Melissa and Brian’s downtown Tampa wedding embraced their Florida spirit with a citrus-inspired color palette, bright decor and elegant centerpieces scattered with clementines.

“We never pictured ourselves getting married in Florida. Brian is from South Carolina and I’m from Virginia, but things weren’t falling into place,” the bride explained. “Once we considered our current home in Tampa, we found our venue and everything seemed together. We wanted to embrace the Florida spirit with bright colors and citrus. I guess you could say after that the theme effortlessly spiraled from there!”

MORE: CITRUS WEDDING INSPIRATION

In search of a Tampa wedding planner who could flawlessly piece together their day while keeping the little details in mind, the bride and groom chose Burlap to Lace.

“Hands down the best decision we made was hiring Lindsay with Burlap to Lace. I am very organized and self-motivated, however, I had no idea how much goes into planning a wedding. The term lifesaver doesn’t begin to cover it! Without Lindsay our wedding wouldn’t be one-fifth of what it was. She was the glue that held everything together, and the fairy godmother behind the entire magical day,” the bride gushed. “Our day had lots of moving pieces and Lindsay nailed every bit of it. We didn’t have to think or worry about a single detail on the day of the wedding. Always a phone call or text away, Lindsay was there to keep us on track and help out with any bridal moments. I would pay every single penny again twice over to have this lady handle our day!”

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Melissa and Brian knew they wanted a local wedding photographer who could make them feel comfortable behind the lens, and they were overjoyed to discover someone who checked all of their boxes.

“We were drawn to Kéra Photography because her creativity was huge and we absolutely loved her vision! Kéra was simply amazing and is truly a professional in the photography business! She is bright and bubbly, easy to work with and could not be sweeter,” the bride shared. “Kéra was great about sending us sneak peeks, which we loved living in our social media crazed world! Overall, she was punctual, professional, and perfectly creative. We’d have to say she was the photographer of our dreams!”

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Knowing they’d want a special keepsake to remind them of all of the love on their big day, Melissa and Brian looked to wedding videographer Bonnie Newman Creative to capture every detail.

“Bonnie’s style was really unique and stood out to us because we knew it would perfectly capture all of the feelings from our big day. Bonnie is fun, creative, and her professional work speaks for itself,” the bride explained. “The one-minute Instagram sneak peek Bonnie shared with us was the most wildly popular thing on my Instagram ever! My friends said it brought tears to their eyes and reminded them of a movie trailer! Bonnie stayed with us all day, even on the water taxi, and captured every moment start to finish. She truly was able to showcase our love for each other and that of our friends and family.”

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With so many memorable moments, Melissa and Brian cherished their first dance and ceremony exit the most.

“The sword arch on the steps of our church surrounded by our loved ones was something we’ll always remember. It was very special to us,” the bride reminisced. “Our first dance was also memorable because we worked really hard perfecting it before the wedding with our dance instructor. All of our hard worked paid off because it truly felt like a dream in the end!”

What did you look for in a wedding videographer?
We wanted someone who would capture the essence of our wedding and showcase our love for each other and that of our friends and family. The speeches and toast were a big part of that.

Hands down the best decision we made was hiring Burlap to Lace. I am very organized and self-motivated, however, I had no idea how much goes into planning a wedding. Lindsay was all about the details. She thinks and plans for everything you don’t even know you need. Our day had lots of moving pieces and Lindsay nailed every bit of it. We didn’t have to think or worry about a single detail on the day of the wedding. From start to finish, everything ran smoothly, and the flow was seamless. Lindsay is second to none from a design and decor standpoint. Send her your vision and she points you in the direction of the perfect vendors to accommodate your dream day. Always a phone call or text away, Lindsay was there to keep us on track and help out with any bridal moments. I would pay every single penny again twice over to have this lady handle our day!

The Proposal:
Brian had just returned from a deployment in Kuwait. Two days before Christmas, while we were home visiting his family, we took the three family boxers for a walk. In an open field where Brian’s brother was secretly hiding in the nearby foliage capturing our proposal with his camera, Brian got down on one knee. I was so shocked that I didn’t even turn around!

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Someone who made us feel comfortable! We’re not used to being photographed, and Kéra Photography made it easy.

We were drawn to Kéra Photography because Kéra’s creativity was huge, and we absolutely loved her vision! She was simply amazing and is truly a professional in the photography business! She is bright and bubbly, easy to work with and could not be sweeter. Kéra was great about sending us sneak peeks, which we loved living in our social media crazed world! Overall, she was punctual, professional, and perfectly creative. We’d have to say she was the photographer of our dreams!

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We never pictured ourselves getting married in Florida. Brian is from South Carolina and I’m from Virginia, but things weren’t falling into place. Once we considered our current home in Tampa, we found our venue and everything seemed together. We wanted to embrace the Florida spirit with bright colors and citrus. I guess you could say after that the theme effortlessly spiraled from there!

What were your colors?
Citrus colors. Mostly shades of orange and peach with pops of yellow and pinks.

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Armature Works
Photographer: Kéra Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Bonnie Newman Creative *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Planner: Burlap to Lace *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: Couture Weddings and More
Caterer: Puff N Stuff
Cake: Elise’s Pieces
Band: From Me To You Band
Officiant: Father George Corrigan of Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Transportation: Jolley Trolley and Pirate Water Taxi
Dress Shop and Designer: The Bride Tampa – Karen Willis Holmes
Dance Studio: Fred Astaire Dance Studio (St. Petersburg)
Donuts: Datz Dough