Maria and Anthony's luxurious Tarpon Springs wedding featured Greek customs, a traditional church ceremony, and lavish reception filled with draping, custom lighting, and a warm, neutral palette for their bohemian-inspired celebration.
“I wanted a fall-boho theme. I chose this because our wedding was in November around Thanksgiving, and I loved the pampas grass look. My husband wanted to make sure it was still very elegant and not too casual of a boho look, so we tried to incorporate both,” the bride shared. “We chose shades of burnt orange, cream, tan, brown, light pink, gold, and whites.”
Incorporating their culture and heritage was important to the Tarpon Springs couple, as the city has a higher percentage of Greek-Americans than any other American city.
“We are both Greek, and this is where most of our family and friends live and where we go to church. What made our wedding unique is the Greek traditions that we carry on, such as dressing the bride and groom with family and friends surrounding us, a Greek band singing our traditional wedding songs as we get dressed, and throwing rice on the married couple after the ceremony,” Maria revealed. “The church ceremony was one of the most important elements; it is also much different and a lot longer. The Greek folk dancing that we do at the reception is also unique; family and friends throw money on the married couple as they dance their first dance and the Greek folk dances.”
The bride and groom turned to Gabro Event Services to transform their reception space into a bohemian dream for their 450 guests, opting for gold Chiavari chairs, warm wood feasting tables, and romantic draping and custom lighting.
“My sister used Gabro Event Services for her wedding, and they did a wonderful job, so we used them as well. We love their work and how they make our dream wedding become a reality,” the bride beamed. “The draping and lighting on the ceiling really enhanced the ambiance of our event and made it look complete. The boho lanterns were absolutely stunning on the ceiling, and they always do a great job with draping.”
Maria chose a glamorous wedding day look with oversized curls and a mermaid-style gown by Berta, known for their avant-garde designs.
“I wanted a natural glam look,” the bride articulated. “I absolutely love Femme Akoi Beauty Studio‘s work and loved my makeup from the trial.”
Looking back, being surrounded by friends and family for the celebration, and having it documented in keepsake photos, made their big day unforgettable.
“Our wedding ceremony and dancing with family and friends were the most memorable aspects. We had such a wonderful time with everyone. And the photo booth was also a nice addition to the wedding,” Maria reminisced.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I had never been to Las Vegas so I chose this location with a total of 14 girls so we could go to all the cool clubs, and especially a pool party with one of my favorite EDM artists that I love.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to four different locations: Maldives, Switzerland, Paris, and London. We wanted a romantic, relaxing beach getaway first, so we went to the Maldives, and because it was in December, close to Christmas time we wanted to see snow, so we went to Switzerland and did some skiing and lots of exploring. I had never been to Paris, so we decided to add that in as well and did a lot of sightseeing. My husband loves London, and I have never been so he wanted to take me, especially during Christmas time.
What was your wedding makeup inspiration?
I wanted a natural glam look.
I absolutely love Grissel's work from Femme Akoi Beauty Studio and loved my makeup from the trial.
The Proposal:
Anthony was trying to propose twice before the actual proposal, but life just kept getting in the way, and so did the COVID pandemic. He set up a beautiful proposal with my best friend and Pixies and Petals at the Tampa International Airport, where we first said I love you and where we spent most of our time traveling to one another since we had done long-distance for two years.
Anthony told me to pick him up from the airport and make sure I was dressed for a fancy dinner since we hadn't been able to go on a date in a while due to the pandemic. When I arrived to pick him up, he told me his bag was lost and that I needed to park and come in. I walked towards the sound of one of our favorite songs and a sign that said, “Forever and ever this way,” and as I turned the corner, I was walking down beautiful rose petals to Anthony and beautiful decorations, photos, and candles where he proposed.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I wanted a fall-boho theme. I chose this because our wedding was in November around Thanksgiving, and I loved the pampas grass look. My husband wanted to make sure it was still very elegant and not too casual of a boho look, so we tried to incorporate both
What were your colors?
We chose shades of burnt orange, cream, tan, brown, light pink, gold, and whites.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your event?
We rented chairs, tables, draping, lighting, bars, couches, cocktail tables, and speaker system/everything needed for the music.
The draping and lighting on the ceiling really enhanced the ambiance of our event and made it look complete. The boho lanterns were absolutely stunning on the ceiling, and they always do a great job with draping.
My sister used Gabro Event Services for her wedding, and they did a wonderful job, so we used them as well. We love their work and how they make our dream wedding become a reality.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our photographer and videographer did a wonderful job at capturing our wedding, and everything came out absolutely stunning. Gabro Event Services also did a great job at making my vision become a reality. Our caterer always does a wonderful job with their food and services.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make sure that you have a wedding planner and that you start planning your wedding well in advance, especially with the effects that COVID has caused. There was a shortage of materials, workers, and items, so it's important to be on top of it and on top of the vendors to double-check everything, especially leading up to the wedding.
