Shana and Ben met one cold Atlanta evening at the World of Beer while Ben was visiting his parents for the holidays.
“We bonded over sharing that we were both Auburn alumni graduating the same year. It was love at first sight,” Shana said.
One year later the pair found themselves going back to where it all started, visiting Ben’s parents in Atlanta for Christmas. From there they headed to Knoxville, TN to meet the rest of Ben’s family. It was at his Papa’s house that Ben proposed.
“After gathering his thoughts he came out and asked me if I would continue to love him for the rest of my life and marry him. I said ‘yes’!” Shana reminisced.
Elegant Winter Wonderland St. Petersburg, Fl Wedding – Renaissance Vinoy
Shana and Ben searched for a St. Pete wedding venue that would also provide a vacation-like atmosphere.
“After looking at several locations we fell in love with the Renaissance Vinoy Grand Ballroom. It had such a classic elegance and the chandelier was a piece of art,” Shana said. “The Vinoy was the perfect choice as I have memories of spending much time there as a child.”
The St. Petersburg bride chose eggplant, cream and silver for her elegant ballroom wedding.
“The walls were splashed in purple lighting with our monogram as the backdrop behind our feasting table. We wanted our wedding to have a romantic feel full of crystals and lace,” Shana shared. “We paid close attention to each detail, even the napkins and invitations were monogrammed.”
To bring her wedding vision to a reality, Shana worked with St. Petersburg wedding florist Northside Florist.
“I chose Northside Florist after visiting over a handful of florists in the Tampa Bay area. They are very flexible, personable, and will put in the time to make your vision a reality. Kathy completely understood my vision and assured me that she would take care of everything,” Shana said.
Looking back, Shana said that one of the most surprising moments of the night came not from the bride or groom, but from her father.
“My dad appeared on stage and sung Play that Funky Music. Our friends and family absolutely loved it!” Shana said.
What advice do you have for other Tampa Bay Brides?
Take your time, research vendors, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Everything will be perfect on your wedding so take it all in and enjoy the ride!
St. Petersburg Wedding Ceremony: St. Mary’s Catholic Church
St. Petersburg Wedding Reception Venue: Renaissance Vinoy
St. Petersburg Wedding Photographer: Limelight Photography
St. Petersburg Wedding Planner: Weddings by Georgia
St. Petersburg Wedding Florist: Northside Florist
St. Petersburg Wedding Videographer: Voila Cinematic – Associate Film
St. Petersburg Wedding Lighting, Draping, Design Elements: IM Events
St. Petersburg Wedding Cake: Alessi Bakery
St. Petersburg Wedding Chair Rentals: Signature Events by Design
St. Petersburg Wedding Linen Rentals: BBJ Linen
St. Petersburg Wedding Photo booth Rental: Foto Box
St. Petersburg Wedding Band: South Town Fever
St. Petersburg Wedding Invitations: URBANcoast
St. Petersburg Wedding Makeup: Lindsay Does Makeup
St. Petersburg Wedding Koozies: Denny Kollmeyer Products
We are proud to have Northside Florist as a Marry Me Tampa Bay sponsor!