Wedding

Purple, Grey and Silver Hollywood Style Downtown Tampa, FL Destination Wedding

 

LaDonna and Kenroy met through a mutual friend as they were both Southerners living the Northeast.

“We had a great conversation when we met, so I provided Kenroy with my business card. A few days later, he called me and we practically spent every day talking on the phone for hours which eventually turned into a four year relationship,” LaDonna reminisced.

On an evening out celebrating their four anniversary, Kenory treated LaDonna to a play in New York City.

“We were supposed to go to dinner prior to the play, but he was running late from work so he picked up dinner and we ate in the car on our way. After the play, Kenroy said that he needed to drop by the new apartment that we were supposed to move into the next day. I knew he was up to something,” the bride explained. “When I walked in I saw rose petals leading my path to what I thought was an empty bedroom. As I walked back to the room I heard my favorite song playing, Head to Toe by Eric Roberson, and I knew then what I was walking into. I opened the door and the room was filled with candles and rose petals. Kenroy was on one knee and I immediately started crying. I was in shock! All I could say was, ‘Oh my God. Are you serious?!’”

Purple, Grey and Silver Hollywood Style Downtown Tampa, FL Destination Wedding – Straz Center

The couple planned a Hollywood-themed destination wedding, playing off their downtown Tampa wedding venue the Straz Center, a performing arts center.

“We loved the view of the river, the colors, the theatres, the dressing rooms, and the accessibility to downtown,” the bride gushed. “We thought the venue was so unique and would give us an opportunity to create a more memorable wedding.”

With guests traveling hundreds of miles for their wedding, LaDonna and Kenroy literally rolled out the red carpet for them.

“It started out with a simple idea of having Wedbill for our programs and in a few weeks we created an entire Hollywood red carpet theme,” LaDonna said. “We had a step and repeat wall, red carpet with the stanchions as you would see at an award show, our table numbers were our favorite movies, my groom and his groomsmen wore Vera Wang suits and our invitations were like an invite to an award show.”

One of LaDonna’s most memorable moments of the day came during her downtown Tampa wedding ceremony.

“When we said ‘I do' and jumped the broom, Lord knows we were so happy to be married!” she exclaimed.

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When we said “I do” and jumped the broom, Lord knows we were so happy to be married! – The Bride

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We loved the view of the river, the colors, the theatres, the dressing rooms, and the accessibility to downtown. We thought the Straz Center was so unique and would give us an opportunity to create a more memorable wedding. – The Bride

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Planning this wedding was one of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. My husband and I spent almost a year planning every single detail of our wedding and with the help of our wonderful vendors our special day was both memorable and enjoyable. – The Bride

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What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Utilize wedding blogs and wedding sites for suggestions and ideas. Since we were not from the Tampa Bay we relied heavily on the internet.

Ask around. Coming from out of state we began our search with preferred vendor lists which are often posted on the vendor’s website. Once we identified a couple of vendors that we wanted to work with, we asked them if they had recommendations for vendors such as florists, wedding planners etc. Most likely they have worked with one another and can give you some feedback about their experience.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions, after all this is a huge and expensive day so don't be afraid to ask the vendors questions.

Tampa Wedding Venue: Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Tampa Wedding Photographer: Life’s Highlights
Tampa Wedding Planner: Winsor Event Studio
Tampa Wedding Florist: Gisselle Sanchez Floral and Event Design
Tampa Wedding Caterer: Maestro's Restaurant (Straz Center)
Tampa Wedding Officiant: Rev. Dr. Willie Myles
Tampa Wedding Charger Rentals: Tampa Calligraphy
Tampa Wedding Cake: Cakes by Nomeda
Tampa Wedding DJ: Universal Music Entertainment
Tampa Wedding Dress: Jefre’s Bridal (New Jersey) Allure Couture
Tampa Bridesmaid Dresses: Alexia Designs
Tampa Wedding Hair & Makeup: The Comfort Zone Spa & Salon
Tampa Wedding Groomsmen Suits: Men's Warehouse