Morgan and Rick's Clearwater Beach wedding brought all of their favorite loved ones to the breezy beaches of Tampa Bay for a cross-country celebration after a year of shut-downs and setbacks. Luxurious shades of white and gold complemented the natural greenery of Florida to create an elegant aesthetic.
“We are both very traditional, and some would say, old souls. We wanted everything to be classic and timeless. We love the beach, but we still wanted the wedding to be more elegant than casual,” the bride explained. “Everything came together to fit our vision of beachy elegance with classic and traditional elements. We chose white and gold colors with some sage-green accents.”
With the bride's family traveling from Seattle and the groom's family from upstate New York, the couple brought their 120 guests for a February destination wedding experience on the beaches of Florida's gulf coast. For a stress-free wedding celebration, Morgan relied on month-of-planning services from Blue Skies Weddings and Events to assist in the execution.
“We looked for a wedding planner who could get my vision and take the initiative for a month of planning to tie all the details together,” Morgan revealed. “I chose Blue Skies Weddings and Events because I saw they worked with many of the other vendors I chose, so I knew they would make a good team with a history of working together. They were the most reasonably priced for what they had to offer, which was a lot! Heather went above and beyond with every detail; I didn't even have to ask her for things. She just knew what I needed!”
The downtown Tampa couple loved Clearwater Beach's crystal-clear shores and powder-white sand for their beach wedding backdrop and selecting a photographer who would capture their day in an elegant and natural style was a priorty.
“We wanted a photographer was genuine, candid, professional, and not too pricey. We don't like taking pictures very much, so we wanted a good team who would capture our personalities and not have any forced or staged shots,” the bride revealed. “I knew Lifelong Photography Studios was the perfect fit after viewing the website and talking to Emily. They were amazing and one of our favorite vendors! We had a large bridal party and both don't like taking pictures, so we weren't the easiest couple to work with, but we had a great time. Emily got me through all the shots I wanted and encouraged us the whole time.”
The aesthetics of the day were implemented into every element of the design. Her lush bridal bouquet filled with eucalyptus leaf greenery and white roses from Iza's Flowers was the perfect accessory to the beachfront wedding ceremony.
“Iza of Iza's Flowers was so easy to work with. She was recommended by all the vendors I had already selected, and I really liked her personality! She worked very hard and went above and beyond with answering my calls and meeting with me ahead of time,” the bride gushed.
Morgan's natural yet polished look was cohesively styled to complement her silhouette wedding dress and overall wedding theme.
“I wanted classic neutral makeup and hair and curls with an updo to keep with the beachy theme,” the bride explained. “Adore Bridal worked with the other vendors I chose and was recommended by my photographer. After having a consultation with them they seemed very fun and down to earth! Adore was very accommodating for my large group of bridesmaids and family.”
While the entire wedding day was filled with all of their favorite people, the couple relished the moment they saw their adopted dog, Bear, steal the show during the ceremony.
“Our dog is one-of-a-kind, and I'm not just saying that because he is our pet. We rescued him about two years ago, and he melts our hearts every day. We get stopped by strangers constantly asking about him. He is such a calm and friendly puppy, and we knew from the day we booked our venue that we wanted him to be there in some way,” the bride shared. “Ilana of FairyTail Pet Care literally ran three miles to make the wedding with Bear and got a video of the whole thing that went viral!”
Looking back, Morgan shared that seeing her two favorite guys coming down the aisle was an unforgettable memory.
“I was so overwhelmed before walking down the aisle, but when I saw Bear I started crying because I knew everything would be ok,” the bride reminisced. “Walking down the aisle and seeing my husband for the first time was such a special moment with so much built-up anticipation I will never forget.”
@fairytail_petcare He almost didn’t make it ???????? ##foryou ##fyp ##dog ##dogsoftiktok ##petsoftiktok ##wedding ##weddingday ##weddingvibes ##couplegoals ##dramaticmoments ##love
♬ Home – Edith Whiskers
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
Classic neutral makeup and hair and curls with an updo to keep with the beachy theme.
Adore Bridal worked with the other vendors I chose and was recommended by my photographer. After having a consultation with them they seemed very fun and down to earth! Adore was very accommodating for my large group of bridesmaids and family.
Why did you choose to incorporate your dog into your wedding day?
Our dog is one-of-a-kind, and I'm not just saying that because he is our pet. We rescued him about two years ago, and he melts our hearts every day. We get stopped by strangers constantly asking about him. He is such a calm and friendly puppy, and we knew from the day we booked our venue that we wanted him to be there in some way.
Ilana of FairyTail Pet Care literally ran three miles to make the wedding with Bear and got a video of the whole thing that went viral!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Key West at the Parrot Key. I wanted to stay in Florida since we went in January, and I wanted a tropical location!
How would you describe your theme?
We are both very traditional, and some would say, old souls. We wanted everything to be classic and timeless. We love the beach, but we still wanted the wedding to be more elegant than casual. Everything came together to fit our vision of beachy elegance with classic and traditional elements.
What were your colors?
We chose white and gold colors with some sage-green accents.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Someone who could get my vision and take initiative for a month of planning to tie all the details together!
I chose Blue Skies Weddings and Events because I saw they worked with many of the other vendors I chose, so I knew they would make a good team with a history of working together. They were the most reasonably priced for what they had to offer, which was a lot! Heather went above and beyond with every detail; I didn't even have to ask her for things. She just knew what I needed!
The Proposal:
We had dinner at Spinner’s in St. Pete the day after Valentine's Day because we normally celebrate on a different day to avoid crowds. After dinner, we walked out on the beach where Rick proposed! Then he surprised me with a party at Hotel Zamora with our families, and my college roommates even flew in!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Genuine, candid, professional, and not too pricey. We honestly don't like taking pictures very much, so we wanted a good team who would capture our personalities and not have any forced or staged shots.
I knew Lifelong Photography Studios was the perfect fit after viewing the website and talking to Emily. They were amazing and one of our favorite vendors! We had a large bridal party, and both don't like taking pictures, so we weren't the easiest couple to work with, but we had a great time. Emily got me through all the shots I wanted and encouraged us the whole time.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We had to cancel our original honeymoon to Barbados because of Covid, but we ended up staying at the Sandpearl a few days, then driving to St. Augustine with our dog and staying at an Airbnb, which turned out to be amazing! The Sandpearl felt like a getaway even though it was close to home, and St. Augustine has so much character and fun things to do, so we had a great time!
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
Someone who down to earth who understood my vision.
Iza of Iza's Flowers was so easy to work with. She was recommended by all the vendors I had already selected, and I really liked her personality! She worked very hard and went above and beyond with answering my calls and meeting with me ahead of time.
What made your wedding unique?
We are both huge sports fans so for our seating chart instead of doing table numbers we had sports teams for our tables. Our table seating sign said “Morgan and Rick’s Team Picks.” We had our first date at Ferg‘s Sports Bar in St. Pete so we felt like it was very fitting for us. It was really fun to put our friends and families at different sports tables that were teams they also liked!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do what fits you as a couple! Know what your dealbreakers are and stick to your vision! My husband knew he wanted a band, and he did not want the first look, and these were some of the best parts of the wedding for us because we made sure we made those things happen.
Venue: Sandpearl Resort
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studios *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Planner: Blue Skies Weddings and Events *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Pet Planning: FairyTail Pet Care *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: Iza's Flowers *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Rentals: Gabro Event Services
Cake: A Piece of Cake
Officiant: Rev Alex Gallimore, Bayshore Baptist
Invitations: Minted
Dress and Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal
Shoe Designer: Bella Belle Shoes
Hair and Makeup: Adore Bridal *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Rehearsal Dinner: Island Way Grill
Ice Sculpture: Tampa Bay Ice Sculptures And Fruit Carvings
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
