Isabella and John's elegant downtown Tampa wedding featured a traditional ceremony in a grand cathedral followed by dinner and dancing with panoramic views from 42 stories above the city skyline.
“Our colors were emerald green with gold accents. John and I have always enjoyed being out in nature, even our college degrees allowed us to get outside, so green felt like a warm and homelike color to us. The additions of the gold accents made the emerald green color pop and were perfect for a nighttime event,” the bride detailed. “Our wedding ceremony didn’t start until 7:30 p.m., and our attire was black tie, so we had a classy, elegant, and fun wedding.
The groom's Tampa roots inspired the couple to return to Florida after college. While planning their wedding in a new city, the bride relied on Marry Me Tampa Bay to provide local wedding inspiration, especially for envisioning their ceremony and reception locations.
“When narrowing down the venues, I looked at the previous features on Marry Me Tampa bay of weddings at Sacred Heart Cathedral with a reception at The Tampa Club,” Isabella shared. “These features ensured me that we were making the right choices and that it would turn out beautifully.”
The Davis Islands couple always knew they wanted to exchange vows at the iconic Catholic cathedral where John grew up attending, so they sought a nearby reception space with elegant details and room for their 110 guests. They were delighted with the renovations and views they found at the Tampa Club.
“After we set the date at Sacred Heart, the first place we looked at for the reception was the Tampa Club. Being on the very top floor of the tallest building in downtown Tampa gave us some stunning sunset views over the Bay and, at night, allowed the city lights to really dazzle. We toured right when renovations were about to kick off, and we were able to look at the changes being made. It seemed like the perfect timing, and the updates would fit our theme of a classic, beautiful night,” the bride raved. “We were able to reserve the entire Tampa Club, including their outdoor balcony, which created a great atmosphere that really flowed well. The Tampa Club’s service was first-class and very accommodating to our wants and needs. They absolutely went all out for us, from the food, service, and layout design; it really made the evening flow well and made for an exciting party. Their chefs cooked up an amazing and unique meal for us, and their bartenders were very professional; they even allowed us to serve a special drink which was our college drink called a yellow hammer.”
Isabella and John searched for a wedding planner with whom they could forge a great relationship, so that they would enjoy the planning process. Upon their first conversation with Jillian Bartosiak, the owner of Perfecting The Plan, they knew she was the ideal choice.
“We wanted someone who truly connected with us as a couple and was on top of their game. When we initially started looking for wedding planners, sometimes we gave them a cold call to see what they'd say. Some wedding planners seemed busy or referred us to their websites. When we first spoke with Jillian, it felt meant to be. She seemed to really care and genuinely wanted to be a part of our wedding,” the bride detailed. “We talked for quite a while; she went over who she was and all the services she offers. We were impressed and once we looked up her company, Perfecting The Plan, all the reviews were perfect and sounded exactly like the partner that we wanted. Choosing Jillian to be our wedding planner was probably the best and smartest choice we made for our wedding.”
The focus of the evening centered around the bride and groom's commitment to each other in front of God and their families.
“The two most important elements for John and me were to be married within the Catholic Church and to create an unforgettable night. All the wedding preparation classes and having John’s childhood Priest be our officiant really allowed Sacred Heart to become a very spiritual and warm venue for our ceremony,” Isabella revealed. “We had such wonderful family and friends that traveled so far to witness our marriage, and our childhood best friends were beside us on the altar.”
Looking back, one of the most cherished memories of the night was also one of the most intimate.
“One of the unique things that ended up being one of the most special moments that John and I shared was our last dance together. At the very end of the reception, right before everyone went home, our wedding planner herded everyone out of the main room and shut the doors, so the only people left in the ballroom on the dance floor were just us two and the band. We had the band play a song that I originally played for John a long time ago when we first started dating that we always told each other that was going to play at our wedding. Six years later, that song was sung at our wedding,” the bride reminisced. “It created a very loving and special memory to the end of our wedding that only John and I will have. Our planner's bulletproof wedding reception itinerary and our band's performance certainly made a night I could never forget.”
The Proposal:
On the evening of our fifth anniversary, after we had just gotten home from a nice dinner out, John told me a story that he had been holding back for about two years. He said, “Do you remember that summer two years ago when you went out to New Mexico for a field geology class? Well, I went up to your parent's house and stayed a weekend with them.” He said he had a great time with my dad on Saturday, just hanging around our farm and that my mom cooked an awesome dinner that night. Then on Sunday morning, before heading back to school, John sat both of my parents down and told them how much he loved me and cared for me. He then he said he looked my dad in the eye and asked him for my hand in marriage.
The reason that story is very special is that two months after that, my father died of an unexpected heart attack. I had always thought John would never have that opportunity, but as it turns out, it was actually the most perfect opportunity. After he told me that story, he told me to stand up and cover my eyes. When he said open them, he was on one knee holding a beautiful ring and asked me to marry him, and I said yes.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted someone who truly connected with us as a couple and was on top of their game. When we initially started looking for wedding planners, sometimes we gave them a cold call to see what they'd say. Some wedding planners seemed busy or referred us to their websites. When we first spoke with Jillian, the owner of Perfecting The Plan, it felt meant to be.
JIllian seemed to really care and genuinely wanted to be a part of our wedding. We talked for quite a while; she went over who she was and all the services she offers. We were impressed, and once we looked up her company, all the reviews were perfect and sounded exactly like the partner that we wanted. Choosing Jillian to be our wedding planner was probably the best and smartest choice we made for our wedding.
Over the course of a year, Jillian was able to get to know us and get a feeling of the direction we wanted to go. She would bring vendors to us and allow us to choose the ones we liked. She offered a lot of her personal business relationships that she had worked with before, which ended up helping out a lot with all of the day of festivities. Every vendor she brought to us was first-class, unique, and allowed the process to be enjoyable. This included the Tampa Club, our photographers, our florist, our band, and pretty much everyone else involved. She had her own team of assistants that came out on the wedding day and help move everything along. Jillian was on top of everything and made our day flow so smoothly. We even had some hiccups, John's pants ripped, and within 30 minutes, she had more pants on the way!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
On the Monday, right after our wedding, we flew over to Greece for two weeks. We stayed a couple of nights in Athens, then went to Santorini, and then finished up in Mykonos. Greece seemed like it was going to give us everything we wanted a lot of cool ancient history, great wine, great food, huge mountains, soft beaches, and turquoise clear water. It was an incredible honeymoon; we made so many memories and got to explore another country together.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Austin, TX. I had been to Nashville but never to Austin. I thought the places were similar, and I love live bands and country music, so I knew it’d be the perfect spot!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
John and I always knew we would get married in a church. After we set the date at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the first place we looked at for the reception was the Tampa Club.
Being on the very top floor of the tallest building in downtown Tampa gave us some stunning sunset views over the Bay and, at night, allowed the city lights to really dazzle. We toured right when renovations were about to kick off, and we were able to look at the changes being made. It seemed like the perfect timing, and the updates would fit our theme of a classic, beautiful night
We were able to reserve the entire Tampa Club, including their outdoor balcony, which created a great atmosphere that really flowed well. The Tampa Club’s service was first-class and very accommodating to our wants and needs. They absolutely went all out for us, from the food, service, and layout design; it really made the evening flow well and made for an exciting party. Their chefs cooked up an amazing and unique meal for us, and their bartenders were very professional; they even allowed us to serve a special drink which was our college drink called a yellow hammer.”
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding ceremony didn’t start until 7:30 p.m., and our attire was black tie, so we had a classy, elegant, and fun wedding.
What were your colors?
Our colors were emerald green with gold accents. John and I have always enjoyed being out in nature, even our college degrees allowed us to get outside. I majored in Geology, and John majored in Environmental Sciences, so green felt like a warm and homelike color to us. The additions of the gold accents made the emerald green color pop and were perfect for a nighttime event.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our band and our photographers really went above and beyond with their executions. Our band put on an incredible live performance and also did a very good job emceeing our reception. The photos taken of us: our first look and ceremony and reception were all perfect. They got all of the classic wedding photos and also many unique other photos that really captured the moment.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
John: Don’t worry about the time you take off work after the wedding; take the time off work for the week right before the wedding. Trust me, things will get interesting that week for sure.
Isabella: Truly don’t stress over anything that doesn’t go “right.” No matter how great the plan is, something will happen. Let it happen, and enjoy the day. Have the time of your life with your husband, family, and friends. Don’t worry about having to have conversations with everyone; have fun in the moment, and talk later!
