Michelle and Glenn’s waterfront downtown Tampa wedding was a hometown celebration decorated in luxurious florals and stylish design. An elegant color palette of greens and white achieved the classic yet modern theme the bride was envisioning.
“I chose greenery and white because I just love the look, and I didn’t want to look back in twenty years and hate whatever color I picked,” the bride explained. “I wanted it to be timeless with a few hints of current trends. I love greenery and candles to have a romantic feel. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to say much, and my Mom just knows me so well she made it all come to life.”
The bride’s mother, Jana Stall of Events in Bloom, is an influential florist in the Tampa Bay wedding community, and the couple relied on her expertise to bring a spectacular wedding-day vision to life.
“My mother was so amazing, and we work so well together, so it was really easy,” the bride gushed. “She was always up for my midnight calls of ‘Oh wait, one more thing,’ or ‘I just had a great idea.’ Her network and years in the industry definitely helped me to create the dream team!”
With her mother’s background as a floral designer, Michelle needed a wedding planner who would bring their vision to life and orchestrate the perfect day.
“In a wedding planner, I looked for someone creative and very organized. My mom had worked with UNIQUE Weddings + Events for years. So when we were initially were talking about the wedding, she had given me a few recommendations, and I knew Staci was the perfect fit,” the bride gushed. “Her service was great, and she definitely kept everything running smoothly and brought her experience and great ideas to the table.”
Behind the scenes, UNIQUE Weddings + Events partnered with the florist to add personalized touches into the decor.
“The custom monogram sign behind the sweetheart table and the greenery and floral wreath hanging over the dance floor were definitely special touches from mother to daughter. The dramatic and extensive centerpieces on the long family tables were truly a labor of love for the floral designer and mother,” Staci explained.
To pull everything together, their wedding planner highlighted the couple’s affinity for Tampa Bay with subtle customizations that included the city’s culture.
“The bride wanted to incorporate the groom’s love of Tampa into some aspect of the day, besides the amazing backdrop, so we suggested a Tampa flag for everyone to write their well-wishes to the couple on,” Staci shared. “The groom and groomsmen boutonnieres were a special way to incorporate the groom’s love of cigars.”
The Valrico bride and groom chose local wedding DJ Graingertainment to play the perfect ceremony and reception soundtracks that would entertain all age groups.
“We looked for someone fun that could keep the party going. We thought our DJ was amazing! Lots of guests actually commented on how awesome he was,” Michelle gushed. “We love to be different, so our flower girls walked, or some would say ran, down the aisle to Baby Shark! It was so amazing.”
To create an intimate feel for their 130 guests, the couple selected four different centerpieces that cohesively came together. Over The Top Rental Linens provided ethereal white table linens that delicately contrasted against the wooden feasting tables, while champagne table linens popped against the wooden cross back chairs provided by A Chair Affair. The wedding party’s names were personalized on the back of acrylic ghost chairs, and guests enjoyed dinner, including a Krispy Kreme Strawberry Shortcake by Amici’s Catered Cuisine.
While the bride looked back on their wedding day, it was the moments spent on the dance floor that she cherished the most.
“Our first dance was amazing; I loved hearing the speeches and all our guests busted a move on the dance floor,” Michelle reminisced. “My husband had a mother/son dance, and before the song ended, he grabbed his grandmother and pulled her out for a quick dance. It had the whole room in tears. He is very close to his grandmother.”
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Someone creative and very organized. My mom had worked with UNIQUE Weddings + Events for years. So when we were initially were talking about the wedding, she had given me a few recommendations, and I knew Staci was the perfect fit! Her service was great, and she defiantly kept everything running smoothly and brought her experience and great ideas to the table.
The Proposal:
We were in Saint Augustine for my 30th birthday with my best friend and her husband. We were walking around looking at all the beautiful lights that are up in December from their nights of lights festival, and before I knew it, Glenn was down on one knee, and we were engaged! It was perfect.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I wanted it to be timeless with a few hints of current trends. I love greenery and candles to have a romantic feel. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to say much, and my mom just knows me so well she made it all come to life.
What were your colors?
Greenery and white. I chose this because I just love the look, and I didn’t want to look back in 20 years and hate whatever color I picked.
What did you look for in a wedding caterer?
Michael from Amici’s Catered Cuisine was another referral from my mom. We had gone to the tasting and really enjoyed it, so we booked that night! We really loved our custom dessert. It was a Krispy cream doughnut with strawberry and whip cream on top.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Someone fun that could keep the party going. We thought our DJ was amazing. Lots of guests actually commented on how awesome Graingertainment was!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Get a planner and a good florist! Don’t take anything too seriously; make it your own. Who cares what people have been doing for the last however many years? It’s your day so make it exactly what you want!
