Ashley and Matt’s waterfront St. Petersburg wedding was a breathtaking blend of nature and elegance fit for an adults-only affair. The born-and-raised gulf coast Floridians centered their theme and décor around the backdrop of the water and their love for Florida’s coasts.
During her engagement, the Orlando bride followed Marry Me Tampa Bay’s Instagram account for local inspiration.
“We are both pretty low-key people, and I never had any real elaborate wedding dreams when it came to the décor. I wanted it to feel like home with neutral colors, a bohemian-chic vibe to tie in the ocean, and the natural beauty of our venue and our entire wedding party,” the bride explained. “We love the ocean and boating so much that it’s just part of our lifestyle, and we wouldn’t have had the wedding in any other setting.”
MORE: BOHO WEDDING INSPIRATION
The bride and groom sought a St. Pete wedding venue with coastal character, and it was the historic charm and superior service of the Renaissance Vinoy that led them to their ideal wedding location.
“The most important thing was knowing we wanted the water or ocean to be a part of our wedding, but we did not want it on the sand. We basically just wanted it as a backdrop. The Vinoy was able to provide the elegance of a great location with the Esplanade area and the marina and water in the background,” the bride beamed. “The Vinoy ended up being the perfect location! Not only was it not far for most of our families and friends to be able to travel to, but the city of St. Petersburg offers so many different forms of entertainment from the restaurants, bars, museums, etc. that any of our guests could’ve made it a weekend getaway as well. Their service was top-notch, from the food tasting to working with our wedding planners in quick turnaround time from the ceremony to the reception, since we used the Esplanade for both.”
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The central Florida radio personality knew she’d needed the help of a knowledgable and reputable local wedding planner. Having planned numerous events at the Vinoy, Parties A’La Carte was the perfect team to deliver a memorable and stress-free wedding weekend.
“Since we live in Orlando, it was important we had someone in the St. Petersburg area who was knowledgeable of the area, had existing vendors they work with, and detail-oriented. Jessica and her team at Parties A’La Carte were 100 percent the best decision we made for our wedding planning needs,” the bride gushed. “They had planned many weddings at The Vinoy. They are so on top of their game; it was very obvious she knew what could and couldn’t be pulled off, where we could save, and they were beyond helpful all the way through the wedding day and night and thereafter. They made the entire wedding day so stress-free, and I was never worried about something not being done right; they nailed every aspect.”
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During her wedding dress search, Ashley found the ideal Ines Di Santo at gown Isabel O’Neil Bridal Collection that left her feeling beautiful.
“My dress felt flirty, elegant, and fit in perfectly with our venue and style of the overall wedding. I loved the Ines Di Santo line,” the bride beamed. “My experience at Isabel O’Neil Bridal Collection was great. I was very open-minded to trying different styles of dresses on and went the complete opposite direction than I thought I would’ve.”
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To create an opulent ambiance in the courtyard reception, soft blue table linens from Over The Top Rental Linens perfectly paired with the metallic gold flatware. The bohemian chic decor intertwined through the ceremony and reception with French country chairs provided by A Chair Affair and lush floral centerpieces that featured pampas grass to add a beachy element.
“The rentals made our entire wedding what it was. From the farmhouse table for the bridal party to the French country chairs, linens, chargers, gold utensils, our entire vision came to life because of the rentals, and of course, the florals,” Ashley gushed. “All of our colors were neutrals: tans, ivories, creams, and whites. The only pop of color we had was with the linens on the guest tables and sweetheart table during the reception, which was an interesting color. It was a soft blue that pulled in some grays and green. The linens complimented the bridesmaids’ dresses nicely which were Silver Sage.”
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As Ashley and Matt reminisced on their wedding day, they couldn’t help but blissfully think about at all of the memories made with their guests.
“We have some laughs now looking back with our officiant, who was the father of one of the groomsmen. Matt didn’t hear him say that he could kiss the bride, so that was kind of an awkward but funny moment,” the bride joked. “Also, the moment we left the wedding reception and could see all of our guests lined up to send us off was a special moment for just Matt and me to soak everything in and have a moment alone after an incredible day.”
What was your wedding dress inspiration?
I loved the Ines Di Santo line. My dress felt flirty, elegant, and fit in perfectly with our venue and style of the overall wedding. My experience at Isabel O’Neil Bridal Collection was great. I was very open-minded to trying different styles of dresses on and went the complete opposite direction than I thought I would’ve.
The Proposal:
We have a favorite getaway spot on the gulf coast that is pretty remote, and since day one of being together, we’ve both had extremely busy work schedules, so this spot has always been our special place. It’s our favorite place on earth, the Gulf of Mexico and being on the water. We were there for the weekend, and we took the boat out to Cayo Costa, an island/state park only accessible by boat, Matt had written “Ashley, Will You Marry Me?” in the sand on the island, much earlier that morning. He pulled it off by leaving super early that morning on the boat while I slept in a little bit. It was so special and still feel very surreal.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
The most important thing for us was 100 percent knowing we wanted the water and ocean to be a part of our wedding, but we did not want it on the sand. We basically just wanted it as a backdrop. The Vinoy Renaissance was able to provide the elegance of a great location with the Esplanade area and the marina and water in the background.
The Vinoy ended up being the perfect location, not only was it not far for most of our families and friends to be able to travel to but the city of St. Petersburg offers so many different forms of entertainment from the restaurants, bars, museums, etc. that any of our guests could’ve made it a weekend getaway as well. Their service was top-notch, from the food tasting to working with our wedding planners in quick turnaround time from the ceremony to the reception, since we used the Esplanade for both.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Since we live in Orlando, it was important we had someone in the St. Petersburg area who was knowledgeable of the area, had existing vendors they work with, and detail-oriented. Jessica and her team at Parties A’La Carte were 100 percent the best decision we made for our wedding planning needs.
Jessica and her team had planned many weddings at The Vinoy, and she is super knowledgeable of other venues in the area as well that we looked at before we chose ours. They are so on top of their game; it was very obvious she knew what could and couldn’t be pulled off, where we could save, and they were beyond helpful all the way through the wedding day/night and thereafter. They made the entire wedding day so stress-free, and I was never worried about something not being done right; they nailed every aspect. They even had heaters on hold for our reception, just in case it was chilly, and thank goodness they did! We ended up needing them, and Jessica and her team made sure they were there.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We are both pretty low-key people, and I never had any real elaborate wedding dreams when it came to the décor. I wanted it to feel like home: neutral colors, a boho-chic vibe to tie in the ocean, and the natural beauty of The Vinoy Renaissance and our entire wedding party.
What were your colors?
Neutrals, tans, ivories, creams, and whites. The only pop of color we had was with the linens on the guest tables and sweetheart table during the reception, which was an interesting color; it was a soft blue that pulled in some grays and green. The linens complimented the bridesmaids’ dresses nicely which were Silver Sage.
How did the use of rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?
All of our colors were neutrals, tans, ivories, creams, and whites. The only pop of color we had was with the linens on the guest tables and sweetheart table during the reception, which was an interesting color. It was a soft blue that pulled in some grays and green. The linens from Over the Top Rental Linens complimented the bridesmaids’ dresses nicely, which were Silver Sage.
How did the use of rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?
The rentals made our entire wedding what it was: from the farmhouse table for the bridal party to the French country chairs from A Chair Affair, linens, chargers, gold utensils, our entire vision came to life because of the rentals.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Good recommendations. All of my friends who got married in the area used Grant Hemond & Associates, and they were also recommended by our planner, so we weren’t too picky with that.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
I know not everyone has the same mindset, but the entire wedding process I tried to be pretty low-key. If you can be the type just to find a picture of what you want, show it to the experts (florists, rentals, your planner, etc.). Let them do their jobs. Be open to ideas from your planner if you have one; there are some things you may not think you need, but they could end up making a big difference for your big day. I know a lot of brides have an exact idea of what they want for their wedding, but having a bit of an open mind will ease the stress of the actual wedding day.
Ceremony, Reception Venue Caterer and Cake: The Vinoy Renaissance – The Esplanade *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer: Renee Nicole Photography
Videographer: Voila Cinematic
Planner: Parties A’La Carte *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: 2Birds Events, Plume
Rentals: A Chair Affair *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Linen Rentals: Over the Top Rental Linens *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Ceremony Entertainment: Bella Musica
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – Doug *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Invitations: Minted.com
Day of Paper: URBANcoast
Car Rental: Cole’s Classic Cars (Orlando)
Dress Shop and Designer: Isabel O’Neil Bridal Collection – Ines Di Santo *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Mumu Weddings
Hair & Makeup: B.A.E. Beauty Bar
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.