Adrienne and Nathan's destination Clearwater Beach wedding was the epitome of a nautical romantic setting for the bride and groom's intimate nuptials.
The Maine couple vacation in Florida every year and wanted their out-of-town guests to enjoy Tampa Bay as much as they do.
“Nathan and I wanted something that would be fun for our guests who were traveling for our destination wedding. We wanted the event to be private, rather than a beach setting, but also wanted to be outside,” the bride shared. “The Yacht Starship was the perfect venue for our wedding! We had a private ceremony with our closest friends and family and offered them an experience they had not had before. Our guests were thrilled with the sunset dinner cruise, and we loved being able to watch them enjoy their evening on the cruise with us.”
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When it came to choosing a Clearwater Beach wedding photographer, the destination couple knew that they needed someone who could help break them out of their shell and make them feel comfortable in front of the camera.
“As it turned out our best man’s cousin Buffy, is a well-known photographer in the Clearwater area. I met Buffy and Cheryl of Lifelong Photography Studios, and they were absolutely wonderful!” Adrienne gushed. “The moment they arrived to take photos, I felt at ease; they took charge and gave us the direction we needed. They far exceeded my expectations. They captured every beautiful moment of our wedding day and helped us preserve these memories for years to come.”
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After a seven-year engagement and having already started their lives together, Adrienne and Nathan were excited to celebrate their wedding day with a very special person.
“Traditionally couples tend to get married before having children, but when I look back to our wedding one of the things that is most memorable is that our daughter was able to be a part of it. To see the excitement and joy that being the flower girl in our wedding brought to her filled my heart in a way I cannot describe. I can’t help but be overjoyed that we were able to share one of the most important days of our lives with the most important person in our life. That is a gift that we will be forever grateful for,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
The proposal wasn’t the fairytale that most girls probably dream of, but my husband and I are relatively shy people. A big to do where my husband dropped to one knee in front of a crowd of onlookers likely would have been uncomfortable for us both. I’m a labor and delivery nurse, and I had just got off my third overnight shift in a row; it had been a terrible night. My husband is an engineer and had been working away for the week. This was not unusual. I was used to him being away, but that day I really wished he was home. I called him after my hour drive home from what seemed to be the longest shift of my life; I was in tears and just needed some sleep. I told him I was going home, going to bed and shutting my phone off so not to panic if he couldn’t reach me. We said “I love you,” and I went to bed. A couple hours later I was woken by my husband on one knee at the side of my bed, an engagement ring sparkling in his hands and him asking me to marry him. There were no flowers, fancy dinner or any extravagant plans, but my husband knew on that day I needed him and something to cheer me up. For so many reasons this was my idea of the perfect proposal.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
My husband and I are pretty shy. So the thought of having hundreds of pictures taken of us wasn’t very appealing.
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As it turned out our best man’s cousin Buffy, is a well-known photographer in the Clearwater area. As luck would have it, she was free on the day of our wedding, and she personally would be the one taking our pictures. Although I didn’t know Buffy personally, it was nice to have that connection. We felt much more at ease on the day of our wedding. I met Buffy and Cheryl of Lifelong Photography Studios, and they were absolutely wonderful! The moment they arrived to take photos, I felt at ease; they took charge and gave us the direction we needed. There were amazing! They far exceeded my expectations. Buffy was kind, generous and extremely easy to work with. She truly has a passion for what she does and that shows in her photos. We love Buffy, Cheryl and Life Long Studios! They captured every beautiful moment of our wedding day and helped us preserve these memories for years to come.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Nathan and I wanted something that would be fun for our guests who were traveling for our destination wedding. We wanted the event to be private, rather than a beach setting, but also wanted to be outside.
I want to learn more about weddings on the Yacht StarShip.
The Yacht Starship was the perfect venue for our wedding! We had a private ceremony with our closest friends and family present and offered them an experience they had not had before. Our guests were thrilled with the sunset dinner cruise, and we loved being able to watch them enjoy their evening on the cruise with us. The Yacht Starship offers the option of reserving the entire ship, even if the number of guests is under the amount needed for a private cruise. Because all of our guests were traveling from Maine, we kept the guest list small, but were still able to enjoy a private ceremony and cruise.
The staff was phenomenal. I can't say enough positive things about this company and our experience. We planned the entire wedding from Maine and never saw the actual ship until rehearsal the night before our wedding. The wedding planner (Christine Dorroh) was amazing! She was there for every phase of the planning process, and our day wouldn’t have been the same without her! She was truly wonderful. The food was exceptional! My guests still talk about it! We had five children at our wedding, and they took the time to prepare and serve their meals first. This may have been something small, but I felt very appreciative to them for this. Their service was simply amazing, and I would recommend them to anyone looking to get married on a yacht.
How would you describe your theme?
We got married on a yacht, so we went with a nautical theme.
What were your colors?
Navy, dusty pink and gold. Navy tied in well with our nautical theme and what bride doesn’t love a dusty pink? I had gold in my wedding dress, so I tried to incorporate some of that into the color scheme as well.
How did you incorporate you and your spouse's personalities into the wedding?
Nathan and I were engaged for seven years before getting married. In that time frame we bought and sold our first house, purchased a new home, welcomed our daughter into the world and were also the parents of two yellow labs. Planning a wedding always seemed like something we’d get to “someday.” What was the rush after all? Our family and friends always joked about when we might finally decide to set a date, and we’d casually respond “oh, someday.” The topper for our wedding cake was a sparkly gold cut out of the word “Finally.” This was the response from our guests when we finally set a date, so we thought it was fitting. All of our guests commented on the topper and agreed it perfectly summed up our long engagement!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
In the business of everyday life remember to keep your relationship a priority. Always say I love you.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Yacht Starship *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue and Pros
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: The JillTed Florist
Caterer, DJ and Officiant: Yacht Starship *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: Publix
Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee The Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
