Elegant Outdoor Sarasota Wedding | The Oaks Club Wedding
With cascading florals dripping from the chandeliers and an outdoor tented reception with specialty linens and chairs, you’d never be able to guess that this Sarasota wedding was planned in under half a year.
“We planned the wedding in four months exactly, and I knew that in order to pull off the most important day of our lives it was important to have the best wedding expert in Sarasota, so my first call was to NK Productions to help us through the process,” the bride gushed. “I had worked with Nicole of NK Productions previously when my boss got married and had been to weddings she had coordinated. I knew she was the best and there was never any question I would go with anyone else.”
Allison and Chris’s elegant and romantic Sarasota wedding ceremony highlighted their religion and love for each other.
“We wanted to keep the central focus of the ceremony to reflect God’s love and his faithfulness as we entered into covenant with one another, sealing our love on each others hearts forever,” the bride shared.
The couple chose a timeless black and white color palette with touches of navy and gold. The cascading orchids draped from the chandeliers added a romantic atmosphere to their outdoor, tented Sarasota wedding reception.
“The wedding was formal and intimate, but also fun,” the bride explained. “The line at the photo booth never died down, and the dance floor was full all night!”
The pair focused on food and entertainment to give their wedding guests a memorable experience.
“The food, open bar and the music were the most important,” Allison shared. “Chris and I love cheese plates. We forgoed the salad course in place of a cheese plate that we worked with the chef to create. We also did custom cocktails: a Manhattan for Chris and Kir Royal for me.
Looking back, one of the bride’s most memorable moments occurred during the wedding ceremony.
“The entire day was overwhelmingly beautiful. I felt like my heart was overflowing. Walking down the candlelight aisle to Great is Thy Faithfulness as a thunderstorm rolled around us was something very special,” Allison reminisced.
The Proposal:
Chris casually asked me if I wanted to go on a weekend getaway to the Bahamas and told me to block off the date in my calendar. As the trip approached, I pressed for additional information of where exactly we were going and knew something was up when he was not being forthcoming. I went along with it and filled my suitcase full of bikinis and sunscreen.
The day of the trip he threw me a curveball and said I needed to repack as we weren’t going to the Bahamas, but were going somewhere with a high of 60 degrees. I didn’t know where until we got to the airport. We flew to San Francisco and as soon as we got a rental car I knew we were going to Napa, a place I had never been and always wanted to go. Chris proposed at Domaine Carneros overlooking the picturesque vineyards.
How would you describe your theme?
Elegant, intimate and romantic. We wanted to make our guests feel special and keep the central focus of the ceremony to reflect God’s love and his faithfulness as we entered into covenant with one another, sealing our love on each others hearts forever. The reception was a celebration of that love.
What were your colors?
Black and white with touches of navy and gold. We chose them because they’re elegant and timeless.
What did you look for in a wedding planner and why did you choose to hire one?
I had worked with Nicole of NK Productions previously when my boss got married (I was his personal assistant) and had been to weddings she had coordinated. I knew she was the best and there was never any question I would go with anyone else. Nicole was an 11 out of 10. NK Productions surpassed my expectations.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay/Sarasota Brides?
Take a deep breath and keep the big picture in mind. Enjoy the process and don’t stress over the details. It will be over before you know it.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Oaks Club
Photographer: Tara Tomlinson Photography
Planner: NK Productions *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Vendor
Florist: Flowers by Fudgie
Caterer: The Oaks Club
Rentals: U.S. Tent Rental
Cake: The Oaks Club
Band: Ben Hammond
Officiant: Michael Harding (Bride’s Uncle)
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
Dress: Passed on from the Bride’s Sister
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Rent the Runway, Badgley Mischka
Hair & Makeup: Eri Vincent Makeup
Photo Booth: The Fancy Booth *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Vendor
Additional Wedding Vendors: Spotlight Graphics
