Rachel and Valdi's Sarasota beach wedding featured a soft palette of peach, pink, and coral, modern acrylic accents, and a surprise rainstorm.
“I chose shades of light pinks, champagne, white, and a few pops of coral. I looked at a lot of florists' past wedding pictures and that's what I gravitated to,” the bride shared. “We wanted our wedding style to be beachy-elegant. I really like the acrylic details used in the ceremony and reception. I love flowers so that was an important piece to me.”
The New York couple sought a Florida destination wedding venue that offered a beautiful beachfront setting for their 40 guests and have vacationed to the area several times, Rachel and Valdi wanted to wed in the Sarasota area for sentimental reasons.
“We wanted somewhere that the ceremony could be on the beach and the reception could be outdoors. I didn't want to be in a ballroom for the reception. For the same reason, we picked Sarasota. My grandparents have lived on Lido Key, and I love the area. I grew up going to The Resort at Longboat Key Club so it holds a special place in my heart. We really liked all the different venue options as well as the cocktail hour and dinner menus. Ayla was an absolute pleasure to work with from the beginning, and it just felt right.”
The bride was adamant about having her ceremony on the beach despite the ominous forecast, but she shared the sudden shower actually ended up being a favorite memory and created some unforgettable photos.
“The most memorable moment was probably the rain! The weather was iffy on the day of our wedding, and we probably should've just had the ceremony inside but I was really stuck on having it on the beach as planned. The beach ceremony was really important because we traveled all the way to Florida, and we love the beach. My wedding planner went above and beyond to make that happen, and I'm so grateful for that. We ended up getting rained on halfway through our ceremony but it made for some really fun pictures. I wouldn't change a thing!” Rachel reminisced. “My guests were all such good sports about it. My husband was born in and grew up in Poland and apparently, rain on your wedding day is good luck. My brother-in-law stepped in during the ceremony to hold an umbrella over my head so I luckily was the driest one!”
Rachel shared the small scale of her and Valdi's wedding and spending quality time with their guests despite COVID-19 made the day so special.
“[The most unique part of our wedding was] how intimate it was. I got to enjoy each and every person's company who was able to attend,” the bride recalled. “It was right smack dab in the middle of a pandemic so I'm thankful that with everything worked out, and we were able to have it.”
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted our wedding style to be beachy-elegant. I really like the acrylic details used in the ceremony and reception. I love flowers so that was an important piece to me as well.
What were your colors?
I chose shades of light pinks, champagne, white, and a few pops of coral. I looked at a lot of florists' past wedding pictures and that's what I gravitated to.
The Proposal:
My husband and I were on a European babymoon before we had our son, Parker. We visited Dubrovnik, Croatia which turned out to be our favorite place out of everywhere we went that trip. At night, the city is all lit up, and you can take a railcar from the bottom of the city up to the top of the mountains where you can see the whole city lit up, right on the ocean. It's beautiful! When we got to the top my husband popped the question! It was an easy yes!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We stayed in Florida for the rest of the week after the wedding.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted somewhere that the ceremony could be on the beach and the reception could be outdoors. I didn't want to be in a ballroom for the reception.
I grew up going to The Resort at Longboat Key Club so it holds a special place in my heart. We really liked all the different venue options as well as the cocktail hour and dinner menus. Ayla was an absolute pleasure to work with from the beginning, and it just felt right.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Hire a wedding planner! It's so worth the money to have a seamless, stress-free day (or as much as it can be!)
Ceremony and Reception Venue and Caterer: The Resort at Longboat Key Club *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Cat Pennenga Photography
Planner: Swanky Soiree Events
Florist: Flowers by Fudgie
Cake: Cakes by Ron
DJ & Steel Drums: Mello Vibes Entertainment
Officiant: Pastor Heath Weddings, Pastor Heath Watson
Invitations: Minted.com
Dress Shop and Designer: The Perfect Dress of Sarasota – Tara Keilly
Hair & Makeup: Brides by Kelly Anne and Co.
Jewelry: Reeds Jewelers (Buffalo NY)
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
