Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Travel Inspired Wedding Ideas

Stephanie and Nathan’s downtown St. Pete wedding focused on two of the couple’s loves: travel and family.

“We did not have a particular theme, but wanted to focus on family, whether it was with photos, speeches or the twist that when people clinked their glasses, other couples had to stand up and show us how to kiss. We even included a tree decorated with prior family’s wedding photos and made sure to mention all those who could not be with us,” the bride shared. “Our love for adventure came out in the party favors, which were brass compasses decorated with paper tags that read, ‘Let the Adventure Begin.’ Our wedding planner added a chalkboard sign on the favors table that said, ‘Where on Earth Is My Table?,’ and each compass included the table assignment.”

To keep their downtown St. Pete wedding stress-free, the bride and groom hired St. Petersburg wedding planner Special Moments.

“We wanted to enjoy the planning process and to be sure that our family and friends wouldn’t be burdened with undue stress. We wanted a wedding planner with the experience to facilitate a stress-free event, but also who was creative and could take our vision to the next level,” Stephanie explained. “Tammy of Special Moments went above and beyond what we expected and brought her wealth of knowledge, which saved us time, effort and stress while simultaneously adding unique touches that made our event feel special.”

MORE: SPECIAL MOMENTS WEDDINGS

On the recommendation of their wedding planner, the pair booked St. Petersburg wedding florist Iza’s Flowers to create their luscious tall white, centerpieces.

“We wanted someone who could take our desires and translate them into a vision that fit within our budget. Budget was key for us, and the results looked great,” the bride said. “We knew right away that we would be happy with the level of service at Iza’s Flowers; they did an excellent job.”

When it came to wedding hair and and makeup inspiration, the bride wanted a romantic look, while staying within the day’s timeline.

“The last thing I wanted to do on the morning of the wedding was to sit in a chair for hours getting hair and makeup done. I wanted to spend time with my bridesmaids preparing for the best moment of my life,” Stephanie explained. “Indira from Michele Renee The Studio was great. She was willing to try any hairstyle I liked and was able to crank out full hair and makeup remarkably fast.”

MORE: MICHELE RENEE THE STUDIO WEDDINGS

Looking back, two memories from the day were stand outs for Stephanie and Nathan.

“We coordinated a group photo at the reception that included every guest. It’s one of our favorite photos,” the bride reminisced. “Nathan also really enjoyed giving a speech of his own. He enjoyed being able to personally address the guests and speak from the heart to the whole group.”

What was your beauty inspiration, and what did you look for in a wedding hair/makeup artist?
I didn’t have a particular inspiration, but I wanted it to be flowy and romantic.

Indira from Michele Renee The Studio was great. She was willing to try any hairstyle I liked and was able to crank out full hair and makeup remarkably fast. The last thing I wanted to do on the morning of the wedding was to sit in a chair for hours getting hair and makeup done. I wanted to spend time with my bridesmaids preparing for the best moment of my life.

How would you describe your theme? 
We did not have a particular theme, but wanted to focus on family. We even included a tree decorated with prior family’s wedding photos and made sure mention all those who could not be with us.

What were your colors?
We wanted a touch of vintage style, so navy and tan with lots of greenery were the colors that worked best. Nathan wore a navy suit, while the groomsmen were in tan. The bridesmaids wore navy with tan ribbons on their bouquets.

The Proposal:
I met Nathan at Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg, where he was working at the flight school. For the proposal, Nathan brought me back to the spot where we met, an airplane hangar, and when we got there; he gave me a letter. By page two of the letter, he was on his knee with a ring box in his hand. Though, the surprise was not over! When they opened the doors of the hangar, my family was there. They had been watching the whole proposal and were waiting with champagne and balloons. Obviously, I said “Yes!”

Why did you hire a wedding planner and what did you look for in one?
We wanted to enjoy the planning process and to be sure that our family and friends wouldn’t be burdened with undue stress. We wanted a wedding planner with the experience to facilitate a stress-free event, but also who was creative and could take our vision to the next level.

Nathan had been in a wedding that used Special Moments and was able to see firsthand how Tammy operated. She was open to our ideas and was not afraid to experiment. Tammy went above and beyond what we expected and brought her wealth of knowledge, which saved us time, effort and stress while simultaneously adding unique touches that made our event feel special. The coordination of people involved went perfectly, and even when my veil came off walking down the aisle, Tammy was there to scoop it up right away and set things right.

What did you look for in a wedding florist?
We wanted someone who could take our desires and translate them into a vision that fit within our budget. Budget was key for us, and the results looked great.

We had a great recommendation from our wedding planner and the first meeting went great. We knew right away that we would be happy with the level of service. Iza’s Flowers did an excellent job

What was your menu inspiration, and what did you look for in a wedding caterer?
We needed someone who could meet our varied requests: vegan and Mexican options, yet also provide other choices for our non-vegetarian guests. We wanted great food at a reasonable price that included a variety of options.

Delectables Fine Catering was flexible, willing to try new things and served a wonderful meal for our guests. They did a great presentation with their tasting samples and showed us they could prepare a vegan dish that was every bit as tasty as their regular entrees. They went out of their way to accommodate our needs and provide delicious food, which is a feat that is not always easy when vegan cooking is involved.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Have great indoor options with good air conditioning.

Ceremony Venue: St. Raphael’s Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Mirror Lake Lyceum
Getting Ready Hotel: Vinoy Renaissance *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: JessieO Photography
Planner: Special Moments *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: Iza’s Flowers
Caterer: Delectables Fine Catering *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Cake: Raphsodic Bakery
DJ: Grant Hemond and Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Fr. Kevin Mackey
Invitations: Minted
Transportation: Pure Limousines
Dress Shop and Designer: Malindy Elene Couture for the Bride – Augusta Jones
Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee The Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro