Wedding

Elegant Pink and Green Thonotosassa Wedding | Mision Lago Estate

Alessandra and John's elegant Tampa Bay estate wedding featured a pink and green color palette complemented by soft whites and touches of greenery. Following a traditional Catholic ceremony, guests celebrated in an Italian-rustic venue filled with romantic string lights and beautiful chandeliers.

“Our wedding was simple, yet elegant, for the venue and church had so much natural beauty. We didn't want to take away from that but enhance it with our personal touches and colors,” the bride explained. “I chose blush pink and sage green because I felt they went really well with the wedding whites and the transition from summer to fall. I did not want anything too bold. The venue has a lot of natural wood, and I felt those colors were a great match. Also, I wanted colors that I would be happy with many years down the road, timeless.”

The St. Augustine couple chose the bride's hometown of Tampa for their fall affair, and with less than a year to plan her celebration, Alessandra turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for inspiration and recommendations.

“Planning a wedding in nine months had me feeling crunched on time and options, so Marry Me Tampa Bay was a great resource. It provided lots of inspiration and options to look at, especially venues. I was able to see the inspiration for different styles of weddings, colors, and wedding party ideas for dresses and tuxes,” the bride shared. “I also was very thankful for the feature they had of showing availability and details of the venues that often were difficult to find elsewhere. This saved me a lot of time.”

Incorporating their religion was a priority for Alessandra and John; even their proposal was linked to their faith as it occurred on the Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe.

“My husband and I are both Catholic, and our faith is very important to us. The ceremony was the most important part of our wedding,” the bride revealed. “We incorporated our faith throughout the entire day, from a rosary in my bouquet, the touches in our seating decorations of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as the blessed small rosaries as wedding favors at the end.” 

To celebrate their nuptials, the bride and groom wanted a wedding venue with multiple event spaces, surrounded by natural beauty and selected Mision Lago Estate. The private property, near downtown Tampa, featured sprawling landscaped grounds, including vineyards, orchid nurseries, and a horse farm to transport their 125 loved ones to another world for the evening.

“For a wedding venue, we wanted something that did not need to have many outside decorations or rentals and that was outside with a traditional ballroom as well as multiple areas to celebrate in.” the bride detailed. “We chose Mision Lago Estate because of its beautiful grounds, carriage house, staff who were incredibly involved and helpful, as well as furniture included in the rental. The service was absolutely amazing, easy to work with, flexible and accommodating.”

Alessandra and John highly sought an experienced wedding photographer who could deliver clean, crisp photos. Every detail was skillfully captured, from the intimate details of the bride's delicate lace veil and the traditional Catholic service to the decorative neon sign and the romantic candlelight reception.

“For a wedding photographer, I did not want something that was ‘in right now' but timeless, and Kristen Marie Photography was exactly that!” the bride beamed. “Kristen was beyond kind, made me feel so incredibly comfortable throughout the entire process, and had done Catholic weddings before. It was important for us to have someone who knew different parts of the mass to capture. She is also very creative, especially when it came to the rainstorm we experienced that day. She gave me advice but let me make the ultimate decision. Kristen wanted me to know all my options and had great communication!”

As the couple created their wedding menu, they were inspired to find a caterer that offered a variety to please everyone's palate. Having worked with Olympia Catering in the past, the pair was pleasantly surprised to find the full-service catering company had only gotten better with time.

“My husband wanted a meal that was filling and full of flavor, and my family used Olympia Catering over 10 years ago, so when we went to the tasting, we were very happy to see that they were still just as good, if not better,” the bride gushed. “They were extremely easy to work with, accommodating, and had an abundance of options to choose from. We were also able to rent linen, glasses, etc. from them as well. Our food was one of our favorite parts of the wedding.”

To add to the ambiance of the event, the couple included specialty rentals from Kate Ryan Event Rentals and a lux photo booth from The Gala Photo Booth to give their guests the perfect memento to remember the night.

“We rented blush pink goblets and a half-sweetheart table. The blush pink goblets added just an extra touch to the table settings without it being overboard of pink,” Alessandra shared. ” One of my bridesmaids gifted us The Gala Photobooth, and we were so happy with the service! They were so patient and accommodating with guests and were energetic from beginning to end with helping and assisting in the photo booth.”

Simple Black and White Wedding Invitation Suite Ideas
Antique Oval Rose Gold Engagement Ring and Diamond Wedding Band | Blush, Sage Green Velvet Ring Boxes
Groom Getting Ready Wedding Portrait | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristin Marie Photographer
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White Veronica, Blush Roses, and Greenery Wedding Bouquet Ideas
Bride and Groom Wedding First Touch
Bride and Groom Private Wedding First Touch | Black Tuxedo with Satin Lapels | Elegant White High-neck Keyhole A-line Wedding Dress Ideas

The Proposal:
The proposal happened on our one-year anniversary, which also happened to be the Feast Day in our Catholic faith, of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We were in Mexico City, Mexico, where Feast Day is very popular and celebrated. It was such a special and beautiful experience. 

Bridesmaids First Look Wedding Portrait | Mismatching Satin Dusty Sage Green Dress Inspiration
Catholic Wedding Inspiration | Cathedral Embellished Veil Ideas | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photographer | Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Traditional Tampa Bay Catholic Church Wedding Inspiration | Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Downtown Tampa Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Bride and Groom Vow Exchange | Downtown Tampa Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church
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Bride and Groom Romantic Wedding Aisle Kiss | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Bride and Groom Wedding Portrait| Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Bride and Groom Wedding Portrait| Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Sacred Heart Catholic Church

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?

For a wedding photographer, I did not want something that was “in right now” but timeless, and Kristen Marie Photography was exactly that!

Kristen was beyond kind, made me feel so incredibly comfortable throughout the entire process, and had done Catholic weddings before. It was important for us to have someone who knew different parts of the mass to capture. She is also very creative, especially when it came to the rainstorm we experienced that day. She gave me advice but let me make the ultimate decision. Kristen wanted me to know all my options and had great communication!

Elegant White A-line Wedding Dress with Bow Ideas | Tampa Bay Venue Mission Lago | Photographer Kristen Marie Photography
Satin Bridesmaids Dresses | Sage Green and Blush Wedding Inspiration

Where did you host your bachelorette party?
St Petersburg. I am a flight attendant and travel a lot and really desired a low-key bachelorette that did not involve flying. I requested bowling, an escape room, and a night out dancing, and we did it all! It was such a blast. We stayed at The Saint Hotel, which had a very Instagram vibe, with lots of photo options and music by the pool. 

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Cancun. We chose it because our time was short and it was close. We're taking another one in April to Rome. 

Intimate Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Mission Lago
Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Mission Lago

What did you look for in a wedding venue?

For a wedding venue, we wanted something that did not need to have many outside decorations or rentals and that was outside with a traditional ballroom as well as multiple areas to celebrate in.

We chose Mision Lago Estate because of its beautiful grounds, carriage house, staff who were incredibly involved and helpful, as well as furniture included in the rental. The service was absolutely amazing, easy to work with, flexible and accommodating. Karin, the Director of Sales and Events at Mision Lago was beyond helpful, kind, and responsive.

Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait | Tampa Bay Photographer Kristen Marie Photography | Venue Mission Lago
Custom Last Name Neon Sign | Table Top Floral Arrangement with White Hydrangeas, Stock Flowers, Pink Roses, Greenery Ideas | Wooden Crossback Chairs Seating Ideas | Sage Green and Blush Wedding Reception Inspiration

What was your theme?
Our wedding was simple, yet elegant, for the venue and church had so much natural beauty. We didn't want to take away from that but enhance it with our personal touches and colors.

What were your colors?
I chose blush pink and sage green because I felt they went really well with the wedding whites and the transition from summer to fall. I did not want anything too bold. The venue has a lot of natural wood, and I felt those colors were a great match. Also, I wanted colors that I would be happy with many years down the road, timeless.

Custom Last Name Neon Sign | Table Top Floral Arrangement with White Hydrangeas, Stock Flowers, Pink Roses, Greenery Ideas | Sage Green and Blush Wedding Reception Inspiration
Tealight Candles | Greenery, White Baby's Breath, and Pink Roses Garland, Blush Cheese Cloth Table Runner Inspiration | Elegant Black and White Table Number Sign Reception Ideas | Tampa Bay Kate Ryan Rentals

How did the rentals add to the ambiance of your wedding?

We used blush pink goblets and a half-sweetheart table from Kate Ryan Event Rentals. The blush pink goblets added just an extra touch to the table settings without it being overboard of pink. 

Hurricane Glass Tubes with Pillar Candles Wedding Centerpieces | Greenery, White Baby's Breath, and Pink Roses Garland, Blush Cheese Cloth Table Runner Reception Inspiration
Simple Individual Menu Ideas | Blush Pink Goblets and Napkins, White Linens, and Gold Flatware | Sage Green and Blush Wedding Reception Inspiration | Tampa Bay Kate Ryan Rentals | Caterer Olympia Catering

What was your menu inspiration?

Our menu inspiration was something that had a little bit of everything for everyone. My husband wanted a meal that was filling and full of flavor, and my family used Olympia Catering over 10 years ago, so when we went to the tasting, we were very happy to see that they were still just as good, if not better.

They were extremely easy to work with, accommodating, and had an abundance of options to choose from. We were also able to rent linen, glasses, etc. from them as well. Our food was one of our favorite parts of the wedding.

Bride and Groom First Dance | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue Mission Lago

Why did you choose to have a photobooth at your wedding?

The Gala Photobooth was gifted to us by my bridesmaid, and we are so happy with the service! They were so patient and accommodating with guests. They were energetic from beginning to end with helping and assisting in the photo booth. 

Best Tampa Bay Wedding Photo Booth | Gala Photobooth

Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Vendor Credits

 

Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pros

Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.