Rebecca and Aaron’s destination Sarasota wedding featured a ceremony on their resort’s pristine lawn surrounded by white florals, followed by dinner under a twinkle light and chandelier-filled tent.
“We wanted modern and elegant. The theme was ‘Vanity Fair, Not Pinterest.’ We wanted it to be classy yet personal,” the bride shared. “Our colors were silver, white, black, elegant Vanity Fair and New York City.”
The New York bride and groom legally married on 10/10 in Central Park, which was their original wedding date before having to postpone twice due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions. One year later, they celebrated their first anniversary by saying I do in front of 100 of their loved ones. Rebecca had long visited Longboat Key while growing up and knew the sentimental memories and stunning beach views would be the perfect setting for her waterfront ceremony.
“I fell in love with the beach and the weather there so early on. I brought Aaron down here, and it was a no-brainer to pick it as our location for the wedding so that our family and friends could also experience it,” Rebecca beamed. “About once a year over the last 20 years, I’ve visited Longboat Key Club and got to know the staff, witness the renovations, etc. The beach there is my absolute favorite beach in the world and was always a top destination each year. We immediately met Ayla Goggin, who is absolutely amazing! She worked with us not just on budget and vision, but the fact that we had to move the wedding twice due to COVID! I can’t say enough about the quality of her work and communication and how easy she made all the transitions for us. And the day of, nothing disappointed in terms of service and Ayla running the show making sure everything was perfect. Hands down, I would recommend Longboat Key Club to everyone and anyone.”
The bride and groom focused on a few key experiences in an effort to stay true to their personalities and values.
“It was imperative that our furbaby, Shea, was involved as he is our family! The music was also a priority, as we have a wide array of musical tastes and wanted our guests to dance, celebrate, and have as much fun as us. We’re big foodies and love to travel/eat the very best, so we focused on our menu, too,” the bride revealed.
The couple turned to Fairytail Pet Care to help care for their pet on the big day and include him as a part of their celebration, which included assisting with posing for adorable photos!
“Shea is our family! He is a rescue poodle from South Korea, and we knew he would look as handsome as ever. FairyTail Pet Care was recommended by our planner, and wow, were they amazing,” the bride raved. “The photos they got of Shea around the hotel, in the room, and on his walks were fantastic; we saw how much he trusted and listened to the attendant the entire time, and they were so sweet with him.”
Looking back, it was all the little details that made the celebration such a unique reflection of the couple, from the setting to the décor.
“Everything was personalized to us,” Rebecca detailed. “The dance, the cocktail napkins featuring our pup’s face, the venue being a special place to me, the personalized touches such as the ‘In Memoriam’ table, and puzzle pieces to sign instead of a traditional guest book.”
The Proposal:
It was a sunny day in May in New York City, and Aaron asked me to join him on a walk with our dog along the East River, just as we normally would. Aaron, very sneakily, had arranged for my best friend to be at the overpass to take pictures of the proposal as it was happening and also arranged for our closest family and friends to meet us at one of our favorite local restaurants immediately following.
Why did you choose to include your pet in your wedding?
Because he is our family. Shea is a rescue poodle from South Korea, and we knew he would look as handsome as ever.
Fairytail Pet Care was a recommendation by our planner, and wow, were they amazing! The photos they got of Shea around the hotel, in the room, and on his walks were fantastic. We saw how much he trusted and listened to the attendant the entire time, and they were so sweet with him.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
About once a year over the last 20 years, I’ve visited Longboat Key Club and got to know the staff, witness the renovations, etc. The beach there is my absolute favorite beach in the world and was always a top destination each year. It was a no-brainer to pick it as our location for the wedding so that our family and friends could also experience it.
We immediately met Ayla Goggin, who is absolutely amazing! She worked with us not just on budget and vision, but the fact that we had to move the wedding twice due to COVID! I can’t say enough about the quality of her work and communication and how easy she made all the transitions for us. And the day of, nothing disappointed in terms of service and Ayla running the show making sure everything was perfect. Hands down, I would recommend Longboat Key Club to everyone and anyone, with Ayla as the real queen!”
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted modern and elegant. The theme was ‘Vanity Fair, Not Pinterest.’ We wanted it to be classy yet personal.
How did you incorporate your personalities into the wedding?
I am is known as the “talker” of the relationship, very outgoing and fearless, and never afraid to put myself out there. Aaron is more of the “listener” of the relationship, the intellectual who is level-headed and stoic but loves to have a good time.
We put all of this into our opening dance, the song of which was a combination of No Place Like You by the Backstreet Boys and What a Man Gotta Do by the Jonas Brothers. We started our choreography with a slow Rumba to the Backstreet Boys’ song and just as the audience thought the song was done, the tempo changed quickly to introduce the upbeat Jonas Brothers’ song.
There was then a dance solo by me, followed by one by Aaron, then a choreographed salsa routine. For the final verse, the wedding party came up and performed a choreographed dance with us with a heck of a finish!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We are headed (after multiple postponements!) to Italy, specifically to Rome and Florence.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
FairyTail Petcare and, most importantly, our planner! They worked with us for over two years as we had to postpone our wedding, not just once but twice and also still plan for the unknowns such as weather issues, etc. They were beyond organized and offered incredible suggestions and insights to help us in our decisions, and they also made sure we had the best value for our budget, from the tent to the lighting to the food to the band to the photographer. Our florist took our vision and brought it to life, which is even still an understatement!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Personalize your wedding as much as you can! Be yourselves and make your own choices; don’t give in to peer pressure from family or friends; this is your time to shine.
