Florida Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait on Dock | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey

Modern Tropical Tampa Waterfront Wedding | The Godfrey

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Cheri and Anthony’s waterfront Tampa wedding was a destination weekend that featured tropical-inspired decor with a high-energy party atmosphere.

“My inspiration came from my own vision. I’ve always had an eye for decorating and planning events. We would describe our wedding theme as modern and elegant with a tropical twist,” the bride detailed. “The bridesmaids wore different shades of champagne, sand, and taupe colors. The groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos.”

Planning from a different part of the country, Cheri looked to Marry Me Tampa Bay’s “Expert Advice” articles and real wedding features for insight on Florida destination weddings.

“We chose Tampa as our destination to get married because of the mild weather in November and the many fun things to see and do with our guests,” Cheri explained. “I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to help set my wedding budget. I read articles that provided me with so much great information on choosing vendors and planning a destination wedding.”

The New Jersey couple prioritized atmosphere when planning their November nuptials and selected The Godfrey for their hotel room block, waterfront ceremony venue, and post-wedding celebration.

“We had a week’s vacation with all of our 120 wedding guests. We love to party and have a good time, so we threw a welcome party for our guests at Whiskey Joe’s and an after-party at WTR’S pool. Having a party when our guests arrived was a fantastic way to introduce everyone to one another,” the bride shared. “Anthony is very low-key and laid back, so shorts, beers, and fun games to break the ice was just perfect to start our wedding week.”

While the pre and post-wedding events featured a relaxed vibe, the wedding day was center stage with an elegant overwater ceremony location.

“We really wanted water to be a huge aspect of the surroundings, but at the same time, we wanted something more formal so the beach wasn’t exactly what we were going for. We luckily found The Godfrey, and the long pier was perfect for our modern yet formal destination wedding,” the bride beamed. “The Godfrey‘s pier over the water was perfect for what we envisioned. The plus side to getting married there was that all of our out-of-town guests could stay there, and we could all be together for the week-long celebration. They accommodated us very nicely, and the coordinator made the day run smoothly.”

Continuing the Florida vacation atmosphere, the couple hosted their reception literally on the water on Tampa Bay’s top-rated yacht.

“Our formal black-tie optional reception was more of my style with a lot of sparkle and bling with champagne service and a plated filet dinner,” Cheri revealed. “We didn’t want a typical banquet room or hall for the reception so choosing the Yacht Starship was a perfect vendor to entertain our guests and ourselves as well. Watching the sunset during dinner was incredible and such a great spot for us to sneak away for some pictures on the top of the yacht.”

Elegant decor from Kate Ryan Event Rentals elevated the reception design to add a flair of sophistication.

“Our decor was modern yet luxurious with mainly clear acrylic, white, silver, and gold metallic accents with a subtle pop of neon pink for the nighttime reception. I rented two hedge walls for backdrops with custom neon pink acrylic signs saying ‘Forever Moore’ and ‘Till Death,” the bride shared. “We used white silk linens, clear plates, clear chairs, crushed diamond table runners, and lots of glass candles.”

The couple waited until the end planning process to hire a wedding videographer, which was one of the fortuitous decisions they made during the planning process.

“Our videographer was the last vendor we hired and definitely one of the easiest to work with from the very start. He made my vision come to life and truly captured all the highlights of our big day,” the bride articulated. “I wanted a videographer who had a passion for the craft. I wanted them to have an artistic flair in their videos. We chose Priceless Studio Design because of the style of videos they produced and the positive reviews. The service was exceptional. Their communication throughout the whole process was perfect. We wanted to look back on our videos and photos from our day and see every important and also the little memories captured, and our videographer did just that!

“Reminiscing on their destination wedding, the newlyweds shared that professing their commitment was one of their most cherished memories.

“Celebrating the entire week with all our loved ones and making everlasting memories was priceless. One of the most memorable moments for me was walking down the aisle and reciting my written vows in front of all our loved ones. Listening to my husband read his vows to me is something I will always cherish. Confessing our love for one another was a very vulnerable yet exciting part of our big day,” Cheri beamed. “Another special moment for me was dancing with my father.”

What did you look for in a wedding videographer?
I wanted a videographer who had a passion for the craft. I wanted them to have an artistic flair in their videos.

Our videographer was the last vendor we hired and definitely one of the easiest to work with from the very start. He made my vision come to life and truly captured all the highlights of our big day. We chose Priceless Studio Design because of the style of videos they produced and the positive reviews. The service was exceptional. Their communication throughout the whole process was perfect. We wanted to look back on our videos and photos from our day and see every important and also the little memories captured, and our videographer did just that!

Calm Ocean St. Pete Beach Water
Tropical Modern Wedding, Teal Painted Pineapple, His and Hers Vows Books, Florida Postcard
Tropical Modern Wedding Accessories, His and Hers Vows Books, Black and Gray Save the Date, Bride Engagement and Wedding Ring in Rectangular Ring Box, Stiletto Heel Perfume Bottle
Tropical Modern Wedding, Lace Wedding Dress Hanging on Palm Trees
Tropical Modern Wedding, Lace A-Line Fitted Wedding Dress Hanging on Palm Trees
Bride Getting Wedding Ready Getting Dress Buttoned Up with Mom and Grandmother
Bride Walking Down Spiral Staircase with Full Length Veil
Tropical Modern Waterfront Pier Wedding Ceremony Decor, Acrylic Chiavari Chairs, White Linen Arch with Floral Arrangement | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey | Wedding Rentals Kate Ryan Event Rentals

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
My inspiration came from my own vision. I’ve always had an eye for decorating and planning events. We would describe our wedding theme as modern and elegant with a tropical twist.

Our ceremony decor was all white and simple. We used white orchids, calla lilies, and a touch of assorted pink flowers for some subtle color. Our reception flowers were mainly large palm leaves, but some were sprayed with metallic silver and gold to add a bit more glam to them.

What were your colors? 
The bridesmaids wore different shades of champagne, sand, and taupe colors. The groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos.

Waterfront Tropical Modern Wedding Ceremony Decor, White Linen Arch with Palm Fronds, Monstera Leaves, Pink and White Flowers | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey

The Proposal:
Anthony proposed at the top of the Eiffel tower in Las Vegas on a trip for his birthday with a few family members and friends. Afterward, he surprised me with a trip to the salon for a blowout and concert tickets to see Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett with my sister-in-law.

Tropical Modern Bride and Groom Exchanging Vows During Waterfront Wedding Ceremony | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Tropical Modern Bride and Groom Exchanging Vows During Waterfront Wedding Ceremony | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Tropical Modern Bride and Groom Exchanging Vows During Waterfront Wedding Ceremony | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey

What did you look for in a ceremony venue? 

We really wanted water to be a huge aspect of the surroundings, but at the same time, we wanted something more formal so the beach wasn’t exactly what we were going for. We luckily found The Godfrey, and the long pier was perfect for our modern yet formal destination wedding,” the bride beamed. “The Godfrey‘s pier over the water was perfect for what we envisioned. The plus side to getting married there was that all of our out-of-town guests could stay there, and we could all be together for the week-long celebration. They accommodated us very nicely, and the coordinator made the day run smoothly.

Tropical Modern Bride and Groom Exchanging Vows During Waterfront Wedding Ceremony | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Bride and Groom Kissing on Waterfront Dock | The Godfrey
Florida Bride Sunset Wedding Portrait on Dock | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Florida Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait on Dock | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Florida Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait on Dock | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Florida Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Portrait | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue The Godfrey
Bride and Bridesmaids in Mix and Match Tropical, pink, white, yellow, Sand Dresses Holding | The Yacht StarShip

Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bridal party rented a condo on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland for the weekend and took me to Seacrets. We are all beach girls and always wanted to go to Seacrets to party in the water.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to St. Lucia and stayed at the lovely Sandals, Halcyon Resort. We chose St. Lucia because we heard it was a popular and beautiful honeymoon destination. It was an exotic island on our travel bucket list to check off as well.

Groom Spinning Bride Sunset Wedding Photo | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue Yacht StarShip
Groom Spinning Bride Sunset Wedding Photo | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue Yacht StarShip

What did you look for in a reception venue?

Our formal black-tie optional reception was more of my style with a lot of sparkle and bling with champagne service and a plated filet dinner. We didn’t want a typical banquet room or hall for the reception so choosing the Yacht Starship was a perfect vendor to entertain our guests and ourselves as well. Watching the sunset during dinner was incredible and such a great spot for us to sneak away for some pictures on the top of the yacht.”

Bride and Groom Intimate Sunset Wedding Photo | Tampa Bay Wedding Venue Yacht Starship
Tampa Waterfront Wedding Venue The Yacht Starship
Tropical Modern Wedding Reception Decor, Greenery Hedge Wall with Pink Neon Sign with Monstera and Palm Fronds Arrangement, Sweetheart Table with White Table Linen, Candlesticks | Tampa Bay Wedding Rentals Kate Ryan Event Rentals
Tropical Modern Wedding Reception Decor, Long Tables with White Linens, Acrylic Chiavari Chairs | Tampa Bay Wedding Rentals Kate Ryan Event Rentals | Wedding Venue Yacht StarShip
Tropical Modern Wedding Reception Decor, Gold Rimmed Champagne Glasses, Gold Pained Palm Frond, Silver Glitter Table Runner | Tampa Bay Wedding Rentals Kate Ryan Event Rentals
Modern Tropical Wedding Reception Decor, Gold Rimmed Charger, White Table Napkin with Red Rose Ring Holder | Tampa Bay Wedding Rentals Kate Ryan Event Rentals

How did the rentals add to the ambiance of your decor?

Our decor was modern yet luxurious with mainly clear acrylic, white, silver, and gold metallic accents with a subtle pop of neon pink for the nighttime reception.

I rented two hedge walls for backdrops with custom neon pink acrylic signs saying ‘Forever Moore’ and ‘Till Death. We used white silk linens, clear plates, clear chairs, crushed diamond table runners, and lots of glass candles.

Tropical Modern Wedding Reception, Three Tier White Wedding Cake with Monstera Leaves, White Orchid and Blush Pink Rose

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Highly consider the time of year they are getting married outside. Summers can be very hot and humid, also hurricane season in the early fall is something to watch out for. When we got married in the middle of November, it was seventy-eight degrees, slightly breezy, and sunny.

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Feature Credits

Vendors and venues marked with

are Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros and have been personally vetted by our editor.

Reception Venue and CatererYacht StarShip
Rehearsal Dinner VenueBahama Breeze
Welcome PartyWhiskey Joe's
Cakes & DessertPublix
Invitations & StationeryCreations By Kait Marie
Limo and TransportationBig Time Limo
Limo and TransportationOlympus Limo
Dress and Bridesmaid AttireRiki Dalal
Bridesmaids DressesDavid's Bridal
Hair & MakeupThe 911 Stylist
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About the Author

Anna Coats

Marry Me Tampa Bay editor Anna Coats created Marry Me Tampa Bay in 2012 to showcase the area’s best local weddings and vendors. She has been featured as a wedding expert on the national talk show Daytime, Fox13, ABC Action News, Great Day Tampa Bay, and Bay News 9 (now Spectrum).

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