Amanda and Dan’s luxurious downtown St. Pete wedding was an ethereal evening filled with heavenly shades of white complemented by romantic florals that filled the courtyard ceremony and ballroom reception.
“I wanted to keep everything super simple yet brilliant. I’m a pretty low-key girl most of the time. I’ve been fortunate enough to be given the wedding of my dreams, and for me, that meant clean, modern, and bright,” the bride revealed. “Our colors were almost entirely shades of white. We wanted things to be super clean, elegant, and timeless.”
The downtown St. Pete couple wanted to share their neighborhood with their family and friends by hosting their 185-guest wedding at the historic Vinoy Renaissance and selected Parties A’La Carte to plan the elaborate affair. Owner and lead planner Jessica Ralph’s pristine portfolio and years of experience working at the luxurious resort made her the ideal choice.
“With the help of my Dad, I interviewed several wedding planners. I was looking for someone who was confident in what they do and someone who could guide me and see the direction I was going in before I even knew where that was. As soon as my father and I met Jessica, we knew she and her staff at Parties A’La Carte were the best for us,” the bride beamed. “I can’t describe what I want, but I know what I want when I see it, and Jessica immediately sensed that and was ready to help me through the process.”
Amanda’s timeless orchid bridal bouquet was filled with delicate white blooms hand selected by Bruce Wayne Florals. The all-white reception’s gold accents popped against the towering floral centerpieces featuring roses in shades of ivory accompanied by romantic candlelight.
“This wedding was as important to me as it was to my father. Every moment since I was a child, my father had fresh flowers in my bathroom when I would come to visit. He loves fresh flowers. That’s what we were looking for: fresh, beautiful, stunning flowers that could hold up in the wake of a great party,” Amanda shared. “We met Bruce Wayne Florals and loved his work. We were happy to know that our decor rental company and planner worked closely with him.”
The bridal party was styled in mix-and-match Dessy gowns from Bella Bridesmaids Tampa, making it easy for out-of-town bridesmaids to utilize the virtual showroom when selecting their style. The rich blue fabric was the perfect balance of brilliant, bold, and beautiful.
“Since we originally were set to be married in October, I wanted a darker color, and Dan loves blue. I wanted something lighter than navy but not too bright. I wanted to choose the fabric and the general look of the dress, including color, but wanted to allow my girls to choose the style. Dessy made the same dress in Sofia Blue in about ten different styles. I chose about six of those styles for my girls to choose from based on their build and their personal taste,” the bride explained. “I really enjoyed working with Bella Bridesmaids. I visited their shops in Tampa and Atlanta. They put together a virtual showroom for my girls to keep track of their dresses and to see what the other girls were planning as well.”
Having their families gather for their nuptials was a magical moment for the couple, who hired Fairytail Pet Care so that could include their precious pug, Pinot, in the festivities. While looking back on the all memorable moments, it was a special dedication to the bride’s grandmother that left her with the biggest smile.
“The whole thing was a beautiful blur, however, there was a moment that hit hard for me. I had requested, although outside their repertoire, John Denver’s, Take Me Home, Country Roads because my grandmother, the glue of the Adams family, was from West Virginia. I wanted to make a tribute to her for keeping us all so close even though we’re all so far apart,” Amanda reminisced. “With zero planning, my entire Dad’s side of the family, cousins, aunts, and uncles, formed a circle on the dance floor and remained there until the end, belting the lyrics at the top of all of our lungs. There was an upspoken bond. It was a special moment.”
The Proposal:
Ironically, I thought I was being broken up with right before Dan proposed. He was so nervous and acting so weird, and even though we were great, I just didn’t know what to think. Turns out Dan planned to propose during one of his family reunions in Georgia. I had been to several before, but I didn’t know how different this one would be.
Dan’s cousin and his sister were the only ones that knew and surprised not only myself but about 20 other family members during family photo night at the lodge. The best part was when some “random nosey people watching on” turned out to be my Dad and stepmom. It was a total shock and very special. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to be proposed to rather than broken up with.
Why did you choose to incorporate your pet into your wedding day?
Our pets are our children. If the cats were more cooperative, and Kiwi’s pretty good, we’d have both of our “kids” be part of our wedding. We lost our one dog toward the beginning of our relationship, and Pinot’s presence was significant during the start of our life together. She made us a family, and her attendance was a priority.
Our wedding planner recommended FairyTail Pet Care, and they took great care of our girl.
What was your bridesmaid dress inspiration?
Since we originally were set to be married in October, I wanted a darker color, and Dan loves blue. I wanted something lighter than navy but not too bright. I wanted to choose the fabric and the general look of the dress, including color, but wanted to allow my girls to choose the style. Dessy made the same dress in Sofia Blue in about ten different styles. I chose about six of those styles for my girls to choose from based on their build and their personal taste.
I really enjoyed working with Bella Bridesmaids. I visited their shops in Tampa and Atlanta. They put together a virtual showroom for my girls to keep track of their dresses and to see what the other girls were planning as well.”
How did you incorporate your personalities into the wedding? Dan grew up listening to classical music and jazz. He plays the piano and although we couldn’t arrange for a piano player, we wanted to incorporate as much of his passion for that type of music into the ceremony and cocktail hour as possible. It was important for us to have strings and acoustics, not just loud party music.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
COVID and our jobs have kind of put a damper on our honeymoon plans, but we do want to go to Greece or somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Dan had his bachelor party golfing with the boys in Las Vegas. As for the girls, we partied it up in Key West.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
I really enjoyed meeting all of my potential wedding planners. I was looking for someone who was confident in what they do and someone who could guide me and see the direction I was going in before I even knew where that was.
With the help of my Dad, I interviewed several wedding planners. As soon as my father and I met Jessica, we knew she and her staff at Parties A’La Carte were the best for us. I can’t describe what I want, but I know what I want when I see it, and Jessica immediately sensed that and was ready to help me through the process.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I wanted to keep everything super simple yet brilliant. I’m a pretty low-key girl most of the time. I’ve been fortunate enough to be given the wedding of my dreams, and for me, that meant clean, modern, and bright.
What were your colors?
Almost entirely shades of white. We wanted things to be super clean, elegant, and timeless.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
This wedding was as important to me as it was to my father. Every moment since I was a child, my father had fresh flowers in my bathroom when I would come to visit. He loves fresh flowers. That’s what we were looking for: fresh, beautiful, stunning flowers that could hold up in the wake of a great party.
We met Bruce Wayne Florals and loved his work. We were happy to know that our decor rental company and planner worked closely with him.
“This wedding was as important to me as it was to my father. Every moment since I was a child, my father had fresh flowers in my bathroom when I would come to visit. He loves fresh flowers. That’s what we were looking for: fresh, beautiful, stunning flowers that could hold up in the wake of a great party.”
-The Bride
What elements of your wedding were the most important? I really wanted our wedding to be fun but classy. I wanted to make sure that our décor, flowers, day of paper, etc. were timeless and classic, so that the food, music, and people could shine.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Dan and I knew we wanted a band. We looked into a few and settled on one we really enjoyed; however, my Dad looked beyond Florida and found a band out of Atlanta that we decided couldn’t be out beat. When I tell you that everyone mentions how amazing our band was, I mean everyone. They put on a show! The girls of the band had to have changed three times before I even got into my “after-party” dress.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
I believe in saving your money for your future, for trips and for experiences; however, your wedding should be one of those experiences. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, but make sure you do something special, whatever that is for you, together.
