Marisa and Kevin’s romantic downtown St. Pete wedding featured modern decor including clear ghost chairs, a white dance floor, and rose quartz inspired ceremony backdrop. The groom, an outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, hit a home run with this romantic, outdoor garden ceremony and luxurious ballroom wedding.
“The customization and level of detail that went into even the smallest items made our wedding unique. Our custom monogram was on everything from the programs, napkins, and cookies, to the dance floor, DJ booth and dessert bar!” the bride gushed. “I absolutely loved our color palette of dusty rose, burgundy, and rose gold. From my bridesmaids’ dresses and paper to every last detail in the décor, the color scheme played perfectly throughout.”
MORE: BURGUNDY WEDDING INSPIRATION
As the couple mapped out their big day, Marisa knew she needed an experienced St. Pete wedding planner who would be there from start to finish. Looking for a seasoned professional who could assist with inspiration, but not take over completely, the bride turned to Parties A’La Carte.
“From day one, Jessica, the owner of Parties A’La Carte, helped me with everything I needed. I had known her for years, and when I saw the weddings and events that she and her team had done, I was immediately drawn to them,” the bride shared. “Their events were beautiful and unique, so I knew no matter what I had envisioned for my wedding, Jessica was going to make it happen for me. I hired them right after getting engaged, and from that moment on, the team went above and beyond to make my dream wedding come true. There would not have been a wedding if it weren’t for them!”
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From the moment Marisa said “Yes,” she started researching online and was thrilled with how much Marry Me Tampa Bay helped her envision her own wedding day decor.
“I started following Marry Me Tampa Bay once I got engaged. I loved seeing all of the posts and pictures on the Instagram page,” the bride shared. “It helped give me inspiration for my own wedding design!”
Piecing together every detail was important for the couple and creating a lasting impression with their wedding stationery was a must.
“With URBANcoast I knew that all of the wedding paper would be customized to fit my needs and theme. Because they did all of the paper for my wedding, you could see the continuity and how well each item complemented the others throughout the wedding,” the bride explained. “Their personal service was exceptional, and I would highly recommend them. They were amazing in helping me visualize what I was looking for and giving me all kinds of options to choose from to make our day absolutely perfect.”
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Looking back, Marisa and Kevin truly cherished the moment they delivered their vows to one another and a fun last dance with friends and family.
“The most memorable moment for me was taking our vows during our ceremony. Walking down the aisle to my husband as the string quartet played, was a feeling like no other,” the bride reminisced. “I also loved our last dance of the night. Since we were staying at the venue, we decided to have a memorable last dance instead of a traditional exit. With all of our friends and family surrounding us, canons poured out confetti as our last song ended. It was an absolutely perfect finale for such an indescribable night.”
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
I really needed someone who was going to help me from start to finish with the planning process. I knew nothing about weddings and had no clue where to begin. I needed someone who could literally help me with everything, but not take over every decision. I wanted someone who would share ideas and making things happen.
I want to learn more about planning from Parties A La Carte.
From day one, Jessica, the owner of Parties A’La Carte, helped me with everything I needed. I had known her for years, and when I saw the weddings and events that she and her team had done, I was immediately drawn to them. Their events were beautiful and unique, so I knew no matter what I had envisioned for my wedding, Jessica was going to make it happen for me. The service was indescribable! I hired them right after getting engaged, and from that moment on, the team went above and beyond to make my dream wedding come true. I was always in contact with them that they became almost like family, making the whole planning process that much more rewarding. As the wedding approached Jessica helped keep me focused and on track as we discussed all types of details and ideas. Jessica accompanied to every meeting and guided me in the best selections to make my dream wedding come true. There would not have been a wedding if it weren’t for Parties A’ La Carte!
The Proposal:
Kevin proposed at my childhood home after going to dinner for my mother’s birthday. We all went back home for cake, and my dad wouldn’t stop insisting on going to the backyard. It wasn’t later until I found out that everyone was in on the surprise waiting for me. When I walked outside, Kevin was standing there surrounded by lights and candles with a sign that said, “Marry me!” It was the happiest moment! The fact that he included my family because he knows how much they mean to me made it even more special and perfect.
What was your bridesmaids dress inspiration?
I had always loved how strapless dresses looked, and I figured I would end up picking that style in the end for my bridesmaids. I loved the simplicity of the dress, but also how elegant they looked. The color was immediately what I knew I was looking for. The dusty rose was perfect and matched my whole theme of what I wanted my wedding to be. The second I saw the color I knew I needed it.
I Want to Learn More about wedding attire from Bella Bridesmaids.
Bella Bridesmaids was amazing. Their staff helped me narrow down what I was looking for and had all kinds of dresses to choose from in the store. This made it so much easier to visually see what I wanted for my bridesmaids. Living in Tampa made it so convenient for all my girls to go out to the store, get their sizing, and try on the dresses. I thought picking bridesmaids dresses would be difficult, but it turned out this was one of the easiest parts thanks to Bella Bridesmaids!
How would you describe your theme?
My planners and décor company really helped shape the theme for my wedding, I knew I wanted something romantic, but wanted to keep it modern.
What were your colors?
I absolutely loved our color palette of dusty rose, burgundy, and rose gold. From my bridesmaid’s dresses and paper to every last detail in the décor, the color scheme played perfectly throughout. I also absolutely loved the rose quartz façade backdrop with the climbing greenery for my ceremony. It was for sure a showstopper!
What was your wedding stationery inspiration?
I wanted it to be classic with a modern twist that incorporated my two wedding colors of rose gold and burgundy. I love rose gold and I wanted to make sure that all the wedding paper and invitations incorporated that along with touches of burgundy.
I want to learn more about Stationery and Invitations from URBANcoast
With URBANcoast I knew that all the wedding paper would be customized to fit my needs and theme. My planner and I sat down with them, and we picked out everything from Save-the-Dates to wedding invitations and all the day of wedding paper, all completely custom to how I wanted it to look. Because they did all of the paper for my wedding, you could see the continuity and how well each item complemented the others throughout the wedding. From signage and napkins to appetizer and dessert cards, everything meshed so well. Their personal service was exceptional, and I would highly recommend them. They were amazing in helping me visualize what I was looking for and giving me all kinds of options to choose from to make our day absolutely perfect.
How did you incorporate you and your husband’s personalities into the wedding?
We tried incorporating a lot of our personality into the food and drinks that we chose throughout the night. We had a late night snack of cheeseburgers and fries, which we both love to eat after a long night out with friends. We also had a huge dessert bar, which most definitely satisfied our love of all things sweet! Also, Kevin loves Dos Equis, so we made sure that the bar was stocked with that and some of our other favorite cocktails. However, the biggest reflection of our personalities was choosing a DJ over a band. We love to dance, and the DJ set the tone for the perfect dance party. The glow sticks and confetti helped too!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Make sure you have people in your corner who can help with the whole planning process. If it can be included in your budget, a wedding planner was the biggest help to me. Try to enjoy the process. It can be long and frustrating at times, but it really is such a fun time. Believe me, when I say, the day of the wedding goes by so quick, so take it all in!
Ceremony and Reception Venue/Catering: The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club
Photographer/Videographer: The Hons
Planner: Parties A’La Carte *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Décor/Florist/Rentals: MMD Events
Cake: Hands on Sweets
DJ: DJ Fresh
Ceremony Music: Bella Musica
Officiant: Gio Llerena (family friend and pastor)
Invitations: URBANcoast *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Dress Shop and Designer: Kleinfeld Bridal – Pnina Tornai
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Bella Bridesmaids *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro – Jenny Yoo
Hair & Makeup: Lasting Luxe
Photo Booth: Bash Booths
