Melissa and John’s eclectic downtown Tampa wedding was a vision of timeless elegance with romantic decor and whimsical jewel-toned inspired details. As the owners of Elite Events Catering, the bride and groom incorporated their extensive wedding industry background to capture the celebration of their dreams.

“Since we own and operate a full-service event and catering company, you’d think it would have been an easy task to come up with a design for our own wedding. As it turned out, it was shockingly difficult for us to settle on any one design or theme,” the bride confessed. “In our business, we absolutely love to explore different styles and new trends, but when it came to our wedding, we felt more comfortable just going back to the basics. For our vision, we created an eclectic style and ambiance that we felt represented us best. We ultimately hoped our reception would give our friends and family an evening of timeless elegance. Our decor included silk and velvet table cloths, vintage multi-colored glass goblets, gold flatware, and tall silver candelabras – all of which we felt embodied our theme perfectly. We incorporated jewel tones like emerald, amethyst, ruby, and topaz, which all have varying special meanings to us.”

MORE: JEWEL TONED WEDDING INSPIRATION

With one of their main priorities being a Tampa wedding photographer who was professional and relatable, Melissa and John chose a trusted name in the industry.

“We chose Andi Diamond Photography for many reasons. To start, she has become a close friend throughout the years of us working together in the industry. But, we didn’t just choose Andi because she’s a friend, we chose her because we knew that when it came down to the day of our wedding, she would be professional, relatable, and take her art very seriously,” the bride explained. “In fact, looking back, we can’t imagine not having Andi there to keep us calm, cool and collected. Andi is not only an amazingly fun and kind-hearted person, but she’s also extremely professional and kept us on track throughout the day. She truly is a talented individual and made us look so good!”

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When it came to hiring a wedding caterer, it was a no brainer for the bride and groom to go with their own business, and their team couldn’t wait to give the Melissa and John the same service that their own couples experience.

“Our team at Elite Events Catering has become like a family and working together with them is just amazing! We didn’t have much of a choice when it came to choosing because the whole team insisted on being apart of creating and executing our wedding,” the bride beamed. “Choosing our wedding menu wasn’t easy at the beginning, and the menu went through many, many revisions. Of course, we wanted to show off a bit, but at the end of the day, we went with a more simplistic approach. We had a lot of fun creating a menu that was relatable and comforting while still having fun with presenting it in a creative way.”

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Looking back on their special day, the couple cherished spending time with their closest friends and family.

“It was really important for us to celebrate with all of our favorite people, all together at the same time,” the bride reminisced. “Having been in catering and events for two decades, it was a once in a lifetime experience to be able to put on a major event with vendors we have grown so close to personally and professionally. Our staff and vendors did an amazing job, and people are still telling us on an almost daily basis how much they enjoyed our wedding!”

What was your wedding beauty inspiration?
Michele Renee the Studio did my make up for our engagement pictures, and I was sold then. Their team is very talented, and anyone I’ve ever referred to them was extremely impressed. This decision was an easy one. They are just fantastic at what they do!

The Proposal:
It was long anticipated, but in the end, perfectly timed. While John was carrying a ring around for months, plotting and planning for the perfect romantic setting for a surprise proposal,  it just happened to feel right in our own backyard. On a perfect fall morning, we were enjoying a day off having mimosas in our pajamas when the conversation turned towards an opportunity for John. He got down on one knee and proposed!

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Our first priority was that our wedding photographer be reliable, relatable, professional, and also fun.

We chose Andi Diamond Photography for many reasons. To start, she has become a close friend throughout the years of us working together in the industry. But, we didn’t just choose Andi because she’s a friend, we chose her because we knew that when it came down to the day of our wedding, she would be professional, relatable, and take her art very seriously. In fact, looking back, we can’t imagine not having Andi there to keep us calm, cool and collected. Andi is not only an amazingly fun and kind-hearted person, but she’s also extremely professional and kept us on track throughout the day. She truly is a talented individual and made us look so good!

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Since we own and operate a full-service event and catering company, you’d think it would have been an easy task to come up with a design for our own wedding. As it turned out, it was shockingly difficult for us to settle on any one design or theme. In our business, we absolutely love to explore different styles and new trends, but when it came to our wedding, we felt more comfortable just going back to the basics. For our vision, we created an eclectic style and ambiance that we felt represented us best. We ultimately hoped our reception would give our friends and family an evening of timeless elegance. Our decor included silk and velvet table cloths, vintage multi-colored glass goblets, gold flatware, and tall silver candelabras – All of which we felt embodied our theme perfectly.

What were your colors?
Peacock colors were our initial inspiration. As soon as we both agreed we loved those particular colors, it seemed like we started seeing peacocks everywhere, whether driving around out in the country, around town in St. Pete, or just images. As things go, our inspirations evolved while we were planning, and we ended up incorporating more jewel tones like emerald, amethyst, ruby, and topaz, which all have varying special meanings to us.

What was your wedding catering inspiration?
Choosing our own team at Elite Events Catering to cater our wedding was a no brainer. We didn’t have much of a choice actually, as they all insisted to be a part of creating and executing our wedding for us! Our team has become like a family and working together with them is just amazing!

Choosing our wedding menu wasn’t easy at the beginning and the menu went through many, many revisions. Of course, we wanted to show off a bit, but at the end of the day, we went with a more simplistic approach. Our mantra recently has been, “Let’s serve food that people like to eat,” and “Keep it simple style,” while finding new ways to elevate our presentation. Sometimes something looks good in a photo on Instagram, but it is not approachable for the majority of guests. With our vision, we had a lot of fun creating a menu that was relatable and comforting, while still having fun with presenting it in a creative way.

In the end, we decided to serve a variety of appetizers including bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese, deviled eggs with caviar and chives and Fois Gras pate in mini cones. We served everything on our modern custom LED lighted passing platters and it was so “old-school” and fun. We also served a classic shrimp cocktail and snow crab claw on a custom ice sculpture display just after the ceremony. After cocktail hour, we served a formal seated dinner, starting with a colorful and unique take on a Caesar salad. For the main course, we changed our minds dozens of times. In the end, we realized beef tenderloin is on many wedding menus for a reason; the majority of people truly enjoy it! And frankly, our chefs do an amazing job with beef tenderloin. We served it with a rosemary-port wine reduction, heirloom veggie bundles, smashed fingerling potatoes, and local microgreens. It was a classic entree.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Select a full-service company to handle every element of your day. When couples contact us first we can steer them in the right direction regarding venue, rentals, entertainment, florals, etc. Having a caterer and coordinator all-in-one can save thousands of dollars and result in a seamless day-of-event.

Venue: Tampa River Center
Photographer: Andi Diamond Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Wedding Planner: Winsor Event Studio
Event Rentals (Interior Linens & Decor): Kate Ryan Event Rentals
Exterior Linens: Imperial Rentals
Florist (Inside Florals and Decor): FH Weddings and Events
Florist (Exterior Florals and Decor): Apple Blossoms Floral Designs
Cake: Hands on Sweets
Catering: Elite Events Catering *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Sweets: Swah-Rey
Invitations: Evite.com
DJ: Carmichael Music
Band: Bulldog Shorty
Cellist: Rose Mallare
Hair: Steven Stones
Makeup: Michele Renee the Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro