Loren and John’s New Year’s Eve downtown St. Pete wedding combined a neutral palette, classic white flowers and an abundance of candles to complement the architectural details of their trendy, industrial-chic venue.
“The overall theme was inspired by our beautiful venue, Urban Stillhouse. I didn’t have a specific color scheme in mind but we knew once we started planning that we wanted to incorporate the venue’s moody, modern vibe,” the bride explained. “Our colors were fairly neutral. Our bridal party gowns consisted of emerald green, black and champagne colors.”
The local St. Petersburg bride and groom sought a modern venue with unique character and show-stopping cuisine for their 135 guests. After several stellar visits to Urban Stillhouse for social occasions, the couple knew it would be the perfect choice for their festive celebration.
“We wanted a wedding venue that fit our vibe, modern, intimate, aesthetically pleasing, and untraditional. We had frequented Urban Stillhouse for many date nights and dinner outings with close friends and family. It quickly became one of our favorite spots to get dressed up, try out craft cocktails, and enjoy wildly delicious meals,” the bride shared. “Urban Stillhouse exceeded my expectations, so much so that I urged the events team at my company to plan our upcoming event there. Our company has committed and now I get to look forward to yet another exciting occasion at my favorite venue!”
Loren and John focused on making their wedding personal to them, rather than focusing on traditional reception activities.
“Our wedding was unique in so many ways. That’s what made it so special to us,” the bride articulated. “We incorporated our own personalities by putting emphasis on eliminating anything we deemed unnecessary or not important to us such as a formal cake or cake cutting, formal wedding party entrances to the reception, and the bouquet and garter tosses. We added features that made our party special to us by incorporating ‘hora loca’ dancers, one of our favorite songs to exit our ceremony, craft cocktails, and the Time Square Ball Drop aired on a big screen to ring in the New Year.”
What attracted Loren to her wedding venue was that it didn’t need additional decor to create a moody, modern atmosphere, so she chose a minimalist floral design.
“The only florals we included were the bouquets and boutonnieres which were all white,” the bride shared. “I met Lemon Drops Weddings and Events randomly during a meeting with the Urban Stillhouse events team. They were setting up for a wedding, and I asked if they were available for wedding planning for my wedding as well as florals. It was perfect that they provided services for both! The Lemon Drops team was fantastic, worked quickly, and was absolutely reliable throughout the duration of our wedding day and throughout the weeks leading up to our event.”
Channeling the chic vibe of their New Year’s Eve celebration, Loren envisioned long loose waves to complement her low-back gown, and sultry eyes paired with a natural makeup look.
“My wedding hair and makeup inspiration was classic Hollywood,” the bride detailed. “Michele Renee The Studio was extremely accommodating to our group on such short notice. Because we got married during another COVID outbreak, we experienced a lot of stress as we received last-minute RSVP changes and COVID scares with close family members. Michele Renee and her team remained in touch throughout the weeks leading up to the wedding to ensure us that they would make whatever arrangements necessary to be present on our day given the uncertainty.”
One of the bride’s favorite memories from the day occurred prior to the ceremony as she witnessed guests enjoying themselves just before the night began to unfold.
“One of the most memorable moments of our wedding was peeking through the window of the bridal suite at Urban Stillhouse and seeing all of our guests enjoying cocktails and conversations at the upstairs bar prior to the ceremony. The lighting was beautiful, everyone was dressed to the nines and every face had a smile on it,” Loren reminisced.
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
Classic Hollywood.
Michele Renee The Studio was extremely accommodating to our group on such short notice. Because we got married during another Covid outbreak, we experienced a lot of stress as we received last-minute RSVP changes and Covid scares with close family members. Michelle Renee and her team remained in touch throughout the weeks leading up to the wedding to ensure us that they would make whatever arrangements necessary to be present on our day given the Covid uncer
What was your wedding floral inspiration?
The only florals we included were the bouquets and boutonnieres which were all white.
I met Lemon Drops Weddings and Events randomly during a meeting with the Urban Stillhouse events team. They were setting up for a wedding, and I asked if they were available for wedding planning for my wedding as well as florals. It was perfect that they provided services for both! The Lemon Drops team was fantastic, worked quickly, and was absolutely reliable throughout the duration of our wedding day and throughout the weeks leading up to our event.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a wedding venue that fit our vibe, modern, intimate, aesthetically pleasing, and untraditional.
We had frequented Urban Stillhouse for many date nights and dinner outings with close friends and family. It quickly became one of our favorite spots to get dressed up, try out craft cocktails, and enjoy wildly delicious meals which vary by season and are created by Executive Chef Kenny Tufo.
Urban Stillhouse exceeded my expectations, so much so that I urged the events team at my company to plan our upcoming event there. Our company has committed and now I get to look forward to yet another exciting occasion at my favorite venue!
The Proposal:
I planned to surprise John with a trip to North Carolina for his birthday. When he got wind that I was planning a getaway, he quickly began scheming with my mom to plan a beautiful proposal a the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It was absolutely beautiful and romantic in every way. Afterward, we enjoyed champagne, food, and a day full of eating and drinking in downtown Asheville. I was on cloud 9!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We have not yet gone on our official honeymoon which is planned in Italy however, we did go on a mini-moon the week after our wedding to Chimney Rock, North Carolina to enjoy cozy cabin time with our two perfect pups. We love the mountains of North Carolina and try to visit at least once a year to check out new mountain towns, enjoy hikes with the pups, and take in mountain views from different Airbnb cabins. We decided on Italy because we wanted to explore somewhere in Europe where we can enjoy different views, cultures, food, and wine!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette was in New York City during Halloween weekend with some of my favorite ladies. We rented a funky three-story Airbnb townhome in the heart of Soho, dressed up each night, enjoyed a drag brunch, danced salsa at an authentic Cuban restaurant, and took part in the annual Halloween parade in Greenwich Village. New York is my hometown and dear to my heart. I knew I wanted to incorporate it in some way or another.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
The overall theme was inspired by our beautiful venue, Urban Stillhouse. I didn’t quite have a specific color scheme in mind but we knew once we started planning that we wanted to incorporate the venue’s moody, modern vibe.
What were your colors?
Our colors were fairly neutral. Our bridal party gowns consisted of emerald green, black, and champagne colors.
“We married on a huge holiday, New Year’s Eve, and all shouted the countdown together as we watched the ball drop from the dance floor. It will forever be our favorite day.
-The Bride
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Ask around and rely on trusted vendors such as your venue coordinators or wedding planners to provide contacts for other trusted vendors. This is primarily how I sourced all of my vendors and have zero regrets!
Lock down your venue and date as early as possible. With the venue and date in place, you can better gauge availability for vendors and other activities, as well as begin to think about your save the dates and wedding website.
