Luxurious Ballroom Wedding | Vinoy Renaissance Wedding
Sheena and Patrick’s downtown St. Pete wedding combined the traditions of the bride’s culture at a luxurious hotel venue.
“We wanted our wedding to feel elegant, classy and colorful! I loved the pink and green exterior on our wedding venue and used that as my inspiration for the wedding colors,” the bride gushed. “We also wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our two cultures coming together, so we decided to have an Indian themed night [the night before] at NOVA 535 for our welcome dinner. We served Indian food and had Indian dancing to start off the weekend.”
The Virginia couple began the wedding planning process while they were living in New York City, but decided on St. Petersburg, where the groom proposed, so that they could share the memorable city with their family and friends. Searching for a St. Pete wedding venue with a grand ballroom, the couple chose the historic Vinoy Renaissance.
“I always pictured my wedding reception in a ballroom, and the Vinoy ballroom fit my vision perfectly. Once we saw the Chihuly chandelier hanging in the Grand Ballroom, I was sold. I loved the character that the chandelier added, and I knew it would be an amazing place to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends,” the bride gushed. “I wanted a venue with some outdoor space, which we were able to do for our cocktail hour. Also since we were having a destination wedding, we wanted a place that could help us through the process, had an event coordinator and food on site. The Vinoy was exactly what we were looking, and were we very impressed with the staff that guided us through the whole process.
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Enhancing the bride’s natural beauty and elegant look, Sheena hired Tampa Bay wedding hair and makeup studio Michele Renee the Studio.
“The most impressive of our vendors was Michele Renee, who did my hair and makeup. Michele was just a joy to work with. Her bubbly and caring personality made it fun to be around her, and I was so impressed on how she got us all ready on time on the day of the wedding,” the bride shared. “I loved how she not only made me look beautiful, but the entire bridal party was stunning.”
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Looking back, Sheena’s most memorable wedding day moment was the wedding ceremony itself.
“We are both Catholic, but with my family being from India, we had a few extra customs added to the ceremony. One was tying the thali (a diamond shaped pendant with a cross on it) around my neck as a symbol of our unbreakable bond. The string that the pendant is on, comes from the Manthrakodi sari, which is a gift from the groom to his new wife. The groom places the sari over the bride as a symbol of his promise to protect and provide for his wife. Being able to incorporate these customs was very special for my family, especially for my 90-year-old grandmother, who flew from California for the wedding,” the bride reminisced.
What was your wedding theme?
We wanted our wedding to feel elegant, classy and colorful! We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our two cultures coming together, so we decided to have an Indian themed night [the night before] at NOVA 535 for our welcome dinner. We served Indian food and had Indian dancing to start off the weekend.
What were your colors?
Sage green, blush pink and gold with burgundy accents. I loved the pink and green exterior on the our wedding venue and used that as my inspiration for the wedding colors.
The Proposal:
We had first gone on vacation to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and then headed over to Tampa. It was my first time here, and Patrick wanted to show me around since it was one of his favorite cities, and he had gone to medical school here. We were driving along Bayshore Boulevard on our way to dinner, when Patrick asked if I wanted to pull over to take in the view. Once we got out of the car, he proposed and we celebrated at his favorite restaurant in Tampa, Berns Steakhouse.
What did you look for in a wedding hair and makeup artist?
The most impressive of our vendors was Michele Renee the Studio, who did my hair and makeup. Michele was just a joy to work with. Her bubbly and caring personality made it fun to be around her and I was so impressed on how she got us all ready on time on the day of the wedding. I loved how she not only made me look beautiful, but the entire bridal party was stunning.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Since we were having a destination wedding, we wanted a place that could help us through the process, had an event coordinator and food on-site. I always pictured my wedding reception in a ballroom, and the Vinoy Renaissance fit my vision perfectly.
One we saw the Chihuly chandelier hanging above, I was sold. I loved the character that the chandelier added, and I knew it would be an amazing place to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends. I also wanted a venue with some outdoor space which we were able to do for our cocktail hour. The Vinoy was exactly what we were looking for in venue, and were very impressed with the staff that guided us through the whole process. I found them very easy to work with, professional and they were very accommodating with scheduling site visits and our food tasting. I appreciated how responsive they were to any concerns or questions I had, and how easy they were to get in touch with.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Whenever things get crazy in the planning process, just remind yourself why you are doing all of this and regardless of what happens, your wedding day will always be the most amazing day because you get to marry the person of your dreams!
Ceremony Venue: Cathedral of St. Jude
Reception Venue, Caterer and Cake: The Vinoy Renaissance *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Jonathan Hare Photography
Videographer: Riant Films
Planner: Eventrics Weddings
Florist: Events in Bloom
Rentals: A Chair Affair *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
DJ: Dj Pram
Officiant: Father Peter Daly from St John Vianney Catholic Church, MD
Invitations: Love on Paper
Transportation: Blu Moon Transportation
Dress Designer: Augusta Jones
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Dessy Group
Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee the Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rehearsal Dinner Venue: NOVA 535 *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Rehearsal Dinner Caterer: Tabla Indian Cuisine (Orlando)
