Alicia and William’s destination Dunedin wedding was a magical evening filled with tropical elegance that complemented their unique, but relaxed style.
“We wanted our wedding to be simple, casual, and eclectic. We chose navy and white because we thought they would look good on everyone and go well with the light blues and neutrals in the Fenway ballroom,” the bride reminisced. “I enjoyed looking through the blog posts and pictures on Marry Me Tampa Bay and getting ideas for decorations.”
MORE: ECLECTIC WEDDING INSPIRATION
The bride and groom chose an iconic date for their wedding and incorporated playful elements from their favorite movie.
“Our wedding was on May 4th, and we’re both Star Wars fans, so my sister’s husband designed us Star Wars-themed cocktails to serve at the reception. We also had inflatable lightsabers and masks for guests to wear on the dance floor,” the bride beamed.
MORE: STAR WARS INSPIRED WEDDINGS
When Alicia toured the historic, newly opened Fenway Hotel she knew it was the perfect venue for their 100-guest wedding. Creating a delicious menu was a priority for the Boston couple, who wanted food and fun to be the themes of the night.
“We’re both foodies and cared most about having a venue with delicious menu options. We also wanted an indoor reception space with views of the water,” Alicia explained. “The Fenway Hotel was still under construction when we signed our contract. Our wedding planner, Tammy, recommended that we consider them because she’d had great experiences with their sister property, The Epicurean. After meeting Nancy, at The Fenway, and taking the hard hat tour of the construction site with my mom, we were convinced that it was the perfect location for us. Throughout the planning process, Nancy and her team were very responsive, willing to customize anything we requested and worked seamlessly with our wedding planner and other vendors.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FENWAY HOTEL | EMAIL
Early on, the bride knew she wanted Tampa Bay wedding planner Special Moments Event Planning to help bring her vision to life.
“We wanted a wedding planner who had strong relationships with other local vendors, and whom we could trust to make our wedding run smoothly,” Alicia shared. “Tammy did an excellent job with my sister’s wedding, so we knew she was right for us. She provided great recommendations for vendors, taking into account our preferences and price range. Tammy and her team handled all of the day-of details and logistics so that all we had to do was enjoy our wedding.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIAL MOMENTS EVENT PLANNING | EMAIL
Originally from the Tampa Bay area, Alicia sought a local wedding photographer who would help her and William relax in front of the camera.
“We primarily wanted someone who made us feel comfortable being ourselves,” Alicia shared. “We had a great experience with Kristen shooting our engagement photos and were excited to have her be part of our wedding day. She was highly professional but could still make us laugh, kept our day running on schedule, and even had preview photos ready for us the next day!”
LEARN MORE ABOUT KRISTEN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY | EMAIL
Reminiscing on the love and joy they felt on their special day, it was the first dance that brought sweetest memories for the bride and groom.
“One of my favorite moments was our first dance. I love dancing, but it’s not really William’s thing. Knowing that it was something I would enjoy, he offered to learn to dance with me. We spent months before the wedding learning some choreography from YouTube but didn’t tell anyone about it. One of the best parts of watching our wedding video was seeing how surprised William’s mom was to see him doing the waltz.”
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I wanted my hair and makeup to look natural.
I hired Femme Akoi Beauty Studio because they came highly recommended, and I had a great experience with Indira. I don't usually wear a lot of makeup, and she was very thoughtful in helping me to find a style that looked bridal but still felt like me.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted a planner who had strong relationships with other local vendors and whom we could trust to make our wedding run smoothly.
Tammy of Special Moments Event Planning did an excellent job with my sister’s wedding, so we knew she was right for us. She provided great recommendations for vendors, taking into account our preferences and price range. Tammy and her team handled all of the day-of details and logistics so that all we had to do was enjoy our wedding.
The Proposal:
We live in Boston but were in Tampa staying with my family, and William suggested that one night we go out to dinner on Clearwater Beach, which is a place that we both love. We went to the Sandbar at Opal Sands for a drink, and then he suggested that we check out the view from the roof. I didn’t think there was a roof deck at that hotel, but he seemed pretty confident, so I went along with him. We went up the elevator to the top floor, and then as we walked down the hallway with no roof deck insight, and I started to say “I told you so”, he pulled out a room key. He led me out to the balcony overlooking the ocean and got down on one knee.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We primarily wanted someone who made us feel comfortable being ourselves.
We had a great experience with Kristen Marie Photography shooting our engagement photos and were excited to have Kristen be part of our wedding day. She was highly professional but could still make us laugh, kept our day running on schedule, and even had preview photos ready for us the next day!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We’re both foodies and cared most about having a venue with delicious menu options. We also wanted an indoor reception space with views of the water.
The Fenway Hotel was still under construction when we signed our contract. Our wedding planner, Tammy, recommended that we consider them because she’d had great experiences with their sister property, The Epicurean. After meeting Nancy, at The Fenway, and taking the hard hat tour of the construction site with my mom, we were convinced that it was the perfect location for us. Throughout the planning process, Nancy and her team were very responsive, willing to customize anything we requested and worked seamlessly with our wedding planner and other vendors. The Fenway Hotel really provided exceptional service. For our tasting, the chef prepared all of the dishes we selected and then sat down with us to listen to our feedback and ask if we wanted her to make any changes to the recipes. Additionally, we had planned for our cocktail hour to be outside, but it turned out to be hot and humid, so they allowed us to move the cocktail hour into the hotel lobby. When a line formed at the bar, the servers promptly brought out trays of our signature cocktails so that our guests wouldn’t have to wait for a drink.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted our wedding to be simple, casual, and eclectic.
What were your colors?
We chose navy and white because we thought they would look good on everyone and go well with the light blues and neutrals in the Fenway ballroom.
