Rachel and Mac's waterfront Longboat Key wedding was an enchanting autumn evening overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The outdoor ceremony and reception encapsulated the natural elegance and stunning beauty of Florida's coast, while the elevated lighting and dรฉcor created a magical atmosphere.
“We would describe our wedding as tropical, elegant, and classic. Knowing how beautiful the Harbourside Lawn was, we wanted to keep our dรฉcor simple yet elegant to highlight the beautiful foliage and palm trees surrounding the space,” the bride explained. “I had my heart set on a black and white classic dance floor as one of our focal points, so many of our design decisions stemmed from there. We chose gold chairs and gold accents on our tables, such as shimmery napkins and framed table numbers. We focused on lighting up the space with lots of candles and overhead lanterns since we knew it would become dark fairly early in November.”
Having spent many holidays in the Siesta Key area, the Baltimore couple decided it would be the ideal destination for their wedding. Rachel planned the wedding remotely with the assistance of Marry Me Tampa Bay's preferred wedding recommendations, which helped her find the perfect wedding venue and an all-inclusive resort to host their 140 guests from across the country.
“After getting engaged, I quickly started looking for vendors and found many through Marry Me Tampa Bay. I stumbled upon a gorgeous wedding at The Resort at Longboat Key Club on Marry Me Tampa Bay, and it was so helpful to actually see what another bride did with the Harbourside Lawn space and to hear more about the design process,” the bride revealed. “After finding our reception venue, I was able to book a lot of vendors by looking to see which were tagged in Marry Me Tampa Bayโs posts or from reading various posts on the blog section of the website.”
Providing an exceptional guest experience was an important factor when selecting their wedding location. The world-class grounds at The Resort at Longboat Key Club and superior service made the Gulf Coast beach venue the perfect location.
“We knew we wanted a lot of outdoor space. After finding The Resort at Longboat Key Club on Marry Me Tampa Bay and researching a bit more, we loved how many different options there were for both the ceremony and the reception. Having an outdoor reception that was not tented was definitely unique for our guests! Since the majority of our wedding guests were from out-of-town, it was special for everyone to experience the Sarasota area and beautiful Longboat Key!ย We also loved that our guests would be able to stay at the resort and its proximity to the Sarasota airport for all our out-of-town guests,” the bride shared. “When we first reached out to the resort, we were overwhelmed by how helpful and accommodating the event staff was. Gwen provided so much helpful information that really eased all our nerves as an out-of-town couple. She was so incredibly sweet throughout the entire process and was so responsive to all our questions and requests. The Resort at Longboat Key Club truly went out of its way to make sure our dream wedding became a reality. Our guests still talk about how amazing the food, cocktails, and service were at the reception!”ย
The couple tailored their destination weekend around the exclusive amenities offered at The Resort at Longboat Key Club, including hosting their rehearsal dinner at the Portofino Ristorante & Bar.
“Mac and I love spending time by the water, and we really wanted our guests to have a memorable experience during our wedding weekend, as many of our guests had never been to Sarasota before. When we found The Resort at Longboat Key Club, we were so excited that our guests would have the opportunity to golf, spend time by the beautiful beach and pool, and also be so close to all of the fun restaurants and shops at St. Armands Circle,” the bride detailed. “After having our wedding on a Friday, we were able to have a beach day with our closest family and friends on Saturday.”
For over 35 years, Beneva Weddings has been creating florals for Sarasota weddings, and the design team played a crucial role in creating Rachel's romantic tropical atmosphere. The elegant orchid bridal bouquet perfectly complemented the bridesmaids' vibrant bouquets, creating striking contrast in the wedding photos. The Harbourside Lawn was transformed into a hidden paradise, with exotic floral arrangements adding to the ambiance of the outdoor event.
“When I started to look at flowers, I absolutely loved the idea of potted white orchids, and I wanted an all-white orchid bouquet, but I just couldnโt get away from my love for color! After talking about my ideas with Beneva Weddings, I was so happy that I would be able to incorporate orchids and many different tropical flowers, such as ginger root and palm leaves, into our design,” the bride beamed. “Working with Beneva Weddings was a dream. They understood my vision right away! They were able to incorporate my love for white orchids while still using pops of color with colorful tropical flowers throughout our design. We were blown away by our beautiful flower semi-arch at our ceremony and the amazing bridal and bridesmaids bouquet they created for us! Corona was incredibly easy to work with, and she was always willing to make adjustments. As an out-of-town bride, I loved that all the proposals included photos of what the floral designs would look like, so I could visualize what I would see on the wedding day.”
As Rachel looked back on her wedding day, the anniversary dance stood out in her mind, as the newlyweds were joined on the floor by the groom's grandparents, who were celebrating over half a century of love and marriage.
“There were so many memorable moments from our wedding. One that comes to mind was our first dance and our anniversary dance. Mac and I danced to Stand by Me by Ben E. King, and it was such a fun way to kick off the night. Our band also had anyone married for five+ years come out to the dance floor for the anniversary dance. They slowly started increasing the number of years, until the couple married the longest was still dancing. Macโs grandparents have been married for over 60 years, and it was so special for Mac and me to join them for a dance together!” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
I was visiting my family in Siesta Key for the holidays. Mac flew down and surprised me by waiting on the beach in front of my familyโs house after my sister and I had finished a walk on the beach! It was the best surprise and one of our favorite memories.
What was your wedding floral inspiration?
When I started to look at flowers, I absolutely loved the idea of potted white orchids, and I wanted an all-white orchid bouquet, but I just couldnโt get away from my love for color!
After talking about my ideas with Beneva Weddings, I was so happy that I would be able to incorporate orchids and many different tropical flowers, such as ginger root and palm leaves, into our design.
Working with Beneva Weddings was a dream. They understood my vision right away! They were able to incorporate my love for white orchids while still using pops of color with colorful tropical flowers throughout our design. We were blown away by our beautiful flower semi-arch at our ceremony and the amazing bridal and bridesmaids bouquet they created for us! Corona was incredibly easy to work with, and she was always willing to make adjustments. As an out-of-town bride, I loved that all the proposals included photos of what the floral designs would look like, so I could visualize what I would see on the wedding day.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We would describe our wedding as tropical, elegant, and classic. Knowing how beautiful theย Harboursideย Lawn was, we wanted to keep our dรฉcor simple yet elegant to highlight the beautiful foliage and palm trees surrounding the space. I had my heart set on a black and white classic dance floor as one of our focal points, so many of our design decisions stemmed from there. We chose gold chairs and gold accents on our tables, such as shimmery napkins and framed table numbers. We focused on lighting up the space with lots of candles and overhead lanterns since we knew it would become dark fairly early in November.
What were your colors?
I found myself drawn to a lot of whites, but I found myself becoming more attached to coral and different shades of pink as the process unfolded! We were able to incorporate some touches of color throughout our wedding while mostly sticking to a neutral palette of white and gold.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Mallihouana Resort in Meads Bay, Anguilla! A travel agent highly recommended it for its amazing beaches, and we canโt spend wait to spend some time on the beach and out on the water!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
The bachelorette was originally planned for Naples, Florida but quickly was changed to St. Michaels, Maryland after Hurricane Julia. Even with the change in plans, we had the best time having a fall weekend on the Eastern Shore of Maryland!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We knew we wanted a lot of outdoor space. After finding The Resort at Longboat Key Club on Marry Me Tampa Bay and researching a bit more, we loved how many different options there were for both the ceremony and the reception. Having an outdoor reception that was not tented was definitely unique for our guests! Since the majority of our wedding guests were from out-of-town, it was special for everyone to experience the Sarasota area and beautiful Longboat Key!ย We also loved that our guests would be able to stay at the resort and its proximity to the Sarasota airport for all our out-of-town guests.
When we first reached out to the resort, we were overwhelmed by how helpful and accommodating the event staff was. Gwen provided so much helpful information that really eased all our nerves as an out-of-town couple. She was so incredibly sweet throughout the entire process and was so responsive to all our questions and requests. The Resort at Longboat Key Club truly went out of its way to make sure our dream wedding became a reality. Our guests still talk about how amazing the food, cocktails, and service were at the reception!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our photographer was incredible from start to finish. She was able to capture us as a couple, and she took so many amazing candid shots that bring us back to all of the special moments from our wedding day.
Our makeup artists did such an incredible job on all my bridesmaidsโ hair and makeup! They made sure we stayed close to our timeline and were so fun and easy to work with.
Our band was incredible, and they made the planning process for our music so easy. Mac and I were thrilled that they were able to play all our favorite songs!
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
As easy as it is to become caught up in all the details, at the end of the day, your guests are there to celebrate you as a couple! Although planning early and staying organized is important, try to enjoy the day and soak up every minute! It goes by so fast.
