Rachael and Joseph’s St. Pete Beach wedding was a glamorous evening filled with soft pink hues, lush flora, and luxe details. Following a traditional ceremony in a historic cathedral, the pair celebrated with friends and family in the elegant ballroom just steps from the ocean.

“Our wedding design inspiration was Bridgerton, and while we did not have an official theme, we sought to create an environment that reminded our guests of a French garden. We are both romantics and wanted our wedding to reflect the love that we have for each other and the beauty of romance,” the bride shared. “Our colors were blush, light pink, dusty rose, with gold and greenery. Pink is my favorite color, and I wanted a lot of it! Our wedding planner was wonderful in helping us put together a color palette that pulled in multiple shades of pink in a way that did not feel overwhelming.”

The local St. Petersburg bride vetted her wedding vendors by consulting Marry Me Tampa Bay’s preferred network of wedding professionals. By referencing real weddings featuring samples of their work, Rachael felt confident with each business she selected to help bring her 155-guest wedding vision to life.

“Marry Me Tampa Bay was a great resource to help verify that our vendors were a good fit for our wedding. It is a fantastic resource to find local vendors and see what their work looks like!” the bride beamed. “It definitely helped us to solidify our venue choice.:

Having spent countless vacations in the area, Rachael had dreamt of hosting her March celebration at the iconic Don CeSar resort. The property’s beautiful spaces, luxurious amenities, and attentive service made the wedding day experience truly unforgettable.

“I grew up coming to Florida to visit my grandparents, and they would always go to the Don CeSar for Easter brunch. Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to get married in ‘the Pink Palace,’” the bride revealed. We had our initial visit to double-check our instincts and fell even more in love with the venue. The Don really has it all: a gorgeous ballroom, fantastic outdoor spaces for cocktail hour, an amazing place for your guests to stay, and a designated wedding concierge service that makes catering, coordinating, and celebrating a delight! The service was wonderful, and they really go out of their way to make every bride feel special on their wedding day. We live right down the road from the Don Cesar. It was important to us that our wedding take place in our hometown so that we could continue to experience the memories of our special day every time we walked into church on Sunday or took a drive down Gulf Boulevard and passed the Don as the sun was setting.”

To personalize their wedding to feel authentically ‘them,’ the bride and groom incorporated special sentimental details, from a floral-filled cascading cake to the vintage getaway car.

“We had several small personal touches throughout the wedding. Our cat, Irena, was featured on our wedding cake as part of the topper, and our getaway car, a 1966 Ford Mustang, was the same make and model as the car my grandfather had when he lived on Tierra Verde in the 70s!” Rachael detailed.

As busy professionals, the couple relied on wedding planner and designer Staci Mandikas, owner of UNIQUE Weddings & Events, to guide them through the planning process, provide vendor recommendations and creative suggestions, and keep the planning on schedule. Her organization, attention to detail, and reassurance put Rachael’s mind at ease, allowing her to fully enjoy the experience.

“We wanted a wedding planner who was extremely organized and took initiative to identify vendors independently of us. We are both pretty busy and we knew that we were going to need a lot of help in planning. Staci at UNIQUE Weddings & Events was an absolute superstar!” the bride raved. “Staci was absolutely incredible. She got to know us very well and was able to execute our vision perfectly. She really created a masterpiece with our wedding. We are so grateful to her for all of her help. She kept us up-to-date and on task. In particular, I struggled with feeling overwhelmed with all the decisions and tasks and Staci went out of her way to make me feel comfortable and confident throughout this process. We absolutely could not have done it without her. Staci truly is brilliant; the way she was able to create an environment that was both romantic and comfortable is incredible.”

Although the entire day was memorable, there were two exciting ‘reveal moments’ that will live forever in the couple’s memory.

“There are so many moments to choose from, but there are two we always talk about. The first is driving over the Pinellas Bay Way Bridge and watching the pink and white spires of the Don CeSar come into view; that drive was really the first moment we were alone on our wedding day, and there is nothing more romantic than racing to your reception in a red, vintage, convertible,” the bride reminisced. “The second is being escorted by Staci into the ballroom for our private sneak peek of the reception hall while the guests were still at cocktail hour. We entered through an arch of flowers, and it was like being transported into a whole new world. Dreams barely convey the magical feeling a couple gets while being completely in the movement and sharing a small piece of bliss and magic together.”

The Proposal:
Joseph proposed exactly one year after our first date on Thanksgiving. Every year, my entire extended family (about 40 of us) gets together for the holiday, and before we sit down to eat, we all gather around to say a prayer and toast to the occasion.

During the toast, Joseph mentioned that he would like to share a few words of thanks. The next thing I knew, he was getting down on one knee! He proposed with a ring he had made out of my late grandfather’s diamond; it’s a little piece of him I now get to keep with me always.

What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted a wedding planner who was extremely organized and took initiative to identify vendors independently of us. We are both pretty busy and we knew that we were going to need a lot of help in planning.

Staci at UNIQUE Weddings & Events was an absolute superstar! Staci was absolutely incredible. She got to know us very well and was able to execute our vision perfectly. She really created a masterpiece with our wedding. We are so grateful to her for all of her help. She kept us up-to-date and on task. In particular, I struggled with feeling overwhelmed with all the decisions and tasks and Staci went out of her way to make me feel comfortable and confident throughout this process. We absolutely could not have done it without her. Staci truly is brilliant; the way she was able to create an environment that was both romantic and comfortable is incredible.

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
I grew up coming to Florida to visit my grandparents, and they would always go to the Don CeSar for Easter brunch. Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to get married in ‘the Pink Palace.’ We had our initial visit to double-check our instincts and fell even more in love with the venue.

The Don really has it all: a gorgeous ballroom, fantastic outdoor spaces for cocktail hour, an amazing place for your guests to stay, and a designated wedding concierge service that makes catering, coordinating, and celebrating a delight! The service was wonderful, and they really go out of their way to make every bride feel special on their wedding day. We live right down the road from the Don Cesar. It was important to us that our wedding take place in our hometown so that we could continue to experience the memories of our special day every time we walked into church on Sunday or took a drive down Gulf Boulevard and passed the Don as the sun was setting.

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding design inspiration was Bridgerton, and while we did not have an official theme, we sought to create an environment that reminded our guests of a French garden. We are both romantics and wanted our wedding to reflect the love that we have for each other and the beauty of romance.

What were your colors?
Our colors were blush, light pink, dusty rose, with gold and greenery. Pink is my favorite color, and I wanted a lot of it! Our wedding planner was wonderful in helping us put together a color palette that pulled in multiple shades of pink in a way that did not feel overwhelming.

How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your event?
The chairs absolutely elevated the entire reception and were comfortable as well.

We loved the work of our DJ, Tampa Bay DJ Co. Cory was so fun; he really understood our music taste and got the entire party out on the dance floor. We still have people coming up to us and telling us how much fun they had at our wedding!