Tiffany and Hunter's romantic downtown Tampa wedding featured a springtime courtyard ceremony, luxurious florals, interactive entertainment, and scenic Tampa Bay views from a skyrise hotel.
“From the start, we agreed we wanted our wedding to be an upscale, nice event that didn’t feel stuffy yet instead was classic and fun. If we were to describe our wedding in four words, it would be elegant, romantic, timeless, and fun,” the bride shared. “Both being born and raised in Florida, we wanted to show our love by adding tropical flowers that made us feel like home. Our black and white themed color selection continued our classic design and helped us create fun ways to incorporate color with lighting and let our beautiful florals pop.”
The Tampa bride visited Marry Me Tampa Bay's Instagram stories to stay up-to-date on the latest wedding trends and ideas.
“I loved using Marry Me Tampa Bay to make sure my wedding was in line with what people want to see out of weddings these days. Their daily Instagram stories, where people voted on their preferences, were eye-opening and helped me make some important wedding decisions,” Tiffany revealed.
The outdoor Jewish ceremony was held in the Hilton Tampa Downtown's picturesque courtyard with fountain backdrop and featured a stunning floral chuppah of white roses surrounded by greenery. The opulence expanded into the high-rise ballroom, where a hanging floral chandelier took centerstage over an all-white dance floor.
“With my husband coming from a hospitality background, it was important we catered to our guests’ needs and therefore we wanted our whole wedding in just one location. We wanted everything to be about ease and convenience so that all they had to worry about was being treated to a special evening and a good time. With a guest count of 200 people, options are pretty limited in finding a location that was outdoor and covered for the ceremony with a beautiful grand ballroom inside for dancing the night away,” the bride articulated. “When we came upon the Hilton Downtown Tampa, we immediately fell in love with the beautiful brick area covered by tall gorgeous trees and a nice breeze coming from in between two tall downtown buildings. Even though I had walked pasted this area many times, looking at it through wedding ceremony eyes, it looked completely different and so special. It really spoke to our love for Tampa and was quite perfect in every way for us. The Hilton recently went over lots of renovations, so the ballroom area was beautiful and so grand. The Hilton’s service was excellent. We were very happy we chose them to host the most important day of our lives.”
Tiffany twirled throughout the day in her off-the-shoulder ballgown wedding dress. The bride beamed with excitement and radiated with a natural glow curated by Femme Akoi Beauty Studio.
“I wanted to look like me on my wedding day. I hate when brides are so done up and barely look like themselves. I’m a big believer that makeup and hair should just enhance your looks, not change them. Femme Akoi did exactly that,” Tiffany gushed. “I felt like a better version of myself and was extremely happy looking back at the pictures and not being distracted by anything.”
The couple incorporated interactive experiences into the reception, including a phone message guestbook and a chic portrait booth for everyone to enjoy. They selected The Gala Photobooth for their high-end spin on the beloved party photobooth.
“You go to any event, and for some reason, the photo booth is always one of the most fun parts, so that was never a question of if we do one or not. A year before our wedding, we attended our friend's wedding and fell in love with the photo booth there. It made us look SO good and is one of our favorite pictures of us! We got their information right then and there and immediately knew we needed The Gala Photobooth at our wedding,” the bride beamed. “Unlike some other photo booths, Gala’s pictures are elegant, upscale, and have a great small filter added to them to ensure you don’t look sweaty coming from the dance floor. I know a lot of guests don’t think to take a picture on a night when they took the time to look done up and beautiful. We felt spending a little bit more money so our guests would be able to walk away from the night with a great picture of themselves was worth it.”
Although the entirety of their wedding day was filled with lasting memories, it was the private first look overlooking the Hillsborough River that Tiffany cherished the most.
“Before the ceremony, we found a beautiful spot along the river looking upon downtown Tampa and had a private first look where we both were able really to take in our day and have a few moments to ourselves. That was really special,” Tiffany reminisced. “Another memorable moment would be when we did the hora. At my sister’s wedding, I remember she was terrified to be lifted on that chair and warned me it was super scary. It turned out to be one of the most fun parts! I couldn’t stop giggling, and it was so fun seeing the entire wedding on the dance floor, dancing the hora around us. The last memorable moment would be our private last dance. While our guests lined up for our exit, Hunter and I stayed on the dance floor and were able to have a last private moment reflecting on our day and really appreciating each other. It was quite emotional in the best way.”
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I wanted to look like me on my wedding day. I hate when brides are so done up and barely look like themselves. I’m a big believer that makeup and hair should just enhance your looks, not change them.
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio did exactly that. I felt like a better version of myself and was extremely happy looking back at the pictures and not being distracted by anything.
The Proposal:
Hunter proposed on December 20th in the park I grew up in. His mother was in town visiting, so we all decided to go on an “impromptu” walk down one block from my parents' home. That’s where Hunter popped the question in front of our family. It was perfect.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
With my husband coming from a hospitality background, it was important we catered to our guests’ needs and therefore we wanted our whole wedding in just one location. We wanted everything to be about ease and convenience so that all they had to worry about was being treated to a special evening and a good time. With a guest count of 200 people, options are pretty limited in finding a location that was outdoor and covered for the ceremony and a beautiful grand ballroom inside for dancing the night away.
When we came upon the Hilton Downtown Tampa, we immediately fell in love with the beautiful brick area covered by tall gorgeous trees and a nice breeze coming from in between two tall downtown buildings.
Even though I had walked pasted this area many times, looking at it through wedding ceremony eyes, it looked completely different and so special. It really spoke to our love for Tampa and was quite perfect in every way for us.
The Hilton recently went over lots of renovations, so the ballroom area was beautiful and so grand. The Hilton’s service was excellent. When there was an issue with the beverage service, they made sure to make it right. We were very happy we chose them to host the most important day of our lives.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
We went to Las Vegas! We choose that location because there is just so much to do there! We did all the dancing, had a fun night at Magic Mike, about 80 party buses, tables at a nightclub and dayclub, and then took a month to recover!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Two days after the wedding, we headed to Amalfi, Italy, for six magical days and then to Paris for another six days. We wanted to do a Europe trip for a long time but weren’t able to because of COVID, so this was the perfect excuse.
We choose Amalfi because of its incredible views and food. We relaxed, explored, and ate absolutely everything. We choose Paris for the obvious reason; it’s the most romantic place in the world! That part of the trip was more action-packed, taking in all the sights, and was the perfect way to end our honeymoon.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
From the start, we agreed we wanted our wedding to be an upscale, nice event that didn’t feel stuffy yet instead was classic and fun. Our wedding design was classic elegance mixed with modern influence. Both being born and raised in Florida, we wanted to show our love by adding tropical flowers that made us feel like home.
What were your colors?
Our black and white themed color selection continued our classic design and helped us create fun ways to incorporate color with lighting and let our beautiful florals pop.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Your wedding lives or dies off of the reception music. A bad, cheesy DJ or band who makes it all about them can completely ruin a perfectly wonderful wedding.
We are big dancers and knew from the start the goal was to get people on the dance floor. My family and I own two dance studios in the Tampa area called BSDA and Hunter’s family has never shied away from a good boogie, so we knew it was going to be an epic event.
We chose Grant Hemond & Associates because we had a very long list of specific songs we wanted played and needed someone extremely professional to take on this important task.
We spent hours crafting a solid DJ playlist to ensure everyone would be having an epic time and had the amazing DJ James King to feel out the crowd for everything in between and keep the party moving. We even timed to the minute when to shoot off pyrotechnic guns into the crowd.
James completely matched our vibe and totally understood the assignment. No cheesy interjections; he was just the unsung hero of the evening who knew how to read a room and keep the flow going.
Why did you choose to incorporate a photo booth into your wedding day?
You go to any event, and for some reason, the photo booth is always one of the most fun parts, so that was never a question of if we do one or not. A year before our wedding, we attended our friend's wedding and fell in love with the photo booth there. It made us look SO good and is one of our favorite pictures of us! We got their information right then and there and immediately knew we needed The Gala Photobooth at our wedding.
Unlike some other photo booths, Gala’s pictures are elegant, upscale, and have a great small filter added to them to ensure you don’t look sweaty coming from the dance floor. I know a lot of guests don’t think to take a picture on a night when they took the time to look done up and beautiful. We felt spending a little bit more money so our guests would be able to walk away from the night with a great picture of themselves was worth it.
Which vendors exceeded your expectations?
Besides marrying my husband, our planner was the best decision in the whole wedding process. She helped me find all the vendors in my budget, trusted and reliable, and that would also complement our vibe and design.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Enjoy the process. It can be stressful, but it’s also super, so remember to check in with each other, delegate tasks, try and talk about other things besides the wedding, remember the whole reason you’re getting married and keep the day about the love, not just the party.
