Mary and Nick's luxurious downtown St. Pete wedding was a perfect blend of timeless elegance and old Florida charm, capturing their vision of a traditional, black-tie celebration with a touch of vintage allure. Attention to detail was evident in every aspect, from the exquisite florals and carefully curated décor to the custom monogrammed logo and unique touches such as cold sparklers during their last dance.
“I’ve always wanted a traditional, elegant, black-tie wedding with a hint of old Florida charm, so we ran with that from the start,” the bride explained. “Our wedding colors were light pink, white, and gold with some greenery accents. I love pink, so it came as no surprise to anyone that we would have a pink wedding. Nick knew what he was getting into. Our ceremony backdrop was the Vinoy Tower, so the natural pink background was just perfect.”
The destination couple was in search of a knowledgeable wedding planner who had experience working at their iconic venue and relationships with the area's top vendors. After careful consideration, they chose Parties A La Carte, led by owner Jessica Ralph, because of the business' impressive portfolio of ornate ballroom weddings and the planner's personal style.
“Living in Washington, D.C., we knew we needed a wedding planner who was familiar with the Vinoy, as well as the local vendors. Jessica had done so many incredible weddings at the Vinoy we knew we needed her. She’s also very direct and honest, and that is something you need when you’re planning an event of this size and something both Nick and I really appreciate. There are so many decisions to make, so you need someone you can trust. Jessica showed up to our first meeting in a cute outfit with a great Chanel bag, so I knew we would get along great,” Mary beamed. “Parties A’La Carte went above and beyond for us. Some people would say I’m a perfectionist, and Jessica and Macie were able to provide me with the options and vendors needed to make sure everything was perfect. When there was a hiccup in the planning process, Jessica did everything possible to create solutions. I am convinced there is no one in the area with better connections. It was so much fun working together.”
Inspired by the ceremony venue's fountain, the bride was eager to find the perfect florist for her autumn wedding. From the breathtaking centerpieces to the enchanting floral accents, Bruce Wayne Florals‘ artistry brought her vision to life, creating a truly mesmerizing ambiance for their special day.
“We wanted breathtaking arrangements and someone with experience adding flowers to the fountain in the Vinoy Tea Garden,” the bride shared. “We chose Bruce Wayne Florals because our planner said he was the best option for us, and she was right. We were blown away by the centerpieces, the florals on our stage, and the floral accents around our bar all over. Another big reason we hired Bruce Wayne was that we had seen his work on the Vinoy Tea Garden fountain, and we knew we wanted to get married in front of it. The arrangement they put on the fountain was stunning and exactly what we wanted.”
The bride and groom skillfully incorporated their personal story into their wedding by drawing inspiration from their experience working in Congress on Capitol Hill, infusing the celebration with pink elephants seen in the crest, dance floor, and bar décor. This subtle nod to their shared history complemented the event's theme and atmosphere along with draping and feasting tables from Gabro Event Services. Adding an element of fun, the groom impressed guests by sabering a champagne bottle and creating a captivating champagne tower, elevating the festivities to new heights.
“I can be very detail-oriented, so the décor details were very important to me. From the beautiful florals to the table linens to the chairs, to the bar details, to even knots in the napkins, it all had to be cohesive and beautiful. No detail could be missed,” Mary detailed. “And above all, the most important thing was for our guests to have fun! We could not have asked for a better time on the dance floor. Our final song was Proud Mary, and everyone was dancing. The cold sparklers were going off, it was some of the best few minutes of our lives. It was just so much fun!”
Mary's heart was filled with joy as she shared special moments with her loved ones, including getting ready with her mother and bridal party and sharing an emotional encounter with her father. However, it was the intimate first look that left the couple feeling as though time stood still.
“Our first look was my favorite few minutes of my whole life. It was so so special to have a few minutes together, just the two of us. I also loved getting ready all day with my mom, some of my family, and my girls; we had so much fun. One of my bridesmaids did an impromptu interpretive dance to one of our favorite songs right before I left for my first look, which was perfect. Seeing my dad for the first time in my dress was also so special and one of the best moments,” the bride reminisced. “We also loved the champagne saber and pouring the champagne tower.”
The Proposal:
Nick and I both took new jobs around the same time, so we both had a week off between our previous jobs and our new jobs. We decided to plan a last-minute trip to Baha Mar in the Bahamas. I had a feeling the proposal would happen on the trip, but Nick always said he wouldn’t propose over water because he was afraid one of us would drop the ring. The first night we walked out on the pier (which was over water), so I assumed it wasn’t happening, but the next thing I knew, we were on this beautiful pier with perfect weather during the most beautiful sunset, and he was on one knee. I said yes, there’s a photographer there, and champagne is delivered to us. We spent the rest of the night Facetiming our friends and family, eating steak and seafood towers, and drinking martinis.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Living in Washington, D.C., we knew we needed a wedding planner who was familiar with the Vinoy, as well as the local vendors. Jessica Ralph of Parties A’La Carte had done so many incredible weddings at the Vinoy we knew we needed her. She’s also very direct and honest, and that is something you need when you’re planning an event of this size and something both Nick and I really appreciate. There are so many decisions to make, so you need someone you can trust. Jessica showed up to our first meeting in a cute outfit with a great Chanel bag, so I knew we would get along great.
Parties A’La Carte went above and beyond for us. Some people would say I’m a perfectionist, and Jessica and Macie were able to provide me with the options and vendors needed to make sure everything was perfect. When there was a hiccup in the planning process, Jessica did everything possible to create solutions. I am convinced there is no one in the area with better connections. Jessica found the majority of our wedding vendors/ We’re from out of town, so we had to rely on her for her local connections, and she certainly delivered. It was so much fun working together.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I’ve always wanted a traditional, elegant, black-tie wedding with a hint of old Florida charm, so we ran with that from the start. I can be very detail-oriented, so the décor details were very important. From the beautiful florals to the table linens to the chairs, to the bar details, to even knots in the napkins, it all had to be cohesive and beautiful. No detail could be missed.
It’s hard to have a unique wedding these days with weddings all over Instagram, so we decided we would make it unique by doing what we wanted, not what we were supposed to do or what Pinterest says is cool. We did what made us happy. We wanted a black tie wedding, but we also wanted a bit of a casual, old Florida twist so our invitations included a dreamy watercolor map of the area, and we put our crest with pink elephants in the middle of the dance floor. The attention we paid to the small details throughout the wedding weekend was mentioned by our friends and family multiple times.
What were your colors?
Our wedding colors were light pink, white, and gold with some greenery accents. I love pink, so it came as no surprise to anyone that we would have a pink wedding. Nick knew what he was getting into. Our ceremony backdrop was the Vinoy Tower, so the natural pink background was just perfect.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
Breathtaking arrangements and someone with experience adding flowers to the fountain in the Vinoy Tea Garden.
We chose Bruce Wayne Florals because our planner said he was the best option for us, and she was right. We were blown away by the centerpieces, the florals on our stage, and the floral accents around our bar all over. Another big reason we hired Bruce Wayne was that we had seen his work on the Vinoy Tea Garden fountain, and we knew we wanted to get married in front of it. The arrangement they put on the fountain was stunning and exactly what we wanted.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Las Vegas. Nick and I love Las Vegas, and we often visit with my Dad. I knew it was perfect for my bachelorette because I wanted a place with fun pool parties, great restaurants, and fun entertainment at night. I also wanted to make sure it didn’t rain – so we chose Las Vegas over Miami. The weather was perfect all weekend. We had so much fun at the pool, we had the best dinners at places like Carbone, Toca Madera, and Delilah, and we went to see Diplo and Sam Hunt. Vegas has something for everyone, and we had the best weekend.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Kenya and Seychelles. We visited two safari locations in Kenya, Samburu and Masai Mara. Then we spent time at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi before spending time relaxing in Seychelles. Nick and I both travel a lot, but we knew we wanted to save our first safari for our honeymoon. We love animals and experiencing new, different cultures, so we knew a safari trip to Africa with some relaxation time in Seychelles was perfect for us.
How did you incorporate your personalities into the wedding?
Nick and I wanted to incorporate things about us without being too obvious. For example, we met working in Congress on Capitol Hill. It played a big part in our love story, and we both worked there for many years, so we wanted to incorporate that somehow. We decided to use pink elephants because an elephant is used commonly in politics, and then we made it pink to match it to the Vinoy and our wedding colors and give it an old Florida twist. We used pink elephants in our crest, on our weekend schedule, and on our dance floor; we even had them imprinted on our bar, holding martini glasses in their trunks. It was such a great subtle representation of us without being too in your face and ensuring it matched the rest of our décor.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Bruce Wayne Florals blew us away with their flower arrangements. We also loved our band! They were the absolute best and kept everyone entertained all night. We can’t recommend them enough.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Embrace where you’re getting married! We loved including a local flare in our food at both our rehearsal dinner and our wedding. Our guests loved the grouper! We also loved taking our photos in the lush greenery that is everywhere and incorporating the natural palms and other foliage into our rehearsal dinner/welcome dinner and ceremony. Also, hire Jessica Ralph of Parties A La Carte; she knows everyone in the area.
