Olivia and Michael’s vibrant destination St. Petersburg wedding, set against a waterfront backdrop beneath a towering oak tree, featured magenta and green florals, linens, and taper candles, with gold accents throughout.

“While we did not have a specific theme, we went into the initial design knowing that we wanted something a little different and bolder than some of the softer or lighter tones that have been popular the last few years,” the bride revealed. “We wanted the reception to feel fun and bright. Our colors were emerald green, magenta, and gold. We wanted something bold and bright, and we loved how the jewel tones and bright colors worked well together.”

The Virginia bride and groom chose Florida for their destination Spring wedding due to its significance, warm weather, and walkable downtown area.

“We chose St. Petersburg because that’s where we took our first vacation together, and I grew up taking family vacations to Treasure Island. Our friends and family live all over, so since they would have to travel anyway, we thought we would pick somewhere warm and sunny that meant something to us!” the bride beamed. “The downtown area is great and walkable, which also meant that our guests did not have to rent a car unless they really wanted to.”

Since they were planning from out-of-state, the couple began their wedding preparation journey by combing through the resources provided by Marry Me Tampa Bay.

“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay at the beginning of the process when we were trying to get our bearings on venues and vendors in the St. Pete/Tampa area,” Olivia explained. “We knew we wanted a wedding planner, so we started with that search pretty early and looked through the Marry Me Tampa Bay preferred vendors list to get a start.”

Their search led them to the bold, unique style of Wilder Mind Events to create a memorable experience for their 68 guests.

“Since we didn’t live in the area and decided not to have a wedding party, we knew we needed a wedding planner. We were looking for someone who wasn’t afraid to do things a little differently. We wanted someone who was laid-back but organized and could take our ideas, traditional or not, and really run with them,” the bride shared. “When we were looking at different wedding planners, we liked all the content we saw on the Wilder Mind Events‘ website and social media. The weddings and special events all looked polished but super creative and fun, and we just felt like we could trust them to take our ideas and really enhance them and bring them to life! Delaney and Morgan are the best! We absolutely loved working with Wilder Mind Events! They were thoughtful and organized and made everything so easy for us. They were so supportive and never balked at any of our ideas or last-minute changes. We were also impressed by how many vendors in the Tampa area seemed so willing and excited to work with Wilder Mind Events. A few even commented during our calls that they loved working with them and knew the day would go smoothly (and it did!). We would absolutely recommend them to anyone!”

The couple’s March ceremony unfolded in a picturesque setting beneath a majestic oak tree at the Univeristy of South Florida’s St. Pete campus. Their reception took place at nearby Poynter Institute, known for its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture, mahogany beams, and imported Italian marble floors.

“We chose the Poynter Institute because it was so architecturally interesting with all the wood beams and tons of natural light,” the bride raved. “The courtyard area was perfect for cocktail hour, and there was a lot of room for set up, DJ, bar, etc. We were really happy we went with the Poynter Institute! The day-of staff were super friendly too.”

The couple opted for the laid-back and photo-journalistic style of Amber McWhorter Photography, who artfully captured every moment of their unforgettable day.

“We wanted someone who would do more natural photography so that the photos would capture what the day actually looked and felt like. We also wanted someone who would be easygoing since we knew we would be spending a lot of time together!” the bride explained. “Amber’s style was exactly what we were looking for. When we looked through her galleries, we noticed that everyone looked relaxed, happy, and natural, and that Amber really knew how to use light and scenery to make a photo stand out.  We loved working with Amber because she made us both feel comfortable, and we could tell we were in excellent hands.  She was a great guide throughout the day and helped keep us on schedule. We also really appreciated that Amber managed to capture the whole day without ever distracting from special moments.”

The bride experienced countless memorable moments on her wedding day, but a few cherished instances stood out as her absolute favorites.

“It was really important to us to build in time to spend together and with our guests who all traveled to celebrate with us. We spent the wedding morning together, did private vows, and walked down the aisle hand in hand. Mike actually played and recorded the songs that we used to walk down the aisle. It was really special for both of us to know it was him playing, even if almost no one else knew!” the bride reminisced. “Another memorable moment was singing and dancing along with our friends and family to some great early 2000s pop/punk throwbacks and when our caterer made a special heart-shaped pizza for us to share.”

The Proposal: 
Mike knew that I did not want any kind of public proposal, so he proposed at home. He setup the house so that when I came home from brunch with friends, he proposed as soon as I walked in the door. 

What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Since we don’t live in the area and decided not to have a wedding party, we knew we needed a wedding planner. We were looking for someone who wasn’t afraid to do things a little differently. We wanted someone who was laid-back but organized and could take our ideas, traditional or not, and really run with them.

When we were looking at different wedding planners, we liked all the content we saw on the Wilder Mind Events‘ website and social media. The weddings and special events all looked polished but super creative and fun, and we just felt like we could trust them to take our ideas and really enhance them and bring them to life! Delaney and Morgan are the best!

We absolutely loved working with Wilder Mind Events! They were thoughtful and organized and made everything so easy for us. They were so supportive and never balked at any of our ideas or last-minute changes. We were also impressed by how many vendors in the Tampa area seemed so willing and excited to work with Wilder Mind Events. A few even commented during our calls that they loved working with them and knew the day would go smoothly (and it did!). We would absolutely recommend them to anyone!

What did you look for in a wedding photographer? 
We wanted someone who would do more natural photography so that the photos would capture what the day actually looked and felt like. We also wanted someone who would be easygoing since we knew we would be spending a lot of time together!

Amber McWhorter Photography‘s style was exactly what we were looking for. When we looked through her galleries, we noticed that everyone looked relaxed, happy, and natural, and that Amber really knew how to use light and scenery to make a photo stand out.  We loved working with Amber because she made us both feel comfortable, and we could tell we were in excellent hands.  She was a great guide throughout the day and helped keep us on schedule. We also really appreciated that Amber managed to capture the whole day without ever distracting from special moments.

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
 We chose the Poynter Institute because it was so architecturally interesting with all the wood beams and tons of natural light. The courtyard area was perfect for cocktail hour, and there was a lot of room for set up, DJ, bar, etc. We were really happy we went with the Poynter Institute! The day-of staff were super friendly too.