Alexandra and Alexander
“Our wedding theme revolved around a pastel garden party. I absolutely loved the idea of bright, fun colors for a spring wedding and thought they would pair beautifully with the pink hotel venue. Our colors were pastel pink, light blue, butter yellow, and sage green. We thought these would complement the pink hotel beautifully and were a must for a spring wedding!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Alexandra and Alexander’s elegant Clearwater Beach wedding paired a waterfront ceremony overlooking the Gulf with a sophisticated ballroom reception at their pink beachfront hotel. The spring celebration brought together 160 of their closest family and friends, with abundant pastel florals, gold accents, and airy white details carrying from the ceremony to the reception. After dancing the night away, the newlyweds were whisked away in a vintage pink getaway car.
“Our most memorable moment was our ceremony, which took place on the Sky Terrace overlooking Clearwater Beach and was truly impeccable. We also loved sharing our vows with our guests during our ceremony; it offered them a glimpse into our love story, and it was truly an honor to share it with everyone,” the bride beamed. “The speeches throughout the weekend made by our family and friends brought tears to our eyes and reminded us how lucky we are to have such amazing people supporting us every step of the way.”
Researching Wedding Vendors
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to help find venues! We ultimately found The Hyatt Regency through Marry Me Tampa Bay and fell in love!”
The Photography
Lifelong Photography Studio
“My biggest priority was seeing how a photographer edited their photographs. I loved how Lifelong Photography Studio really emphasized a light and airy vibe. With my wedding colors being pastel, it really complemented the color scheme of the flowers and décor.
We specifically chose Lifelong Photography because I knew they had a great reputation and would do a fantastic job, and I loved their editing style. Their service was phenomenal. Buffy Feldman, our photographer, has photographed weddings at our venue many times, which I felt was very favorable because she knew exactly where she wanted us and how she wanted us, so she didn’t waste any time at all.”
The Venue
Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach
“We live in Tampa, and we chose this area because my husband’s family lives here and my family is mostly from Orlando. My husband grew up in Seminole, and I absolutely fell in love with the Clearwater/Tampa area when I moved here for medical school, so we wanted a destination that would be accessible to our families and serve as a way to commemorate our time together here.
We really prioritized an outdoor ceremony and ideally wanted something on the water. With my husband having grown up near Clearwater Beach, it was the perfect setting for our wedding. We were also looking for inclusive packages with our venue search. We didn’t want to have to worry about lots of rentals and outside catering.
We ultimately chose Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach because they offered us amazing services at a price we could afford! They included a venue coordinator, catering, bar packages, a free hotel room for the night of the wedding, and an amazing wedding team to help us throughout our planning process. Plus, I fell in love with the idea of getting married at a pink hotel. Especially with the view on the Sky Terrace during the ceremony, we just hadn’t found another venue that could compare!”
The Proposal
“Alex took me to Napa for my 26th birthday and proposed to me the next day at the most beautiful winery on a mountain. We went down into the caves with the barrels and had an intimate proposal with lots of vino!”
The Planning
Coastal Coordinating
“We wanted a coordinator who could be brought on at the end of the planning process to handle all of the last-minute scheduling and details, so I wanted someone who was reputable and knew exactly what to do when the time came.
Our venue gave us a list of preferred coordinator vendors, but we were specifically recommended Coastal Coordinating because they thought we would work well together. They were correct. Our 60-day coordinator, Ella Messick, was an absolute dream to work with. She was so personable and professional. She always had ideas if I needed them and offered the best recommendations for a seamless wedding. Even on the day of, she was my ‘go-to’ girl, and I could not have done it without her by my side!”
The Videography
Iyrus Weddings
“One of the groom’s main priorities was an excellent videographer. We were looking for someone who could capture the essence of our wedding and produce a high-quality video with multiple videographers.
We saw Iyrus Weddings had worked at our venue before, so we were confident in their ability to create the video of our dreams, capturing all important moments and more. We ultimately chose them based on their previous work and the fact that they’ve worked at our venue and with our photographers in the past. Our videographers were amazing! Having hired two, one for the bride and one for the groom, we were confident that every major moment was captured. They made us feel like movie stars!”
From The Photographer
“Two Alexes, one unforgettable love story! Alexandra and Alexander’s wedding was the perfect mix of heartfelt, vibrant, and fun. From the beautiful Clearwater Beach setting to all of the colorful details throughout their celebration, everything came together so perfectly and felt completely true to them.
What stood out most to us was the genuine joy between the two of them. Their happiness was contagious, and you could feel just how much love surrounded them from their family and friends. As photographers, we especially loved capturing all of those sweet, candid, in-between moments that really told the story of their day. Their personalities and connection came through so naturally in every part of the celebration. It was such a beautiful day to be a part of, and we feel so lucky that we were able to capture the memories of two Alexes beginning this next chapter together!”
-Buffy Feldman, Lifelong Photography
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“The girls took a trip to Nashville for my bachelorette party. Although Nashville is one of the more common destinations, I think it’s popular for a reason! We did it all, from a private table at Honky Tonk to a Cyclebar class, and ended the trip at the rooftop bars on Broadway listening to some of the best live country music. All the while having my best girls by my side! My ‘last rodeo’ was such an unforgettable trip!
We decided to explore Italy and Greece, considering I’m Italian and my husband is Greek. As I write this on the train from Rome to Naples, it has been such a blast reliving the best day ever, but we’re so excited to continue creating more amazing memories together!”
From The Planner
“Alexandra and Alexander were truly a dream couple to work with. The wedding was such a beautiful celebration filled with vibrant spring colors, joyful energy, and so many thoughtful details.
One of the most special parts of the day was witnessing the quiet moments between the two of them — from the second they locked eyes during the ceremony to softly practicing their first dance together in a side room before the reception. You could truly feel the excitement, emotion, and deep love they share as the reality of the day they had been waiting for finally set in. The entire celebration felt so genuine to who they are as a couple, and it was such a pleasure helping bring their vision to life at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach while ensuring they could fully soak in every moment together.”
-Ella Messick, Coastal Coordinating
The Design
“Our wedding theme revolved around a pastel garden party. I absolutely loved the idea of bright, fun colors for a spring wedding and thought they would pair beautifully with the pink hotel venue.
Our colors were pastel pink, light blue, butter yellow, and sage green. We thought these would complement the pink hotel beautifully and were a must for a spring wedding!”
The Details
“Alex loves to golf, so since we got married on the weekend of the Masters, we had a projector playing the tournament during cocktail hour, along with a putting green for guests to enjoy with personalized golf balls. We also love EDM music and dancing, so we made it a priority to spend as much time as possible on the dance floor. As the night went on, our live band started creating ‘fusions’ of EDM songs with a saxophone, turning the night into a mini rave!
Our first dance was truly unique! One of our groomsmen’s fiancée choreographed it for us, and I was so proud of how we executed it…even if we did lose our balance on the final dip and fell down…hey, if we’re going down, at least we did it together!”
Most Memorable Moments
“Our most memorable moment was our ceremony, which took place on the Sky Terrace overlooking Clearwater Beach and was truly impeccable. We also loved sharing our vows with our guests during our ceremony; it offered them a glimpse into our love story, and it was truly an honor to share it with everyone. The speeches throughout the weekend made by our family and friends brought tears to our eyes and reminded us how lucky we are to have such amazing people supporting us every step of the way. Dancing the night away with my husband and 160 of our closest family and friends was a highlight of the night! “
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
I truly believe each and every one of our vendors went above and beyond for us. Coastal Coordinating was essential in creating a seamless wedding day. Lifelong Photography and Iyrus Weddings held the utmost professionalism and created high-quality pieces. We still receive nonstop compliments about Matt Winter Band; everyone truly danced all night and had a blast interacting with the band. Alexandra Rutkowski of Sarasota Florist brought our dream floral vision to life! She worked with our budget and still offered us the best of the best! Even when I had a ‘color palette crisis’ and decided to reroute our entire floral vision, she created a new proposal for us immediately and was ready to work with us. Leadfoot Motor Company provided our getaway car, and it was absolutely amazing! They were so easy to book with, and we are so grateful they shared their beautiful car with us to drive us around Clearwater Beach. And finally, the Hyatt Regency was the best decision we made. From the staff to the views, the food, and the service, they went above and beyond for us. Our guests still rave about the food, which was another major priority for the groom! We thought perfecting chicken, steak, and salmon for 160 people would be close to impossible, but they truly exceeded our expectations.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
I know it’s much easier said than done, but truly have the wedding of your dreams, not anyone else’s. Whether you want an intimate wedding with 30 people, a destination wedding, or an elopement at the courthouse, make it the best day ever! You deserve it! Don’t be afraid to either take on or leave out wedding traditions. Take outside opinions with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, your wedding is all about celebrating the love between you and your future husband. Savor each moment the best you can, because it flies by in an instant.
