Ramya and Tim
Christ the king catholic church | The centre club
“We’ve always loved the sunrise over the ocean. We got engaged at Vinoy Park at sunrise on the water, and our color palette was inspired by it, with lots of teals and aquas, peaches, pinks, and corals. I’m a big flower girl, and Tim always brings me roses, so naturally I wanted the florals to look like a bomb of roses went off in the venue.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Ramya and Tim’s elegant Tampa wedding was a heartfelt celebration of faith, family, and a love story that began in South Tampa. The couple exchanged vows at their home parish, Christ the King Catholic Church, before hosting a reception with abundant peach, coral, and blush roses that brought their sunrise-inspired color palette to life.
The Proposal
“Last December, we had a diamond appointment at Mavilo’s, so I knew we were getting engaged soon, but I was shocked when Tim had a ring ready 10 days later! He said, ‘Let’s go to our sunrise spot and take a walk together tomorrow,’ and bam, he proposed at sunrise at Vinoy Park! I had a feeling I was going to be proposed to and that the secret dinner reservation was going to be at Bern’s (which it was, and it was his backup proposal plan in case the sun didn’t come out). Tim wanted to tell our families in person over the holidays, so he made it happen on the 17th, just before we went to visit everyone!”
Most Memorable Moment
“Both of our most memorable moments were our first look, when we exchanged our personal vows, and completed our Marian consecration. We had it in the memorial garden for the preborn children with the Virgin Mary. It was emotional for both of us and was the culmination of months of anticipation and preparation (not just wedding planning but also marriage prep); it made it so tangible why we were getting married! It’s a spot I’ve come to and prayed and cried at many times for years, and I never dreamed I’d experience such a joyful moment there one day.”
The Details
“Tim lived in the Trinity area, and I lived in South Tampa when we were dating. We chose the South Tampa area for our wedding because that’s where our love story began — in the Beach Park area of Tampa. We had our reception at Centre Club, which was within walking distance of my former home, and we always loved walking in this neighborhood.
Our Catholic faith is a huge part of our lives, and we’ve found our home at Christ the King Catholic Church. It was important to us to be married at our home parish by a priest who knew us. Fr. Len did our marriage prep and even obtained a dispensation from the diocese for us to have an engagement of less than six months. Our engagement was less than five months, and our wedding was planned in less than four months.
Over 80% of our guests had to fly in for our wedding weekend, so proximity to the airport and everything guests might need was really important.”
The Design
“We didn’t have a theme. I’ve never made a wedding Pinterest board. We both knew it just had to be true to us and true to our love story. It was more important to us to get married and start our lives together than to spend one to two years planning the perfect big day. The most important thing was that the day felt elegant and beautiful, and that our guests were well nourished with great food and drinks.
We’ve always loved the sunrise over the ocean. We got engaged at Vinoy Park at sunrise on the water, and our color palette was inspired by it, with lots of teals and aquas, peaches, pinks, and corals. I’m a big flower girl, and Tim always brings me roses, so naturally I wanted the florals to look like a bomb of roses went off in the venue.”
The Florals
Monarch Events and Design
“I really needed a florist who got me and understood the vision. They needed to be detail-oriented, take their time, and be a great communicator. Jean King from Monarch Events and Design was that person for me. She was responsive, conversational, and sent a quote quickly. Other florists shooed me off calls within 30 minutes, but Jean asked lots of questions and had spectacular ideas for creative direction.
Jean is incredibly generous with her time, care, and service. She is a seasoned wedding professional who understands what brides go through. She sat with me for nearly three hours on our initial call and documented every detail. I also wanted Eden climber roses like the ones my mom grew, which our Pomeranian Teddy loved to sniff. We lost him in September, so Jean created a surprise memorial for him at no extra charge.
The flowers were stunning. Guests thought they might be fake, but they were all real roses, including beautiful beige roses that tied everything together and smelled heavenly all day. We reused the centerpieces for our wedding brunch, and Jean handled the flip with her husband. My mom is very hard to please, and she adored Jean and her work. I am still so in love with my wedding flowers and think about them all the time. We love you, Jean!”
Researching Wedding Vendors
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to look up the venues and florists I was considering! There were only a few Centre Club weddings in there, but it was enough for me to know that I could totally transform that ballroom. Also, my florist had another wedding feature on Marry Me Tampa Bay with very similar color themes, which gave me a good start for my imagination. Marry Me Tampa Bay was my favorite wedding site to use because it covered local weddings, and it was so helpful for venue selection!”
The Honeymoon
“We went to Rome! We stayed in Trastevere. We were actually some of the first marriages under Pope Leo XIV, as he was elected two days before our wedding. Our honeymoon was a pilgrimage in the year of Jubilee, and we did the holy doors. We had our marriage blessed by the pope and received the Eucharist at his inauguration Mass! Only God could’ve planned this for us.”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
I had a couple of vendors that were my “perfect” vendors on our wedding day, and Jean King of Monarch Wedding & Events came in and delivered at 115%! She is the most loving, caring businesswoman I have met and was there every step of the way. We had so many calls about my wedding flowers (I am a big flower girl) because my vision was very, very specific. Many florists quoted me less than Jean, but I knew Jean had the vision! She just got it, and we didn’t exceed the budget by a single penny.
My other perfect vendor was Ruchi Patel, the saree stylist! My saree stylist really saved the day and draped my stunning saree so elegantly. She really stepped up and helped me get ready, especially with jewelry placement.
The other exceptional vendor was actually our reception venue. Elizabeth and Sarah at Centre Club really knocked it out of the park! They didn’t miss a beat. They were amazing to work with, and our tasting was delicious, so that even my parents were impressed with all three dinner plates — and they generally don’t enjoy American food! We incorporated samosas and lamb keema meatballs into our cocktail hour, and we added a third dinner option plate for vegetarian guests (a wild mushroom risotto with cauliflower steak I created with their chef; he did exceptional work)! The grouper dish was a coconut curry, and it was divine.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Spend the money, don’t skimp on the flowers, and be true to your love story.
