Briana and Jeremy
“We would describe our theme as chic modern tropical. We went with a classic combination of black and white and focused more on tropical greenery than florals. Black and white is a timeless and chic color scheme, and we wanted it to withstand the test of time. The bridesmaids wore champagne dresses, and the groomsmen wore black tuxedos. We felt these colors blended well with our venue’s ambiance and modern take on Ybor City.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Briana and Jeremy’s interfaith Jewish Ybor City wedding combined classic black and white hues with natural greenery and tropical leaves to reflect the historic Florida setting.
“We would describe our theme as chic modern tropical,” the bride shared. “We went with a classic combination of black and white and focused more on tropical greenery than florals. Black and white is a timeless and chic color scheme, and we wanted it to withstand the test of time. The bridesmaids wore champagne dresses, and the groomsmen wore black tuxedos. We felt these colors blended well with our venue’s ambiance and modern take on Ybor City.”
The Boston-based couple met while attending the University of Tampa and wanted to host their nuptials in the city where their love story began. The bride and groom prioritized a convenient location, delicious cuisine to satisfy their foodie palates, and charming details that embodied the city they loved.
“Having a venue that was all-encompassing was important to us. We wanted our guests to be able to relax and not worry about getting from ceremony to reception, and Hotel Haya made everything a breeze. It was a bonus that our guests could also stay at our venue. We flew down to Tampa one weekend and toured ten venues and nothing we saw could measure up to Hotel Haya,” Briana raved. “We loved how it encompassed old Ybor City charm with a modern flair. We are huge foodies and feel that most often wedding food is forgettable at best. We didn’t want our guests to have that experience and felt that the chef at the hotel shared the same vision. They crafted signature cocktails for us that the guests loved and even brought in draught beer from Cigar City. The service was exceptional! It also happened to be Tampa Pride the same day in Ybor (which was a blast), and Hotel Haya didn’t miss a beat with our wedding weekend.”
To ease the stress of planning a destination wedding, Briana turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay to find the area’s most reputable vendors.
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay as a resource for inspiration and vendor searching. It eventually led us to our amazing coordinator, Katy, from Coastal Coordinating. We found our wedding planner, Monarch Events and Design, and FairyTale Pet Care through Marry Me Tampa Bay,” the bride revealed.
“We knew we needed guidance in navigating the whole process of planning a wedding. We wanted someone who knew the industry well and had many years of experience, but who we also trusted with our vision for our wedding,” the bride detailed. “Planning a wedding out of state can be very stressful, but Katy with Coastal Coordinating made everything a breeze and is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the wedding industry.”
Briana and Jeremy turned to Monarch Events and Design to transform their modern tropical wedding vision into a reality by creating stunning floral arrangements and centerpieces to grace the ceremony and reception spaces.
“Once we chose Hotel Haya as our venue, we knew we needed something that would emanate its elegance and not take away from the venue itself. We didn’t just need a florist but a floral designer. Jean King came highly recommended by our planner. We hired Monarch Events and Design because she absolutely nailed our vision of what we wanted our floral arrangements to look like. From our first call with Jean, we knew she was the one. Her warm demeanor and a keen eye for design, as well as many years of experience, are some of the many reasons why we chose her as our wedding florist,” Briana beamed.
Ybor City is known for nightlife and parties, and the alignment of the Pride Parade on the weekend of Briana and Jeremy’s wedding made for unforgettable wedding photos.
“Our ceremony was happening at the same time as the Pride Parade on 7th Avenue so you could hear the floats and music during the ceremony,” the bride reminisced. “One of the highlights was being able to take pictures in the middle of 7th Avenue during sunset. The parade had just ended, and the crowd cheered us on as we kissed in the middle of the street.”
The couple’s 100 family and friends embraced every moment of the destination celebration, packing the dance floor all night long.
“We had the most amazing wedding guests, from the time the reception started to the end of the night, everyone was dancing! The band even told us that this was the first wedding they’ve performed at where every guest was on the dance floor the entire night,” Briana recalled. “It was important to us for our guests to experience a party they would never forget, and I think we really succeeded in that aspect thanks to our incredible vendors.”
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
We didn’t just need a florist but a floral designer. Jean King came highly recommended by our planner. We hired Monarch Events and Design because she absolutely nailed our vision of what we wanted our floral arrangements to look like.
From our first call with Jean, we knew she was the one. Her warm demeanor and a keen eye for design, as well as many years of experience, are some of the many reasons why we chose her as our wedding florist.”
Why did you choose to incorporate your pet into your wedding?
Since we don’t have any kids, we think of our pups like our own children. We wanted to incorporate Bella and Elvis, our two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, into the wedding because they mean everything to us.
FairyTail Pet Care was our top choice because of the excellent reviews and their commitment to giving back to animal shelters in the community through donations and volunteer work.
The Proposal:
Jeremy proposed in September at one of my favorite spots in the Outer Banks while on vacation with my family. Unfortunately, my grandfather had a rapid decline in health in the months following, so we decided to marry each other in a small civil ceremony in Iowa in early January so that he could witness our marriage before he passed away.
How did you incorporate your personalities into the wedding?
Jeremy is a Hispanic Jew, and I am Irish, so we wanted to incorporate these cultures into our wedding. We had a Jewish ceremony with Rabbi Joel Simon, from Congregation Schaarai Zedek, as our officiant. My family is from Ireland, so we included an Irish blessing during the ceremony. Another thoughtful touch Jeremy included was having our wedding date embroidered on the inside of his tuxedo.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Having a venue that was all-encompassing was important to us. We wanted our guests to be able to relax and not worry about getting from ceremony to reception, and Hotel Haya made everything a breeze. It was a bonus that our guests could also stay at our venue. We flew down to Tampa one weekend and toured ten venues and nothing we saw could measure up to Hotel Haya.
We loved how it encompassed old Ybor City charm with a modern flair. We are huge foodies and feel that most often wedding food is forgettable at best. We didn’t want our guests to have that experience and felt that the chef at the hotel shared the same vision. They crafted signature cocktails for us that the guests loved and even brought in draught beer from Cigar City. The service was exceptional! It also happened to be Tampa Pride the same day in Ybor (which was a blast), and Hotel Haya didn’t miss a beat with our wedding weekend.”
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We are going to Oktoberfest in Germany, Croatia, Montenegro, and Ireland! We love going to breweries and drinking beer, so Oktoberfest was a no-brainer. We’ve also heard amazing things about Croatia and Montenegro and of course, we needed to make a stop in Ireland as well since my dad is from Dublin.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette party was in Miami. I had a pretty big group of 15 girls; we stayed at an AirBnb in Miami Beach and had the best time. It was so fun to see all of my best friends from so many aspects of life fly in to celebrate a weekend of friendship.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Chic Modern Tropical. Once we chose Hotel Haya as our venue, we knew we needed something that would emanate its elegance and not take away from the venue itself.
What were your colors?
We went with a classic combination of black and white and focused more on tropical greenery than florals. Black and white is a timeless and chic color scheme, and we wanted it to withstand the test of time. The bridesmaids wore champagne dresses, and the groomsmen wore black tuxedos. We felt these colors blended well with our venue’s ambiance and modern take on Ybor City.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We knew we needed guidance in navigating the whole process of planning a wedding. We wanted someone who knew the industry well and had many years of experience, but who we also trusted with our vision for our wedding.
Planning a wedding out of state can be very stressful, but Katy with Coastal Coordinating made everything a breeze and is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the wedding industry.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Honestly, every single vendor went above and beyond for us. Coastal Coordinating was spectacular through every step leading up to the wedding and on the day itself. Jean King from Monarch Events and Design is a sweetheart and a brilliant floral designer who absolutely nailed our vision. Our band was the highlight of our wedding day; their ability to read the room and play exactly the right music to get the crowd going is incredible.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do what you want. There’s so much outside pressure from family, friends, and social media on what a “typical” wedding should look like, but you should do what makes you happy. And most importantly, live in the moment (and eat!) on your wedding day!