“We were living in Gainesville at the time and had come back to Tampa for the weekend. Richard planned an evening for us downtown, and we went over to the Tampa Riverwalk, one of our favorite places from when we lived downtown and somewhere we had spent a lot of time together. He was acting a little suspicious, but I was still surprised when he proposed at a beautiful spot along the water, with a photographer discreetly capturing the moment from a distance. Afterward, we went to Armature Works to celebrate with a drink. Little did I know, our family and some close friends were waiting there for a surprise engagement party!”

“Marry Me Tampa Bay helped us read couples’ experiences with different venues and see how creatively they used the spaces. It helped us imagine the possibilities for our own day.”

“We wanted our wedding to feel authentic to us, without feeling overly traditional, and to complement NOVA 535’s beautiful building. Neither of us came into planning with a specific vision of what our wedding should look like. The design naturally came together as we found our venue and chose the details that felt right for us.

Our colors were emerald green, sage green, and beige. We both love green, so that part was an easy decision!”

“One thing we’ll never forget is the weather! We thought a February wedding in Florida would give our northern family members a welcome break from the cold, but it ended up being in the 40s on our wedding day. We certainly hadn’t expected to be panic-buying blankets, renting heaters for the ceremony space, or shivering through wedding party photos. It made for an unforgettable story, and somehow, it still ended up being the perfect day.”

“Jenny and Richard hosted a classic and timeless wedding here with us. They chose rich, deep colors that perfectly accented the venue’s brick and wood textures. They were intentional in creating an incredible experience for their guests, while adding personal touches along the way. By working with some of our favorite vendors, they were able to relax and enjoy the day. We were thrilled to be a part of their story!”

—April Choura, NOVA 535

“Most of our friends and family live outside the Tampa Bay area, and we had guests travel from all over the U.S. Our biggest priority was creating an experience that celebrated everyone coming together and gave us meaningful time with the people we love.

We chose a nontraditional menu with tacos, margaritas, and gelato, and brought many of our wedding festivities together into one weekend. Our bachelor and bachelorette celebrations, bridal brunch, and welcome party all gave us more opportunities to spend time with the people who traveled to celebrate with us.”