Ivory, Gold and Blush Downtown Tampa Wedding | Floridan Palace Wedding
Laura and Jon showcased two of Downtown Tampa's iconic landmarks for their elegant ivory, gold and blush wedding.
“Utilizing the church that I grew up attending was one of the most important aspects of the day. My grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins have all had their wedding ceremonies at Sacred Heart, and I felt it was an important tradition that I wanted to carry on,” the bride shared.
Located just blocks from the ceremony location, The Floridan Palace provided an opulent atmosphere for the pair's classic Downtown Tampa wedding.
“My wedding at the Floridan made me feel like royalty! All the details were absolutely perfect. The ballroom was stunning, and it was exactly how I had pictured my wedding day,” Laura gushed. “The other parts of the hotel: the guest rooms, the Sapphire Lounge and the restaurant gave my guests a weekend getaway in the heart of Downtown Tampa at a historical landmark that is unlike anything else in Florida.”
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On the recommendation of their wedding venue, the couple hired Tampa wedding florist Northside Florist to bring their distinct wedding look to life.
“I wanted a specific gold candelabra centerpiece that looks amazing in the high ceilings of the Floridan ballroom. I interviewed numerous florists who had never worked with those candelabras before or would have to order them. I knew I wanted someone who wouldn’t be using my wedding as a “trial run” to make those centerpieces, and Northside Florist had done them for numerous receptions at the Floridan,” Laura explained. “Meeting with Kathy Gilbert, the owner of Northside Florist, was like meeting my flower fairy godmother! Her service was amazing from start to finish. The centerpieces, bouquets, and other flowers that she made were absolutely perfect and lasted quite a while even after the wedding weekend.”
To accent their grand centerpieces and to section off the large ballroom, Laura and Jon searched for a wedding vendor who could provide multiple decor and entertainment services.
“I needed a pipe and drape to break up the space for cocktail hour, as well as uplighting the columns for pictures. Delite Entertainment was able to provide three services, and I was trying to control the number of vendors,” the bride said. “After meeting the owner Eladio Linarte, I felt that we were on the same page and that with his 20+ years of experience, he would do a wonderful job with the events of the reception. He was always quick to answer my emails and questions, and he was very flexible about how we organized the reception and songs.”
Looking back, one of the bride's most memorable moments was seeing her wedding ideas come to fruition.
“Jon and I were invited to get a sneak peek of the room before they allowed any guests in. Seeing my entire vision come to life with the colors, details and beautiful personal touches literally brought tears to my eyes. I will never forget how I felt standing there, looking around at the Floridan ballroom and telling my husband that he had indeed given me the wedding of my dreams!” Laura reminisced.
The Proposal:
Our proposal took place at Bern’s Steakhouse. It was actually the week that we were moving into our new home. Jon called me and said that since it was the night before the moving trucks came, we should go out and celebrate our new home purchase. I was ecstatic and had no idea that he was actually planning to propose.
So after a delicious and lengthy dinner, we went to Bern’s Dessert Room and as we settled in to wait for our bananas foster, a server brought a crystal dish with a cover on it. They set it in front of me, but I just kept talking and laughing. I do remember telling him, “We didn’t order this.” It wasn’t until Jon got very quiet, took off the lid and got down on one knee that I even realized what was happening. By then a group of servers with cameras had gathered around us to take pictures and video. It all felt wonderful and completely surreal. He had always said that he wanted us to be engaged before we moved in together, and he definitely made that happen!
How would you describe your theme?
I knew exactly the look that I wanted for my wedding: a classic color palette, romantic but modern touches and guests dressed in black tie attire. I wanted everything to be elegant and classy, but not uptight.
What were your colors?
Ivory, gold and a touch of blush pink. I chose them because I wanted a traditional color palette that would look elegant from start to finish.
What did you look for in wedding entertainment?
I wanted a DJ who could appeal to all age levels that would be in attendance at our wedding. I also needed a pipe and drape to break up the space for cocktail hour, as well as uplighting the columns for pictures.
Delite Entertainment was able to provide three services, and I was trying to control the number of vendors. Also, after meeting the owner Eladio Linarte, I felt that we were on the same page and that with his 20+ years of experience, he would do a wonderful job with the events of the reception. He was always quick to answer my emails and questions, and he was very flexible about how we organized the reception and songs. Together with the staff of the Floridan, our team of “Day of” coordinators and Delite Entertainment, we came up with a schedule for the reception that allowed us to fit in everything that was important to us, while leaving plenty of time to mingle, drink and dance.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
I don’t know a lot about flowers, but I had a very specific idea about the color palette and size, so it was important to me that we hire a florist with extensive knowledge who was willing to take my ideas and run with them. I also wanted a specific gold candelabra centerpiece that looks amazing in the high ceilings of the Floridan ballroom. I interviewed numerous florists who had never worked with those candelabras before or would have to order them. I knew I wanted someone who wouldn’t be using my wedding as a “trial run” to make those centerpieces and Northside Florist had done them for numerous receptions at the Floridan.
Meeting with Kathy Gilbert, the owner of Northside Florist, was like meeting my flower fairy godmother! She got a great sense of what I wanted from just one meeting. I could see that she would not only do an excellent job with the task, but that she was a kind and caring person who took pride in her work. Her service was amazing from start to finish. The centerpieces, bouquets, and other flowers that she made were absolutely perfect and lasted quite a while even after the wedding weekend. She even found a way for me to attach a small frame of my deceased maternal Abuelo (grandfather) to my bouquet so that I could “carry” him down the aisle with me. I remember looking down at his picture a couple of minutes before I started walking down the aisle and it is a memory that I will treasure forever. She made that possible and I will never forget that!
What were the deciding factors for choosing your wedding venue?
The Floridan Palace captured the grandiose elegance that we were both looking for. My husband and I walked into their ballroom and fell in love with every beautiful detail! We knew almost right away that we had to celebrate our wedding at the Floridan, and it was simply a matter of finding a weekend that coincided with the church schedule.
My wedding at the Floridan made me feel like royalty! All the details were absolutely perfect. The ballroom was stunning, and it was exactly how I had pictured my wedding day. The other parts of the hotel: the guest rooms, the Sapphire Lounge and the restaurant gave my guests a weekend getaway in the heart of Downtown Tampa at a historical landmark that is unlike anything else in Florida.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Do your research! This is a special day that is inevitably going to cost a good amount of money, so it is worth it to do lots of research online, meet with vendors in person and to choose people who you feel completely comfortable working with.
In addition, if someone can do exactly what you are looking for, but seems out of your budget, don’t be afraid to ask if they can rework some of the details to accommodate your financial needs. It never hurts to ask and even if they can’t work within your budget, they probably have some great recommendations of colleagues that they trust and that are within your financial means!
Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Floridan Palace *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Venue
Photographer: Melissa Lauren Images
Videographer: Hearts Video
Planner: Ideal Design Events
Florist: Northside Florist
Caterer/Linens: Floridan Palace
Rentals: Ideal Design Events
Cake: Olympia Catering *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Vendor
DJ/Lighting/Draping: Delite Entertainment
Officiant: Father Frank Critch from Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Transportation: Network Limousines
Dress: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid: David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group
