Mikaela and Johnny's Dade City wedding featured a soft and romantic palette of pastel blues, pinks, and purples, punctuated with garden-inspired florals and greenery befitting the Southern estate setting.
“Our wedding theme was very natural and elegant. I love light pastel colors and the calmness it brings. I wanted color but in a sophisticated and timeless way – a way that it would mesh and complement one another. We went for a very light, organic, garden-type theme,” the bride detailed. “Our colors were taupe, dusty blue, pastel purple, and some blush and creams. It was hard to find inspiration on Pinterest because these colors together are uncommon for weddings, so I trusted my taste, and it turned out absolutely beautiful.”
The bride utilized Marry Me Tampa Bay's wedding resources during the planning process, gaining inspiration from real wedding posts while also exploring preferred wedding professionals. The portfolio of published images also provided an ideal spectrum of photos for building her desired wedding day shot list.
“I viewed vendors and photography shots I wanted to execute,” Mikaela recalled. “I also looked at unique touches other couples added to their wedding.”
The Wesley Chapel bride and groom sought a picturesque venue with beautiful indoor and outdoor settings that could accommodate their 200 guests. They instantly connected with Simpson Lakes after meeting owners Caroline and Wilton, who further impressed the couple with their attention to detail and hands-on wedding day experience.
“We chose this area because it possesses so much natural ‘old' Florida beauty, something that’s hard to come by nowadays. I looked for something timeless, clean, and naturally beautiful. I wanted a venue that didn’t require a lot of decorating and that also accommodated our large guest list. Simpson Lakes had everything we searched for.” Mikaela raved. “They provided the perfect reception space to hold all of our guests and the perfect ceremony site with beautiful oak trees. We had looked at a couple of venues prior, and as soon as we toured Simpson Lakes, we knew straight away it was the one. The scenery and location sold us; it was a dream. The beautiful oak trees and acres of land really made us feel like we were not in the everyday hustle and bustle some areas of Florida bring. Caroline and Wilton were quick to answer any questions we had and were very thorough in giving a tour and helping us set up. They went beyond our expectations to make sure our day was perfect. Even when at the last minute it started raining, they quickly moved everything inside and made it look just as beautiful.”
Mikaela and Johnny channeled their personalities when making decisions regarding their wedding day decor, details, and guest experience. They honored their religious beliefs by incorporating a faith-based ceremony with communion and a group prayer with their friends and family.
“What made our wedding unique was how we incorporated everything about us as a couple. I wanted our love to be evident to everyone who attended. We also thought it was extremely important to honor God on our day, and we had our wedding party and guests pray over us while partaking in communion as a married couple,” the bride detailed. “My husband has an obsession with sharks, so it was only fitting that his drink, which included a Shirley temple named ‘The Chubb Sttack' consisted of a toy shark holding the grenadine syrup for guests to pour into look like a shark attack. Our choice of music when they announced us as husband and wife was a song from our favorite movie, Shrek. We also incorporated a Lego groom and bride on our cake to show our love of Legos. We incorporated my dream car, a 1970s VW bus, as a photo booth, and that stole the show! We had tons of laughs and compliments, and people described it as ‘perfectly us' or ‘I couldn’t envision this day any better.' A lot of our engaged friends incorporated ideas and borrowed things we had because it worked so well.”
After months of planning, Mikaela turned to the seasoned team at EventFull Weddings to execute her vision from start to finish. Their years of experience and organizational skills allowed the bride to enjoy the wedding day stress-free.
“Our day of coordinator, Karen from EventFull Weddings, was astounding! She made our day flawless and worked very closely with us to make sure we were on schedule, decorations were put in place, and making sure all vendors were where they needed to be. I cannot recommend her enough!” the bride gushed.
All of the effort that Mikaela put into planning the details of her big day did not go unnoticed. Valentina Rose of Valentina Rose Photography artfully captured the celebration as the wedding day unfolded. The resulting images combined traditional formal photos with sentimental shots.
“The material elements that I thoroughly enjoyed from this wedding were the details; I love me some good details!” There were some in this wedding that symbolized what was important to the couple and reflected the time and energy that they put into making this day uniquely theirs. My personal favorites were the scroll backdrop for the cake with the little hidden legos, plus the florals-to-greens ratio, and the color theme,” the photographer beamed. “My favorite element of this particular wedding was the atmosphere and the vibes of the whole day. Each and every person there truly loves the couple so very much. Everyone showered the couple with so much love and happiness, and it really helped to keep everything stress-free and fun. The easygoingness of this group of people was ideal for any photographer!”
The bride and groom elected to share a ‘first touch' instead of a traditional first look, which made for an emotional and memorable experience that Mikaela will forever cherish.
“My husband and I didn’t want to do a first look, but we did a first touch and prayer, and to me, that was the most memorable. The emotion and moment of realization that this is your forever person was beautiful and something I’ll never forget,” the bride reminisced. “Walking down the aisle and seeing my husband's reaction to seeing me for the first time is burned into my memory. It gives me goosebumps to this day! Such a special moment.”
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My girls and I traveled to Nashville and had a “let's get nash-ty” theme. There were so many fun things to do, including chair dancing, mud baths, mechanical bulls to ride, and of course the cute aesthetic restaurants for photos.
The Proposal:
It is not uncommon for us to surprise each other and plan dates. Johnny told me he planned a picnic for us, so I, oblivious, went along because this is something we always did.
On the beach during sunset, it was set up beautifully, but I knew something was up when he blindfolded me. Once he gave me the ok to take my blindfold off, there he was, down on one knee with tears in his eyes. It was the easiest yes ever. All of our friends and family came out after.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was very natural and elegant. I love light pastel colors and the calmness it brings. I wanted color but in a sophisticated and timeless way – a way that it would mesh, and complement one another. We went for a very light, organic, garden-type of theme.
What were your colors?
Our colors were taupe, dusty blue, pastel purple, and some blush and creams. It was hard to find inspiration on Pinterest because these colors together are uncommon for weddings, so I trusted my taste, and it turned out absolutely beautiful.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We chose this area because it possesses so much natural ‘old' Florida beauty, something that’s hard to come by nowadays. I looked for something timeless, clean, and naturally beautiful. I wanted a venue that didn’t require a lot of decorating and that also accommodated our large guest list.
Simpson Lakes had everything we searched for. They provided the perfect reception space to hold all of our guests and the perfect ceremony site with beautiful oak trees. We had looked at a couple of venues prior, and as soon as we toured Simpson Lakes, we knew straight away it was the one. The scenery and location sold us; it was a dream. The beautiful oak trees and acres of land really made us feel like we were not in the everyday hustle and bustle some areas of Florida bring. Caroline and Wilton were quick to answer any questions we had and were very thorough in giving a tour and helping us set up. They went beyond our expectations to make sure our day was perfect. Even when at the last minute it started raining, they quickly moved everything inside and made it look just as beautiful.
“This wedding was absolutely stunning. Mikaela put so much time into planning even the smallest details, and everything had a purpose for being there!
The bride's getting ready photos were so so fun; a super chill but preppy group of girls and the bride made sure to tell me she was a Leo so her getting ready robe had to match her extra vibes.
My favorite element of this particular wedding was the atmosphere and the vibes of the whole day. Each and every person there truly loves the couple so very much. Everyone showered the couple with so much love and happiness on their big day, and it really helped to keep everything stress-free and fun. The easygoingness of this group of people was ideal for any photographer!
The material elements that I thoroughly enjoyed from this wedding were the details; I love me some good details! There were some in this wedding that symbolized what was important to the couple and reflected the time and energy that they put into making this day uniquely theirs. My personal favorites were the scroll backdrop for the cake with the little hidden legos, plus the florals-to-greens ratio, and the color theme.” -Valentina Rose, Valentina Rose Photography
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Our day of coordinator, Karen from EventFull Weddings, was astounding! She made our day flawless and worked very closely with us to make sure we were on schedule, decorations were put in place, and making sure all vendors were where they needed to be. I cannot recommend her enough!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
St. Martin. We chose somewhere away from everyone, tranquil and tropical, away from the busyness of our everyday lives.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Simpson Lakes did everything to help us make our day perfect, moving and setting up. Our caterer was wonderful to work with and had great quality and great-tasting food. We included the grazing table in our purchase, and it was phenomenal! Our florist executed my exact vision for my florals and wedding arbor within a decent price range. She was so easy to work with and even wrapped each bouquet with the chiffon ribbon I wanted.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Take a moment out of your day to be alone. (it's hard, I know) but so worth it. You get so caught up in photos and dancing and cake cutting that you barely get a moment alone to enjoy each other as Mr. and Mrs. My husband and I stepped away and enjoyed appetizers alone, and it was simple but special to take some time to ourselves.
