Rickia and Trent's destination Safety Harbor wedding combined wintery-white flora with pops of striking gold and champagne for an elegant and modern feel. The bride and groom exchanged vows in a traditional chapel ceremony before enjoying a formal reception with a gourmet meal and lively dancing with their closest friends and family.
“Our wedding theme was modern-white. The inspiration behind the theme was the fact we were having a wedding in the winter, and we wanted a palette that was clean and refreshing, representing a new chapter. We also wanted a theme that was elegant that we could look back on without regretting our choices,” the bride detailed. “The wedding color palette emphasized white, but we had hints of champagne, gold, and some greenery throughout. These were mainly our accent colors, and they helped to tie the overall romantic theme together.”
The Dallas couple relied on online resources such as Marry Me Tampa Bay to aid in their long-distance planning process. The wedding planning site helped provide a plethora of beautiful wedding options suitable for their 130 guests.
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay initially when considering different wedding venues,” the bride shared. “We would advise Tampa Bay couples to thoroughly research Tampa Bay vendors and surrounding areas. We would also advise them to thoroughly outline the questions they plan to ask vendors so that they can ensure they’re comparing apples to apples. Explore as many vendors as possible. The thought of planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but there are a number of resources such as Marry Me Tampa Bay that could ease the task.”
While searching on Marry Me Tampa Bay, Rickia and Trent found Harborside Chapel. The pristine ceremony venue offered a blank slate to suit their desired decor and featured a stunning, bright backdrop. The faith-based focus and premarital counseling aligned with the couple's values and showed that the venue was invested in their marriage and not just their single-day ceremony.
“We focused on places that had an elegant feel and did not require much effort to create an upscale ambiance. We considered the logistics as well as budget, location, and the services offered. We wanted both the ceremony and reception venues to have nice indoor spaces because Florida weather can be pretty unpredictable. It was really important that the venues offered some sort of coordinator as we planned this wedding ourselves. When we toured Harborside Chapel, we immediately fell in love with the venue. The natural lighting and just how effortlessly beautiful it was won us over,” the bride raved. “Harborside pretty much checked all of our boxes when it came to price and services offered. Our day-of coordinator was very helpful throughout the rehearsal and the days leading up to the wedding. We had extensive conversations to make sure that all aspects were considered. The venue was also flexible when we wanted to make small changes to make the flow of our wedding personal to us. Aside from that, we appreciated the values of Harborside. Our faith is important to us, and Harborside offered premarital counseling that was helpful and insightful. This was super convenient as we always planned to engage in premarital counseling.”
The couple sought a wedding photography team with a portfolio of light and airy images, a team of seasoned artists, and packages that fit their price range. Lifelong Photography Studio exceeded their expectations, effortlessly guiding the bride and groom through the photography process and flawlessly documenting their day.
“We searched for a photographer who matched our style. We wanted photos that were vibrant and timeless, not too airbrushed or overly edited. We had an engagement shoot with Lifelong Photography Studio that went well. The shoot was pretty natural and flowed easily. Our photographer guided us along the way with pose ideas and suggestions,” Rickia beamed. “We hired Lifelong because of their portfolio as well as the price and photo packages they offered. We were thoroughly pleased with their services. They went above and beyond to make sure that we achieved the shots we wanted and then some. They also worked with us when we shared details and examples of the shots we wanted on our wedding day. Communication was easy, and the turnaround time was amazing.”
The couple injected their personalities into various elements of the wedding day experience to create a one-of-a-kind event. From customized accessories to themed menu offerings, the final result felt uniquely them.
“We incorporated our personalities into the wedding by adding personal touches throughout,” Rickia detailed. “From small details like customizing Trent’s cuff links to larger items like the elements included on our table menu trifold. We categorized each element of the menu with an ‘in love' phrase. Accordingly, drinks would be found under ‘Drunk in Love.'”
Two intimate moments stood out most to newlyweds: focusing their attention on one another and tuning out the rest of their surroundings, which allowed the pair to regroup and remember what the day was truly all about.
“The most memorable moments were the ceremony and sharing brief alone time after being married while waiting in the rental car after our send-off,” the bride reminisced. “Meeting each other at the altar and exchanging personal vows are memories that we will keep for a lifetime. The majority of the day was so busy, but the altar was where we were able to just focus on one another, ignoring whether things were going according to our plan.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
We had separate bachelor/bachelorette parties. I hosted my bachelorette party in Atlanta, GA., and Trent hosted his in Houston, TX. The trip was a surprise and planned by our bridesmaids/groomsmen. It was a weekend trip, so they were able to do various activities and visit multiple places.
The Proposal:
Trent proposed at the Lantern Festival in Dade City. It was New Year's Eve. At the festival, the hosts instructed us to write things on our lanterns that we were hopeful for and anything personal to us. We lit the lanterns on the fire stick and watched them soar into the sky.
On Trent’s lantern, he wrote a checklist of dates that were significant to our relationship (i.e., when we met, our first date, and when we started officially dating). There was one box that was unchecked, our potential engagement date. As we watched the lantern soar, Trent dropped to one knee, asking to marry me. It was completely unexpected and such a sweet moment between us.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We focused on places that had an elegant feel and did not require much effort to create an upscale ambiance. We considered the logistics as well as budget, location, and the services offered. We wanted both the ceremony and reception venues to have nice indoor spaces because Florida weather can be pretty unpredictable. It was really important that the venues offered some sort of coordinator as we planned this wedding ourselves.
When we toured Harborside Chapel, we immediately fell in love with the venue. The natural lighting and just how effortlessly beautiful it was won us over. Harborside pretty much checked all of our boxes when it came to price and services offered. Our day-of coordinator was very helpful throughout the rehearsal and the days leading up to the wedding. We had extensive conversations to make sure that all aspects were considered. The venue was also flexible when we wanted to make small changes to make the flow of our wedding personal to us. Aside from that, we appreciated the values of Harborside. Our faith is important to us, and Harborside offered premarital counseling that was helpful and insightful. This was super convenient as we always planned to engage in premarital counseling.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Costa Rica. We chose this location because it was a place we both wanted to visit. We were also able to work with a vacation planner to customize our stays and excursions. This was convenient and allowed us more time to focus on the wedding.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We searched for a photographer who matched our style. We wanted photos that were vibrant and timeless, not too airbrushed or overly edited. We had an engagement shoot with Lifelong Photography Studio that went well. The shoot was pretty natural and flowed easily. Our photographer guided us along the way with pose ideas and suggestions.
We hired Lifelong because of their portfolio as well as the price and photo packages they offered. We were thoroughly pleased with their services. They went above and beyond to make sure that we achieved the shots we wanted and then some. They also worked with us when we shared details and examples of the shots we wanted on our wedding day. Communication was easy, and the turnaround time was amazing.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was modern-white. The inspiration behind the theme was the fact we were having a wedding in the winter, and we wanted a palette that was clean and refreshing, representing a new chapter. We also wanted a theme that was elegant that we could look back on without regretting our choices.
What were your colors?
The wedding color palette emphasized white, but we had hints of champagne, gold, and some greenery throughout. These were mainly our accent colors, and they helped to tie the overall romantic theme together.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our florist, DJ, and photographer exceeded our expectations. In such a short amount of time, our florist worked to take our altar florals and repurpose them for our sweetheart table. We had a very slim window because the ceremony ran slightly longer than planned, and the reception was at a different location. Our DJ kept the party going and made sure to set the atmosphere for our guests to have a good time. He took requests often and had a set list guaranteed to get guests dancing. Our photographer especially exceeded our expectations as they gave us an additional photographer free of charge to help cover the wedding and to ensure we achieved what was on our shot list. This was greatly appreciated.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Thoroughly research Tampa Bay vendors and surrounding areas and thoroughly outline the questions they plan to ask vendors so that they can ensure they’re comparing apples to apples. Explore as many vendors as possible. The thought of planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but there are a number of resources, such as Marry Me Tampa Bay, that could ease the task.
