Kristina and Sean’s downtown Tampa wedding was a sophisticated celebration reflecting the bride and groom’s affection for the city and their connection as alumni of the University of Tampa. The April wedding ceremony and reception hosted 164 guests and featured a delicate color palette.
“Our colors were blush with gold accents, along with greenery. We wanted something timeless and classic as opposed to trendy,” the bride explained. “We chose downtown Tampa so we could take advantage of the Hillsborough River and Riverwalk. I also met my husband during college at the University of Tampa, so the downtown area symbolized where our love began.”
Kristina found her photographer and caterer at the Armature Works Wedding Expo and relied on Marry Me Tampa Bay and its Wed-to-Be Facebook Group to search for vendors and ask questions.
“I went to the Armature Work’s Wedding Expo, where many vendors were present, including Marry Me Tampa Bay. I was able to find my photographer and caterer from the wedding expo,” Kristina revealed. “I narrowed down many wedding venues using the Marry Me Tampa Bay vendor search, along with using the Wedding Planning Group on Facebook to answer miscellaneous questions.”
The South Tampa couple knew that they wanted to have their pet on the most important day in their lives, and they selected FairyTail Pet Care to tend to their furbaby before and after the nuptials. The team spent time with Luna before and after the wedding, sending updates with pictures and even cuddling with her before she went to sleep.
“My husband and I couldn’t imagine spending one of the best days of our life without our Luna Tuna. Luna is part of our family, and her presence made the entire ceremony feel very comfortable. During the ceremony, our officiant asked, ‘Does anyone object?’ Luna barked one time at that exact moment; Our entire wedding audience had a huge laugh, and we have candid pictures from that very moment,” Kristina laughed. “FairyTail Pet Care was the first vendor I booked for my wedding, and I couldn’t be happier with their involvement. I expressed concern that Luna can be anxious around crowds or in new environments, and they assured me that they would spend the time to make her comfortable prior to the ceremony. Not only did Kelly from FairyTail take the best care of Luna during the ceremony and pictures, but she also spent hours with her before and after the wedding. She sent updates via email and web portal with pictures and descriptions of Luna’s activity and mood, and Luna looks like she is smiling in every picture.”
Kristina selected Femme Akoi Beauty Studio to create her natural glam look based on recommendations from friends and past clients.
“I wanted natural-looking makeup with some glow, shimmer, and highlight. I wanted to still look and feel like myself on my wedding day, just with some glow and contour,” Kristina detailed. “Femme Akoi was prompt and organized since the moment I messaged them on their website. The team used my inspirational photos to set me up with the perfect makeup artist, Monica. Monica and her team transformed my bridal party, mom, mother-in-law, officiant, and flower girl into glowing, natural beauties.”
The bride and groom made their April wedding unforgettable by using the water taxi to transport their wedding party via boat, which included a man of honor, a maid of honor, and a dog as the “pup of honor.” For the seating chart, they commissioned custom cookies with guests’ names and table numbers and opted for donuts as their dessert instead of traditional treats.
“One of the most unique aspects of our wedding was taking the Pirate Water Taxi to Armature Works with the wedding party. It was so much fun to take a boat as opposed to regular transportation to our venue, and we have beautiful pictures on the Hillsborough River,” the bride beamed.
The couple made the last 45 minutes of the reception a mini rave with electronic dance music and provided their guests with a light-up glow stick for the dance floor. As the bride thought about the most memorable moments of her wedding day, it was a surprise choreographed dance with her father featuring classic rock hits that meant the most.
“Most of our guests know how much music means to myself and my dad; The father/daughter dance was a seven-song mash-up of our favorite rock n roll songs, and I choreographed our dance. Our guests were not expecting my dad and me to enter the dance floor to J Geils band, and that was just the beginning. Our dance included old-school dance moves to Tom Petty, ZZ Top, Def Leopard, and Charlie Daniels Band. Every person in the venue was standing, cheering, dancing, and partying,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
My husband and I had been dating for ten years by the time I walked down the aisle. He proposed in December, after eight years of dating. Although most people would imagine it was an expected engagement, it really wasn’t. I had just recovered from the flu and Sean offered to take me out to a nice dinner since I had been sick the previous week. He took me to Armani’s for drinks, and I didn’t think much of it. He attempted to take me to the rooftop, but I quickly objected since it was sprinkling and I didn’t want to mess up my hair.
Little did I know, my husband had to immediately think of Plan B and was texting the photographer to come up with another area in the restaurant to propose. A few moments later, he took me over to this beautiful Christmas tree made of wine glasses and proposed in front of it. He had a photographer who captured the entire moment. Then, we celebrated with friends and family at the Epicurean Hotel.
Why did you choose to incorporate your pet into your wedding day?
My husband and I couldn’t imagine spending one of the best days of our life without our Luna Tuna. Luna is part of our family, and her presence made the entire ceremony feel very comfortable. During the ceremony, our officiant asked, ‘Does anyone object?’ Luna barked one time at that exact moment; Our entire wedding audience had a huge laugh, and we have candid pictures from that very moment.
FairyTail Pet Care was the first vendor I booked for my wedding, and I couldn’t be happier with their involvement. I expressed concern that Luna can be anxious around crowds or in new environments, and they assured me that they would spend the time to make her comfortable prior to the ceremony.
Not only did Kelly from FairyTail take the best care of Luna during the ceremony and pictures, but she also spent hours with her before and after the wedding. She sent updates via email and web portal with pictures and descriptions of Luna’s activity and mood, and Luna looks like she is smiling in every picture. Kelly even cuddled with Luna before Luna fell asleep for the night.
What was your wedding day beauty inspiration?
I wanted natural-looking makeup with some glow, shimmer, and highlight. I wanted to still look and feel like myself on my wedding day, just with some glow and contour.
I had two friends who were recently married, and both brides looked natural yet stunning on their wedding day. Both friends do not typically wear a lot of makeup, and I felt that their wedding looks reflected their natural beauty. When I reached out to both friends via text, they both responded that they used Femme Akoi Beauty Studio. It seemed like the universe was trying to tell me something, so I immediately set up a consultation.
Femme Akoi was prompt and organized since the moment I messaged them on their website. The team used my inspirational photos to set me up with the perfect makeup artist, Monica. Monica and her team transformed my bridal party, mom, mother-in-law, officiant, and flower girl into glowing, natural beauties.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We spent our honeymoon in Tulum, Mexico, about a month after our wedding. It was difficult to plan an extravagant trip out of the country due to COVID protocols, but after some research, we discovered Tulum. We were looking for an environment with a little bit of everything, and that is exactly what Tulum offers. It was a perfect mix of ocean and jungle, along with friendly locals, fresh food and drinks, eclectic shopping, and fun nightlife.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Due to COVID, my plans changed from L.A. to the Dominican Republic until international travel closed. We finally chose New Orleans based on COVID protocols, distance, and vibe. Although only 50% of the bridesmaids could make it (COVID outbreak), it was fabulous. We stayed in the oldest neighborhood of NOLA, attended a haunted ghost pub crawl, and ate the best southern food.
What were your inspiration and colors?
Our colors were blush with gold accents, along with greenery. We wanted something timeless and classic as opposed to trendy.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Not only did Kelly from FairyTail Pet Care take the best care of Luna during the ceremony and pictures, but she also spent hours with her before and after the wedding. She sent updates via email and web portal with pictures and descriptions of Luna’s activity/mood, and Luna looks like she is smiling in every picture. Kelly even cuddled with Luna before Luna fell asleep for the night.
Our DJ was organized, thoughtful, and creative. Music was a very important aspect of our wedding. I wanted to music that encompassed my Detroit and Memphis roots, while my husband wanted to incorporate his love of electronic dance music. Our DJ was very attentive during our meetings and created the most marvelous playlist for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and late-night dancing. He went above and beyond his role as DJ by making a mashup of rock and roll songs for my father daughter dance and also perfected the timeline.
Before the wedding, I was nervous that I wouldn’t have time to enjoy the appetizers at cocktail hour or the family style dinner. The caterers brought the appetizers to my husband and I during sunset photos just to make sure we had a chance to enjoy. I can honestly say I ate everything at my wedding.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Budget for a wedding planner. I did not have a wedding planner, and it was difficult to enjoy the entire wedding planning process without guidance. With that said, I would also encourage couples to not worry about their guests’ thoughts and opinions when planning their dream day. It’s more fun to be unique than traditional! And really, your guests are there to support you as a couple no matter what.
