Destination Clearwater Beach Wedding | Carlouel Yacht Club Wedding
Staci and Rob's destination Clearwater Beach wedding featured an outdoor beachfront wedding ceremony and soothing colors of ivory, gold and blush.
“Our theme was classic elegance with a relaxed atmosphere. I have an affinity for the finer things in life, so I wanted to balance a beautifully elegant wedding with a comfortable and relaxed environment,” the bride shared. “The more I looked at Pinterest, I noticed that my eye was routinely drawn to neutral palettes with subtle colors. I envisioned a space of serene tranquility and this palette was rich, yet soft and inviting to me.”
The Minneapolis, Minnesota couple hosted a destination Clearwater wedding, as the bride spent 20 years of her life in the Sunshine state.
“Florida sounded like the perfect choice for some sun and warmth!” Staci explained. “Also, a majority of my family and friends live in the area; it’s home to me.”
MORE: CLEARWATER WEDDING INSPIRATION
The bride and groom searched for a Clearwater Beach wedding photographer who could match the vision they had created for their big day.
“Choosing a photographer was one of the toughest decisions for us,” the bride explained. “Marc’s talent [of Marc Edwards Photographs] is evident in his stunning photos, but our phone consultation is really what helped us make our final decision. His insight, flexibility and true desire to understand us and what we wanted was evident in our discussion. His vision was completely aligned to ours; we just clicked.”
MORE: MARC EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHS WEDDINGS
To help the bride manage wedding planning on top of having a busy schedule, she hired Clearwater Beach wedding planner Kimberly Hensley Events.
“I’m a procrastinator and I struggle making decisions, not a great combination when it comes to wedding planning! I needed someone who clearly knew their stuff, could reduce the volume of options for me, had an opinion to offer and could keep me on task,” Staci explained. “It was clear from my first conversation with Kimberly [of Kimberly Hensley Events] that she was it. She was honest, direct, and knowledgeable. She also had an impressive list of trusted vendor relationships and an overwhelming number of incredibly positive reviews and awards. I instantly felt a huge sense of relief once I had her help. Kimberly provided exceptional customer service and did a fantastic job keeping me and all vendors on time and task. Whenever I was panicked or stressed, she was the calming force I needed.”
MORE: KIMBERLY HENSLEY EVENTS WEDDINGS
Looking back, one of Staci's most memorable moments happened immediately after saying her “I dos.”
“As the ceremony was coming to a close, and the officiant was close to pronouncing us husband and wife, both Rob and I were vibrating with excitement, like literally physically bouncing on our toes and clenching each other’s hands. It caused quite a chuckle from the officiant as well as our guests. I love this memory as it’s just another moment of our day that demonstrated the amount of love and excitement we shared,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
It was a chilly fall day in Duluth, Minnesota. Rob spotted some horse drawn carriages lined up in the street, so we jumped in for a brief tour around Canal Park. As the carriage turned to follow the shoreline of Lake Superior, Rob dropped down on one knee, right there in the carriage and popped the question. I was absolutely shocked; I didn’t see it coming at all! I kept repeating, “Are you serious, are you really serious?”
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
The thought of planning a wedding on top of my already busy schedule was extremely overwhelming to me. Plus, I’m a procrastinator and I struggle making decisions, not a great combination when it comes to wedding planning! I needed someone who clearly knew their stuff, could reduce the volume of options for me, had an opinion to offer and could keep me on task.
It was clear from my first conversation with Kimberly [of Kimberly Hensley Events] that she was it. She was honest, direct, and knowledgeable. She also had an impressive list of trusted vendor relationships and an overwhelming number of incredibly positive reviews and awards. I instantly felt a huge sense of relief once I had her help. Kimberly provided exceptional customer service and did a fantastic job keeping me and all vendors on time and task. Whenever I was panicked or stressed, she was the calming force I needed.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We looked for a photographer who had a nice balance of talent between landscape and portrait style photographs. Similar to our theme, we wanted a classic feel.
Choosing a photographer was one of the toughest decisions for us. Marc’s talent [of Marc Edwards Photographs] is evident in his stunning photos, but our phone consultation is really what helped us make our final decision. His insight, flexibility and true desire to understand us and what we wanted was evident in our discussion. His vision was completely aligned to ours; we just clicked. Marc’s service was phenomenal! He was so easy to work with. We were relaxed and comfortable, and it shows in our photos. He was professional, knowledgeable, flexible, creative and fun. We have some incredibly beautiful photos of our day. Multiple people have commented that they could be on the cover of a wedding magazine.
How would you describe your theme?
Classic elegance with a relaxed atmosphere. I have an affinity for the finer things in life, so I wanted to balance a beautifully elegant wedding with a comfortable and relaxed environment. It was important to both of us that our guests could relax and enjoy the day with us.
What were your colors?
Ivory, gold, and blush. I envisioned a space of serine tranquility and this palette was rich, yet soft and inviting to me. The more I looked at Pinterest, I noticed that my eye was routinely drawn to neutral palettes with subtle colors. I didn’t want any pronounced colors to be a distraction from the people.
What did you look for in a wedding bakery?
Similar to my theme, I looked for classic elegance, and of course taste! I didn’t want anything too complex in either look or taste.
First and foremost, each and every flavor of The Artistic Whisk's cake is absolutely delicious! There wasn’t one I didn’t like. Also, their flexibility and customer service were outstanding. They were very helpful in guiding me through the design process and graciously accommodated my vision and changes.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We wanted a DJ that could read the crowd and keep the energy up throughout the reception. We wanted someone flexible that could make adjustments on the fly to keep everyone dancing.
Much like our other vendors, we instantly clicked with Cory at Grant Hemond & Associates during our phone consultation. We discovered that we had very similar tastes in music and had the same ideas of how the reception should flow. We were very pleased with the service. Our guests were having so much fun that we extended the reception so the party could continue!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Enjoy every step of this process! While the planning can get overwhelming and stressful, keep in perspective the whole reason you’re doing this. It’s to celebrate the love you have with another person.
Have fun, celebrate and enjoy every minute; it’s goes faster than you’ll ever believe.
Ceremony Venue: Clearwater Beach
Reception Venue & Caterer: Carlouel Yacht Club
Photographer: Marc Edwards Photographs *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Brogen Productions
Planner: Kimberly Hensley Events *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: Florist Fire
Rentals: US Tent Rental
Cake: The Artistic Whisk *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – DJ Cory Barron *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Sensational Ceremonies
Invitations: Minted
Transportation: Jolley Trolley
Dress Shop and Designer: CC’s Boutique, Allure Bridals
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Vera Wang, Adrianna Papell, Venus, David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Lasting Luxe
