Oldsmar Wedding | East Lake Woodlands Country Club Wedding
Kathleen and Andre's Oldsmar wedding featured an elegant ballroom reception with a navy and grey color palette and touches of golf inspired decor.
“My husband was not to into the whole wedding planning process, but I did want to incorporate his personality into the wedding,” the bride explained. “I tried to pull the golf theme through in a few different areas to make it a point to him that this wedding has some of his touch in it too. We even decorated a golf cart as our get away car with tin cans attached and a ‘Just Married' sign on the front and back.”
The Clearwater couple chose an all-inclusive venue that would be in close proximity to the church that they both grew up attending.
“We looked at many venues, and ultimately chose East Lake Woodlands Country Club for several reasons. We loved the view of the big bay windows overlooking the putting greens from both the cocktail hour location and the reception hall. We also really like the venue coordinator, Ashley,” Kathleen shared. “She was very nice, accommodating and worked with us on personalizing the wedding to really make it feel special for us.”
Looking back, one of the bride's most memorable moments was planning a surprise proposal for her brother and his girlfriend during the bouquet toss.
“I started by saying, ‘I want to personally hand my bouquet to a special person and hope that her man would step up soon, because I can't wait for you to become part of our family.' With that I handed the bouquet to my brother's girlfriend. As she came up to receive the bouquet and give me a hug, my brother followed her up with a bouquet of his own of red roses and got down on a knee and asked her to marry him. This was all planned by my brother and I, and we made sure that we did not tell anyone else, so it was a complete surprise to everyone. It truly was a memorable moment that both my brother and I have together and we will be able to cherish and share for the rest of our lives,” Kathleen reminisced.
The Proposal:
On Saturday, December 19th, Andre took me to downtown St. Pete and told me he wanted to take Christmas pictures by the water with all the lights. When we arrived, we looked at all the light displays trying to figure out where the best pictures would be. He said to take a selfie by the water, and Andre does not ever volunteer to take selfies.
As I was fumbling for my phone in my purse, Andre took my hand and told me how much he loved me. I responded with, “I know babe, but I really need my other hand to help me find my phone in this big purse.” He persisted with, “No babe, like I really love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.” When I heard those words, I forgot what I was even searching for! Right there on the sidewalk in front of people walking by us in all directions, he got down on one knee, still holding my hand, and asked me to marry him. I was in such shock it took me a good 30 seconds to respond. People around us began to clap, and I began to cry like a baby. We then proceeded to dinner at the Renaissance Vinoy, where he had flowers delivered and the most romantic table in the restaurant.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
I went in blind when I first started looking for venues. Ultimately I wanted an all-inclusive venue, one that I did not have to coordinate catering, alcohol or wait staff. I wanted a venue that would not be very far from the ceremony site in Safety Harbor and that had an area on-site for pictures.
We looked at many venues, and ultimately chose East Lake Woodlands Country Club for several reasons. We loved the view of the big bay windows overlooking the putting greens from both the cocktail hour location and the reception hall. We also really like the venue coordinator, Ashley. She was very nice, accommodating and worked with us on personalizing the wedding to really make it feel special for us.
How would you describe your theme?
Romantic, chic. I had a lot of different inspirations for the wedding, but ultimately I wanted that romantic feel where everyone felt elegant without making it a black tie event. I wanted to make it inviting and let everyone know we were here to have a good time, and ultimately that’s what we did!
What were your colors?
Navy blue and grey. I chose navy blue for the bridesmaids because I really felt like it embraced that romantic feel I was going for. We chose dark grey for the guys, as it complemented the navy dresses and it looked really good on the groom.
What advice would you give other Tampa Bay couples?
Start early because the planning takes a while, especially if you are doing it all yourself. Start by narrowing down things you don’t like or looking through Pinterest or bridal magazines. You will see that after a while, when you go back through you will have a style that you keep going back to or pictures or patterns that you have pinned several times.
Trust your instincts and do not let people tell you how your wedding should look or be done. Make it about you and your husband, and make sure that when people come to your wedding they see that it represents the two of you, for that makes it more special and memorable for everyone including yourself. Don’t be afraid to add some personal touches to your day no matter if you're creative or not; it means more when you put love into it.
Ceremony Venue: Espiritu Santo Catholic Church
Reception Venue & Caterer: East Lake Woodlands Country Club
Videographer: True Life Films
Photographer: Robin Reiss Photography
Florist: Hamilton’s Florist
Cake: Chantilly Cakes
DJ: The Party Doctor
Invitations: Etsy
Transportation: Treasure Island Limo
Dress: Brides by Demetrios
Bridesmaids Dress: Alfred Angelo
Grooms/Groomsmen’s Tux: Mens Warehouse
