Katie and Michael’s outdoor Longboat Key wedding was a romantic evening filled with white and copper roses, floral table linens, and warm wood accents. The bride and groom exchanged vows on the pristine lawn before dining and dancing beneath lush floral chandeliers in a high-peak tented reception.

“Our wedding inspiration was classy, timeless, and minimalistic. I loved weddings with stark blacks and whites in the decor and was honestly afraid of adding any color to the mix. Luckily, our wonderful planner helped to grow and transform our vision into a reality that stayed beautiful and minimalistic while also introducing color. The more we played with color options, the more we became fascinated with all the different ways we could make this a classy, timeless event while brightening up the space with pops of muted color. We are obsessed with the color scheme and how everything turned out!” the bride beamed. “Our final colors for our wedding day were neutrals, taupe, blush, and terracotta, with the bridesmaids all in different shades of dark greens and the groomsmen wearing dark navy suits with dark green bow ties. Our focus for floral colors was white, terracotta, rose, and quicksand, with hints of green. Our table settings were truly the most fun and unique part of our decor, each type of table had different printed table linen, colored glassware and candles, and dark, modern silverware. These tablescapes brought the entire room together!”

The Apollo Beach couple originally sought to plan the entire November event themselves, but as busy professionals, they began to feel the stress of the demands of such a lavish affair. They turned to the skilled team at Parties A La Carte, whom they had witnessed firsthand at a family wedding, to help execute their vision and allow them to enjoy the planning process and wedding day.

“We watched in awe as Parties A La Carte planned and executed Michael’s sister’s wedding flawlessly. Jessica Ralph and her team go above and beyond to ensure the day itself will function perfectly, and that is because of the work and dedication they put in for months leading up to the big day,” the bride beamed. “At first, we were determined to do it all on our own (which is possible), but with us both working full-time, it became more stressful than we wanted. Parties A La Carte took all of our ideas and ran with them, creating a day we never could have believed was possible. It was truly a dream come true having them as a part of our wedding!”

With the bride’s love of sunsets and gourmet cuisine and the groom’s love of golf and the water, The Resort at Longboat Key Club was the perfect choice for their venue. The gorgeous views, luxurious amenities, and attentive service checked all the couple’s boxes, who prioritized the guest experience. The dreamy setting of the resort, adorned with beautiful flora and decor, created a memorable atmosphere for their celebration.

“We wanted a location that felt genuinely us as a couple. We also wanted somewhere that offered numerous options for accommodations for guests. I love beautiful landscapes, sunsets, and good food, and Michael loves being on the water and golfing,” Katie explained. “Right before we got engaged, Michael’s little sister sent a post from The Resort at Longboat Key Club’s Instagram, which showed some boats on the water at sunset. After seeing that photo, we both agreed that would be the most beautiful venue for a wedding one day! The ambiance and combination of all the things we love, the water, beautiful landscaping, and Florida sunshine, made it an automatic ‘yes’ for us. The Resort at Longboat Key Club had everything on our list that felt like the best mix of both of our personalities! We also loved that it was in Florida and easy to access for guests, along with the resort and additional sister hotels as accommodations for our family and friends. It was an incredible venue that gave our guests the option to stay at the resort and spend the weekend alongside us as we celebrated before, during, and after the wedding day!”

Florals were an intricate part of the day, with terracotta and white floral arch surrounding the bride and groom at the ceremony, as well as lush floral chandeliers, which were the focal point of the outdoor reception.

“For decor, we knew flowers would be a huge part of our wedding day and couldn’t be happier with the work Botanica Design Studio did to create an absolute dream backdrop for us and our guests,” Katie beamed. “The color scheme, the tent, the florals, the flower chandelier, and the beautiful entrance into our tent made our wedding unique. The flower chandeliers inside the tent were definitely a staple that people still talk about to this day!”

“We pulled inspiration from the overall design concept created by Parties A La Carte. The table design had an incredible combination of textures and uniquely paired colors, so we had to be very thoughtful in the design of the centerpieces. The floral design style needed texture and fullness but a simplicity that didn’t distract from the linens and tabletop items. We focused on a more unexpected shape of the centerpiece so that it was married with the sophisticated and slightly modern feel of the other design elements,” Zoe Gallina, Chief Creative Officer, Botanica Design Studio, detailed. “This design style, while ‘simple,’ requires a lot of product to cover the mechanics of the design. We used hydrangeas and carnations for the base and then layered multiple varieties of roses and ranunculus on top; we accented it with a touch of Limonium for texture. The color palette was a combination of beautiful creamy whites, champagne, terra cotta, toffee, and caramel When designing your event, it’s important to share all of the design elements with your florist because you want to make sure that your table design is flawThe flowers are the cherry on the sundae of a top tabletop design, but it’s important the design elements all complement one another and work well together.”

Vibrant music was complemented by energetic Samba dancers from Breezin’ Entertainment in honor of the groom’s heritage for a memorable experience. Guests struck a pose courtesy of The Gala Photobooth and left with keepsake prints to remember the evening, while the couple’s beloved pup attended with their plus one, Fairytail Pet Care. Although the entire day was unforgettable, there were two key moments that stood out to the couple.

“Our first look was absolutely a memorable moment for both of us. We always knew we wanted to have a first look as we were so excited to see each other privately before the ceremony and read our vows to just each other. That made it so much more special!” Katie reminisced. “Another memorable moment was our first entrance as a married couple when we walked into our reception. We walked out to For Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder and immediately ended up on the dance floor!”

The Proposal:
I thought I was meeting Michael at Armature Works for a quick drink after work while we waited for some friends to come into town for the weekend. I was clueless when we sat down by the water and, all of a sudden, Michael was on one knee! Once the ring was on and the “Yes!” was exclaimed, a photographer popped out of the bushes and captured the entire thing, which was a huge dream of mine)! After an already magical afternoon complete with an hour-long photography session, We walked into the Armature Works courtyard to find our families and closest friends waiting to celebrate us. It was the best night ever!

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a location that felt genuinely us as a couple. We also wanted somewhere that offered numerous options for accommodations for guests. I love beautiful landscapes, sunsets, and good food, and Michael loves being on the water and golfing. Right before we got engaged, Michael’s little sister sent a post from The Resort at Longboat Key Club’s Instagram, which showed some boats on the water at sunset. After seeing that photo, we both agreed that would be the most beautiful venue for a wedding one day! The ambiance and combination of all the things we love, the water, beautiful landscaping, and Florida sunshine, made it an automatic ‘yes’ for us. 

The Resort at Longboat Key Club had everything on our list that felt like the best mix of both of our personalities! We also loved that it was in Florida and easy to access for guests, along with the resort and additional sister hotels as accommodations for our family and friends. It was an incredible venue that gave our guests the option to stay at the resort and spend the weekend alongside us as we celebrated before, during, and after the wedding day!

Why did you choose to incorporate your pet into your wedding?
Our dog, Ted, is our first baby and the love of our lives. Anyone with pets knows that you can’t describe the love you feel for them, but they are truly just another family member that you can’t live without! Our day would not have felt right if Ted wasn’t there. He is the biggest lover and a ball of happiness and good energy, and we knew he would love to say hi to all of our guests on our wedding day.

We couldn’t be more grateful that FairyTail Pet Care was a part of our special day! The love and care they showed Ted that day before, during, and after the wedding was more than we could have dreamed of. Leaving your pet with a stranger is always a bit scary, but Ilana was incredible, and Ted was so happy! We feel lucky that we found them and that Ted got to spend the whole day with them! They truly went above and beyond for us and for Ted. They picked him up from daycare the morning of the wedding, drove him one-and-a-half hours to Longboat Key, introduced him to the area, let him sniff around where he would be walking down the aisle, gave him treats and water, handled him right after he was done walking down the aisle, walked him around at cocktail hour to greet guests, helped us have him in photos, and drove him home that night to our house so he could sleep peacefully in his bed. This part of the wedding day was so important to us, and FairyTail handled it with such grace!

What was your wedding dress inspiration?
My wedding dress inspiration was simplistic and timeless. I wanted a minimal amount of detail on my dress and always dreamed of a very simple, elegant look with buttons all down the back. I honestly surprised myself when I found my dress and fell in love with it, as the detailing on the bottom of the dress was more intricate than I thought I would want! The back of my dress was originally styled to clip together and form a sort of spider web design, but we decided it would be much more my style to keep the back of the dress open. I am so happy with how it turned out, and I felt beyond beautiful in my dress that day. 

I heard about Truly Forever Bridal from a friend and wanted to check it out. This was the only store I ended up looking in, and my experience was incredible! The girl who helped me was wonderful and patient (as I am very picky) and shared in the excitement when I knew I found the perfect dress. I had the most amazing time and have recommended them to every bride-to-be since!

What did you look for in a wedding planner? 
We watched in awe as Parties A La Carte planned and executed Michael’s sister’s wedding flawlessly. Jessica Ralph and her team go above and beyond to ensure the day itself will function perfectly, and that is because of the work and dedication they put in for months leading up to the big day. At first, we were determined to do it all on our own (which is possible), but with us both working full-time, it became more stressful than we wanted.

Parties A La Carte took all of our ideas and ran with them, creating a day we never could have believed was possible. It was truly a dream come true having them as a part of our wedding!

What was your floral inspiration?
For decor, we knew flowers would be a huge part of our wedding day and couldn’t be happier with the work Botanica Design Studio did to create an absolute dream backdrop for us and our guests. The color scheme, the tent, the florals, the flower chandelier, and the beautiful entrance into our tent made our wedding unique. The flower chandeliers inside the tent were definitely a staple that people still talk about to this day!

Why did you choose to have live dancers as part of your wedding reception?
Michael’s family is from Cuba and Suriname, and they always know how to throw a wild party!

We loved the idea of incorporating his heritage into our wedding day and knew our guests would have such a blast dancing alongside the beautiful Samba dancers from Breezin’ Entertainment!

Why did you choose to have a photo booth?
After going to many weddings ourselves as guests, we knew a photo booth would be a part of our big day. It brings such a fun, party atmosphere to the night, and we specifically loved the packages offered by The Gala Photobooth.

We really wanted something that aligned with our classy and timeless feel, and the black and white photo package with minimal props was perfect! This was such an amazing way to make more memories that evening. Guests took photos in the photo booth and automatically received two printed copies, one to take home and one to put into the scrapbook at the reception. We now have a beautiful book of memories from that night that was made by our guests!