Erin and Sean's downtown Tampa wedding was the ultimate evening that took over the Florida Aquarium. The 130-guest “Squire Soriee” (a nod to the groom's name) began in the shark tank room and transitioned around the aquarium, ending with an epic rooftop dance party overlooking Tampa at night.
“Our main priority was to create a unique experience for our guests, so the aquarium was the perfect setting. It combined the perfect amount of interesting and elegant between the marine life and the beautiful rooms they have,” the bride gushed. “We used four different locations in the aquarium and took our guests through a true journey of fun: ceremony – shark room, cocktail hour – balcony and touring the aquarium, dinner – banquet room, dancing – rooftop. The rooftop was our favorite location of the rooftop. We wanted a lounge feel, so we brought in light-up furniture, a dance floor, and the most amazing band that had us dancing all night. We used a lot of blues in our decor to match the blues of the aquarium, which worked great because blue is both of our favorite colors.”
Breezin' Weddings and Breezin' Entertainment ensured the couple had every detail that would leave a lasting impression by providing planning and interactive experiences for the couple's guests. The open-air photo booth with a photo guest book, live painter, DJ during the seating dinner, and a live band for dancing all added an extra layer of excitement for the evening.
“The couple incorporated a live painter into the wedding to capture the most important moment in their lives in art. They chose to paint their ceremony at the Coral Reef. It is also very interactive since the painter moves locations so the guests can see how the painting unfolds,” Anna Shvaykova, Breezin' Weddings shared.
Lifelong Photography Studio's expertise in working throughout downtown Tampa helped the couple take advantage of multiple locations, starting with getting-ready portraits at the newly renovated Hotel Flor. The low lighting in the Florida Aquarium made for an especially picturesque moment for the skilled photography team.
The highlight of the evening was the rooftop dance party, where the space was transformed with chairs, light-up furniture, and a striking stage that kept the guests dancing throughout the night.
“Nothing says ‘Squire Soiree' like a full dance floor; sometimes weddings take a little warming up to get the party started, but not ours,” the bride beamed. “The entire party paraded up to the rooftop from the banquet room, where the band greeted us, and we danced and danced for hours.”
As the bride thought about the most memorable moments of her March celebration, she beamed at the memories of the ceremony and reception.
“When the shark swam above our heads during the ceremony and when the Actual Bank Robbers Sang Erin’s Mom Has Got It Going On instead of ‘Stacy.' My mom felt so good with everyone singing to her!” Erin reminisced.
The Proposal:
Sean and I started Christmas traditions early in our relationship, including getting each other ornaments that describe the year. On Christmas, Sean pulled an ornament from the tree, got down on one knee, and proposed. He had put the ring in a customized silver ring box ornament, and it was absolutely perfect!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Our main priority was to create a unique experience for our guests, so the aquarium was the perfect setting. It combined the perfect amount of interesting and elegant between the marine life and the beautiful rooms they have.
We used four different locations in the aquarium and took our guests through a true journey of fun: ceremony – shark room, cocktail hour – balcony and touring the aquarium, dinner – banquet room, dancing – rooftop. The rooftop was our favorite location of the rooftop. We wanted a lounge feel, so we brought in light-up furniture, a dance floor, and the most amazing band that had us dancing all night. We used a lot of blues in our decor to match the blues of the aquarium, which worked great because blue is both of our favorite colors.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our main priority was to create a unique experience for our guests, so the aquarium was the perfect setting; it combined the perfect amount of interesting and elegant between the marine life and the beautiful rooms they have. We used four different locations in the aquarium and took our guests through a true journey of fun: ceremony – shark room, cocktail hour – balcony and touring the aquarium, dinner – banquet room, dancing – rooftop). The rooftop was our favorite location of the rooftop, we wanted a lounge feel, so we brought in light-up furniture, a dance floor, and the most amazing band that had us dancing all night.
What were your colors?
We used a lot of blues in our decor to match the blues of the aquarium, which worked great because blue is both of our favorite colors.
“The couple incorporated a live painter into the wedding to capture the most important moment in their lives in art. They chose to paint their ceremony at the Coral Reef. It is also very interactive since the painter moves locations so the guests can see how the painting unfolds,”- Anna Shvaykova, Breezin' Weddings
