Janina and Nathan’s destination St. Pete Beach wedding included a cheerful color palette inspired by the Pacific Islands, a bamboo ceremony arch, and monogrammed coconut escort cards.

“Our wedding was inspired by our love of the Hawaiian Islands and the culture that we portrayed in the décor and details of our wedding. We called it a ‘Vintage Aloha’ theme, focusing on organic textures such as bamboo and woven fabrics paired with greenery and the beautiful florals inspired by tropical destinations,” Janina shared. “Additional details that tied into the theme included leis flown in from Hawaii and coconut drinks personalized as escort cards.

“Our colors were inspired by tropical elements but also by my love of wine. The maid of honor’s dress and gentlemen’s tie were all versions of a merlot/burgundy color. We wanted the natural surrounding elements such as the sand, ocean, and palm trees to play a role in our décor and color inspiration,” the bride added.

The bride, who is also a wedding planner, utilized her experience to plan her destination wedding in only four weeks.

“I work in the weddings and event industry, and we planned this wedding in about one month. With regulations concerning COVID, we opted to not wait and plan an intimate celebration with our family and closest friends in our own version of a paradise,” the bride revealed. “It was the perfect blend of tropical scenery, families blending together, and the start of our life together that really made the entire experience. Our families called our wedding the greatest light in the dismal year of 2020.”

The Michigan couple opted to plan a Florida destination beach wedding for their 36-guests and searched for a wedding venue that embodied the old-Hawaiian vibe while also offering convenient lodging and room for the pair’s furbabies, Emma and Chipper.

“The most important elements were considering the safety of our family and friends by hosting our celebration in open-air venues, such as the beach and seaside pavilion. We were looking for that were pet-friendly and offered accommodations to our out-of-state guests. Hawaii was a common denominator, so to incorporate how special this was for us really led us to pick a beach ceremony and seaside reception at the Postcard Inn. It offered everything we were looking for with the inclusion of being very pet-friendly and offering incredible room rates for an extended stay,” Janina explained. “Their service was incredible from our first moment at check-in throughout the end of our stay with a fond farewell by Andrea, the wedding manager.”

The bride’s bouquet perfectly complemented her theme featuring white orchids, vibrant colors, greenery, and a sprinkling of roses. The same look flowed into the bridesmaids’ bouquets and floral crowns, and bamboo ceremony arch.

“Our florals were aimed at the tropical inspiration led by the organic setting of Postcard Inn,” Janina shared. “Iza’s Flowers was incredible to work with during the consult and helped guide us to select what worked best in the venue.”

Choosing an experienced wedding photographer to capture all of the special moments was a high priority for the bride and groom.

“Hiring an incredible photographer and videographer was very important as we knew many friends and family would not be able to join in person, but we wanted to share as much of our day as we could. We were looking for a photographer who was knowledgeable about the venue. From my first call with Gabe at Lifelong Photography Studio, I knew we wanted her to photograph our wedding, and we were lucky she was available!” the bride gushed. “There needs to trust in the relationship between a couple and photographer, and I knew she would help guide us along the way. We absolutely chose Lifelong based on our consult with Gabe, her confidence in shooting at Postcard Inn, and the recommendations she provided made our experience even more special than what we were originally considering.”

Janina and Nathan’s wedding date ended up offering a surprise gift for the couple and their guests, in the form of a rare and special night sky visible from the beach.

“We didn’t even know it, but the wedding date we picked was the winter solstice and the evening of the Christmas star,” the bride revealed. “After the reception ended, everyone walked out onto the beach and found the Christmas star in the sky. It was very special.”

Looking back, Janina most remembers the personal sentiments from her intimate group of guests.

“The speeches were one of our most treasured memories. My father gave the dinner blessing and tearfully expressed how special it is to bring a family together. Nathan’s brother, Andrew, delivered the best man speech with joyful memories of Nathan and him growing up, paired with stating that he knew I was his sister from the moment he met me. My sister, Nadine, also gave an endearing speech focusing on our unique love story and the exciting joys of starting a life together,” the bride reminisced. “Nathan’s father was our officiant and shared beautiful memories of Nathan’s mom along with a very special prayer for our marriage.”

What was your floral inspiration?
Our floral was aimed at the tropical inspiration led by the organic setting of Postcard Inn.

Iza’s Flowers was incredible to work with during the consult and helped guide us to select what worked best in the venue.

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding was absolutely inspired by our love of the Hawaiian Islands and the culture that we portrayed in the décor and details of our wedding. We called it a ‘Vintage Aloha’ theme, focusing on organic textures such as bamboo and woven fabrics paired with greenery and the beautiful florals inspired by tropical destinations. Additional details tied into the theme included leis flown in from Hawaii and coconut drinks personalized as escort cards.

What were your colors? 
Our colors were inspired by tropical elements but also by my love of wine (I previously lived in Napa Valley). The maid of honor’s dress and groomsman/grooms tie were all versions of a merlot/burgundy color. We wanted the natural surrounding elements such as the sand, ocean, and palm trees to play a role in our décor and color inspiration. 

The Proposal:
Nathan and I met at a friend’s wedding, his best friend married my best friend (classic Hallmark movie plot!).

Nathan proposed on his birthday. With me being a planner by nature, he found the one day I had everything already planned to completely take me by surprise. After a family brunch, on the way to meeting some friends, Nathan proposed in downtown Grand Rapids. As I had already coordinated friends gathering to celebrate Nathan’s birthday, it turned into an engagement celebration.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We haven’t gone on our honeymoon yet but we will be going to Italy when regulations permit.

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Hiring an incredible photographer and videographer was very important as we knew many friends and family would not be able to join in person, but we wanted to share as much of our day as we could. We looked for a wedding photographer knowledgeable about the venue.

From my first call with Gabe at Lifelong Photography Studio, I knew we wanted her to photograph our wedding, and we were lucky she was available! There needs to trust in the relationship between a couple and photographer, and I knew she would help guide us along the way. We absolutely chose Lifelong Photography Studio based on our consult with Gabe, her confidence in shooting at Postcard Inn, and the recommendations she provided made our experience even more special than what we were originally considering.

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
The most important elements were considering the safety of our family and friends by hosting our celebration in open-air venues, such as the beach and seaside pavilion. We were looking for that were pet-friendly and offered accommodations to our out-of-state guests. 

Hawaii was a common denominator, so to incorporate how special this was for us really led us to pick a beach ceremony and seaside reception at the Postcard Inn. It offered everything we were looking for with the inclusion of being very pet-friendly and offering incredible room rates for an extended stay. Their service was incredible from our first moment at check-in throughout the end of our stay with a fond farewell by Andrea, the wedding manager. 

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make it a weekend experience! We rented a cycle boat for the wedding party two days prior to the wedding for everyone to get to spend some time together and planned a rooftop rehearsal dinner in Pass-A-Grille.

Venue and Caterer: Postcard Inn *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Altar Ants
Planner: Bride in partnership with Gabrielle Mourino
Florist: Iza’s Flowers *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Furniture: Vivant Rentals
Cake: Publix
Ceremony Music: Teddy Brewer Acoustic
DJ: Tropical Sound Productions
Officiant: Bill Marsh (Father of Groom)
Dress: Renee Austin – Grand Rapids, MI
Hair & Makeup: The Glamour Room Napa
Rehearsal Dinner: Hurricanes Pass-A-Grille Beach
Signage: Blush and Blooms Design
Branded Coconuts: Cocomotion

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.