Lauren and David
Ritz Carlton Sarasota
“I have always loved color and wanted our day to feel bright and whimsical. Our overall design was a whimsical, colorful, upscale garden. We wanted the wedding to feel like a peek into our world: warm, joyful, and full of heart! We layered in personal touches through the music, sentimental elements in our ceremony, signature cocktails inspired by us, and a reception centered around connection and celebration. Even our vendor team was made up of people we truly love and trust in the industry, which created the most comforting, familiar, joy-filled energy throughout the day!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Lauren and David’s stunning waterfront Sarasota wedding was a vibrant celebration of love. The bride channeled her breadth of experience as an event planner to dream up an elegant, meaningful celebration filled with romantic pastel peach and pink hues, luxurious decor, and lush floral designs, creating a chic spring atmosphere. Surrounded by 140 cherished friends and family, the couple exchanged heartfelt vows and enjoyed a chic evening reception of dining and dancing beneath a luxurious high peak tent.
“We wanted the ceremony to be extremely personal and less traditional. We decided to include longer personal vows and readings from our moms. It was so beyond beautiful and had everyone crying, which was so special,” the bride reminisced. “Between the ceremony and the toasts, it was so amazing to share our relationship, friendships, and family with everyone there, celebrating with us. Sharing this day and everything that I do with my career as a wedding planner was a huge highlight. Plus, David and I love music and dancing, so dancing for five hours was a memorable part of the day!”
The Bridal Look
Truly Forever Bridal & Adore Bridal Hair & Makeup
“Texture and details have always been important to me, so I wanted my dress to have lots of heavy detail and beading as well as floral detail. I wanted something textured, beaded, floral, form-fitting, and unique.
I have always loved Truly Forever Bridal and used them for hemming bridesmaids dresses in the past. I knew they had a large collection and figured it would be the perfect location. It was a wonderful experience!
I have worked with Adore Bridal Hair and Makeup many times for branding shoots and love their work and their team! They are the best!”
The Proposal
“The proposal felt like something out of a dream, truly more magical than any fairytale! David planned the most elaborate, thoughtful experience that left me completely swept away. He surprised me with a private food-themed scavenger hunt through Paris, and it turned out every person we interacted with was an actor…except me. We wandered through stunning locations with clues and notes guiding the way, and it all ended at The Peninsula Paris. I was brought to the rooftop where David stood surrounded by flowers, the Eiffel Tower glowing behind him, a violinist playing, and a photographer ready to capture the moment. It was an out-of-body experience and one of the best days of my entire life, second only to our wedding day!”
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“We did my bachelorette in Tulum, Mexico, which was one of the best trips of my life! I always wanted to visit Tulum and knew it was a perfect spot for bachelorettes!
We spent our honeymoon in Jamaica at a Sandals at the over-the-water bungalows! We wanted to spend the honeymoon relaxing and enjoying time together in a tropical place. We wanted to be in bungalows without having to travel as far to the Maldives and staying closer.”
The Content Creation
Behind The Vows
“I wanted to be able to capture the day on short-form video to be able to keep for ourselves and utilize for social media for MDP Events, of course!
Behind the Vows offered amazing service, attitude, and attention to detail!”
The Inspiration
“I have always loved color and wanted our day to feel bright and whimsical. Our overall design was a whimsical, colorful, upscale garden. We wanted the wedding to feel like a peek into our world: warm, joyful, and full of heart!
We layered in personal touches through the music, sentimental elements in our ceremony, signature cocktails inspired by us, and a reception centered around connection and celebration.
Even our vendor team was made up of people we truly love and trust in the industry, which created the most comforting, familiar, joy-filled energy throughout the day! It truly was the best day ever! Seeing my vision come to life, for myself this time, felt almost surreal. There was something so emotional and rewarding about watching every detail come together.”
The Planning
MDP Events
“Coming from the planning world, there were a lot of pieces that mattered to me. Of course, nothing topped being fully present, celebrating with our favorite people, and marrying my best friend. But after years of creating experiences for others, I really wanted to design a world of our own, something that felt playful, romantic, and immersive. My goal was to transport our guests into a vibrant, whimsical garden by the ocean at The Ritz Sarasota. The florals, décor, rentals, DJ, and overall ambiance were huge priorities because they shaped the guest experience and created that magical atmosphere I dreamed of.
Planning my own wedding was a completely different emotional experience! With my couples, I approach decisions with industry insight and open design concepts based on their preferences. For my own day, every choice felt deeply personal, and I cared so much about every detail, but there was a lot of pressure to make it the perfect ‘wedding planner’s wedding.’ I tried to treat myself like one of my clients by staying organized and trusting my vendor team. That helped me draw the line between ‘planner brain’ and ‘bride heart,’ and ultimately allowed me to enjoy the process and the big day!”
The Entertainment
Tampa Bay DJ Company
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
The venue went above and beyond to ensure we had an incredible experience. Our photo and video team of Cornelia Zaiss Photography and Shannon Kelly Films went over the top to capture every single detail of our day through decor, emotion, and overall feel.
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
Be as present as possible, truly! You hired professionals so you wouldn’t have to carry the weight of the day, so trust them and soak in every moment. If something goes slightly off plan, you’re usually the only one who knows, and even if a guest notices, it won’t be something they remember. What will stay with you are the feelings, the laughter, the people, and the joy, so lean into that fully.
