Amanda and Brad’s minimalistic South Tampa wedding found the most magical ways to showcase their love for detail with handcrafted wedding decor, monogrammed cornhole boards, and plenty of local 813 flavor. Overflowing with an abundant amount of gorgeous natural lighting, both the ceremony and reception featured a modern depiction of historical elegance.

“We went with a neutral, understated color palette of white, gold, and champagne to highlight the beautiful design and architecture of our venue,” the bride explained. “Our venue was the perfect combination of historic elegance meets modern chic and essentially served as the inspiration for our wedding design that combined the two aesthetics. We wanted to choose elements that would enhance its vintage bones and contemporary finishes. We combined several classic pieces such as crisp white dupioni satin linens and gold flatware to capture exactly the look we envisioned.”

MORE: WHITE WEDDING INSPIRATION

On a mission to research local vendors who had positive reviews and an eye for creativity, the Tampa bride and groom referred to Marry Me Tampa Bay countless times throughout the planning process.

“Marry Me Tampa Bay was a great source to see real weddings in the Tampa Bay Area. I think that it’s easy for any bride to get lost in the perfectly styled wedding shoots that you see on Pinterest and in magazines, but those resources don’t really give you a good breakdown of what a wedding in your city and within your budget might look like,” the bride explained. “For that reason, I constantly looked to Marry Me Tampa Bay to help narrow our search down for vendors that fit the aesthetic and price point that Brad and I were going for. It was very also helpful to read positive reviews from other Tampa Bay brides when we were going through the process of selecting our vendors!”

Finding a South Tampa wedding photographer who was personable and could stay within their budget was a priority for the couple. When they found Lifelong Photography Studio, Amanda and Brad knew it was a match.

“Lifelong has an impressive portfolio of photos that are bright, airy, and full of detail. From the start, talking with Buffy was like talking with a friend that we had known for years, and she made Brad and I feel so comfortable,” the bride gushed. “Something we loved about Lifelong was the fact that they offered several different photography packages to choose from that made it easy to work within our budget. In addition to wedding photography, Buffy also shoots boudoir. She combined some of my favorite shots from our boudoir shoot into a ‘Little Black Book’ which the photographers helped me surprise Brad with on our wedding day. It was a unique and memorable gift and experience that I am so grateful to Lifelong and Buffy for helping me plan!”

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Planning for their celebration of 140 guests, Amanda and Brad were strategic when it came to getting the most bang for their buck and chose a rental and decor company who could transform their wedding venue.

“Kate Ryan Event Rentals provided our tables, linens, chairs, draping, bars, and tabletop rentals, which we got to see all in person. The beauty of getting to see everything is being able to feel the textures of the linens and see the sequins, stitches, and designs up close. Not only that, but Kristin spent hours with us designing different place settings before we settled on the perfect one,” Amanda gushed. “Having everything in one place made it so easy to see exactly what our design would look like on our wedding day. Working with Kristin also played a huge role in flipping our ceremony space to our reception space. She worked so hard with our event coordinator, Jennifer, the night before the wedding and the day of to ensure that everything was perfect!”

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With the couple in agreement that their day wouldn’t be complete without their two boxers Max and Luca, the pair reached out to FairyTail Pet Care to make sure both furry friends were in attendance.

“FairyTail is the vendor that we didn’t know we needed until we found them! I think the initial reaction of any newly engaged dog lover that watches one of FairyTail’s wedding day videos is, ‘Take my money.’ In all seriousness, Ilana and Kelly have thought of everything when it comes to taking care of your pet on your wedding day,” the bride gushed. “My advice to any bride thinking about including their pet on their wedding day is to just hire them! Their presence makes such an impact on the day of the wedding. Max and Luca were wearing the biggest smiles the entire day, and so were we! We didn’t worry about them at all because we knew they were being spoiled and well taken care of!”

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Looking back, Amanda shared that she will always remember sharing her vows during the ceremony.

“Brad and I wrote our own vows and making those promises to each other in front of all our friends and family was so emotional and memorable. I was so nervous that I wasn’t able to get through them without crying, but I locked eyes with Brad and focused on being in the moment with him,” the bride reminisced. “Getting married to Brad was something that I had imagined over and over again during our six years together, so to finally be able to promise forever to each other was my favorite part of the day!”

The Proposal:
Brad and I had just added our second boxer Luca to our family, and we knew we wanted to take a few pictures together while she was still a puppy. Brad’s sister Allison is a great photographer, and she agreed to take some photos of us at Davis Islands, which is one of our favorite spots in Tampa to exercise, grab a coffee, go on a date, take the pups to the dog beach, or just relax by the water. Brad and I had been together for six years, and we had talked about marriage a few times, but he definitely caught me by surprise when he got down on one knee on the shoreline of the Seaplane Basin and asked me to be his wife. It was a picture-perfect moment with our two pups, the beautiful Florida sun, and a gentle spring breeze rocking the sailboats in the background.

Why did you choose to incorporate your dogs into your wedding day?
When Brad and I pictured our wedding day, we knew that we wanted our boxers Max and Luca to be right there by our side. Our oldest boxer, Max, has known Brad and me as a couple for most of our relationship. He has been there through the good and the bad, and we have been there for him through the same. Max actually had a small malignant tumor removed from his neck a few weeks before our wedding, so it was that much more meaningful to have him there for the most important day of our lives. Max’s sister, Luca, is newer to our family, but her loyalty and spunky personality fit right in. We wanted our wedding to not only be a celebration of our love, but also a celebration of all our friends and family, and Max and Luca definitely fit into that category!

FairyTail Pet Care is the vendor that we didn’t know we needed until we found them! I think the initial reaction of any newly engaged dog lover that watches one of FairyTail Pet Care’s wedding day videos is, ‘Take my money.’ In all seriousness, Ilana and Kelly have thought of everything when it comes to taking care of your pet on your wedding day. My advice to any bride thinking about including their pet on their wedding day is to just hire them! Their presence makes such an impact on the day of the wedding. Max and Luca were wearing the biggest smiles the entire day, and so were we! We didn’t worry about them at all because we knew they were being spoiled and well taken care of! Brad and I also love that FairyTail Pet Care gives back to the community by donating a portion of the proceeds to the bride and groom’s animal rescue of choice, as well as by volunteering their own time with Suncoast Animal League.

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
When Brad and I first started looking for a wedding photographer, we weren’t sure what we wanted. But as soon as we met with Buffy at Lifelong Photography Studio, we knew we had found it. Buffy invited us to a sit-down meeting at her studio in Lutz, and from the moment we walked in the door, we were sold.

Lifelong Photography Studio has an impressive portfolio of photos that are bright, airy, and full of detail. From the start, talking with Buffy was like talking with a friend that we had known for years, and she made Brad and I feel so comfortable. Something we loved about Lifelong was the fact that they offered several different photography packages to choose from that made it easy to work within our budget. In addition to wedding photography, Buffy also shoots boudoir. She combined some of my favorite shots from our boudoir shoot into a ‘Little Black Book’ which the photographers helped me surprise Brad with on our wedding day. It was a unique and memorable gift and experience that I am so grateful to Lifelong and Buffy for helping me plan!

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our venue was the perfect combination of historic elegance meets modern chic, and essentially served as the inspiration for our wedding design that combined the two aesthetics. Because our venue was so eye-catching on its own, we wanted to choose elements that would enhance its vintage bones and contemporary finishes. We were able to combine several classic pieces such as crisp white dupioni satin linens and gold flatware to capture exactly the look we envisioned.

What were your colors?
We went with a neutral, understated color palette of white, gold, and champagne to highlight the beautiful design and architecture of our venue.

What did you look for in a wedding rental and decor company?
Brad and I needed to be budget-conscious with our wedding rentals, so we wanted to work with one company that could provide everything that we needed. Kate Ryan Event Rentals provided our tables, linens, chairs, draping, bars, and tabletop rentals.

When you go to the Kate Ryan warehouse, you get to see all of the details in person. The beauty of getting to see everything is being able to feel the textures of the linens and see the sequins, stitches, and designs up close. Not only that, but Kristin spent hours with us designing different place settings before we settled on the perfect one. Having everything in one place made it so easy to see exactly what our design would look like on our wedding day. Working with Kristin also played a huge role in flipping our ceremony space to our reception space. She worked so hard with our event coordinator the night before the wedding and the day of to ensure that everything was perfect!

What was your wedding menu inspiration? 
For our wedding caterer, we were looking for a team that was creative, trustworthy, and willing to work within our budget.

Catering by the Family and specifically our consultant Rachel Cloke, really exceeded our expectations from the menu design to the tasting to serving hot plated dinner for our 140 guests. They have a history in the Tampa Bay food scene that dates back to 1976, so they definitely fit in with the timeless aesthetic of our wedding. Rachel was so attentive to detail and was willing to work with our ideas to create a custom dining experience for our guests. Rachel helped us include several Tampa flavors on our menu, like the Cuban cigar rolls that were served during cocktail hour and the mango salsa that was paired with deliciously tender mahi-mahi. Catering by the Family also helped us plan a lively and social cocktail hour with passed appetizers and a salad course that was served family style to keep conversations flowing as we transitioned to the reception. Our entrees were elegantly plated, and our caterer even developed a delicious vegan entrée for our friends with dietary restrictions. Overall, we thought that the food, flavors, service, and style were top-notch and provided an elegant dining experience that fostered conversation and connections for our guests.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Go with your gut when making decisions, and hire a team of vendors that you trust. You have to be confident that your vendors’ ultimate goal is to make your wedding day as close to you and your spouse’s vision as it can be. Decide ahead of time which elements of your wedding are most important to you, and invest a little extra in them. An event coordinator is an absolute must! On the day of your wedding, really take the time to pause and reflect on all of the love filling the room with you and your partner. It’s amazing that two people in love can bring people from all different walks of life together to celebrate. Try to find a few small moments where you and your spouse can be alone together to enjoy each other, like having a first look or sneaking away for a few minutes to toast to your new life together after the ceremony.

Venue: The Orlo
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Planner: Bourbon and Blush Events
Florist: Tailored Twig
Catering: Catering by the Family *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Tables, Linens, Chairs, Draping, Bars, and Tabletop Rentals: Kate Ryan Event Rentals *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: Publix
Band/DJ: Matt Winter Band
Officiant: John Martin of Bell Shoals Baptist Church
Invitations: Printed and Designed by the Bride and Groom; Paper Goods from Paper Source
Transportation: Ambassador Limousine
Dress Shop and Designer: Calvet Couture Bridal Sarasota, Katie May
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: David’s Bridal, White by Vera Wang
Hair & Makeup: Style Hair & Makeup
Bartender: Bald Guy Bartender
Wedding Day Pet Care: FairyTail Pet Care *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cigar Bar: Covadonga Cigars
Groom and Groomsmen Rentals: The Black Tux
Wedding Favors: Blue Sage Eco Boutique
Bridesmaid Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar