Caroline and Keith’s waterfront St. Petersburg wedding featured a rooftop celebration adorned with vibrant tropical flora and foliage with citrus accents befitting the Florida locale.
“My husband and I both grew up in Tampa and let’s face it, the west coast has the best beaches and sunsets! The theme of our wedding was tropical. We love the local beaches and foliage so this theme just made sense to us,” the bride shared. “We chose subtle pink and green colors to play off the tropical florals. We had natural wooden and gold accent décor to bring in some other natural colors and textures.”
The couple relied on Marry Me Tampa Bay as a local resource and expert when vetting their vendors to find which wedding pros would be a good fit stylistically and financially.
“Marry Me Tampa Bay was a huge asset during our wedding planning process. The site really helped us to validate the vendors that we were researching to book,” Caroline revealed. “Trusting Marry Me Tampa Bay made it easy to cross-reference our vision and budget with various vendors.”
The Melbourne couple loves the sunsets and beaches they’ve experienced while visiting Florida’s West coast and elected to host their 75-guest wedding in sought-after St. Pete Beach. They searched for a wedding venue that had a beachy quality along with flexible space for a more social-style reception. It was love at first sight when they discovered Hotel Zamora.
“When looking at venues to align with our theme, we wanted the beach vibe without the sand. It was important to us to be outside near the water but without having guests trek through the sand. I also didn’t want to spend the majority of our wedding budget on décor to simulate the ambiance, it was important to us that the venue and theme felt natural together. We were also passionate about having a cocktail-style reception and wanted plenty of different seating options for the guests to experience throughout the night. Hotel Zamora checked every box on our venue wish list and even added some we didn’t think we needed!” Caroline raved. “We ultimately chose this venue because it was the perfect pairing to the theme and reception style we were dreaming of. It made our wedding unique. The venue was so special and having both the bay views and gulf views from the rooftop for the event really made it special and unforgettable! Hotel Zamora offered us the option to create an experience for guests by having the ceremony and cocktail hour by the beautiful bayside and reception on breathtaking gulf side rooftop. They were so flexible and were able to easily create the cocktail-style reception we desired with plenty of lounge, bar, and table seating, and Hotel Zamora had such fantastic food that really impressed the guests.”
“The venue was the most important element to us during the initial planning,” the bride continued. “We recognized that it can play a huge part in setting the atmosphere and flow of the night. The other major element of our wedding was the style of the reception. It was important for us to have a cocktail-style reception which was a huge factor in our venue choice as well.”
Planning from across the state, Caroline wanted a professional and seasoned wedding planning team who could execute her vision flawlessly and provide a seamless and enjoyable wedding day. Upon her first meeting with Coastal Coordinating, she knew they were a perfect fit.
“After being guests at many different types of weddings, we pretty much knew exactly what we wanted our wedding to be like, so making the decisions wasn’t a hard task for us. We needed someone who would pick up every decision we made and execute it professionally, so we looked for someone with experience and industry knowledge who could fill in the details for us while understanding our ultimate vision,” the bride explained. “Coastal Coordinating has a tactical team that is trusted all across the state that together embodied so much experience. This was a major asset when initially researching wedding planners. During our first meeting, Coastal Coordinating came prepared with a structured discussion that addressed all of my questions before having to ask them. This showed that they were in tune with the details and very professional. Working with Lauren was an absolute joy and pleasure. She made our day come to life by coordinating all of the décor, staying on top of the schedule, and providing creative solutions to some challenges prior to the day of. Lauren exceeded our expectations with her day-of coordination with all the vendors, family, and bridal party. She blew us away with her attention to detail and ability to stay ahead of schedule.”
To showcase the tropical greenery at their venue and tie in pops of their wedding colors with the florals, the couple chose a well-respected wedding florist who is known for their professionalism and creativity.
“I vetted a few floral services prior to choosing Lemon Drops, and their customer service won me over. From our first call, they were already working with my budget, making suggestions, and seeing the vision we had. I gave them a few inspiration pictures and said do your thing and they sure did deliver! They were so pleasant to work with and kept me up to date with the final design and pricing,” Caroline gushed.
Music played an important role in the wedding day to add to the tropical atmosphere and to keep the guests entertained.
“We incorporated our personalities mostly through music at our wedding. Cocktail hour was all about the island vibes! We were looking for a reputable DJ service that was open to learning our taste in music and putting their twist on it. to keep the party going! When it came to DJ’s I was so clueless on how to choose a vendor, so I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to book their highly suggested vendor, Graingertainment,” the bride revealed. “They have a passion for what they do. They were so quick to respond to any question we had throughout the planning process and had a great online interface to connect with your music style. They also fit well with our budget which was a huge bonus! Their services were seamless. We got to build our music profile and had a few trickier requests which they knocked out of the park!”
Caroline recalls that the most unforgettable memory occurred during the couple’s first look when they were able to enjoy a few moments between just the two of them.
“The most memorable moment of our day was our first look. It was truly the only alone time we had together all day and is when we got to share our vows to each other,” the bride reminisced. “Our photographer was able to capture this and they are still my favorite pictures from our wedding day!”
What was your wedding beauty inspiration?
I had a very sleek and minimalistic vision for my completed look which was heavily inspired by my wedding dress. Also having an outdoor wedding with Florida weather greatly influenced my decision to have my hair up. Ultimately I wanted to feel like myself at my wedding and was desperately searching Instagram for makeup artists who contained a wide range of talent.
Savannah Olivia Beauty‘s skills reflected her versatile skills, and I was able to really envision my makeup and hairstyles through her past clients. She masters the softer natural look while also slaying the smokey eye. Her Instagram gave me full confidence that she could not only nail my vision but also how my bridesmaids and mom wanted to look! She did a fantastic job and made us all feel our most beautiful and comfortable selves. They exceeded expectations and were amazing to not only me but my entire wedding party. Everyone felt like their most glamorous selves and I could not recommend them more!
The Proposal:
Keith and I were on a trip to Rome, Italy. It was our first full day of exploring, and we hiked up to this amazing terrace that overlooked the city. After snapping a few photos and gazing at the beautiful city, I turned around to the surprise of a lifetime.
“Our florals were inspired by our tropical theme and venue. I vetted a few floral services prior to choosing Lemon Drops, and their customer service won me over. From our first call, they were already working with my budget, making suggestions, and seeing the vision we had. I gave them a few inspiration pictures and said do your thing and they sure did deliver! They were so pleasant to work with and kept me up to date with the final design and pricing.”
-The Bride
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
When looking at venues to align with our theme, we wanted the beach vibe without the sand. It was important to us to be outside near the water but without having guests trek through the sand. I also didn’t want to spend the majority of our wedding budget on décor to simulate the ambiance, it was important to us that the venue and theme felt natural together. We were also passionate about having a cocktail-style reception and wanted plenty of different seating options for the guests to experience throughout the night. The venue was the most important element to us during the initial planning. We recognized that it can play a huge part in setting the atmosphere and flow of the night. The other major element of our wedding was the style of the reception. It was important for us to have a cocktail-style reception which was a huge factor in our venue choice as well.
Hotel Zamora checked every box on our venue wish list and even added some we didn’t think we needed! We ultimately chose this venue because it was the perfect pairing to the theme and reception style we were dreaming of. Hotel Zamora offered us the option to create an experience for guests by having the ceremony and cocktail hour by the beautiful bayside and reception on breathtaking gulf side rooftop. They were so flexible and were able to easily create the cocktail-style reception we desired with plenty of lounge, bar, and table seating. And Hotel Zamora had such fantastic food that really impressed the guests.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
After being guests at many different types of weddings, we pretty much knew exactly what we wanted our wedding to be like. So making the decisions wasn’t a hard task for us. This led us to understand what type of wedding planner would best fit our needs. We needed someone who would pick up every decision we made and execute it professionally. So we looked for someone with experience and industry knowledge, who could fill in the details for us while understanding our ultimate vision.
Coastal Coordinating has a tactical team that is trusted all across the state that together embodies so much experience. This was a major asset when initially researching wedding planners. During our first meeting, Coastal Coordinating came prepared with a structured discussion that addressed all of my questions before having to ask them. This showed that they were in tune with the details and very professional. Working with Lauren was an absolute joy and pleasure. She made our day come to life by coordinating all of the décor, staying on top of the schedule, and providing creative solutions to some challenges prior to the day of. Lauren from Coastal Coordinating exceeded our expectations with her day-of coordination with all the vendors, family, and bridal party. She blew us away with her attention to detail and ability to stay ahead of schedule.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We did a mini-moon at the Don Cesar! Due to COVID-19, we decided to cancel our honeymoon and stay a few more days locally. Best decision we made during the wedding planning process, we loved it SO much! We were able to get the honeymoon feeling at Don Cesar without the stress of traveling.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
We did my bachelorette party in Rosemary Beach, FL. We rented a big house and had beach/pool days, game nights and my husband even surprised us with a bonfire! It was such a magical weekend with my closest friends. We chose this location due to its amazing beach town vibes that had everything you would want on a vacation within walking distance.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We chose this area because my husband and I both grew up in Tampa and let’s face it, the west coast has the best beaches and sunsets! The theme of our wedding was tropical. We love the local beaches and foliage so this theme just made sense to us.
What were your colors?
We chose subtle pink and green colors to play off the tropical florals. We had natural wooden and gold accent décor to bring in some other natural colors and textures.
What was your floral inspiration?
Our florals were inspired by our tropical theme and venue. We wanted to further showcase the stunning tropical greenery around Hotel Zamora and tie in pops of our wedding colors with the florals.
I vetted a few floral services prior to choosing Lemon Drops, and their customer service won me over. From our first call, they were already working with my budget, making suggestions, and seeing the vision we had. I gave them a few inspiration pictures and said do your thing and they sure did deliver! They were so pleasant to work with and kept me up to date with the final design and pricing.
“Hotel Zamora checked every box on our venue wish list and even added some we didn’t think we needed! It was the perfect pairing to the theme and reception style we were dreaming of. It offered us the option to create an experience for guests by having the ceremony and cocktail hour by the beautiful bayside and reception on breathtaking gulf side rooftop. They were so flexible and were able to easily create the cocktail-style reception we desired with plenty of lounge, bar, and table seating. Hotel Zamora had such fantastic food that really impressed the guests.”
-The Bride
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We incorporated our personalities mostly through music at our wedding. Cocktail hour was all about the island vibes! We were looking for a reputable DJ service that was open to learning our taste in music and putting their twist on it. to keep the party going!
When it came to DJ’s I was so clueless on how to choose a vendor, so I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to book their highly suggested vendor, Graingertainment.
We hired Graingertainment for their professionalism and passion for what they do. They were so quick to respond to any question we had throughout the planning process and had a great online interface to connect with your music style. They also fit well with our budget which was a huge bonus! Their services were seamless. We got to build our music profile and had a few trickier requests which they knocked out of the park! We wanted to play our favorite bands Rebelution and Stick Figure during cocktail hour and they absolutely had no problem executing and making smooth transitions.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors will always be so close to our hearts for making our day so special. Each one really exceeded our expectations in some way. Hotel Zamora had such fantastic food that really impressed the guests. Our photographer exceeded our expectations with how streamlined the photo-taking process was after the ceremony; we even got to join the cocktail hour which was a dream! Lauren from Coastal Coordinating exceeded our expectations with her day of coordination with all the vendors, family, and bridal party. She blew us away with her attention to detail and ability to stay ahead of schedule.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Stay true to yourselves and your vision for your special day. Vendors are more than happy to work with you to make your dream come true. Find a few important aspects about your wedding style to guide your decisions and remain open and flexible to the rest.
