Lauren and Ralphie's destination St. Pete Beach wedding combined classic styling with romantic flora in shades of shell pink and white befitting of the renowned “Pink Palace” backdrop.
The Atlanta couple used to reside in the Tampa Bay area so they knew they wanted to host a destination wedding along the iconic gulf coast. The bride and groom sought a wedding venue with luxurious amenities to host their guests without needing to leave the property so that they could safely enjoy everyone's company during the pandemic.
“The Don CeSar, or the ‘Pink Palace,' is the perfect place for an elegant beach wedding. Our design focus was simply to complement the beautiful venue,” Lauren revealed. “It was very important to us to make the wedding day as stress-free as possible for us and our guests. After nearly a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked forward to celebrating with family and friends we had not seen for some time. Hosting all wedding festivities at the Don Cesar was a wonderful way to spend as much time with our guests as possible.”
After COVID thwarted Ralphie's plans to propose in Napa Valley, he planned a surprise proposal in Clearwater Beach with family in tow, along with friend and local wedding photographer Carrie Wildes Photography, who documented their engagement along with their April wedding celebration.
“Our photographer, Carrie, is a dear family friend and a wonderful photographer. Through her many contacts in the Tampa wedding industry, she connected us with a number of excellent vendors,” the bride raved.
Lauren envisioned a light and natural makeup look and relied on the experts at Adore Bridal to also create side-swept loose curls to complement her strapless sweetheart neckline and dramatic cathedral veil.
“Adore Bridal was fantastic!” Lauren gushed. “They specialize in airbrush makeup which is light and flawless. I knew I wanted my hair down, but I let Adore Bridal handle the rest!”
To further capture the fun on the wedding day, the bride and groom hired The Gala Photobooth which provided entertainment and photo keepsakes for their guests.
“We found The Gala Photobooth and loved all of the various backdrops and props. Booking was easy and the service was even better!” the bride beamed.
Lauren recalls one of the most memorable experiences of the day during their ceremony when the couple paused to savor the moment.
“During the ceremony, our pastor had us turn and face all of our guests. It was an opportunity to really take in all the love and support from our closest friends and family,” the bride reminisced.
What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
Adore Bridal was fantastic! They specialize in airbrush makeup which is light and flawless. I knew I wanted my hair down, but I let Adore Bridal handle the rest!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
The Don CeSar, or the Pink Palace, is the perfect place for an elegant beach wedding. Our design focus was simply to complement the beautiful venue. It was very important to us to make the wedding day as stress-free as possible for us and our guests.
After nearly a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked forward to celebrating with family and friends we had not seen for some time. Hosting all wedding festivities at the Don Cesar was a wonderful way to spend as much time with our guests as possible.
The Proposal:
My wonderful husband planned an elaborate proposal in Napa Valley prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. After many months of planning and praying conditions would improve, he realized Napa was not going to work out. He decided to propose Memorial Day weekend at Clearwater Beach. After he proposed, our families came running onto the beach, and there was truly not a dry eye around! Carrie Wildes Photography was there to capture the whole thing.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Our photographer, Carrie, of Carrie Wildes Photography, is a dear family friend and a wonderful photographer. Through her many contacts in the Tampa wedding industry, she connected us with a number of excellent vendors.
What did you look for in a photo booth?
We found The Gala Photo Booth and loved all of the various backdrops and props. Booking was easy and the service was even better!
