Brittni and Joey’s outdoor Tampa Bay wedding combined woven rattan and macramé boho elements with a moody color palette and romantic touches such as eucalyptus greenery and floating candle centerpieces. The result was a personally unique wedding, filled with homespun touches for their 130 friends and family.

“Joey and I are super down-to-earth people, and we just wanted people to have a good time. We did away with a lot of the traditional elements of a wedding day i.e. cake cutting (or cake in general), garter toss, etc., and did what we wanted. I would describe my wedding theme as slightly bohemian but very natural with touches of elegance and romance. I loved the idea of earth tones. I have always been drawn to the darker tones always found in nature and when I found my venue, they went hand in hand perfectly and my vision took off from there,” the bride shared. “The colors I chose for the wedding were tan, mustard yellow, deep emerald, mossy green, a deep burgundy with touches of wood and gold throughout.”

The bride turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for insight regarding best planning practices and real wedding style inspiration.

“I followed Marry Me Tampa Bay’s Instagram throughout the wedding planning process and it helped me find inspiration,” Brittni shared. “Some of the questions that the account asked helped spark additional questions I needed to achieve the best day ever. The content that was shared also helped me pull together my overall vision.”

The outdoorsy Bradenton couple sought a wedding venue with the flexibility to personalize their event and with space to accommodate their guests for overnight stays, the rehearsal dinner, wedding day, and post-wedding brunch. Upon visiting Paradise Spring, Brittni and Joey could immediately envision their celebration in the surrounding lush landscape.

“Paradise Spring was the first and only venue I visited and we booked within a week of me being engaged. When you know, you know! It was absolutely incredible. From the site visits to my endless questions, they are a definite must when looking at options for a wedding,” Brittni raved. “I was so satisfied with the service we received from Paradise Spring. Ashley and her team were outstanding to work with. Working with them felt like home from the very first time we went there.”

The bride shared that the special handmade touches are what made her November wedding unique, from the mirror seating chart to the favors donning a caricature of the couple with their dogs.

“So much thought and detail went into everything,” the bride beamed. “My maid of honor and I DIY’d about 90% of the décor. We also opted to have a pretzel bar in lieu of cake and that was a unique touch to the day.”

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
When looking for a wedding venue, the main thing I was looking for was a customizable one-stop-shop. We wanted a place where our family and friends could stay with us to celebrate all weekend long. Paradise Spring allowed the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and the day after to be at one place. No need for transportation and no need to leave. We loved that there were no restrictions on vendors to use. They provided the space, and we were able to customize it to whatever we wanted.

Paradise Spring was the first and only venue I visited and we booked within a week of me being engaged. When you know, you know! It was absolutely incredible. We love nature and being outdoors and the sense of being away from the city life, and the venue was perfect for that. Felt remote without actually being remote. From the site visits to my endless questions, they are a definite must when looking at options for a wedding. I was so satisfied with the service we received from Paradise Spring. Ashley and her team were outstanding to work with. I like to say that Ashley and I are friends because we gush to each other about all things wedding even after my wedding has ended. Working with them felt like home from the very first time we went there.

The Proposal:
A year and a day after we first became official, we were meeting my parents at Sharkey’s in Venice Beach for lunch. My mom had been planning on attending a beach bash there for months so I didn’t think anything of it. I actually invited Joey’s sister with her husband and children to meet us up there because it was literally right down the road. They had already met my parents but Joey’s mom had not so I extended an invitation to her as well. It wasn’t anything out of the norm and I planned it so why would I think anything?

After we ate lunch, we walked on the pier and that is when it all happened. Joey’s sister wanted to get a photo of us because it was our anniversary. After I got all of my hair out of my face (it was a super windy day), she snapped what I thought was a photo as Joey got down on one knee. I immediately fell to the ground in tears and an overwhelming feeling of joy and being surprised. The love of my life was asking me to spend the rest of his life with me. I took a little longer than I should have to say yes (I was sobbing), and we celebrated with champagne as I got to scream at the bar that “I JUST GOT ENGAGED!”

What elements of your wedding were the most important?
Joey lost his father several years ago, and I lost a best friend who would have been standing next to me. We also didn’t have many of our grandparents there due to COVID and travel. We made sure to incorporate them in such a way to honor their memory and also remind us of the people who helped shape us to become the people we are today and allowed us to find one another.

Joey wore lion cuff links as the lion is symbolic of his father. I had a picture of my best friend in my bouquet along with my grandmother’s wedding ring. The elements that were the most important in our wedding were sharing the day with our family and the friends that became family.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We booked our honeymoon trip to Fairplay, Colorado. We chose this location because it was remote, and we wanted a cabin in the mountains. When we booked it, all restaurants and everything to do was set to be closed due to COVID, so we planned on cooking all of our meals in the cabin. To our surprise, we were able to do quite a bit. We had the best time meeting the locals. Since it’s not a popular honeymoon spot (40 minutes south of Breckenridge, population like 700) we were treated so kindly and everyone was genuinely happy we were there. It was the perfect little stress-free getaway from our busy careers.

Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette party was in Austin, Texas on Labor Day weekend. I have always loved Austin as it caters to any audience and there is so much to do. Even during COVID, we had a blast. Between a special brunch, an incredible dinner and night out, and a yacht day on Lake Travis, it was time to remember! My maid of honor and my girls made it so special and the best weekend ever.

Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Some of our vendors were the real MVPs of our wedding day. Our photographer, videographer, and caterer really exceeded our expectations on that day. The food was outstanding and everyone raved about it. The extensive spread was top-notch and hard to beat. Our photographer and videographers were also awesome. Our timeline was behind but they didn’t miss a beat. One of the most memorable moments of our day has to do with our photographer.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do not sweat the small stuff, I cannot stress that enough. It’s easy to get caught up in a Pinterest or Instagram-worthy wedding and if you do, you will regret it. Use that time and energy into carving out time for each other during that day. And also look at ways to actually interact with your guests. It flies by and the next thing you know it’s over and you will regret not having spent that time with your loved ones.

Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

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