my aunt lives in Charleston, it was so special to include both her and my mom in the celebration. The whole trip was unforgettable—we spent our days shopping, visiting the champagne room, exploring the city, and simply enjoying time together. It was the perfect weekend filled with love and celebrating with the people who mean the most to me.
We spent our honeymoon in St. Barts, which was truly a dream. Both my husband and I love being outdoors and spending time on the water, so it was the perfect place for us. We wanted to experience French cuisine and culture without the long trip to France, and St. Barts gave us the best of both worlds. The food was incredible, the scenery was beautiful, and after months of planning and celebrating, it was such a gift to simply relax and enjoy being together.”
The Planning
Coastal Coordinating
“As a full-time attorney, the biggest thing we were looking for in a wedding planner was someone to keep us on schedule and on budget. I really appreciated Coastal Coordinating because they were so much more than that. They were a therapist when we needed it the most, they recommended phenomenal vendors, told us the things that we needed vs. didn’t, and overall took so much stress and pressure off me, my husband, and my mother throughout the entire planning process.
Coastal Coordinating was recommended to us on a hotel tour. Katy Turchich was actually setting up for a wedding while we were touring, and we all just hit it off. Shortly after, we met her for dinner and talked about what we envisioned for our wedding and how she could help us. Coastal Coordinating was absolutely amazing. I would recommend them to anyone! As a new bride, not knowing anything about the wedding industry, she did a great job explaining it all to me. She kept us under budget, on schedule, recommended amazing vendors, and overall calmed us all throughout the process. I am very detail-oriented, and she kept a very thorough list of what was expected and when we needed to accomplish said task.
We could not have done any of this without Coastal Coordinating. Katy was with us every step of the way and made the entire wedding-planning process feel so much more manageable. You don’t realize how much goes into a wedding until you begin planning. She kept us on track with a clear schedule – monthly meetings at first, and then weekly check-ins as the wedding approached. She was always available to text, email, or call us when we were stressed or needed guidance. On the wedding day, she and her team handled details seamlessly, handled all the deliveries, worked well with the vendors, and allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the day.”
The Inspiration
“We wanted a wedding that was timeless. We decided to do a ‘coastal elegance’ design with palm fronds, orchids, light blue hues, and tuxedos. This theme brought together our personalities in that we wanted to show off the beauty and naturalness of the beach and the timelessness of our love to one another.
Our colors were light blue, green, and white. We chose these colors to play on the raw beauty of the beach and our surroundings. We wanted a wedding that was very naturally beautiful and felt that with the colors we could draw people’s attention to this natural beauty.
We wanted a hometown wedding surrounded by all our local friends and family, while also sharing the beauty of the place we now call home. Our wedding planner captured that effortless beauty from the moment we told them what we envisioned. From the choice of flowers (palm fronds and orchids) to the natural colors (green, blue, and white), the wedding was truly flawless, and I could not have imagined it in any other way.”
The Linens
Over The Top Rental Linens
The Lighting & Cold Sparks
Tampa Bay DJ Company
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All the vendors went above and beyond! Kourtney Kaiser Photography was absolutely amazing. They are a husband/wife duo who did a beautiful job capturing the warmth and light of the day. They did a great job getting us to laugh and just relax throughout the entire process. Likewise, the videographer was amazing. She worked well with the photographers and had some amazing ideas. One of the coolest features was that she released next day previews or Instagram reels that immediately recapped the beauty of moments throughout the day. I originally didn’t think that I needed a videographer; however, being able to relive the day and see the beauty in the moments made it worthwhile to me, Hunter, and our families.
Iza’s Flowers brought the natural elegance to a whole new level. She instantly picked up on what I had envisioned for the wedding and brought it to life. The florals of the orchids and palm fronds really brought the timelessness and natural beauty of the beach and Clearwater to life. Another amazing thing about Iza’s is that all the flowers were donated to Hospice. It was so comforting to know that the flowers that made our day could be shared with others.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
First, absolutely hire a wedding coordinator. I cannot emphasize enough how many people told me the wedding day would fly by—and they were right. Having a coordinator allowed me to truly enjoy the day, be present, and ‘live in the moment’ without worrying about the details – as I knew Katy and her amazing team at Coastal Coordinating had our back!
Second, try not to be a perfectionist. Our day ended up looking very different than what I had originally imagined, especially after the hurricanes forced us to change plans. But in the end, it turned out even more beautiful than anything I could have planned myself. It truly took a team to make our wedding happen, and I am endlessly grateful for every vendor, coordinator, parishioner, family member, and friend who helped bring our dream and the day to life.
