Kayla and Ryan's Ybor City wedding was a romantic evening filled with classic white flora, greenery, and pops of metallic gold in a historical setting, with lively music befitting the vibrant city.
“Our wedding design inspiration was simple, classic, and timeless. We wanted something elegant that would withstand the changing trends,” the bride shared. “We chose white and gold as our primary colors, with evergreen and greenery mixed in throughout. We loved how classy these colors looked together without being too loud or distracting. Our bridesmaids' dresses were evergreen, which made for a beautiful pop of color during the ceremony and in the photos.”
The local bride consulted Marry Me Tampa Bay's resources while planning her celebration, relying on the list of recommended wedding pros as well as the advice-filled articles.
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay throughout our wedding planning process. We read tons of helpful blogs with great wedding advice and tips/tricks. We also checked out some of their preferred vendors while doing our research to make sure we thoroughly assessed all our options!” Kayla beamed.
The Lutz couple sought a wedding venue that offered a combination of architectural beauty and modern convenience for their 120 guests. They fell in love with the stunning historic setting at Hotel Haya along with the charming location and bountiful amenities.
“The main thing we looked for in a wedding venue was convenience. We wanted the day to be as convenient as possible for ourselves and our guests. We knew we liked the idea of getting married at a hotel, as you can typically host all events on-site while providing lodging for out-of-town guests.ย We decided on Hotel Hayaย because of its convenience and beauty,” the bride gushed. “Hotel Haya was a very convenient choice for us, as we and most of our friends and family live within 25 miles of Ybor City. Also, itโs only about a 20-minute drive from Tampa International Airport, making it convenient for our out-of-town guests.”
While attending a Tampa wedding show to get ideas and inspiration for their Ybor nuptials, the bride immediately connected with Karen Cerboni, the owner ofย EventFull Weddings. Karen's organization and attention to detail proved invaluable, allowing Kayla to truly enjoy her wedding day.
“We honestly were not looking for a wedding planner until we attended the Tie the Knot wedding event in Ybor and met Karen with EventFull Weddings!ย We instantly hit it off! I loved her personality and how helpful she was in answering all my wedding-related questions.” Kayla raved. “They provided great service and were extremely helpful in ensuring everything went smoothly on our wedding day. In hindsight, I would have decided to use them earlier on in the process for more help in planning the details before the wedding day!”
Not only had Kayla and Ryan known each other for over a decade, but they were surrounded by their closest friends and family, most of whom they had known nearly all of their lives, which created a truly unique and sentimental celebration.
“One thing that made our wedding unique is that because we were middle school sweethearts and grew up in the same area, we still have a lot of the same friends. Our wedding was like one big middle school/high school reunion!” the bride beamed.
The bride knew the importance of choosing the right officiant to preside over their wedding ceremony, prioritizing someone who could tell their love story in a way that suited their personalities.
“We were very selective in choosing our officiant as this was one of our most important decisions. An officiant can either make or break the entire ceremony,” Kayla advised. “Ryan and I were middle school sweethearts who reconnected as adults and fell back in love. Since our love story is so unique and special to us, we were looking for someone who could tell our story in a sweet and romantic way while also keeping it light and fun. We are silly and sarcastic, and we wanted that to come across in our ceremony. After talking with Grace from A Wedding With Grace, we knew this was exactly what she would deliver! We were absolutely blown away by how she told our love story, and I donโt think there was a dry eye in the building!”
One of the bride's favorite memories was the tender exchange of seeing the groom for the first time and his emotional reaction that moved him to tears.ย
“One of our most memorable moments was definitely our first look. Ryanโs reaction to seeing me was one of the sweetest moments of my life, and I will remember it forever. He was caught off guard, and neither of us was expecting him to cry, but he sure did!” Kayla reminisced.ย
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette party was in Chicago, Illinois, and it was one of the absolute best weekends of my life! I first visited Chicago a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the city. I have been back a few times over the years and have always wanted to plan a girls' trip there, so my bachelorette was the perfect opportunity to do so! My bridesmaids did an amazing job planning every single detail, and I was so touched!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to Tulum, Mexico for our honeymoon and we absolutely loved it! We love to relax on the beach, but we also like to party it up every now and then!
We were looking for a place that had a little bit of both and Tulum was exactly that! We spent most of our days hanging out in the cabana on the beach (with multiple margaritas and tacos in hand) but also spent time enjoying the amazing nightlife as well as the history and culture that Tulum has to offer!
How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?ย
We rented gold Chiavari chairs from Kate Ryan Event Rentals, and we absolutely loved how they dressed up the room!ย
The Proposal:
Ryan proposed on my birthday on July 3rd. We were living in downtown Tampa at the time, and because we were in the middle of the COVID pandemic, we had made a habit of going walking/rollerblading on the Tampa Riverwalk to pass the time.
On this day, he asked me to rollerblade all the way down to Armature Works, which was a different route than weโd usually take. When we got to the bridge near Ulele, he stopped me, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him! Ulele was the restaurant where we first reunited as adults and had our first date. I was totally caught off guard and not expecting it at all! It was super romantic and intimate, and we celebrated with a drink afterward!
What did you look for in a wedding officiant?
We were very selective in choosing our officiant as this was one of our most important decisions. An officiant can either make or break the entire ceremony.
Ryan and I were middle school sweethearts who reconnected as adults and fell back in love. Since our love story is so unique and special to us, we were looking for someone who could tell our story in a sweet and romantic way while also keeping it light and fun. We are silly and sarcastic, and we wanted that to come across in our ceremony. After talking with Grace from A Wedding With Grace, we knew this was exactly what she would deliver! We were absolutely blown away by how she told our love story, and I donโt think there was a dry eye in the building!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
The main thing we looked for in a wedding venue was convenience. We wanted the day to be as convenient as possible for ourselves and our guests. We knew we liked the idea of getting married at a hotel, as you can typically host all events on-site while providing lodging for out-of-town guests.
We decided on Hotel Haya as our venue because of its convenience and beauty. Hotel Haya was a very convenient choice for us, as we and most of our friends and family live within 25 miles of Ybor City. Also, itโs only about a 20-minute drive from Tampa International Airport, making it convenient for our out-of-town guests.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding design inspiration was simple, classic, and timeless. We wanted something elegant that would withstand the changing trends.
What were your colors?
We chose white and gold as our primary colors, with evergreen and greenery mixed in throughout. We loved how classy these colors looked together without being too loud or distracting. Our bridesmaids' dresses were evergreen, which made for a beautiful pop of color during the ceremony and in the photos.
“We honestly were not looking for a wedding planner until we met Karen with EventFull Weddings!ย We instantly hit it off! I loved her personality and how helpful she was in answering all my wedding-related questions. They provided great service and were extremely helpful in ensuring everything went smoothly on our wedding day. In hindsight, I would have decided to use them earlier on in the process for more help in planning the details before the wedding day!”
-The Bride
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We honestly were not looking for a wedding planner until we attended the Tie the Knot wedding event in Ybor and met Karen with EventFull Weddings!ย We instantly hit it off! I loved her personality and how helpful she was in answering all my wedding-related questions.
They provided great service and were extremely helpful in ensuring everything went smoothly on our wedding day. In hindsight, I would have decided to use them earlier on in the process for more help in planning the details before the wedding day!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Have fun! Wedding planning can be extremely overwhelming, but at the end of the day, everything does work out, and all that matters is who you spend the day with! Surround yourselves with people who love and want to celebrate you, and the rest will work itself out! It sounds clichรฉ, but it's true!ย
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our videographer and photographer were our favorite vendors to work with! On the wedding day, our videographer was fun and upbeat and really got our wedding party hyped for the wedding!ย
Our photographer was equally amazing. She is by far one of the sweetest girls I have ever worked with. It made all the difference, and we were totally blown away by how our photos came out!ย
My hair and make-up artist was another favorite! She was such a joy to hang out with. It felt like she was just another one of my bridesmaids there hanging out, laughing, and getting ready with us.ย
I left our wedding day telling all three of them that I want to be BFFsโฆand I meant it! Lol!ย
