Lauren and Trey
St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church/The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
“We would describe our theme and wedding design inspiration as classic and timeless. We wanted to keep the design elements minimal so our venues could speak for themselves. We wanted to embrace the elegance of a black-and-white wedding with touches of dark green as a nod to the Christmas season, the beautiful greenery of St. Petersburg, and my favorite color!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Lauren and Trey’s classic St. Pete wedding was a December celebration that paired a traditional church ceremony with a sophisticated museum reception for 212 guests. The bride and groom exchanged vows at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church before hosting an elegant evening at a unique museum venue. A crisp black-and-white palette accented with deep green, structured white florals, gold Chiavari chairs, and candlelit tablescapes set a refined, seasonal tone throughout the space.
“We live in Nashville, TN, for the baseball off-season and wherever baseball takes us during the season. I was born and raised in Saint Petersburg, FL, and always dreamed of having a wedding in my hometown, where most of my family still lives. Also, the weather in St. Pete is hard to beat in December!!” the bride beamed. “We were both raised Catholic, so it was essential to us to marry in the Catholic Church. During cocktail hour, we included wedding pictures of the married couples in our family who came before us, as well as a memorial bookcase for those no longer with us. We made custom crossword puzzles, available with personalized pencils during cocktail hour, because we love doing crosswords together. We decided to set up a fresh oyster bar for cocktail hour because our favorite date nights usually include finding the best oysters in town!”
The Rehearsal Dinner
Red Mesa Events
“For the rehearsal dinner, we wanted a space that could host a cocktail hour, a rehearsal dinner, and a welcome party all in one venue, and Red Mesa Events was perfect for that!
We reserved three separate spaces, including the rooftop, for our events, and they brought our vision to life! The food was amazing, the staff was so accommodating, and the spaces were beautiful. We loved hosting a welcome party to greet our guests, since most were coming from out of town. It was so convenient to walk upstairs after our incredible rehearsal dinner to all our favorite people.”
Most Memorable Moments
“The entire day was a blast! Having all your friends and family in the same room is truly a blessing. Some of our most memorable moments include getting ready with our wedding party, our first look, the ceremony, our first dances, and spending most of our night on the dance floor with our favorite people!”
Finding Wedding Vendors
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay to find our reception venue, florist, and caterer. It was such a helpful tool in the planning process because it saved us a ton of time, being able to compare a lot of vendors all in one place through reviews, biographies, pictures, and immediate direct inquiries.”
The Bach Parties and Honeymoon
“I hosted my bachelorette party on Captiva Island, FL. We chose Captiva because my family has been going there for over 40 years, and it holds a special place in my heart.
Trey hosted his bachelor party in San Diego, CA, because he lived there for a few years in the past and knew it would be a fun destination for all his friends in November – golf weather, food, and fun!
We spent our honeymoon at Sanctuary Cap Cana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Trey played some baseball in the DR a few years ago, and we both loved the idea of going back there this time for a vacation, rather than work. We wanted something tropical, relaxing, and easily accessible.”
The Rentals
“We used Kate Ryan Event Rentals for all of our dining chairs, linens, and seating chart. We absolutely loved how much those three items helped bring our vision to life. The chairs and linen made the space look so elegant, and the seating chart was straight out of my wedding Pinterest board!”
The Inspiration
“We would describe our theme and wedding design inspiration as classic and timeless. We wanted to keep the design elements minimal so our venues could speak for themselves. We wanted to embrace the elegance of a black-and-white wedding with touches of dark green as a nod to the Christmas season, the beautiful greenery of St. Petersburg, and my favorite color!”
Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors exceeded our expectations tremendously! It was such a stress-free day for us because of them. Our planner, Jordan, and our photographer, Alexis, worked seamlessly to make sure everything was above and beyond!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Start planning as soon as you can and book the larger vendors (venue, photographer, planner) early to secure them for their date and ease stress closer to the big day. Enjoy and embrace the wedding planning process because in the blink of an eye, it’s over and all worth it!
