Lauren and Max's elegant, outdoor Palm Harbor wedding was a vision of rustic southern charm with romantic gold details and candlelit lantern centerpieces.
When it came to choosing her vendors, the bride visited Marry Me Tampa Bay which provided her with all the recommendations she needed to plan her wedding.
“I was so lucky to be referred to Marry Me Tampa Bay by my friend and fellow bride! She used the blog to find all of her vendors, so I did as well, and it made planning a breeze,” the bride beamed. “It was so helpful for someone who isn’t originally from the Tampa Bay area since I didn’t have a whole lot to go off of!”
Since most of the guests were from out-of-town, the couple chose a resort-style Tampa Bay wedding venue with multiple golf courses, restaurants and over 900 acres of lush landscaping just a short drive from the beaches.
“We chose Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort for our special day because of its beautiful oak trees and Spanish moss. Everything about the property truly captured a true southern charm style wedding and it was perfect for what we envisioned,” the bride shared. “Most of our guests were coming from out of town, so we wanted a resort where everyone could stay on property, enjoy the weekend and play a little golf!”
In search of a Tampa Bay wedding photographer who was genuine and easy to get along with, the bride enlisted the help of fellow Long Islander, Kristen Marie Photography.
“We wanted someone who was creative with lighting and could make awkward formal photos a little more fun,” the bride confessed. “It was also really important for us to capture plenty of photos of our friends and family enjoying our special celebration, and Kristen did a great job at! She had us laughing the whole time and made our day so easy and enjoyable!”
After listening to her maid of honor speech from her sister's wedding caught on video, the bride knew she wanted a cinematic keepsake for her wedding day.
“When my sister got married she did a video, and I got to hear my maid of honor speech over the whole film. It made me so emotional! It was like living the whole day over again,” the bride beamed. “Our videographer, Kemari and her husband Jacob of Kemari Lyn Films were absolutely amazing! They made us feel so comfortable and made sure to capture the most special moments. They were so genuine and really cared about us and didn’t just view us as another client. They made us feel so special and we can’t thank them enough!”
Perfectly capturing their rustic southern ambiance, Gabro Event Services created a flowing draped arch providing, chair rentals and a gorgeous sweetheart table.
“Gabro Events Services was hands down one of the best decisions we made! There’s a stage in the venue at Innisbrook, and I really thought it would be too distracting with it being behind our sweetheart table, but with the beautiful draping, it made for a dramatic backdrop that looked amazing in our photos,” the bride explained. “The chairs really transformed the place as well and added a ton of elegance to our room which I loved! Gabro also provided our wood arch which came out perfectly! They really impressed us!”
Looking back on their day of bliss, Lauren loved finally getting to see all of her hard work come to life.
“My favorite moment of our wedding was walking into the ballroom with Max right after the ceremony and seeing it all complete before anyone else. It was so surreal to see our vision come together so perfectly after such a long planning process,” the bride reminisced. “That serene moment to just breath and take it all in was amazing, and I suggest everyone take a second to stop and look around and enjoy the day since it goes by so quickly!”
What did you look for in a wedding videographer?
When my sister got married she did a video, and I got to hear my maid of honor speech over the whole film. It made me so emotional! It was like living the whole day over again! I was so excited to create the same for our special day as a memorable keepsake.
Our videographer, Kemari and her husband Jacob of Kemari Lyn Films were absolutely amazing! They made us feel so comfortable and made sure to capture the most special moments. They were so genuine and really cared about us and didn’t just view us as another client. They made us feel so special and we can’t thank them enough!
What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
For hair and makeup, I really wanted to go with something natural since I don’t usually wear a ton of heavy makeup. With my hair, I wanted a romantic, boho type vibe. I had her throw in some baby’s breath to really feature the amazing braid they did for me!
Destiny and Light Hair and Makeup Group were exceptional! Letecia was so friendly and helpful! We added extra services day of the wedding, and they handled it like pros and fit everyone in! They made amazing suggestions and made my day so easy!
What was your theme?
Our wedding was rustic, yet elegant with a splash of southern charm!
What were your colors?
We went with classic colors like gold and white to match the beautiful ballroom at Innisbrook.
What did you look for in an event rental company?
Gabro Events Services provided draping, chair rentals and our arch which all were perfect! It was so nice being able to trust in them to make the venue look perfect!
Gabro was hands down one of the best decisions we made! There’s a stage in the venue at Innisbrook, and I really thought it would be too distracting with it being behind our sweetheart table, but with the beautiful draping, it made for a dramatic backdrop that looked amazing in our photos. The chairs really transformed the place as well and added a ton of elegance to our room which I loved! Gabro also provided our wood arch which came out perfectly! They really impressed us!
What was your bridesmaid dress inspiration?
I went with Allure bridesmaid dresses because the fabric was just so flowy and elegant looking! I really wanted them to have a classy boho vibe. Everyone ended up looking like angels in the powder blue dresses!
I went with Nikki’s Glitz and Glam Boutique because my mom and mother and law both found their mother of the bride dresses there! They were so helpful!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone who was creative with lighting and could make awkward formal photos a little more fun!
We chose Kristen Marie Photography because Kristen and I are both Long Islanders, so we clicked instantly! She had us laughing the whole time and made our day so easy and enjoyable! She knew how important capturing photos of our family was because that was our main focus!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Most of our guests were coming from out of town, so we wanted a resort where everyone could stay on property, enjoy the weekend and play a little golf!
We chose Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort for our special day because of its beautiful oak trees and Spanish moss. Everything about the property truly captured a true southern charm style wedding, and it was perfect for what we envisioned.
The Proposal:
Max proposed on the same beach my family has been vacationing to every summer since I was two years old. Montauk, New York is so special to me in so many ways and our whole family was there to celebrate after it was perfect!
