Elan and Matt
“Our wedding design focused on lush greenery and soft, light colors, complemented by moody navy and nautical-inspired accents. It took place in early spring, so we wanted to embrace the fresh, natural feel of the season.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Elan and Matt’s nautical Clearwater wedding was a spring celebration in lush greens, crisp whites, and moody navy, with custom merch and their two dogs as the unofficial mascots. The Pittsburgh bride and groom welcomed 87 guests aboard an all-inclusive yacht in March, exchanging vows on the top deck as dolphins jumped beside the boat.
“We are from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten years ago, Elan moved to Orlando to participate in the Disney College Program, and Clearwater was the first Florida beach she visited. It has held a special place in her heart ever since. Over the years, we’ve returned to Clearwater many times with our family, our beloved Australian Shepherd, Ollie, and friends. We always knew we wanted to have a destination wedding, and Clearwater made the most sense to us,” the couple shared. “None of our friends or family had ever been to a wedding on a boat. We wanted something that they couldn’t experience up North and that would make it worth the trip. Everyone was excited to be in the sunshine after a long, very brutal Northern winter. In January, we got 16 to 20 inches of snow in one weekend alone!”
Researching Wedding Vendors
“Yacht StarShip provided us with a list of recommended vendors, which we relied heavily on. Being from out of town, we found it incredibly difficult to find vendors. They helped us find our photographer. One of my bridesmaids was tasked with compiling a list of hair and makeup artists, and she found Art by Izzy through Marry Me Tampa Bay.”
The Proposal
“Matt initially told me that we were taking a trip to Disney World in Orlando for a work conference. To make the surprise believable, he enlisted all of his coworkers to play along and told me that the spouses of his colleagues would also be joining the trip for the entire week. Since my parents live in Plant City during the winter months, we planned to stay with them for the weekend before heading to Orlando for Matt’s conference. Then, the night before we were supposed to leave Plant City, Matt revealed that we would actually be going to Clearwater.
What I didn’t know was that Matt had secretly arranged for our closest friends and family from Pittsburgh, New York City, Austin, and Nashville to be waiting in Clearwater. He proposed on the beach and then had our friends and family waiting at Marina Cantina to celebrate. After the proposal and celebrations, Matt had another surprise planned: a three-day getaway to Key West, where we could relax, soak in the excitement of the weekend, and enjoy the first days of our engagement together.”
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“My bachelorette was in Ellicottville, NY, in February. It was drivable from Pittsburgh, but it is a very popular ski resort town. It gave us all the fun of après-ski without the out-West prices. We spent three days snow tubing and staying in an incredible brewery converted into an Airbnb. The host of the Airbnb was also a private chef, who cooked us a special four-course dinner. It was the perfect snow escape before our Florida tropical wedding!
We wanted to go on a honeymoon in the Caribbean, since most locations were a short flight from Tampa. We ended up choosing Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. We left Monday morning after our wedding from Tampa International and stayed at Sanctuary Cap Cana through Friday. It was the perfect wind-down from a busy wedding weekend.”
The Most Memorable Moments
“Marrying one another was the highlight of the weekend, but having everyone we love together in one place was incredibly special. We rented a large Airbnb and had most of our wedding party stay with us, which made the entire weekend feel like one giant sleepover. It was filled with laughter, late-night conversations, and memories we’ll cherish forever.
As we were saying ‘I do’ on the top deck, dolphins were jumping beside the boat. It felt like a movie! Combined with the beautiful weather and the excitement of celebrating with our closest family and friends, the whole experience felt like an absolute dream. So many of our friends said it was the coolest wedding ever.”
The Venue
Yacht StarShip
“Because we were planning our wedding from out of state, finding an all-inclusive venue was a top priority. If you’re getting married locally, it’s much easier to research vendors, schedule meetings, and mix and match services. However, being more than 1,000 miles away made coordinating multiple vendors incredibly challenging. Yacht StarShip took the stress and hassle out of the planning process, allowing us to focus on enjoying our engagement.
From our very first call, Wendy Odom at Yacht StarShip took the stress out of planning our destination wedding. We had explored several hotels, particularly in the Clearwater area, but many required us to coordinate with multiple vendors, and the costs quickly began to add up. At times, I wasn’t sure whether our dream wedding would be possible within our budget.
Yacht StarShip provided everything we needed and more. Their all-inclusive style made the entire planning process easy by providing a day-of coordinator, DJ, linens, food and beverage service, and a curated list of trusted vendors for entertainment and other wedding needs. Having so many details handled by one experienced team made planning from over 1,000 miles away not only manageable but enjoyable.
We truly cannot speak highly enough of their team, whose professionalism, organization, and support made the entire experience seamless from start to finish. The value, convenience, and exceptional service they provided exceeded our expectations and helped bring our dream wedding to life. To top it all off, we planned in under a year!”
The Inspiration
“Our wedding design focused on lush greenery and soft, light colors, complemented by moody navy and nautical-inspired accents. Our wedding took place in early spring, so we wanted to embrace the fresh, natural feel of the season while avoiding the bright, vibrant colors often associated with summer.
The colors of our wedding were lush greens and whites, with some dark navy. We played around with light blues but ultimately thought green and navy were us.”
The Experience
“Our guests’ experience was the most important aspect of our wedding. Nearly 95% of our guests traveled from Pennsylvania and other locations to join us in Clearwater. We wanted to create an unforgettable experience for everyone who made the trip, and hosting our wedding aboard a yacht was the perfect way to celebrate with our family and friends while showcasing the beauty of the area we love so much.
We incorporated subtle nods to some of our favorite things throughout the wedding. Unfortunately, our dogs, Ollie and Apollo, were unable to make the trip to Florida, but they became the unofficial mascots of the celebration and were featured on custom cigars, cocktail napkins, and signage.
Elan also loves a good merchandise table at any event, so she designed custom hats and sweatshirts for guests to wear during the reception. Within minutes of the staff at Yacht StarShip putting the merchandise out, it was gone!”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our photographer, Marilyn of Rising Lotus Photography, and her husband, Jeremy, were an incredible team. They played a key role in coordinating our timeline and ensuring the entire day ran smoothly. Traveling from Ocala, they encountered a major traffic delay caused by a car accident on I-4 and were running a bit behind schedule.
Rather than letting it affect our wedding day, Marilyn quickly enlisted another photographer to step in and assist so that everything could stay on track. She truly went above and beyond to make our day a success, and both she and Jeremy were an absolute joy to work with. Their professionalism, flexibility, and dedication gave us complete peace of mind and allowed us to fully enjoy every moment of our wedding day.
What advice would you give to other Clearwater couples?
Wedding planning is so stressful, but enjoy it! It is truly worth it!
