Shanna and Matthew’s garden inspired downtown St. Pete wedding featured an abundance of florals that complemented the timeless elegance of the couple’s Jewish wedding.
“We wanted our wedding to be very romantic, with as many flowers as possible! It was especially important to us that our chuppah reflected not only our heritage, but also fit in with our garden theme,” the bride explained. “We wanted our reception room to have a soft romantic feel, so we went with a lot of white, golds and cream colors.
The bride and groom chose historic hotel wedding venue, the Vinoy Renaissance, because of its outdoor ceremony space and classic elegance.
“The timeless look of the Vinoy fit our vision perfectly. We wanted a venue that had garden elements and that was beautiful on its own, where we wouldn’t need to add much decor. We also wanted a beautiful spot for all of our out-of-town guests to come and be able to enjoy all that downtown St. Pete has to offer,” Shanna shared. “The Vinoy service is like none other! We loved the history of the hotel, and it’s timeless elegance.”
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Wedding invitations create the first impression of what your wedding day will be like. With that in mind, the bride consulted with Tampa Bay wedding stationery designer Invitation Galleria to create a visually romantic piece.
“We wanted someone who would take the time and effort to sit with us and help us figure out what fit our style best and be able to create an invitation that was simple, yet elegant,” the bride explained. “Jose of Invitation Galleria was amazing! He was so patient with us and offered us many creative ideas and suggestions. He really listened to what we wanted and what style we were trying emanate.”
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Searching for a St. Petersburg wedding photographer who would nix the awkward poses and capture the moments that truly represented them as a couple, Shanna and Matthew hired Marc Edwards Photographs.
“Upon first meeting Marc, he made everything feel very natural; it almost felt like we were hanging out with an old friend. That, in addition to seeing the amazing work Marc had done in the past, were our main reasons for hiring him,” the bride shared. “The actual photo sessions felt very natural and were fun to be a part of, which really came through in our pictures. The pictures turned out perfect, and we could not ask for anything else!”
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To enhance the St. Pete bride’s effortless beauty, and to make her feel like the best version of herself throughout her wedding day, she hired Tampa Bay wedding hair and makeup artists Femme Akoi.
“Femme Akoi did an amazing job with myself and my bridal party. The girls were very friendly and very professional. It was important to me that each member of my bridal party felt comfortable with their look, and the hair and makeup team did a wonderful job of listening to what each of them wanted and made everyone feel special.”
Looking back, the bride’s most cherished memories came during the first look and reception.
“I came around a corner and when Matthew turned to see me, he almost fell down. He was so astonished!” Shanna reminisced. “One thing that we can’t forget is how much fun we had jumping around and dancing on the dance floor. Matthew had a dance off with one of his groomsmen and everyone that was invited was dancing the whole time.”
What did you look for in a wedding invitation designer?
We wanted someone who would take the time and effort to sit with us and help us figure out what fit our style best and be able to create an invitation that was simple, yet elegant.
I want to learn more about Stationery and Invitations from Invitation Galleria.
Jose of Invitation Galleria was amazing! He was so patient with us and offered us many creative ideas and suggestions. He really listened to what we wanted and what style we were trying emanate.
What was your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I wanted to look like the best version of myself, without being overdone.
I want to learn more about hair & makeup from Femme Akoi.
Femme Akoi did an amazing job with myself and my bridal party. The girls were very friendly and very professional. It was important to me that each member of my bridal party felt comfortable with their look, and Femme Akoi did a wonderful job of listening to what each of them wanted and made everyone feel special.
The Proposal:
The proposal was nothing short of dramatic! Matthew told me he wanted to celebrate my birthday a few weeks early since he had to work on my actual birthday. He said he had a surprise for me, but that I had to wake up super early Saturday morning (I hate waking up early). It ended up being worth it because we went on the most beautiful hot air balloon ride! The entire time Matthew had what looked like a ring box sticking out of his pocket, so of course the whole time I’m thinking “OMG finally, he’s going to propose!” Towards the end of the hot air balloon ride, as we are watching the sunrise with champagne in our hands, Matthew pulls out the box from his pocket and explains that “This isn’t the ring you deserve, but it is all I have right now,” and pulls out the most heinous bracelet I have ever seen. It had blue and green sea creature charms on it, which he explained was to remind me of a cruise we had just been on. Needless to say, I was a tad bit disappointed, but tried to act like I loved it. Later that day, he told me he wanted to take me to a special dinner for my birthday. As I was getting ready, I asked him where we were going, and he responds with a restaurant that I have avidly said I don’t like! I’m thinking to myself, “What the heck? After seven years of dating he doesn’t even know what I like and obviously doesn’t listen to me!” Before going to dinner, we decide to go get drinks at Anise in downtown Tampa. Mid-drinks a “Risky Business” bar crawl shows up! As is with the “Risky Business” theme, they are all wearing white button up shirts, so I think oh maybe he is still proposing, maybe it’s like a flash mob! I quickly figured out that wasn’t the case. After, he asked if I wanted to go walk around Curtis Hixon Park. Given that it was drizzling and humid and my naturally curly frizzy hair was straightened, my first response was heck no! But I finally gave in, and we went over to the park.
Almost immediately, Matthew exclaims “OMG. I have to get to a bathroom, like now!” and just runs off before I can say anything. A few moments later, my brother walks out in a suit with a go pro camera sticking out of his shirt! I’m obviously very surprised to see him, as he asks me if he may escort me to my table. Down by the river the cutest little table had been set up, with a tablecloth and wine glasses. Matthew then emerges and gets down on one knee with the most beautiful ring! As soon as I said yes, our family and friends rush out from the behind the bushes and buildings surrounding us to help us celebrate!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that had garden elements, and that was beautiful on its own, where we wouldn’t need to add much decor. We wanted a beautiful spot for all of our out-of-town guests to come and be able to enjoy all that downtown St. Pete has to offer.
Send me pricing and availability for the Vinoy Renaissance.
The timeless look of the Vinoy Renaissance fit our vision perfectly. The Vinoy service is like none other! We loved the history of the hotel, and it’s timeless elegance.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted our wedding to be very romantic, with as many flowers as possible! It was especially important to us that our chuppah reflected not only our Jewish heritage, but also fit in with our garden theme.
What were your colors?
We wanted the room to have a soft romantic feel, so we went with a lot of white, golds and cream colors.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone who we could feel comfortable with that wouldn’t pose us awkwardly. We wanted our pictures to represent us as a couple and not look overly artistic or overly done.
I want to learn more about Marc Edwards Photographs.
Upon first meeting Marc of Marc Edwards Photographs, he made everything feel very natural. Even when we first met him, it almost felt like we were hanging out with an old friend. That, in addition to seeing the amazing work he had done in the past, were our main reasons for hiring him. The actual photo sessions felt very natural and were fun to be a part of, which really came through in our pictures. The pictures turned out perfect, and we could not ask for anything else!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Get a wedding planner! Ours was a godsend, and I could not imagine our wedding turning out half as well without her! She went above and beyond to find us the best vendors and make sure we were getting the best possible price! No matter how stressful things got, our planner always maintained a calm demeanor and always had a kind word to say.
Ceremony/Reception Venue, Cake and Caterer: Vinoy Renaissance *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer: Marc Edwards Photographs *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Planner: Stonehouse Events
Florist: Redman Steele Floral Design
DJ: Inpulse Entertainment
Officiant: Rabbi Birnholz
Invitations: Invitation Galleria
Dress Shop and Designer: The Collection Bridal; Lazaro
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Nordstrom; Jenny Yoo
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
