Kellie and Rohit’s luxurious St. Pete Beach wedding was a multi-cultural celebration that incorporated a Hindu ceremony to include the groom’s family heritage. The couple’s 165 guests enjoyed an outdoor garden ceremony followed by a grand ballroom reception where a 13-piece band entertained throughout the night.
“We wanted a simple yet elegant and romantic wedding. I first picked a color scheme to start the process. After browsing wedding websites, everything just fell into place,” the bride beamed. “Our colors were navy blue, dusty rose, light and dark grey, and beige. I felt like they were nice summer colors, and they went well together.”
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While planning their dream day, Kellie relied on Marry Me Tampa Bay for decor ideas and to read reviews about reputable wedding vendors.
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to get inspiration for the wedding and also to search for reviews and weddings that had happened at The Don CeSar. It was very helpful!”
Seeking a stress-free experience, the Tampa couple sought a resort-style St. Pete Beach wedding venue that would wow their guests while also providing options and flexibility for their celebration.
“For the ease of planning, we wanted a venue that provided us with an excellent vendor list. We also liked the idea of having the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all in the same building. We knew having everything in the same location would take the stress and cost out of planning for transportation.” Kellie explained. “The Don CeSar was on the top of our list from the very beginning. My parents celebrated their honeymoon there when they were both 21-years-old. As a couple, we had also planned many staycations at The Don CeSar with some of our closest friends and family. I knew I did not want a beach wedding in the sand, and the garden ceremony location at the Don was the perfect alternative. Also, after seeing the beautiful two-tier ballroom, I was sold!”
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As the bride and groom planned their guest list, they made sure to consider the two most important members of their household, their pet dogs Tilly and Reyla. Incorporating their fur babies into their wedding day was an important aspect to the couple, and thanks to local pet planning company FairyTail Pet Care, they were able to make it happen.
“My husband and I are huge animal lovers, and our two dogs, Tilly and Reyla, are the center of our world. We knew having them around would calm our pre-wedding jitters and also put a smile on the faces of our guests,” the bride revealed. “Having our dogs at the wedding meant we would need some extra hands to care for them. We read great reviews online about FairyTail Pet Care, and we knew they were the correct choice after our first meet-and-greet. They were unbelievably professional, and we knew Tilly and Reyla would be in the best hands with them. They stayed with them overnight at our house the day before the wedding, buckled them into their car, brought them to The Don CeSar the day of the wedding, and stayed in the hotel room with them until the very end of the night. We wouldn’t have been able to seamlessly incorporate our dogs into the wedding day without them. The GoPro video is the cutest thing ever and totally worth every penny.”
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Looking back on their idyllic wedding weekend, the bride and groom cherished an intimate unplanned moment before the main ceremony.
“Ro’s family comes from a Hindu background and (somewhat) last minute, we requested to have a small, quick, indoor Hindu ceremony before the main outdoor garden ceremony. The Don CeSar made the proper arrangements for us, and Ashley made sure this tied into our timeline perfectly. I know his family appreciated this very much!”
The Proposal:
We had Ro’s parents and niece, Divya, flying into town from Texas for our annual summer cruise. Ro made reservations for dinner at Armani’s with my parents, his parents, and Divya the night before we left. Once we arrived at the restaurant, he wanted to have a drink on the outside patio to “show everyone the beautiful views.” After standing outside for a few minutes, he got down on one knee and proposed! He had hired a professional photographer to capture the moment. We had a wonderful week of celebration on our cruise with our family!
Why did you incorporate your dogs in your wedding day?
My husband and I are huge animal lovers, and our two dogs, Tilly and Reyla, are the center of our world. We knew having them around would calm our pre-wedding jitters and also put a smile on the faces of our guests. We will also cherish our photos (and video) with them and be able to share them with our children one day.
We knew having our dogs at the wedding meant we would need some extra hands to care for them. We read great reviews online about FairyTail Pet Care, and we knew they were the correct choice after our first meet-and-greet. They were unbelievably professional, and we knew Tilly and Reyla would be in the best hands with them. They stayed with them overnight at our house the day before the wedding, buckled them into their car, brought them to the Don the day of the wedding, and stayed in the hotel room with them until the very end of the night. We wouldn’t have been able to seamlessly incorporate our dogs into the wedding day without them. The GoPro video is the cutest thing ever and totally worth every penny.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
My husband is a surgeon, and I am an ICU RN currently in school to become a nurse practitioner. We are busy! For the ease of planning, we wanted a venue that provided us with an excellent vendor list. We also liked the idea of having the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all in the same building. We knew having everything in the same location would take the stress (and cost!) out of planning for transportation, etc.
The Don CeSar was top on our list from the very beginning. My parents celebrated their honeymoon there when they were both 21-years-old. As a couple, we had also planned many staycations at The Don CeSar with some of our closest friends and family. I knew I did not want a beach wedding (sand), and the garden ceremony location at The Don CeSar was the perfect alternative. Also, after seeing the beautiful two-tier ballroom, I was sold! The service was impeccable from the start of the planning process all the way to the day after the wedding. My father lost his college class ring at some point during the wedding day. The following day many staff members dropped everything they were doing to help my husband find the ring! They ended up finding it in a giant pile of table linens, ready to be shipped out to be washed and returned to the rental company.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted a simple yet elegant and romantic wedding theme. I first picked a color scheme to start the process. After browsing wedding websites, everything just fell into place!
What were your colors?
Navy blue, dusty rose, light and dark grey, and beige. I felt like they were nice summer colors, and they went well together.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
You can’t please everyone, so do what makes you happy. The best way to plan a wedding is with a glass of wine in one hand!!
Venue, Caterer, and Cake: The Don CeSar *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer: Marc Edwards Photographs
Videographer: Hearts Video
Planner: Love Lee Lane
Florist: Carter’s Florist
Rentals: Connie Duglin Specialty Linens
Band: The Headliners
Officiant: Dr. Jayson Sack
Invitations: Minted
Dress Designer: Hayley Paige
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Azazie
Groomsmen Suits: Jos. A Bank
Groom’s Suit: Sahil (Chicago)
Hair & Makeup: D2Co
Pet Planner: FairyTail Pet Care *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Photobooth: Snapshoot Photobooth
