Emily and Austin's South Tampa wedding was a chic celebration that began in the heart of downtown Tampa. The couple exchanged vows at a traditional cathedral ceremony before dining and dancing the night away in a modern, neutral-hued reception set in the trendy neighborhood of Hyde Park.
“We wanted our wedding to be simple and romantic with a few modern pops of color. We wanted to keep the decor simple and let the venue speak for itself,” the bride shared. “Our colors were white and black with greenery with pops of subtle pinks. We wanted to keep it clean, but we’re so glad that our florist suggested some pops of color in our florals towards the end. I followed Marry Me Tampa Bay on Instagram from the beginning, and it was super helpful to see the most popular vendors and get inspiration for our wedding in general.”
The local couple understood the value of working with a seasoned wedding planner while orchestrating their 275-guest March celebration. They relied on the team of experts at Coastal Coordinating to help provide vendor recommendations, offer creative ideas, and keep the process running smoothly leading up to and throughout the big day.
“We looked for a wedding planner who had a lot of experience in the Tampa market. We also wanted someone who was easygoing and made the process enjoyable. We chose Coastal Coordinating because of their reach in the Tampa market. We saw they had done a lot of weddings in Tampa that fit what we were looking for. Our first call with Katy was very warm and inviting, and she made us feel at ease about the whole process, not overwhelmed,” Emily beamed. “Cayla was our wedding planner, and she went above and beyond for us. She was very easy to reach and had great ideas, but also helped us create our own vision and worked very well with our vendors. We had a lot of moving parts with our wedding, but she made it feel effortless and stress-free and was super accommodating!”
The bride and groom prioritized hiring a photography and videography team that could cohesively capture their celebration in a way that felt moody and authentic. Upon meeting the talented husband and wife duo at J&S Media, they knew they were in the best of hands.
“For our wedding photo and video team, the style was very important to us. We wanted a team whose pictures and videos looked warm and a little moody, not too overexposed. For the video, we wanted something that told a story, not just a series of clips from the day, but something more cohesive,” the bride articulated. “We chose J&S Media because we loved their style. Their photos looked so candid rather than just regular posing. We also loved that they were a husband and wife team who did photography and videography so that both had a cohesive end result. Plus, they were so sweet and easy to get along with once we met them, and they made us feel heard and comfortable!”
Leaning into the existing modern decor of their venue, the pair turned to Kate Ryan Event Rentals for their extensive, stylish inventory. From the seating to the place settings to the dance floor, the decorative elements helped translate Emily's wedding vision into the space.
“We used table and chair rentals from Kate Ryan Event Rentals as well as our checkerboard dance floor, linens, and amber water goblets. We loved the look of the dance floor and felt like the amber water goblets added a fun and moody element to the table setting,” the bride detailed.
The pair focused on the party atmosphere of their reception, selecting decor and music that would set the scene and ensure their guests enjoyed an epic celebration. The bride and groom credit their expert DJ from Graingertainment for the unforgettable experience.
“The most important elements were the dance floor and overall atmosphere. We wanted our guests to have the best time and never be bored! We love a good party, so we made sure that we made our dance floor as fun as possible with the checkerboard floor, marquee letters, and an awesome dance floor vibe. We loved the raised bleachers around the dance floor because we had such fun moments dancing with our bridal party up there like we were on stage at a concert. We also will never forget how my 85-year-old grandfather was out on the dance floor all night long getting down.” the bride beamed. “A DJ was one of the most important vendors for us because we wanted a party to remember. We chose Graingertainment because of their awesome reviews and because we felt like they knew how to throw a good party and listen to our vision. Graingertainment really made the night memorable as Austin and I never left the dance floor the entire night.”
With the evening's dancing at the forefront of the festivities, one of the couple's most cherished memories of the day was their first dance, when Mother Nature gifted the pair with an unforgettable setting to kick off their reception.
“One of our most memorable moments was our first dance. We decided to do our first dance out on the veranda because everyone wouldn’t have been able to see it if we did it inside on the dance floor,” Emily reminisced. “We were so worried because the forecast for the day was an 80% chance of rain, but up until that point, we had no rain. About 10 minutes before we were supposed to walk out for the first dance, it started raining. The veranda was covered, so we still wanted to keep our first dance outside. Just before we were announced, the skies cleared, and the rain stopped, and the sun came out and shone so beautifully on us as we did our first dance.”
The Proposal:
Austin and I had been dating since we were 17 years old. We went to separate colleges but stayed together and eventually ended up back in Tampa together. We would always go for bike rides on Bayshore Boulevard and loved the views. One day, we were supposed to meet our friends for drinks, but as we were driving down Bayshore, Austin told me we had some time to spare, so he pulled over, and we went for a short walk. We stopped at one of the benches and looked out over the water. As we were talking, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to the Excellence Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and we highly recommend it. We chose Punta Cana because it was fairly easy to get to and had beautiful scenery. The Excellence Resort was incredible, an all-inclusive resort that didn’t feel tacky but felt more like a luxurious boutique hotel. No complaints at all!
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We looked for a wedding planner who had a lot of experience in the Tampa market. We also wanted someone who was easygoing and made the process enjoyable.
We chose Coastal Coordinating because of their reach in the Tampa market. We saw they had done a lot of weddings in Tampa that fit what we were looking for. Our first call with Katy was very warm and inviting, and she made us feel at ease about the whole process, not overwhelmed. Cayla was our wedding planner, and she went above and beyond for us. She was very easy to reach and had great ideas, but also helped us create our own vision and worked very well with our vendors. We had a lot of moving parts with our wedding, but she made it feel effortless and stress-free and was super accommodating!
What did you look for in a wedding photo and video team?
For our wedding photo and video team, the style was very important to us. We wanted a team whose pictures and videos looked warm and a little moody, not too overexposed. For the video, we wanted something that told a story, not just a series of clips from the day, but something more cohesive.
We chose J&S Media because we loved their style. Their photos looked so candid rather than just regular posing. We also loved that they were a husband and wife team who did photography and videography so that both had a cohesive end result. Plus, they were so sweet and easy to get along with once we met them, and they made us feel heard and comfortable!
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
Hair and makeup inspiration was kind of classic Hollywood for hair and for makeup, I wanted something warm and glowy. We hired Femme Akoi because we had heard great things about them, and with eight bridesmaids, we needed a team big enough to help everything run smoothly. Femme Akoi did a great job! Grissel did my hair and makeup and was fantastic. All of the artists were really sweet, and the bridesmaids looked great!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I had my bachelorette party on Anna Maria Island because I wanted something relaxing and easy for everyone to get to. I highly recommend it as a low-key trip close to Tampa, and you have to rent out the Monkey Bus and do a bar crawl through all of the local bars.
What was your wedding theme?
We wanted our wedding to be simple and romantic with a few modern pops of color. We wanted to keep the decor simple and let the venue speak for itself.
What were your colors?
Our colors were white and black with greenery with pops of subtle pinks. We wanted to keep it clean, but we’re so glad that our florist suggested some pops of color in our florals towards the end.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding reception?
We used table and chair rentals from Kate Ryan Event Rentals as well as our checkerboard dance floor, linens, and amber water goblets. We loved the look of the dance floor and felt like the amber water goblets added a fun and moody element to the table setting.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
A DJ was one of the most important vendors for us because we wanted a party to remember. We chose Graingertainment because of their awesome reviews and because we felt like they knew how to throw a good party and listen to our vision. Graingertainment really made the night memorable as Austin and I never left the dance floor the entire night.
Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
We loved all of our vendors, but Cayla at Coastal Coordinating definitely went above and beyond for us. We also loved our caterer; everyone talked about how great their meals were. Graingertainment really made the night memorable, as Austin and I never left the dance floor.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make sure that you find little moments throughout the day to spend with just you and your new spouse to soak it all in, and make sure you step back a few times to appreciate everything because it goes so fast!
