Jessica and Adam’s waterfront Tampa garden wedding featured a romantic winter color palette of burgundy, blush and gold, inspired by their alma mater.

“We loved the natural beauty of our venue and felt like we could really use it to complement our wedding designs,” the bride explained. “We loved the darker burgundy for our winter wedding and felt like the blush and gold really complemented the darker hues well. Ironically, these are also a variation of the school colors of Florida State University, where we met each other and are graduates of! The colors really added well to our story since they represent where we met.”

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The Tampa bride utilized Marry Me Tampa Bay to research wedding vendors, as well as to gain inspiration for her big day.

“The blog was something I discovered early on during wedding planning. I loved that I could look through Marry Me Tampa Bay and find vendors local to the Tampa Bay area that I could look into using for my wedding,” Jessica explained. “It was also helpful once I had my wedding venue chosen, because I wanted to find vendors who were familiar with the venue, as it is a bit unique to other venues.”

Searching for a Tampa wedding photographer who could capture their love story and put them at east in front of the camera, the couple hired Kéra Photography .

“We knew we wanted to remember this day forever, and the best way to do so is to look back at pictures that not only represent the day, but capture the feelings of the day. Adam and I don’t exactly enjoy being the center of attention and aren’t used to being in front of a camera, so we wanted someone who we felt comfortable with for our big day!” the bride explained. “Kéra does a great job of capturing the important moments of the day, as well as the feelings experienced, all while telling a story. She was fantastic leading up to our wedding and even better the day of! She helped calm any nerves and keep us on schedule and made sure we had fun! Kéra definitely exceeded my expectations! I love our wedding pictures!”

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With a classic inspired look and modern hair twist in mind, the bride hired Tampa wedding hair and makeup team Femme Akoi after reviewing their pictures online.

“I wanted something that looked clean and natural but something that also stood out and was a bit different! I struggled to put into words exactly what I envisioned for my look for my wedding day, but I did a trial with Femme Akoi and they absolutely nailed it!” Jessica gushed. “I was blown away by my final look on my wedding day; they were worth every single penny! They made me feel like a ‘real’ bride, and I was excited to walk down the aisle. Anytime I show people pictures from my wedding, they ask who I had do my hair and makeup because it was that good!”

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Keeping both price and quality of food in mind, the couple searched for a Tampa Bay wedding catering who could provide a delicious, buffet style meal. Hiring Delectables Fine Catering after experiencing their cuisine at a tasting, the couple was blown away with their service and selection on their wedding day.

“We did a tasting with Delectables and fell in love with their food and their service! We knew we wanted to do buffet style, because we liked the idea of allowing our guests to choose what they wanted to eat. Our menu inspiration was to have food our guests would truly enjoy. We hand-picked our entrees based on our tasting (the Chicken Montrachet is to die for!), and we selected hearty and delicious sides to accompany,” Jessica gushed. “I was shocked at how we were able to fit such an amazing caterer like Delectables into our budget! Our experience was nothing short of perfect, and we highly recommend them!”

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Looking back, the bride reminisced on an unexpected appearance of Mother Nature during their ceremony, as one of her most memorable moments from their wedding day.

“Our officiant had said ‘By the power vested in me by the State of Florida…,’ and took a pause. At that exact moment there was a huge gust of wind! It brought chills to us and our guests as it had perfect timing. Following the ceremony, my mom said it felt like he was saying ‘By the power vested in me by the State of Florida…(and God), I now pronounce you husband and wife.’ It truly was miraculous and felt like we had somebody watching over us!” the bride shared.

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The Proposal:
We went to Italy for vacation for a trip of a lifetime. While in Naples, we planned a private tour to visit the Amalfi Coast. While visiting Positano, Adam suggested we take a walk along the beach. We reached a point on the beach where we were alone and away from the tourists. While taking in the views of the coast, Adam got down on one knee and proposed! I was completely blown away and surprised, although looking back I should have noticed how nervous he was that morning!

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
The main thing I looked for in a wedding photographer was someone who could capture a story of the day. We knew we wanted to remember this day forever, and the best way to do so is to look back at pictures that not only represent the day, but capture the feelings of the day. Adam and I don’t exactly enjoy being the center of attention and aren’t used to being in front of a camera, so we wanted someone who we felt comfortable with for our big day!

Looking at pictures and albums online, I knew that Kéra of Kéra Photography was the perfect photographer for us! She does a great job of capturing the important moments of the day, as well as the feelings experienced, all while telling a story. We did our engagement shots with Kéra, which really helped us get to know her and become more comfortable with her before the wedding. She was fantastic leading up to our wedding and even better the day of! She helped calm any nerves and keep us on schedule and made sure we had fun! Kéra definitely exceeded my expectations! I love our wedding pictures! I would highly recommend her to other brides in the Tampa area.

How would you describe your theme?
A combination of romantic and garden themes. We loved the natural beauty of our venue and felt like we could really use it to complement our wedding designs.

What were your colors?
Burgundy, blush, and gold. We loved the darker burgundy for our winter wedding and felt like the blush and gold really complemented the darker hues well. Ironically, these are also a variation of the school colors of Florida State University, where we met each other and are graduates of! The colors really added well to our story since they represent where we met.

What did you look for in a wedding hair and makeup artist?
My wedding hair and makeup inspiration was a classic look with a modern twist. I wanted something that looked clean and natural, but also stood out and was a bit different! I struggled to put into words exactly what i envisioned for my look for my wedding day, but I did a trial with Femme Akoi and they absolutely nailed it!

I chose Femme Akoi based on pictures I had seen from weddings and the reviews they had received. I was blown away by my final look on my wedding day. They were worth every single penny! They made me feel like a “real” bride, and I was excited to walk down the aisle. Anytime I show people pictures from my wedding, they ask who I had do my hair and makeup because it was that good!

What did you look for in a wedding caterer? 
We looked for a wedding caterer who made truly delicious food and was a reasonable price. We did a tasting with Delectables Fine Catering and fell in love with their food and their service! We knew we wanted to do buffet style, because we liked the idea of allowing our guests to choose what they wanted to eat. Our menu inspiration was to have food our guests would truly enjoy. We hand-picked our entrees based on our tasting (the Chicken Montrachet is to die for!), and we selected hearty and delicious sides to accompany!

I was shocked at how we were able to fit such an amazing caterer like Delectables into our budget! Our experience with Delectables was nothing short of perfect, and we highly recommend them!

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Really enjoy the wedding planning process and not let it stress you out too much! It can really be overwhelming at times, but relax, take a step back and enjoy! Most importantly, make decisions for the wedding based on what you and your future spouse want. Stay true to yourselves – don’t let others influence you!

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Davis Islands Garden Club
Photographer: Kéra Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
“Day of” Planner: Cherished Ceremonies
Florist: Brides N’ Blooms Designs
Caterer: Delectables Fine Catering *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Rentals: Classic Events Entertainment
Cake: Cakes by Carolynn
DJ: Universal Music Entertainment
Officiant: Jamal Guiler
Transportation: Blu Moon Transportation
Dress: Stella York
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Guest Accommodations: Marriott Tampa Waterside