Beca and William's luxurious Clearwater wedding took place in the picturesque community of Belleair overlooking the lavish golf-greens Florida is known for. With the groom's family history in the competitive golfing world, the exclusive Clearwater golf course served as the perfect backdrop for the timeless nuptials.
“We wanted our wedding to be tasteful and more on the formal side with an air of sophistication and elegance that the country club setting traditionally embodies. With our refined color palette lending towards ‘black tie’ as it evokes that timeless elegance when paired with elegant scripts, romantic candlelight-filled spaces, and all-white lush blooms, complemented by polished and coordinated details that emitted a clean and refined look,” the bride detailed. “To capture our classic black tie affair we landed on a refined color scheme that embodied lush whites to really encompass a clean and refined aesthetic. We envisioned our wedding to be timeless, elegant, and romantic, featuring a rather neutral color palette with black and all-white lush florals.”
While planning her Tampa Bay wedding, the bride turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for recommendations on preferred vendors and to view real wedding inspiration.
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay as one of my planner search resources. After viewing their preferred vendor list in combination with additional searches, I narrowed my list of planners and completed a few consultations. Marry Me Tampa Bay explained to expect an increase in price tag with an increase in experience and talent. I was in desperate need, so I went into my planning search with this in mind and a list of a few areas in which I would need the most assistance. Ultimately, I chose my perfect fit with Parties A'La Carte and could not have been more satisfied with my experience,” the bride beamed. “Even after hiring my wedding planner, I still occasionally clicked around on the Marry Me Tampa Bay's website to get a better idea of the type of rentals that could potentially be needed down the road and had viewed some of the preferred vendors, many of whom were a part of my final vendor team.”
With unknown travel restrictions and construction delays surrounding the wedding date, Beca and Will relied on the advice of luxury wedding planner Jessica Ralph with Parties A'La Carte to assist in every detail of the day for their 125 guest celebration.
“I knew the Parties A'La Carte team had experience planning beautiful events in the Belleair, Clearwater, St Pete, and Tampa areas from my research online. After meeting Jessica in person, the organization I saw portrayed throughout all outlets within her business was impressive. I could tell she was very detail-oriented, and in combination with her confidence, I knew 100% she was my person!” the bride gushed. “Jessica had the backbone I very much needed and was able to navigate my over-thinking, overanalyzing, and perfectionist mind with an eye for detail. At the end of the day, my planning team was the biggest asset to my overall experience. They pulled together a collective theme of timeless elegance at its finest. Our lush all-white elegant country club formal affair was everything we could have envisioned!”
Seeking a florist who had lush, traditional, and timeless designs, the Clearwater couple hired Marry Me Tampa Bay's preferred wedding florist Bruce Wayne Florals for their superior reputation.
“Luckily, my wedding planners had a great grasp of my style and design. They immediately pointed me in the direction of Bruce Wayne Florals and were confident they could achieve a vision mirroring our overall decor aesthetic. I was beyond impressed with how it all came together! As a visual person, the mockup floral presentation was extremely helpful in fully bringing the look together, making final decisions, and allowing me to feel confident our flowers would be just as pictured on our big day,” the bride detailed. “We felt that nothing says timeless and traditional like white florals! Combining soft whites with natural hints of green keeps the overall style classic and refined but still organic; the perfect combination of elegance and romance. To align with our classic and clean style, we stuck with lots of lush white blooms: white roses, spray roses, a variety of mums including my favorites football mums, white hydrangeas, hints of minimal greenery from the natural foliage, along with Salal tips and Israeli Ruscus. We added crisp white flowers to the bouquet, creating a stunning and elegant complement to a classic bridal style. With this in mind, we chose a mono-floral crisp white rose design with fullness and a lush yet tight and clean mounded style bouquet shape.”
With a background in fashion merchandising, the bride thoughtfully curated a bridesmaid look that would complement the entire party. The chic floor-length bridesmaid gowns from Bella Bridesmaids perfectly matched the sophisticated styling of Beca's Martina Liana wedding dress. With the help of wedding day petcare planners FairyTail Petcare, the couple's English Springer Spaniel, Lady Lola, served as the ‘dog-of-honor' and sported an adorable all-white floral collar.
“I had seen Bella's name a few times on the various wedding websites, including Marry Me Tampa Bay, and decided to reach out,” the bride shared. “We chose a sophisticated stunner by Hayley Paige, featuring a back sheer overlay in a soft chiffon fabric that cinched just enough at the waist and fell to a slim A-Line silhouette with a clean bateau neckline and slim tank straps, it delivered ample support for my busty gals. Timeka was very responsive to any of the questions I had and provided great updates while waiting for garments to arrive. She handled coordinating all the ladies' shipping needs and informing them when their dresses arrived. To my surprise, they did not have very many alterations-except length, which is normal! I think that can be attributed to Timeka's experience and knowledge to ensure all my ladies were measured and sized appropriately prior to ordering. I had really felt tasked to find one single style dress given the range of body shapes in my party, but the time put in was worth it! Every one of them looked so beautiful standing at the altar with me including my Matron of Honor who had just given birth weeks prior, which was a factor when placing her dress order too! She was such a trooper!”
As Beca looked back on her wedding day, the way everything came together perfectly made her deeply appreciative of all the hard work it took to make her wedding so magical.
“One of the most memorable moments was after the ceremony and photos concluded, just us two walking in before the guests and seeing the reception space for the first time. It was so beautiful and one of my favorite memories of the evening. Even Will was surprised,” Beca reminisced. “I could not get out enough words to express how beautiful it was and thankful I was at that moment for all the hard work our planners, the Pelican team, along with all our vendors put in for us. I ended up tearing up because I was so full of love, and it came to fruition so beautifully.”
What was your bridesmaid’s dress inspiration?
I looked at so many bridesmaids' options; I wanted everyone to be happy and comfortable! I landed on the Bella Bridesmaids' website looking through styles for anything that caught my eye.
I had seen their name a few times on the various wedding websites, including Marry Me Tampa Bay, and decided to reach out. Timeka was really great in getting me in for an appointment, and I was able to bring two people. My ladies and I narrowed down a few options but did not officially make a decision. I continued to look for about another month and my future sister-in-law was able to come with me to the store one more time. We had found a few more styles that looked so good on her, but ultimately went back to one of the originals; a sophisticated stunner by Hayley Paige, featuring a back sheer overlay in a soft chiffon fabric that cinched just enough at the waist and fell to a slim A-Line silhouette with a clean bateau neckline and slim tank straps, it delivered ample support for my busty gals.
Timeka got all the orders in quickly, and I paid the rush shipping fee for each dress given it took so long for me to make a decision! Timeka was very responsive to any of the questions I had and provided great updates while waiting for garments to arrive. She handled coordinating all the ladies' shipping needs and informing them when their dresses arrived. To my surprise, they did not have very many alterations-except length, which is normal! I think that can be attributed to Timeka's experience and knowledge to ensure all my ladies were measured and sized appropriately prior to ordering. I had really felt tasked to find one single style dress given the range of body shapes in my party, but the time put in was worth it! Every one of them looked so beautiful standing at the altar with me including my Matron of Honor who had just given birth weeks prior, which was a factor when placing her dress order too! She was such a trooper!
Everything worked out so seamlessly and I would highly recommend Timeka and her team over at the Bella Bridesmaids showroom in Tampa for any future needs!
What was your wedding floral inspiration?
Luckily, my wedding planners at Parties A'La Carte had a great grasp of my style and design. They immediately pointed me in the direction of Bruce Wayne Florals and were confident they could achieve a vision mirroring our overall decor aesthetic. I was beyond impressed with how it all came together!
As a visual person, the mockup floral presentation was extremely helpful in fully bringing the look together, making final decisions, and allowing me to feel confident our flowers would be just as pictured on our big day. We felt that nothing says timeless and traditional like white florals! Combining soft whites with natural hints of green keeps the overall style classic and refined but still organic—the perfect combination of elegance and romance.
To align with our classic and clean style, we stuck with lots of lush white blooms; white roses, spray roses, a variety of mums including my favorites football mums, white hydrangeas, hints of minimal greenery from the natural foliage, along with Salal tips and Israeli Ruscus. We added crisp white flowers to the bouquet, creating a stunning and elegant complement to a classic bridal style. With this in mind, we chose a mono-floral crisp white rose design with fullness and a lush yet tight and clean mounded style bouquet shape.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Location and experience were on the list when comparing options and would play a role in my final decision.
I knew the Parties A'La Carte team had experience planning beautiful events in the Belleair, Clearwater, St Pete, and Tampa areas from my research online. After meeting Jessica in person, the organization I saw portrayed throughout all outlets within her business was impressive. I could tell she was very detail-oriented, and in combination with her confidence, I knew 100% she was my person. Jessica had the backbone I very much needed and was able to navigate my over-thinking, overanalyzing, and perfectionist mind with an eye for detail and a team that was there for us every step of the way bringing our wedding vision to life! I would find myself often thinking, “You knew what I wanted before I even knew what I wanted!” At the end of the day, my planning team was the biggest asset to my overall experience.
Jessica was a saint the morning of my wedding day after a sleepless night stressing over the groom's lost luggage, including his tuxedo, and truly became a great friend during the whole process. She was even so thoughtful as to offer her personal diamond bracelet as my “something borrowed” for my wedding day look since it was another last-minute item on my to-do list not completed at the time. She was the backbone I needed throughout the whole wedding planning process. I don’t know what I would have done without her and the entire Parties A'La Carte team in our corner who brought our wedding vision to life, making it truly a hole-in-one!
The Proposal:
Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, Immokolee will now always hold a special place in both our hearts. With the intent to help Will’s grandparents clear out an overgrown area of land on the family’s property located in Ft. Pierce, Will hid the ring in a treasure chest and buried it on the grounds of Immokolee. Mid-day we set out with our loaded wagon of tools, workout clothes, doused in bug spray, and my garden gloves to get the job done! I was such a trooper in the dead heat of Florida summer in my sun hat. I dug it up and found the treasure chest which held a ring box. Will was on one knee and asked me to marry him. I slid on his great-grandmother's heirloom diamond ring and said yes!
It was the most perfectly imperfect proposal I could have ever imagined and a moment I will forever cherish! We later cleaned up and enjoyed the evening at a local restaurant celebrating our engagement and also the 62nd wedding anniversary of Will’s grandparents.
Why did you choose to incorporate your pet on your wedding day?
Well, there was really not much room for negotiations here! I think Will would have said, “Nope, we're going to have the wedding somewhere else if Lady can’t come!” Lady is my little human dog-daddy’s daughter. We love her so much, and she is so spoiled! We knew from the start she was going to be the cutest flower girl walking down the aisle at our ceremony, but given we had two adorable flower girls, Lady became the official “Dog of Honor.”
I had to keep reminding myself, your wedding day only happens once in a lifetime! Lady was very good at helping with those reminders. Like when she stopped by the cottages where I was getting ready. After a nice, long, fun walk to say hi to me, we captured a few pre-wedding memories. Those pictures I will cherish forever!
Lady definitely always knows how to put a smile on my face. The timing of the entire day could not have run more smoothly. Ilana of Fairytail Pet Care texted me the morning of just assuring me they would be at our home to pick Lady up at the arranged time. Another great service they offered was the additional pet sitting hours as an add-on. We usually don’t leave her alone for a maximum of four hours. With the reception not ending until around 10 p.m. plus the additional time it takes for my parents to get back to our home, the add-on option was perfect! It gave Lady some quiet time to calm from all the craziness of the day.
It might seem overboard to some, but for me it was a huge relief having that confirmation that she was well taken care of, knowing our little girl had a buddy to cuddle up with on the couch, especially with such a nonstop chaotic day, with the lights left on and tv volume up, she had a chance to eat a little food, go potty, and our home was locked up properly.
Not to mention the massive smiles that were on our faces when we viewed the pictures that Ilana sent of Lady throughout the whole wedding day! She has such a little personality! We thought it was such a good idea that they played a lot of ball before the ceremony and allowed her to see and smell the space before all the guests started to arrive. I would pay for FairyTale Pet Care’s services over and over again!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Will and I spent our honeymoon in Costa Rica because neither one of us had ever been on a luxury vacation perched in the trees of a rainforest. We wanted a relaxing, romantic, getaway, and Nayara Springs was the perfect place to find our “pura vida.”
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Having a long-distance maid of honor with little flexibility in schedule and my matron of nonor too close to the delivery date in her pregnancy to travel, my bachelorette ended up being planned a little last-minute. But man I will tell you, I will be forever grateful for my small but mighty crew who brought my bachelorette party to life after I almost had given up on even having one.
We ended up flying down to Key West, FL about two months before the big day and had a blast celebrating at the “Buffett House” which is Will's family vacation home in the Keys that previously belonged to Jimmy Buffett himself. We let loose up and down Duval Street and had some adventures, to say the least! Unfortunately, the weekend also brought mandatory mask mandates on Duval and curfew was in effect for two more days following our departure date. Nonetheless, we didn’t let that stop us from the festivities and creating endless memories! I am so beyond thankful for the ladies; “Beca’s Bad & Boozy Bachelorette” theme was absolutely hysterical. They really made it amazing beyond expectations!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted our wedding to be tasteful and more on the formal side with an air of sophistication and elegance that the country club setting traditionally embodies. With our refined color palette lending towards ‘black tie’ as it evokes that timeless elegance when paired with elegant scripts, romantic candlelight-filled spaces, and all-white lush blooms, complemented by polished and coordinated details that emitted a clean and refined look.
Our planning team at Parties A'La Carte really pulled together a collective theme of timeless elegance at its finest. Our lush all-white elegant country club formal affair was everything we could have envisioned!
What were your colors?
To capture our classic black tie affair we landed on a refined color scheme that embodied lush whites to really encompass a clean and refined aesthetic that we were drawn towards from the very beginning. We envisioned our wedding to be timeless, elegant, and romantic, featuring a rather neutral color palette with black and all-white lush florals, which against the verdant greens of the Pelican Golf Club grounds, provided just the right amount of natural green contrast.
For the romantic indoor reception, we hosted modern floral focus designs with an assortment of high low arrangements in classic all-white blooms, minimal greenery, glass accents, with a touch of silver, and tablescapes full of candlelight.
To align with our classic and clean style we stuck with lots of lush white blooms, White roses and spray roses, Multiple variety of mums- including one of my favorites football mums, White hydrangeas, with hints of minimal greenery from the florals natural foliage, along with Salal tips and Israeli Ruscus.
What made your wedding unique?
A unique element was our crest that was stripped down into a more simple clean version that was used as a cohesive element that really branded our event. The crest was used throughout our wedding day decor in things like our menus, welcome sign, custom cocktail napkins, monogrammed cups (gifted from our planners and we still use the extras at our home today), table numbers/names, comfort band, memory and generations table signage, and we even carried the design onto our guest favors which was printed at the bottom of the photobooth film strip.
“At the end of the day, my planning team at Parties A'La Carte was the biggest asset to my overall experience. They pulled together a collective theme of timeless elegance at its finest. Our lush all-white elegant country club formal affair was everything we could have envisioned!”
-The Bride
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Hire a planner, hire a planner, hire a planner! (Be sure to use good resources like Marry Me Tampa Bay in your search!) I had interviewed a company over the phone, they emailed over a proposal, and later I found out that the large image in their pdf laying out services was not even a wedding they planned; it was taken from the internet! So look out for little red flags, especially if you are considered the less expensive planning packages. You truly get what you pay for when it comes to your planning team!
Trust your people, especially when you hire your planning team! At the end of the day, you will look back, and all stress and worry you tried to avoid will be worth it, but if you don’t have the exact overhead installation idea you saved a hundred of on Pinterest or a long head table you and the groom originally loved, or if you have to wait to secure a specific vendor until closer to the time, trust your people will guide you in the right direction when the time comes.
Trust the process and don’t get too caught up in every single moment and every detail. I know it is easier said than done, but at the end of the day, you will realize everything that was most important to you both will collectively be brought to life, bringing back only smiles on your face and filling your heart warm every time you think back to the day. You won’t be remembering all the things you did not get exactly perfectly 100% on the dot! No matter how detailed or perfectionist personality-driven you might feel you are, you will look back at the photos and footage and you will see is joy, laughter, and love.
