Megan and Jake’s downtown Tampa wedding was an elegant evening filled with neutral flora, a monochromatic color palette, and hints of gold. The couple exchanged vows in a historic building featuring 35-foot ceilings and stately columns before dancing the night away on the elegant stone floors, surrounded by friends and family.

“Our wedding theme was really classic and simple. The Vault is such a beautiful venue, so we really wanted to let that beauty shine through on its own. We opted for gorgeous white flowers with some green and gold accents, elegant but bright for spring!” the bride beamed. “We wanted the beautiful marble of the venue to stand out, so we chose white flowers with some sage and greenery and gold accents for the decor. The bridesmaids wore a beautiful lavender/mauve color that was light enough for a spring wedding and looked gorgeous on all of them. The groomsmen wore classic black tuxes.”

Centering their aesthetics around their historic wedding venue, the bride and groom selected an event space beaming with original 1920s Art Deco details.

“We wanted a venue that was beautiful and bright, but it was important that the ceremony and the reception would both be indoors. We did not want to take any risks with Florida weather! We were blown away by The Vault when we first toured it, both inside and out. We love this area, and we loved that our wedding venue was literally down the street from our old apartment. The space inside is really so beautiful on its own, and the curtains and uplighting they use at night are stunning. We also loved that it was a historic building, and our guests could explore the old bank vault,” Megan detailed. “The service was great; Norma was extremely helpful throughout the entire process!”

During the planning process, the couple focused on the guest experience by keeping the formalities to a minimum. One VIP guest, in particular, was at the forefront during the venue selection process. The Vault impressed the pair with its stunning atmosphere and ability to accommodate their special request.

“The only question I remember asking the wedding venues we looked at was, ‘Do you allow dogs to be in the ceremony?’ The one non-negotiable I had was that our 16-year-old chihuahua be the ring bearer, so we made it happen,” Megan beamed. “Other than that, it was important that the event wasn’t totally focused on us! We kept the ceremony, speeches, and first dances short so that we could spend as much time with our guests as possible. It was our special day, but we were both so excited and happy to drink and dance the night away with our friends and family!”

The Dunedin couple prioritized a high-quality photography and videography team to artfully document their 100-guest April celebration. Having witnessed McNeile Photography‘s work for friends’ weddings, Megan was blown away by the images and knew they would be in excellent hands with owner Arron McNeile.

“We wanted a team that would not only capture us at our most flattering angles but also capture our guests and their personalities as much as possible. We wanted to document our friends walking down the aisle and dancing, and any other moments we thought we might miss in the wedding chaos. McNeile Photography was the photographer for one of my best friend’s weddings, and their pictures were stunning. They looked like models!” the bride raved. “After I started following Arron McNeile on Instagram, I saw that he photographed weddings for at least three other friends of mine! McNeile Photography did a great job capturing everything that was important to us. Arron spent a lot of time with us before the wedding to make sure he knew exactly what we wanted. He did a phenomenal job communicating before and during the wedding. He made us feel super comfortable and confident throughout the whole day! They did a great job!”

So that they could fully experience their wedding day, Megan and Jake looked for a seasoned wedding planner with extensive knowledge to guide them through the process while seamlessly executing the event day.

“We had no idea where to start, so we wanted a wedding planner with experience who would be organized and communicate well. Elegant Affairs By Design was recommended by friends, and our planner, Danyle, and I have several mutual friends in common. Danyle and her day-of team were fantastic,” the bride gushed. “She worked with us for months prior to the wedding to make sure that we had every detail covered. She coordinated with all of the vendors to ensure everyone knew when and where to be on the day of. The day went by perfectly smoothly, and they really made it stress-free for us.”

Having their furry family member as part of their day, along with being surrounded by their loved ones on the dance floor, made for a truly unforgettable experience that the bride will remember fondly.

“During the ceremony, our dog felt that he wasn’t getting enough attention, so he let out a single bark to remind us he was there, and it was very funny!” Megan joked. “At the reception, our friends lifted each of us up in a chair and danced around us. It was a little scary at first, but it ended up being so fun, and the pictures of it are great!”

How did you incorporate your personalities into the wedding? 
Both of our outfits were pretty good representations of our personalities. My dress was exactly what I wanted: classic and almost understated but with a long train for some pizzazz! Jake’s style is a bit louder than mine, so his patterned tux jacket was perfect for him. We also each picked a signature cocktail for the wedding; my choice was a Lavender French 75, and Jake went with his go-to drink, Coors Light.

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
 We wanted a venue that was beautiful and bright, but it was important that the ceremony and the reception would both be indoors. We did not want to take any risks with Florida weather! 

We were blown away by The Vault when we first toured it, both inside and out. We love this area, and we loved that our wedding venue was literally down the street from our old apartment. The space inside is really so beautiful on its own, and the curtains and uplighting they use at night are stunning. We also loved that it was a historic building, and our guests could explore the old bank vault. The service was great; Norma was extremely helpful throughout the entire process!

What did you look for in a wedding planner? 
We had no idea where to start, so we wanted a wedding planner with experience who would be organized and communicate well. 

Elegant Affairs By Design was recommended by friends, and our planner, Danyle, and I have several mutual friends in common. Danyle and her day-of team were fantastic. She worked with us for months prior to the wedding to make sure that we had every detail covered. She coordinated with all of the vendors to ensure everyone knew when and where to be on the day of. The day went by perfectly smoothly, and they really made it stress-free for us.

The Proposal:
 Jake had my sister invite me to the beach to watch the sunset with her and told me that he was going over to a friend’s house. When I got to the beach, it was just Jake and a tarp he had set up because it started drizzling. He had flowers in his hand, and our song was playing. After the sunset, we called all of our friends and went to our favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate. It was a perfect night! 

What did you look for in a wedding photographer team?
We wanted a team that would not only capture us at our most flattering angles but also capture our guests and their personalities as much as possible. We wanted to document our friends walking down the aisle and dancing, and any other moments we thought we might miss in the wedding chaos.

McNeile Photography was the photographer for one of my best friend’s weddings, and their pictures were stunning. They looked like models! After I started following Arron McNeile on Instagram, I saw that he photographed weddings for at least three other friends of mine! McNeile Photography did a great job capturing everything that was important to us. Arron spent a lot of time with us before the wedding to make sure he knew exactly what we wanted. He did a phenomenal job communicating before and during the wedding. He made us feel super comfortable and confident throughout the whole day! They did a great job!

What was your wedding hair and makeup inspiration? 
My hair and makeup inspiration was sort of an Old Hollywood look. I wanted to look elegant and glamorous. Femme Akoi Beauty Studio was recommended by a family member who had hired them for her wedding, and we were also happy with how helpful and thorough with their initial consultation.

We were very happy with Femme Akoi’s service. They were very communicative with us and requested feedback after our hair and makeup trials to perfectly execute what we wanted on the wedding day.