Devon and Daniel's classic South Tampa wedding featured a charming historic venue adorned with purple and white blooms, wooden embellishments, taper candles, and delicate hints of soft amber and cashmere hues.
“Initially, I was all over the place with design inspiration. There are so many good ideas out there! I wanted something classic but also modern,” the bride shared. “I give credit to our planner and florist for listening to all my ideas, looking at my Pinterest inspiration, and making it all come together! My main color was purple because it's my favorite color, and it's very in tune with spring!”
The Tampa couple decided to exchange vows in their beloved city during the Spring, eager to showcase its charms to family and friends. For planning their wedding details, they sought expert guidance and inspiration from Marry Me Tampa Bay, a locally owned resource.
“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay for a lot of inspiration,” the bride beamed. “I utilized the website for everything from décor to venues, to wedding activities such as photo booth, guest book, etc. Once I found vendors I was interested in, I did additional research, including looking to see if any were featured in Marry Me Tampa Bay.”
Devon and Daniel wanted to capture the essence of the day's events through stunning photographs. The couple turned to a trusted friend, who also happened to be a professional wedding photographer.
“We wanted someone to capture the day. Eddy Almguer Photography was an easy choice for us since we already knew Eddy as a friend. However, hiring a friend is always a little nerve-wracking! After we had done our engagement photos, we knew that we made the right choice,” the bride raved. “Eddy was able to capture all the moments, little and big. Since we did not have a videographer, we wanted to make sure that our pictures encapsulated how everyone felt throughout the day, and boy, did he deliver! All the compliments we got after the wedding always included someone saying how great our photographer was, and that was before the pictures came out! He was the perfect amount of being involved with the guests for some great party shots and also almost invisible during the ceremony so that everyone could see and enjoy.”
“I can't help but feel a little extra something when I serve clients who know not just me outside of a wedding day but also my family. It also allowed this added layer of familiarity to the couple. Often, I strive to enter a wedding day as a friend. In this instance, I knew for a fact that was the case!” Eddy shared.
Having observed the joy they bring at weddings, they've attended and desiring to capture additional cherished moments; the couple incorporated a photo booth into their wedding festivities.
“We always love doing photo booths at our friends' weddings! It is a great way to get some extra memories and group shots without taking up time to do them with our photographer when we wanted him to take pictures of other parts of the party,” the bride explained. “It was also so much fun to go back and look at all the photobooth pictures of all our friends messing around and having fun! We chose Gala Photobooth because they had been recommended to us and because of their great reviews. They were great!”
Marking the March occasion alongside their loved ones held great significance for the bride and groom. With 125 guests present, Devon and Daniel created an atmosphere to ensure everyone felt at ease and enjoyed a memorable experience.
“We made sure to have the vibe of the wedding be as genuine to us as possible and filled with joy and love. Throughout our décor, we included pictures of us and our family throughout the years. Our friends were a big part of our ceremony, providing readings and prayers during the ceremony,” the bride detailed. “We love our friends, family, food, and dancing, and we made sure to have amazing food and a band that would ensure a full dance floor all night long. Everyone could do what they wanted during the reception (dance, lounge, photobooth), which was important to us so everyone felt comfortable. We wanted to have the best time celebrating with everyone in one place.”
Among the myriad of cherished moments from the wedding, celebrating together to the point they extended the party stood out to the bride.
“My most memorable moments included my husband and I dancing all night long with our family and friends. It was exactly what we wanted. Looking around and seeing everyone having fun was amazing,” the bride reminisced. “We knew it was a good night when we extended the band time because everyone was having too much fun for it to end.”
“I really enjoyed the Hava Nagila, which is always one of my favorite things to photograph at a wedding with Jewish traditions. The people were absolutely ready to party, which led to some of my favorite party photos ever,” the photographer added. “I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Danny and Devon truly danced the night away!”
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone to capture the day. Eddy Almguer Photography was an easy choice for us since we already knew Eddy as a friend. However, hiring a friend is always a little nerve-wracking! After we had done our engagement photos, we knew that we made the right choice.
Eddy was able to capture all the moments, little and big. Since we did not have a videographer, we wanted to make sure that our pictures encapsulated how everyone felt throughout the day, and boy, did he deliver! All the compliments we got after the wedding always included someone saying how great our photographer was, and that was before the pictures came out! He was the perfect amount of being involved with the guests for some great party shots and also almost invisible during the ceremony so that everyone could see and enjoy.
The Proposal:
Danny proposed at one of the trolley stations in Tampa. He didn’t have a full plan thought out of where to propose, but I set him up perfectly.
When I noticed he was deep in thought, I asked, “What are you thinking about?” His immediate response, “I’m thinking about spending the rest of our lives together,” and he got down on one knee! You would think after being together for seven years, I wouldn’t have been so surprised, but my response was, “Are you serious???” about a million times!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette party was in Scottsdale Arizona. My sister and best friend planned the whole thing so everything was a surprise to me!
Danny’s bachelor party was in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. It was easy for all his friends to get to and they were able to enjoy some good golfing and the beach.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Hawaii! Half the trip in Kuai and half the trip in Maui. Neither of us had been before, and we wanted a place we could combine doing activities and also just relaxing.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Initially, I was all over the place with design inspiration. There are so many good ideas out there! I wanted something classic but also modern. I give credit to our planner and florist for listening to all my ideas, looking at my Pinterest inspiration, and making it all come together! My main color was purple because it's my favorite color, and it's very in tune with spring!”
What were your colors?
My main color was purple because it's my favorite color, and it's very in tune with spring!”
Why did you choose to have a photo booth?
We always love doing photo booths at our friends' weddings! It is a great way to get some extra memories and group shots without taking up time to do them with our photographer when we wanted him to take pictures of other parts of the party. It was also so much fun to go back and look at all the photobooth pictures of all our friends messing around and having fun! We chose Gala Photobooth because they had been recommended to us and because of their great reviews. They were great!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our planner really went above and beyond. Once we hired her, the planning process was pretty much stress-free! Our planner recommended our florist after I was having trouble finding someone who understood what I wanted without going over budget. The first time we met, she showed me a presentation that included my inspiration and discussed how she would get it done. She really understood my vision, and it fully exceeded my expectations!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Embrace how amazing Tampa is, especially if some of your guests are from out of town. We chose our venue and hotel block because of their location close to downtown, Bayshore Blvd., Hyde Park, and Channelside.
