Rustic, Elegant Dade City Wedding | The Lange Farm Wedding
Brittany and Zach's Dade City wedding featured a rustic, elegant theme for their outdoor wedding ceremony.
“Both of us agreed very early on that we wanted to be married outdoors under a live oak tree,” the bride explained. “Zach is Nordic, and he proclaims that the oak tree is ‘sacred to his people,' and trees represent life and family to me. With deep roots, a solid trunk and many full branches, I love the image that comes along with the strength of an oak tree.”
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The bride and groom searched for a wedding venue with the perfect outdoor setting and indoor reception space, that could also accommodate their almost 200-person guest list.
“The Lange Farm was actually the very first place we looked at, and I booked it on the spot. It was exactly what we were looking for and had many options for ceremony locations on their beautiful property,” Brittany gushed. “The staff was incredibly accommodating and made sure that the huge open lawn was treated multiple times before our wedding date to prevent any ant issues. They were incredible, and the day of coordination was impeccable.”
The Orlando couple incorporated colors of navy, orange, gold and lace accents for their Garden House reception, including their table linens.
“We wanted our wedding to reflect fall. I needed the blue for my secretly desired ‘Gator' wedding and navy just looked so beautiful with that color orange,” Brittany shared. “The linens from Connie Duglin Specialty Linens were beautiful, and they had many options that allowed us to find colors that were a perfect match to our wedding colors.”
Looking back, the entire day was unforgettable, however a few special moments stood out to the bride the most.
“Walking down the aisle to Can't Help Falling in Love by Ingrid Michaelson, our selfie stick photo after the ceremony and our first dance [were memorable]. I think our favorite part of the day was deeply sentimental to Zach's family. Zach's grandfather was one of the most important men in his family; he was a humble and gracious man, a pastor who loved others and loved his Lord well. He passed away before I met Zach, but a few months before our wedding, Zach came across a tape of one of his grandfather's sermons on love. We had it digitized and used it as our benediction at the wedding. It was a surprise to most of Zach's family, and it was an incredibly special touch that even those who didn't know his grandfather were moved by,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
Zach proposed at CityWalk Orlando at Pat O'Brien's, where we met for the first time. He had planned on proposing in front of the Eiffel Tower at Epcot the following day. However, my little sister surprised all of us and flew in from Arizona to be there for the proposal, so the plans changed at the last minute so we could spend the whole weekend together. He knew that sharing the proposal with my family was really important to me, so my parents and both sisters were at Pat O'Brien's. Zach and my sisters also planned an awesome engagement party that weekend at a local restaurant for all of our friends and extended family to come and celebrate the occasion. It was such a special weekend!
How would you describe your theme?
Rustic, elegance. Since we wanted an outdoor wedding, we didn't want anything too formal, but wanted it to be a classy and memorable affair.
What were your colors?
We were married on October 30th, so we wanted our wedding to reflect fall. We went with navy and a pumpkin-y orange with gold and lace accents. I needed the blue for my secretly desired ‘Gator' wedding, and navy just looked so beautiful with that color orange.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Both of us agreed very early on that we wanted to be married outdoors under a live oak tree. Zach is Nordic and he proclaims that the oak tree is “sacred to his people” and trees represent life and family to me. With deep roots, a solid trunk, and many full branches, I love the image that comes along with the strength of an oak tree. We knew that we were going to have a larger wedding, so we needed a venue that would hold 150-200 people and that had sufficient bathrooms to accommodate that crowd! Having an indoor reception was also very important to Zach. The Lange Farm was actually the very first place we looked at, and I booked it on the spot. It was exactly what we were looking for and had many options for ceremony locations on their beautiful property. We chose an unusual spot, and the staff was incredibly accommodating and made sure that the huge open lawn was treated multiple times before our wedding date to prevent any ant issues. The staff was incredible, and the day of coordination was impeccable.
What was your wedding day linen inspiration?
We wanted the wedding colors to be incorporated with casual elegance. The linens from Connie Duglin Specialty Linens were beautiful, and they had many options that allowed for us to find colors that were a perfect match to our wedding colors.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We had very few specifications for a DJ, just that they have great reviews and have battery operated equipment as our ceremony location did not have access to electricity.
Grant Hemond & Associates was the recommended vendor by our venue, and they were great! The DJ was in contact with us a few weeks before the wedding date to talk through timelines and our music preferences. We would recommend them to anyone who asked.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make your wedding a day that reflects you and your husband. Hire a day-of coordinator to manage all of the little details that you don't even know need to happen, but are critical to a well executed wedding. I also wish that we hired a videographer, particularly for the ceremony. As it was such a special ceremony, I would love to have it on video! Most of all, have fun and don't stress too much. At the end of the day, regardless of if things don't go exactly as you planned, you're still married, and that was the goal.
Venue: The Lange Farm | Photographer: Pho-Co (Colorado) | Florist: Events in Bloom | Caterer: 4Rivers BBQ | DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro | Rentals: Foto Box Photo Booth | Cake: Sweet! by Holly, Orlando | Officiant: Rev. David Montalbano | Dress: Minerva's Bridal –Ella Rosa | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bloomingdales | Hair: Aimee Schuster | Makeup: Kristen Rosa | Transportation: Saddlebrook Resort | Invitations: Elegant Wedding Invites | Linens: Connie Duglin Specialty Linens | Beverage Service: Catering by Lundy's
Rustic Tampa Bay Barn Wedding | Cross Creek Ranch Wedding
Lauren and Zach's rustic, outdoor Tampa Bay barn wedding incorporated the colors of fall to highlight their desire for a comfy, but classy wedding.
“We began the planning process pinning the wedding detail pictures we liked. The majority of our pins were ‘rustic, barn wedding.' It was really important that our guests were comfortable as well,” the bride explained. “With an October wedding date, we really wanted to do fall colors. Wine and navy were the primary colors, but we worked a lot of fall colors into the details.”
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The Tampa couple searched for an all-inclusive Tampa Bay wedding venue that could host the ceremony and reception at one location.
“We fell in love with Cross Creek Ranch as soon as we saw the property and met the team. The folks at the venue were fanatic about providing ideas without pushing a certain option,” Lauren gushed. “Cross Creek Ranch did everything! Our families just showed up and had a great time! There is always some stress that goes along with a wedding, but the venue has it down to a science. We didn’t worry about a thing on our big day!”
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To capture all of their family and friends enjoying their wedding day, as well as the important details, the couple hired Tampa Bay wedding photographer Carrie Wildes Photography.
“We really wanted someone who would do great candid shots in addition to the normal posed ones. We absolutely didn’t want cheesy or staged shots,” the explained. “We saw Carrie’s work of Carrie Wides Photography, and all of the shots looked like they captured real moments as opposed to posed ones. When we met with Carrie in person, we knew she was the person we were looking for.”
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Looking back, the bride and groom's most cherished memories occurred during the wedding ceremony.
“For my husband, he especially felt drawn to think of our vows, which were a mix of traditional and something personal we each wrote. For me, my most memorable moment was walking down the aisle. It finally hit me that I was about to start my forever with the man of my dreams!” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
Zach proposed at a winery in Michigan with a bottle of pinot noir. The winery had made a special “Will You Marry Me?” label just for him!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We really wanted someone who would do great candid shots in addition to the normal posed ones. We absolutely didn’t want cheesy or staged shots. It was also important the photos wouldn’t rely heavily on Photoshop.
We saw Carrie’s work of Carrie Wildes Photography , and all of the shots looked like they captured real moments as opposed to posed ones. When we met with Carrie in person, we knew she was the person we were looking for.
How would you describe your theme?
Comfy, but classy. We began the planning process pinning the wedding detail pictures we liked. The majority of our pins were “rustic, barn wedding.” It was really important that our guests were comfortable.
What were your colors?
With an October wedding date, we really wanted to do fall colors. Wine and navy were the primary colors, but we worked a lot of fall colors into the details.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We were looking for an all-inclusive location that could handle the ceremony and reception all in one location.
We fell in love with Cross Creek Ranch as soon as we saw the property and met the team. The folks at the venue were fanatic about providing ideas without pushing a certain option. We were as involved in the planning as we wanted to be. Cross Creek Ranch did everything! Our families just showed up and had a great time! All of our guests complimented how smoothly everything went. There is always some stress that goes along with a wedding, but the venue has it down to a science. We didn’t worry about a thing on our big day!
What was your wedding cake inspiration?
We aren't big cake people, so we went with an assortment of items.
Alessi Bakeries worked with us to find the perfect cutting cake for our theme. From tasting to delivery, it was great service. They listened to what we were wanting and figured out how to accomplish it. We went with a tree stump. It was perfect as the dessert centerpiece!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Relax. Every wedding is different, just like every love story. Keep in mind that it is just one step in a very long journey together.
Venue: Cross Creek Ranch *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue | Photographer: Carrie Wildes Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro | Florist: Alta Fleura | Caterer: Hungry Harry's BBQ | DJ: Grant Hemond and Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro | Cake: Alessi Bakeries *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro | Officiant: Bobby Triplet | Dress: The White Magnolia Bridal Collection, Mikaella Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: All Brides 2 Be, LLC Tuxedo & Formalwear, Macy's | Hair & Makeup: Creative Creations | Invitations: VistaPrint
