Wedding

Intimate Dark and Moody Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Urban Stillhouse

Tampa Bay Best Wedding Caterers | Marry Me Tampa Bay

Cayla and Colin's industrial downtown St. Pete wedding featured abundant greenery and warm shades of orange and red accented with metallic gold in a candlelit environment filled with natural elements like stone, wood, and exposed brick.

“We never wanted to have a traditional wedding so keeping it small and intimate was definitely our style! Our theme was very dark and romantic. We wanted a more intimate setting and something different than your typical Florida wedding,” the bride explained. “We didn’t have a wedding party so the only color coordinating was with our flowers and décor. We used orange, burgundy, rose pink, and cream.”

The Pinellas locals originally planned to host an intimate celebration in their backyard, but upon hearing about the new Urban Stillhouse St. Pete distillery bar and restaurant in the St. Pete arts district they reconsidered. It was the only venue they looked at, taking a virtual tour via Facetime thanks to Colin's parents, and after seeing the venue's unique charm they signed on the spot.

“Our plan was to have our wedding in the backyard so we never looked at any venues. I knew doing our wedding in our backyard would require a lot more work so I asked my in-laws if they’d go tour Urban Stillhouse and FaceTime us. I loved Urban Stillhouse because it seemed so different than everything else around here. We were just so in love with the building,” the bride gushed.  “I wanted our wedding to be different than your average wedding. Walking down the aisle seeing our venue all decorated with beautiful flowers, candles, and decor, I was completely blown away! It seriously took my breath away it was beyond beautiful.”

The couple hosted an intimate wedding for 16 of their immediate family members, followed by a party with 60 special guests. The result was a celebration that bucked tradition and was enjoyed by all.

“Our entire wedding was unique. From the venue to the informality of things. We just wanted everyone to have a great time and celebrate with us without all the traditional wedding things. Getting married in front of only our immediate family and having a sit-down dinner as one big family was so nice and unique. It was perfect because we actually spent time with the people we care about the most. So many of my friends get married and tell me they never had time to eat or got stuck talking to people they didn’t necessarily feel like talking to. I’m happy with the way we did things, I wouldn’t change a thing,” the bride revealed. “After our wedding, we took a party bus downtown with all of our friends to continue the celebration. Topping it off with our closest friends coming up to celebrate after made it all so perfect!”

Another unique (and secret) detail at the wedding was the couple's impressive three-tier wedding cake with textured fondant and gold leaf detail, which was actually fake! The creative team at The Artistic Whisk whipped up the illusory confection.

“We did two separate cake tastings because the cake was so good. We had such a hard time deciding, but we went with lemon creme and pistachio! The Artistic Whisk did a great job on our cake. I had an inspiration picture, and she totally nailed it,” Cayla gushed. “Fun fact – our cake was fake. There was one small piece to cut into for pictures but we had sheet cake in the back.”

The bride recounts many favorite memories throughout the day, all of which were centered around time spent with the people she loved the most.

“Some of our favorite moments were the moments leading up to the ceremony. Spending the day with my mom and sister-in-law getting ready together was super fun! The first look I did with my father was so special to me. I’ve never seen my dad cry, and it was such an emotional couple of minutes the two of us shared together,” Cayla reminisced. “Another very special moment was having my dad marry us. He has had a rough year health-wise, and there were times I worried he wouldn’t be able to even attend our wedding. So to have him go out of his way to become a notary to then marry us just meant the world to me!”

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Florida Palm Trees
Oval Diamond Engagement Ring, Bride and Groom Wedding Bands in Burnt Orange Ring Box, White Strappy Sandal Heels
Sleek Modern Wedding Dress Hanging in Lounge of Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Florida Bride Getting Wedding Ready in Hotel Room | Tampa Bay Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
Florida Modern Bride in Sleek Wedding Dress and Veil on Staircase | Bride Under Majestic White Arch | Tampa Bay Wedding Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio | Wedding Venue The Vinoy

What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I’m a hairstylist myself so this was super important to me.

Christine, who owns Femme Akoi, has been a friend of mine for years as we used to work together. I always knew when I got married I would use her for my special day. In fact, our wedding date was based on what days she had available. I love Christine’s (and her team's) attention to detail. She’s so talented so I knew I would be in good hands.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Decor, Geometric Candle Holders, High and Low Candlesticks | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St.Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Ceremony Decor, Wood Chiavari Chairs, Stone Fireplace with Lush Floral Arrangements, Antler Chandelier, Candlesticks | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Our plan was to have our wedding in the backyard so we never looked at any venues. I knew doing our wedding in our backyard would require a lot more work so I asked my in-laws if they’d go tour Urban Stillhouse and FaceTime us.. We were out of town when it opened and from the pictures, it looked so beautiful. We ended up signing our I loved Urban Stillhouse because it just seemed so different than everything else around here. contract with them while we were out of town; we were just so in love with the building. 

We had such an intimate wedding so the décor and warmth of Urban Stillhouse were exactly what I was looking for. Good food and drinks were also very high on the priority list and to know that they could deliver so well on food presentation and the taste was just icing on the cake! The service was also great too, our venue coordinator, Bri, was great and always super helpful along the way.

Dark and Moody Wedding Ceremony Decor, Lush Burnt Orange, Blush Pink Roses, Burgundy Hanging Amaranthus, Greenery Leaves Floral Arrangement on Stone Fireplace Mantle and Candlesticks
Dark and Moody Wedding Ceremony Decor, Stone Fireplace with Lush Floral Arrangement with Burnt Orange and Blush Pink Roses, Greenery Leaves and Burgundy Hanging Amaranthus, Geometric Speckled Gold Mercury Vases, Candlesticks | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Ceremony Decor, Deer Antler Chandelier, Stone Fireplace and Wooden Mantlepiece with Lush Greenery Leaves, Burnt Orang and Blush Pink Roses, Burgundy Hanging Amaranthus, Gold Geometric Speckled Mercury Vases, Candlesticks | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We never wanted to have a traditional wedding so keeping it small and intimate wass definitely our style! Our theme was very dark and romantic. We wanted a more intimate setting and something different than your typical Florida wedding.

What were your colors?
We didn’t have a wedding party so the only color coordinating was done with our flowers and décor. Our venue is very dark inside so we wanted something that would stand out but also fit the space. We used orange, burgundy, rose pink and also some cream. I wanted our wedding to be different than your average wedding which was where my inspiration came from. 

Dark and Moody Wedding, Bride Walking into Ceremony with Dad, Groom Reaction to Bride | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Florida Bride and Groom Exchanging Wedding Vows, Bride Father Officiating Wedding, Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, Stone Fireplace with Wooden Mantel, Lush Floral Arrangements, Deer Antler Chandelier | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete

What elements of your wedding were the most important?
I did a first look with my fatherm which was very important to me. He is also who married us, which made our ceremony so special!

Romantic Bride and Groom Exchanging First Kiss During Ceremony, Dark and Moody Wedding Decor, Deer Antler Chandelier, Stone Fireplace with Wood Mantel, Lush Burnt Orange and Blush Pink Roses, Greenery Leaves, Burgundy Hanging Amaranthus Floral Arrangements, Candlesticks, Gold Speckled Mercury Geometric Vases | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete

The Proposal:
We got engaged during the pandemic. We had planned a trip out of the county which got canceled due to COVID. I always thought that maybe we’d get engaged that trip but then those thoughts came and went. Two months later we went downtown St. Pete to have dinner at the new Pier. Colin asked me if I’d like to take a picture, and before I knew it he was down on one knee. I was totally surprised and overwhelmed with excitement!

Florida Bride and Groom Hands Up in Air After Getting Married | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Tampa Bride and Groom Standing Outside on Balcony of Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Modern Bride in Sleek Wedding Dress Holding Burnt Orange, Burgundy and Eucalyptus Greenery Floral Bouquet with Groom | Wedding Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
Modern Bride in Sleek Wedding Dress and Groom on Balcony of Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete | Tampa Bay Wedding Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
Romantic Bride with Veil Blowing in and Groom, Oval Diamond Engagement Ring | Tampa Bay Wedding Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio

Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Tulum, Mexico. I’ve been wanting to go there for a while and thought it would make a perfect girls' trip.

It completely exceeded my expectations. I had the most amazing time and highly recommend visiting if you get the chance!

Dark and Moody Bride and Groom | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete | Tampa Bay Wedding Hair and Makeup Femme Akoi Beauty Studio
Intimate Dark and Moody Bride and Groom Kissing | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We haven’t been able to take our honeymoon yet due to COVID. We’d like to hopefully go to either Europe or Asia for our one-year anniversary, making that our honeymoon.

Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, Globe Modern Chandeliers, Long Marble Table with Floral Centerpieces | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, Candlesticks, Gold Geometric Mercury Speckled Vases | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhosue St. Pete
Unique Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, Long Wooden Feasting Table, Black Tufted Chairs, Candlesticks, Burnt Orange Florals | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, White Linen Napkins with Laser Cut Table Place Cards, Paper Menus, Black Silverware, Long Wooden Feasting Table, Black Tufted Chairs, Candlesticks, Burnt Orange Florals | Wedding Venue and Caterer Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Dark and Moody Wedding Reception Decor, White Linen Napkins with Laser Cut Table Place Cards, Paper Menus, Black Silverware, Long Wooden Feasting Table, Black Tufted Chairs, Candlesticks, Burnt Orange Florals | Wedding Venue and Caterer Urban Stillhouse St. Pete
Three Tier White and Gold Textured Wedding Cake with Burnt Orange Roses, Candlesticks and Mercury Gold Votives | Wedding Venue Urban Stillhouse St. Pete | Tampa Bay Wedding Cake The Artistic Whisk

What was your wedding cake inspiration?
We did two separate cake tastings because the cake was so good! We had such a hard time deciding, but we went with lemon creme and pistachio!

The Artistic Whisk did a great job on our cake, I had an inspiration picture and she totally nailed it. Also, fun fact – our cake was fake. There was one small piece to cut into for pictures, but we had sheet cake in the back. 

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do what you want to do! Don’t get caught up in traditions or what other people want you to do, stay true to what you both want as a couple. This is your special day, no one else’s!

Ceremony and Reception Venue and Caterer: Urban Stillhouse St. Pete *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Taylor Shea Photo
Videographer: Erikson Corbin
Florist: Wonderland Floral Art
Cake: The Artistic Whisk *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Dress Shop and Designer: Malindy Elaine Couture For The BrideMade with Love Bridal
Shoe Designer: Christian Louboutin
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi Beauty Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rehearsal Dinner: Tryst

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.

Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pros

Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.