Nevar and Tyler's downtown St. Pete wedding was a festive celebration that took the liveliness of St. Patrick's Day and combined it with the elegance and sentiment worthy of matrimony. Vintage touches from the bride and groom's family memories adorned their historic wedding venue creating an intimate atmosphere for their guests.
“We decided on Saint Patrick's Day for our wedding in order to honor our family members who are no longer with us, including Tyler's mother and my dad and brother. We wanted to make sure the day was unique to us,” the bride shared. “We went with emerald green, gold, and dusty rose for the color palette.”
MORE: GREEN WEDDING INSPIRATION
To complement their vintage-chic theme, the St. Petersburg couple chose unique wedding venue NOVA 535 for its multi-purpose reception space that offers a variety of settings.
“We wanted a space that was indoor and outdoor as well as had the vintage feel we were looking for. The courtyard was the perfect location for our cocktail hour with the market lights and bamboo garden. The inside was exactly what I wanted with the hardwood floors and brick walls,” Nevar gushed. “I also loved that I was able to choose who did my catering, as we did a food truck for our cocktail hour, where she served up corned beef and cabbage tacos! Then we had a different catering company to do a more traditional buffet.”
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Finding a reputable St. Pete wedding photographer who would help them feel comfortable in front of the camera was Nevar's top priority. She relied on Lifelong Photography Studios to capture their wedding day memories.
“I wanted someone I could connect with and that Tyler felt comfortable with as he is not the biggest fan of taking photos. I had experience working with Lifelong Photography Studios through my work, but instantly knew they were the ones when I met Gabe. Her personality was exactly what we needed, especially the day of when our getting ready timeframe fell behind. She improvised to get us the shots we needed. We had multiple photo locations including a first look at the hotel and wedding party photos before the ceremony at the Banyan trees in Straub Park. Gabe and her second [photographer] at Lifelong were worth every penny and truly blew us all away with their patience and creativity.”
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The couple hired St. Pete wedding pastry designer The Artistic Whisk to create a stunning statement cake that would taste as delicious as it looked.
“We wanted the cake to capture the feel of St. Patrick's Day with the accents of green and gold with a vintage vibe. The gold lace was a perfect touch, along with the fresh flowers. We are huge Harry Potter fans, so we included ‘Always' as our cake topper since it is one of my favorite lines from The Half-Blood Prince, which is my favorite book,” the bride revealed. “I am not a big cake person. I usually find them too sweet, but the style buttercream that The Artistic Whisk makes is so delicious. We also loved the unique flavor options that they offer. We chose mango passion and bananas foster as our flavors. To top it off, Jovana, the owner is just such a delight. I never wanted our tasting to end.”
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Looking back on their wedding day, Nevar reminisced on the subtle moments that she still cherishes.
Walking down the aisle of my childhood church with my nephew Brennan to the violin version of Phil Collins Groovy Kind of Love, which was my parents' wedding song, is the moment I hold close to my heart,” the bride beamed. “Tearing up the dance floor with my family and friends is something I wish never had to end.”
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
I wanted someone I could connect with and that Tyler felt comfortable with, as he is not the biggest fan of taking photos. I had experience working with Lifelong Photography Studios through my work, but instantly knew they were the ones when I met Gabe. Her personality was exactly what we needed, especially the day of when our getting ready timeframe fell behind. She improvised to get us the shots we needed. We had multiple photo locations including a first look at the hotel and wedding party photos before the ceremony at the Banyan trees in Straub Park. My middle name is Banyan, so those photos were super important to me. Then we jumped out of the bus to take a couple of shots in front of the “You are my Sunshine” mural in downtown on our way to the reception, plus all the incredible photos at NOVA 535. Gabe and her second [photographer] at Lifelong were worth every penny and truly blew us all away with their patience and creativity.
The Proposal:
After what seemed to be a difficult week, Tyler surprised me with a stroll on the beach, followed by dinner at RumFish Grill. Dinner was fabulous, but I should have known something was up when he didn't finish his meal. Following dinner, he suggested we go back out to the beach. I was busy splashing in the moonlight waves, when I turned around he was on one knee. I was in shock, and the rest was a blur.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a space that was indoor and outdoor as well as had the vintage feel. Location was also super important to us as our ceremony took place in my family church in Gulfport, and we both love downtown St. Pete.
Ruby, with NOVA 535, was a great asset to the planning process. The courtyard was the perfect location for our cocktail hour with the market lights and bamboo garden. The inside was exactly what I wanted with the hardwood floors and brick walls. I also loved that I was able to choose who did my catering as we did a food truck for our cocktail hour, where she served up corned beef and cabbage tacos! Then we had a different catering company to do a more traditional buffet.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We decided on Saint Patrick's Day for our wedding in order to honor our family members who are no longer with us, including his mother and my dad and brother. We had a vintage-chic vibe to our wedding, and we wanted to make sure the day was unique to us.
What were your colors?
Emerald green, gold, and dusty rose.
What was your wedding cake inspiration?
We wanted the cake to capture the feel of St. Patrick's Day with the accents of green and gold with a vintage vibe. The gold lace was a perfect touch, along with the fresh flowers. We are huge Harry Potter fans, so we included “Always” as our cake topper since it is one of my favorite lines from The Half-Blood Prince, which is my favorite book.
I am not a big cake person. I usually find them too sweet, but the style buttercream that The Artistic Whisk uses is so delicious. We also loved the unique flavor options that they offer. We chose mango passion and bananas foster as our flavors. To top it off, Jovana is just such a delight I never wanted our tasting to end. Designing our cake with Jovana was so much fun, and we loved seeing our vision come to life and also be so delicious.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Enjoy the time with your family and friends, and don't stress over the small stuff. If things don't go exactly the way you plan, no one will know other than you so don't let that ruin your very special day.
Ceremony Venue: Our Savior Lutheran Church
Reception Venue: NOVA 535 *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studios *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Planner: Jaclyn Rhodes
Florist: Simple Ceremonies & Events by Jamie
Catering: Delectables Fine Catering and St. Pete Taco Lady (Food Truck)
Cake: The Artistic Whisk *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Ceremony Music: Sunset Strings
DJ: Classic Entertainment
Officiant: Rev. Paul Burtzlaff
Invitations: Karen's Paperie
Transportation: Egan TLC
Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: David's Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Candice Casillo Hair and Brenda Torre Make-Up