Haele and Tyler's downtown St. Pete wedding featured a soft, neutral color palette of whites, cream and greenery.
“I have always loved navy, but didn’t want such a bold color to overpower the décor, so we settled for navy dresses and tuxedos, keeping the rest of the colors classic and muted whites, creams and greens. I still felt like we needed some extra personality, so I incorporated copper accents throughout,” Haele shared. “I absolutely love copper and thought is was a great fall accent for our October wedding without going too pumpkin-y. Copper was throughout all of the florals, my accessories, the dessert table, and other small accents throughout like the bar and guest tables.”
The St. Pete couple stayed local when deciding where to host their wedding. Searching for a beautiful ballroom reception that would keep their budget in mind while welcoming guests from New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic and across the U.S., they selected boutique hotel The Birchwood.
“Ironically, I always said no hotel ballrooms! But when I walked into The Birchwood’s fourth floor ballroom, it was so stunning! The décor was so elegant and the beautiful built-in bar was a definite plus, but the huge windows overlooking Beach Drive and the Vinoy Yacht Basin really sold us! It was the perfect spot to satisfy our wish of being on the water and feeling open and airy, while still hosting in an elegant atmosphere,” the bride gushed. “We also hosted cocktail hour downstairs in a private space at the Birch and Vine Restaurant and invited people up to The Canopy rooftop bar after for drinks. Our dads were the last ones to leave and didn’t want the party to end!”
Searching for the perfect Tampa Bay wedding DJ can seem overwhelming. They keep the party going and the energy high, so we understand Haele sharing that it was one of the worrisome parts of her wedding planning process.
“I posted on Facebook to ask if anyone really enjoyed their DJ, and then four people said the same name,” the bride explained. “Our DJ from Grant Hemond & Associates was so great and relaxed during the process. He played my favorites during dinner, like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and then satisfied all age-groups during the dancing! They service was great, they were easy to work with and had fair prices.”
MORE: GRANT HEMOND & ASSOCIATES WEDDINGS
Looking back on their wedding day, Haele and Tyler shared that aside from the dessert table, one of their most memorable moments occurred during the ceremony.
“We enjoyed the ceremony much more than we ever expected. You spend so much time planning the reception, and we thought we would be nervous up there on the altar. But that day, everything just felt peaceful. Tyler and I loved looking out at our family and friends and seeing everyone we loved in one place,” the bride reminisced.
How did you incorporate you and your spouse's personalities into the wedding?
We both love the water, but wanted to shy away from anything beach-y or nautical. So, there was nothing you could physically see that necessarily represented us. However, family is so important to us and was a huge theme that day. My two younger sisters and his two younger brothers, were our Maids of Honor and Best Men. They, and our parents, gave such heartfelt speeches about growing up with one another as a kind-of brother/sister they never had. We also had a great kids table with family-style platters of kid favorites like sliders and chicken tenders, and of course, lots of coloring and activities. You could really feel all of the love in the room!
The Proposal:
Tyler and I were high school sweethearts who had been dating for nearly nine years. We are water babies and spend most days where we grew up, on sunny St. Pete Beach. Tyler suggested we go out to dinner and stop by one of our favorite spots, behind the Don CeSar, to watch the sunset before. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for us, so I had no idea what was coming! Tyler led me through the sea oats to a spot on the sand surrounded by candles and asked me to be his wife! His brother and best friend were hidden paparazzi, and Tyler had a table at the Don’s Maritana Grill waiting for us.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Of course, price was our first deciding factor. After that, we just wanted the most beautiful space for our money!
I want to learn more about weddings at The Birchwood
Ironically, I always said no hotel ballrooms! But when I walked into The Birchwood’s fourth floor ballroom, it was so stunning! The décor was so elegant and the beautiful built-in bar was a definite plus, but the huge windows overlooking Beach Drive and the Vinoy Yacht Basin really sold us. It was the perfect spot to satisfy our wish of being on the water and feeling open and airy, while still hosting in an elegant atmosphere. We also hosted cocktail hour downstairs in a private space at the Birch and Vine Restaurant, and invited people up to The Canopy Rooftop bar after for drinks. Our dads were the last ones to leave and didn’t want the party to end!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I wanted the whole day to be classic and elegant. The Birchwood ballroom was a beautiful canvas to start with, and I chose accents that would complement, rather than fight with, the surroundings.
What were your colors?
I have always loved navy, but didn’t want such a bold color to overpower the décor. So we settled for navy dresses and tuxedos, keeping the rest of the colors classic and muted whites, creams and greens. I still felt like we needed some extra personality, so I incorporated copper accents throughout. I absolutely love copper, and thought is was a great fall accent for our October wedding without going too pumpkin-y. Copper was throughout all of the florals, my accessories, the dessert table, and other small accents throughout like the bar and guest tables.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
The DJ was the scariest part of the wedding search! I posted on Facebook to ask if anyone really enjoyed their DJ, and then four people said the same name.
I want to learn more about DJ/Lighting services from Grant Hemond & Associates.
Our DJ from Grant Hemond & Associates was so great and relaxed during the process. He played my favorites during dinner, like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and then satisfied all age-groups during the dancing! They service was great, they were easy to work with and had fair prices.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Take breaks from wedding planning! There are so many tasks to do and decisions to make that you find all of your free time taken up. We took a few weekends for a time-out to focus on ourselves and our upcoming marriage, and it was much needed!
Ceremony Venue: St. Jude the Apostle Cathedral
Reception Venue and Caterer: The Birchwood *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer: Cathy Durig
Planner: Corina Wian Event Designs, LLC
Florist: Redman Steele
Cake: Cakes by Design
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Officiant: Fr. Alexander Padilla
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas and a custom piece by Karen’s Paperie
Transportation: His & Hers Limousines
Dress Shop and Designer: The White Closet, Enzoani
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Lulus.com
Hair & Makeup: Studio Bride and Stylist Gypsy
