Rochelle and Nirmel’s downtown St. Pete destination wedding featured a fusion of their Indian and Filipino cultures, an outdoor waterfront ceremony, and a showstopping cascading floral cake table.
“Our theme was an elegant garden wedding. We chose it because I love nature and flowers, and my overall style is classy and elegant,” the bride shared. “We chose burgundy as our main motif because it is a deep and romantic color that complements every skin tone and paired it with pink, white, and greens to balance the palette and contribute to the elegant garden theme.”
The South Florida couple focused on incorporating their heritages and respecting the meaning of the day.
“Our faith, our Indian and Filipino cultures coming together, and the significance of our commitment to each other were the most important elements of our wedding,” Rochelle revealed. “Nirmel’s affection and playfulness and my caring nature were most on display through our personalized vows which we read during the ceremony. We also incorporated fun cultural dances throughout the reception. The cultural elements, costumes, dances, and traditions that we each brought made our wedding so unique.”
To make sure things went smoothly for their destination wedding, the pair searched for a downtown St. Pete wedding planner who could create a unique and memorable day.
“We wanted our wedding planner to understand our unique vision and values and bring those to life on our wedding day,” the bride explained. “Breezin’ Weddings came highly recommended by our family friends, and they made the many moving parts of our very full wedding program come together beautifully. They put out so many day-of potential fires that we could not have addressed on our own. They are a huge part of the success of our wedding!
To capture the day’s memories, the couple wanted an experienced wedding photographer who brought an upbeat energy.
“We looked for someone who was talented, professional, and fun to work with,” the bride shared. “We chose Limelight Photography because their bright and modern photo aesthetic is what we were looking for. Rebecca and Michael were such an expert, calming, yet joy-filled presence at our wedding, on top of taking gorgeous photos of our most important moments. Their talent is unparalleled, they were an absolute pleasure to work with, and they made our day flow more smoothly.“
Florals were an important part of the day from the oversized arrangements framing the ceremony arch to the tall luxurious centerpieces, to the cascading cake table and flower-filled sweetheart table.
“We were inspired by outdoor garden weddings with plenty of beautiful, elegant florals. Lemon Drops had such incredible creative vision and went above and beyond in execution,” Rochelle raved. ” All of our guests were whisked away from our current pandemic reality and transported to a romantic, luscious, modern, yet elegant garden wedding thanks to Melanie and her team.
Looking back, Rochelle shared that the entire day was filled with unforgettable moments.
“Every moment was so memorable: our first touch at the Vinoy’s Tea Garden, walking down the aisle to each other while surrounded by such beauty and all our loved ones, our vows, and the cultural dances. These are most memorable because we put so much of ourselves into preparing for each other. They express who we are as a couple and our love for each other,” the bride reminisced.
What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
My wedding beauty inspiration came from hair and makeup pictures on Pinterest that were glowing, elegant, and glamorous, but still natural enough to feel comfortable and look like myself on the big day.
I chose Femme Akoi Beauty Studio because of their professionalism and talent. I felt like they truly listened and understood my personal style and preferences the best. My day of hair and makeup was even better than my trial! They did an excellent job; both my hair and makeup looked phenomenal throughout the day and night. I highly recommend them!
The Proposal:
Nirmel brought me blindfolded to our favorite park where he set up a picnic and a sign saying, “Will you be my forever?” He got down on one knee with a gorgeous engagement ring in hand and asked me to take off the blindfold.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was an elegant garden wedding. We chose it because I love nature and flowers, and my overall style is classy and elegant.
What were your colors?
We chose burgundy as our main motif because it is a deep and romantic color that complements every skin tone and paired it with pink, white, and greens to balance the palette and contribute to the elegant garden theme.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted our wedding planner to understand our unique vision and values and bring those to life on our wedding day.
Breezin’ Weddings came highly recommended by our family friends, and they made the many moving parts of our very full wedding program come together beautifully. They put out so many day-of potential fires that we could not have addressed on our own. They are a huge part of the success of our wedding!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We looked for someone who was talented, professional, and fun to work with.
We chose Limelight Photography because their bright and modern photo aesthetic is what we were looking for. Rebecca and Michael were such an expert, calming, yet joy-filled presence at our wedding, on top of taking gorgeous photos of our most important moments. Their talent is unparalleled, they were an absolute pleasure to work with, and they made our day flow more smoothly.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We chose Maui, Hawaii because of the gorgeous views, local culture, delicious food, and the secluded feel of the island. It was the perfect place to escape and relax after throwing the biggest event of our lives!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My maid of honor chose to host my bachelorette party at Amelia Island because of the beautiful beachfront properties and all the outdoor activities the island offers.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?
We used linens, silverware, chargers, chairs, and the photo booth rental from Outside the Box Event Rentals, which added such elegance and a fun, festive, and memorable dynamic to our reception, which our guests absolutely enjoyed.
What was your wedding floral inspiration?
We were inspired by outdoor garden weddings with plenty of beautiful, elegant florals.
Lemon Drops had such incredible creative vision and went above and beyond in execution. All of our guests were whisked away from our current pandemic reality and transported to a romantic, luscious, modern, yet elegant garden wedding thanks to Melanie and her team at Lemon Drops.
What was your wedding cake inspiration?
Our wedding cake had to continue with our elegant garden wedding theme.
We said a resounding yes at the first bite of the pistachio cake from The Artistic Whisk. They came up with the perfect marriage of texture and flavor, and each flavor is out of this world!
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Our DJ had to be fun, flexible, and be able to entertain different demographics.
We hired Manny from Breezin’ Entertainment because he and his team brought so much value helping to plan and execute our vision for entertainment. They did excellently and had our program running smoothly, a full dance floor, and a perfect ending to the night.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Take advantage of the gorgeous outdoors!!
