Jaimee and James' rustic Brooksville wedding seamlessly integrated their faith with wooden accents and vibrant bursts of wildflowers.
“Our design inspiration was traditional, bright, and classy rustic. I like color and wanted our wedding to feel like a field of flowers. I like less traditional flowers that have a more wildflower feel yet still have a controlled element,” the bride shared. “I chose a bright mix of colors because I wanted it to be vibrant. Our bridesmaid's dresses were dusty sage green because I wanted the flowers to pop in pictures, and green happens to be our favorite color.”
Influenced by the bride's past connection to Tampa and her and James' mutual adoration for the region, the Spring Hill bride and groom hosted their outdoor June wedding in nearby Brooksville. In search of a venue that reflected elements of both their personalities, the couple selected Legacy Lane Weddings for its blend of rustic charm and upscale ambiance. They were drawn to its subtle nods to faith and the flexibility of having both indoor and outdoor wedding options, providing peace of mind for any unforeseen circumstances.
“My husband is a city boy, and I'm a bit more country, so I wanted a balance of both. Legacy Lane Weddings felt like a great balance between. We wanted something with a little bit of a rustic charm but more upscale. We loved the finished barn, the chandeliers in the pavilion, and the option for us and our family to stay on the beautiful grounds,” the bride gushed. “Their grounds are stunning and every building on-site is so completely thought out with beautiful touches. We loved everything about it and the people running it. They are so kind and thorough, especially Amber, who was our go-to woman. They even helped our tired and crying son make it down the aisle with gummy worms as a bribe to get him there. We loved Legacy Lane from the moment we saw their website. I also loved all of the Christian faith touches and that there were outdoor and indoor options that were all equally beautiful. I would choose it a thousand times over.”
The bride wore an off-the-shoulder sequin and lace gown paired with a half-up hairstyle showcasing natural-looking twists and curls. Her hairdresser styled the bride's hair, and to bring her vision of natural beauty to life, she chose the skilled makeup artists at Michele Renee The Studio.
“I wanted my makeup to be classic, cover up imperfections, but with as natural a look as possible. I needed it to stay put. I'm not as young of a bride as most, but I wanted to feel as beautiful as ever on my wedding day,” the bride detailed. “Michele Renee The Studio and I did a trial run. On the day of the wedding, I had a certain lipstick picked out that I knew wouldn't smudge off with all the kissing, and she was able to adjust my color palette for makeup to make it work. I loved how my makeup turned out!”
The ceremony unfolded in the Legacy Pavilion, a spacious 2,000-square-foot open-air event space, before 140 family and friends. Against the backdrop of lush woods and enchanting lighting, the couple opted for a family friend to officiate and integrated faith-based symbols into the ceremony.
“We did both traditional vows and wrote our own since we both wanted to say something special to each other. I helped write some of what was said by our officiant because we wanted our faith to be a strong element, and I really wanted to include the idea of covenant marriage,” the bride explained. “It was also important that our officiant knew us personally and be someone of faith, so my mom's best friend since childhood, who is like family, officiated. My dad made the cross that was at the altar and stained it for us, and now we have that in our home and can let our children use it someday.”
Integrating their children into the ceremony, Jaimee and James included distinctive elements illuminating their profound commitment and love of family.
“We have five children between us who are our world, and we are a uniquely blended family. I adopted my daughters alone, my husband has two biological children and one he adopted. Including our children as we truly became one family unit was important,” the bride shared. “Our daughters were the flower girls and our sons the ring bearers. My husband calls our daughters princesses so they wore tiaras. Our oldest son has a sense of humor, and I always run late for things, so he carried a sign down the aisle that read, ‘For once she's on time, here comes the bride. My husband adopted our youngest son, so his sign read, ‘It's time to give mommy our last name.' We also incorporated a sand ceremony with our children and included a dance with them at the reception.”
The reception took place in the Legacy Barn, a former six-stable horse barn transformed into a reception space. With windmill fans, romantic string lighting, and wall-to-wall windows providing beautiful views and natural lighting, the event space created the perfect atmosphere of rustic elegance. The couple entrusted Grand Hemond & Associates with their emcee and DJ services, as recommended by the bride's mother.
“We wanted good music and dancing, and my mom led the way on this one. She had used Grant Hemond in the past and had a great experience,” the bride shared.
Prior to the ceremony, the couple exchanged gifts with delivery assistance from their family. The groom's gift was a gold Movado watch engraved with a line from their first dance song, A Thousand Years. The bride received a diamond necklace. Although every moment was memorable, there were several highlights that truly resonated with Jaimee and James.
“One of the moments that remained vivid in my memory was when my mom showed me a video of my husband's reaction to his wedding gift. He started crying and was so happy and touched, which was what I wanted. Another moment was our first look and how James looked at me with tears in his eyes. The entire ceremony, he couldn't take his eyes off of me, and it was perfect,” the bride reminisced. “The groom's memorable moments were the first look because it was the first time he saw me in my dress and our first dance since it was our first time dancing as husband and wife.”
What was your wedding day beauty inspiration?
I wanted my makeup to be classic, cover up imperfections, but with as natural a look as possible. I needed it to stay put. I'm not as young of a bride as most, but I wanted to feel as beautiful as ever on my wedding day.
Michele Renee The Studio and I did a trial run. On the day of the wedding, I had a certain lipstick picked out that I knew wouldn't smudge off with all the kissing, and she was able to adjust my color palette for makeup to make it work. I loved how my makeup turned out!
The Proposal:
What James planned and what he did are different. Christmas Eve day, we were buzzing around the house and getting things done. I never even got dressed that day. I was wrapping and baking in a pair of his basketball shorts and t-shirt, hair thrown up, and not a stitch of makeup on.
In the midst of the craziness of the day, James said he had a moment of thinking, “This is truly our life, and what better moment to ask,” (he had originally planned to ask Christmas morning). So he called me into the living room and got down on one knee in front of our children and the Christmas tree. I said yes, and our oldest son filmed the entire thing on his dad's phone. He had a custom-made engagement ring that was almost identical to what I showed him I liked.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
My husband is a city boy, and I'm a bit more country, so I wanted a balance of both. Legacy Lane Weddings felt like a great balance between. We wanted something with a little bit of a rustic charm but more upscale. We loved the finished barn, the chandeliers in the pavilion, and the option for us and our family to stay on the beautiful grounds. Their grounds are stunning and every building on-site is so completely thought out with beautiful touches. We loved everything about it and the people running it.
They are so kind and thorough, especially Amber, who was our go-to woman. They even helped our tired and crying son make it down the aisle with gummy worms as a bribe to get him there. We loved Legacy Lane from the moment we saw their website. I also loved all of the Christian faith touches and that there were outdoor and indoor options that were all equally beautiful. I would choose it a thousand times over.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We flew to Barcelona, Spain, for two days and then boarded a 10-day cruise through Spain, Italy, and France. We wanted to see Europe together, and this seemed like the best way to see multiple places.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My maid of honor planned it. We stayed at The Epicurean for the weekend, went out for brunch, followed by a lingerie party and dinner, and then went line dancing at The Dallas Bull. I wanted a fun day with my bridesmaids and friends and a night out line dancing, which I love. I'm not a big drinker, so alcohol wasn't as important.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our design inspiration was traditional, bright, and classy rustic. I like color and wanted our wedding to feel like a field of flowers. I like less traditional flowers that have a more wildflower feel yet still have a controlled element.
What were your colors?
I chose a bright mix of colors because I wanted it to be vibrant. Our bridesmaid's dresses were dusty sage green because I wanted the flowers to pop in pictures, and green happens to be our favorite color. Our tablecloths were a bright blue which I found in an inspiration picture for flowers. Our florist suggested I go with that color after I wasn't sure how it would work with the sage dresses and other elements. I found a bunch of different inspirations, and our florist helped me piece together my favorite elements in each, including the delphinium, which is one of my favorite flowers.
Our colors included some white flowers, coral peonies, some yellow, a small amount of purple/pink, blue delphinium, and greenery. We also included gold accents all over, especially mercury glass in gold, for the table settings. I chose gold based on our rings being in gold and wanting all elements to work seamlessly together.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We wanted good music and dancing, and my mom led the way on this one.
She had used Grant Hemond & Associates in the past and had a great experience.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Legacy Lane Weddings made sure all details were in order and we had everything we needed; they were phenomenal! The groom's cake was everything I envisioned and more, and our wedding cake was exactly what I asked for. The colors, the work, and the flowers added were all absolutely delicious. Everything was delicious from our caterer, and no one left hungry. Our flowers were absolutely perfect in every way.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples? The one thing that matters most is who you are married to at the end of the day. Nothing else matters by comparison, so don't get caught up in the things that go wrong or don't work out. Focus on everything that has/is going right and the fact that you'll be married to the person you love. Be willing to adapt and adjust. Consider each other's needs and wants throughout the process. While I did most of the planning, I consulted James on everything so he got a say in anything important to him. If we didn't agree, we found a middle ground.
