Elizabeth and Tim’s downtown St. Pete wedding embodied a modern take on tropical elegance with gorgeous floral arrangements and charming gold details.

“I wanted our design to have a classic feel, with a modern twist,” the bride explained. “The venue itself was a big inspiration when it came to capturing our theme. I wanted our décor to reflect the classic feel of the space. We used a lot of aubergine and gold accents with orchids and tropical foliage to pull off exactly what we were envisioning.”

MORE: TROPICAL WEDDING INSPIRATION

As she was piecing together her destination Florida wedding from New York, the bride turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for local advice and guidance.

“When I started planning, I found the process to be a bit overwhelming since I was planning the wedding from out-of-state. Even though I was from the Tampa area, I found Marry Me Tampa Bay to be a great resource for envisioning venues in new ways,” the bride shared. “It was great looking at the featured real weddings and gaining inspiration. Marry Me Tampa Bay was also a great resource in finding some amazing vendors. We found the majority of our wedding vendors through recommendations from our planner, friends, and wedding related blogs such as Marry Me Tampa Bay.”

Since Elizabeth and Tim were traveling hundreds of miles for their destination wedding, they searched for a waterfront venue in downtown St. Pete near activities for their guests.

“What really stood out about The Birchwood were their gorgeous waterfront views and convenient downtown location,” the bride explained. “From start to finish, the service was exceptional, and we loved being able to fully customize our menu. The team did an amazing job working with us to create some special items for our cocktail hour, like Cuban sandwiches and Philly cheese steaks. Getting to add in those little details added the personal touch we were looking for.”

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Looking for a St. Pete wedding planner who was highly experienced and could help them feel at ease during the planning process, the bride and groom chose Love Lee Lane.

“Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but our wedding planner helped to make the entire process organized and fun. Being out-of-state, we really leaned on them for vendor recommendations,” the bride shared. “Love Lee Lane had been recommended to us by family friends, so I felt confident that they would do an amazing job, and they truly did! During the day of the wedding, we were able to relax, enjoy our ceremony and spend time with our guests. Knowing our planner had all of the logistics covered was truly a blessing.”

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To set the atmosphere and help with the overall flow of the ceremony, the couple hired live musicians on the recommendation of their planner.

“Sunset Strings did a lovely job, and I was so happy that they were part of our ceremony,” the bride gushed.

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Reminiscing on the day they tied the knot, Elizabeth and Tim enjoyed sneaking away for just a bit to take everything in.

“We made sure to have a moment by ourselves between the wedding and reception. During this time we had trays of our cocktail hour drinks and hors d’oeuvres brought to us, which allowed us to relax and grab some food in the middle of our busy day. We did a quick toast, enjoyed the food we spent so much time picking out, and just looked at each other and laughed because we were so happy,” the bride gushed.

What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Planning a wedding from another state was a daunting task, so I knew I needed someone who I could trust to manage things when I wasn’t available for every meeting with a vendor.

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but our wedding planner helped to make the entire process organized and fun. Love Lee Lane had been recommended to us by family friends, so I felt confident that they would do an amazing job, and they truly did! Being out of state, we really leaned on them for vendor recommendations. During the day of the wedding, we were able to relax, enjoy our ceremony and spend time with our guests. Knowing Love Lee Lane had all of the logistics covered was truly a blessing.

What did you look for in a wedding ceremony musician?
We wanted a musician team who could help with the transitions and the overall flow of the ceremony.

We hired Sunset Strings after hearing great things about them from our wedding planner. They did a lovely job, and I was so happy that they were part of our ceremony.

The Proposal:
Tim and I were spending the week before the holidays in Florida. He said he wanted to plan a special dinner for us at the Tampa Club to celebrate. My mom kept suggesting I get my hair and nails done for this dinner, so my suspicions were high at this point! We had a wonderful dinner overlooking the Tampa skyline, and by the end of the night, Tim pulled me over to the window and got down on one knee while I squealed and said, “Yes!”

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that would be convenient for our guests and would allow our friends the chance to truly enjoy the beautiful Florida scenery. With the central downtown St. Pete location and amazing balcony views, The Birchwood was the perfect match!

What really stood out to us about The Birchwood were their gorgeous waterfront views and convenient downtown location. We also loved that fact that they offered catering and a full-service kitchen on site, which made it so much easier to coordinate for day-of logistics. From start to finish, the service was exceptional, and we loved being able to fully customize our menu. The Birchwood did an amazing job working with us to create some special items for our cocktail hour, like Cuban sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks. Getting to add in those little details added the personal touch we were looking for.

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I wanted our design to have a classic feel, with a modern twist. The venue itself was a big inspiration when it came to capturing our theme. After choosing it, I knew I wanted our décor to reflect the classic feel of the space. We decided to use a lot of aubergine and gold accents with orchids and tropical foliage to pull off exactly what we were envisioning. The Birchwood offered beautiful views of the water while combining the tropical ambiance of the St. Pete area.

What were your colors?
A mix of aubergine and gold, with dark green and white. We also incorporated purple since it’s my favorite color, and the rest of the colors were inspired by the orchids we used in the flower arrangements.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
There are so many great resources for wedding planning and ideas, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed by all of the options. Just be true to who you are as a couple and remember the entire day is about celebrating your love and marriage That’s all that matters at the end of the day!

Ceremony Venue: First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg
Reception Venue and Caterer: The Birchwood *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: K&K Photography
Videographer: Voila Cinematic
Planner: Love Lee Lane *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: Fancies Flowers
Cake: Hands on Sweets
Ceremony Music: Sunset Strings  *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Dr. Tommy Green
Invitations: The Write Stuff
Transportation: Showtime Transportation and Jolley Trolley
Dress Shop and Designer: Kleinfeld Bridal –  Randy Fenoli
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Ann Marie’s Boutique – Sorella Vita
Hair & Makeup: Lindsay Travis Artistry and Meraki Salon
Linens: Linens By the Sea
Seating Chart: Emily Grace Designs