Amanda and Jason’s romantic Safety Harbor wedding featured a stunning color palette of rich berry tones including burgundy and lavender, complemented by vibrant florals and intricate details that blended modern elegance with a touch of youthful charm.

“I wanted our wedding to feel romantic, modern, and youthful. I drew inspiration from a few weddings I found online and fell in love with their use of color and intricate details. We chose beautiful cool berry tones that felt just right for us,” the bride shared. “Even though we got married in the fall, traditional autumn colors didn’t resonate with us, so we opted for deeper berry hues that better reflected our style. Surprisingly, Jason has a great eye for color, while I love intricate details. We aimed to blend the two by incorporating rich textures into our table settings and adding vibrant pops of color through our florals.”

With Tampa holding so many cherished memories for the bride and groom, it was the perfect place to gather their loved ones for their October wedding, even after narrowly avoiding the disruption of back-to-back hurricanes.

“We were incredibly fortunate that we didn’t have to reschedule, especially with our wedding falling right between Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” the bride recalled. “Tampa is especially meaningful to me since I grew up in the Tampa Bay area. Jason, on the other hand, was new to Florida, having just moved to West Palm and later Vero Beach. Our paths crossed when he was in Tampa for a golf tournament. Though we lived on opposite sides of the state—me in Tampa and him in Vero—we made it work. That’s why Tampa holds so many cherished memories for us. With half of our wedding guests coming from out of state, we wanted a location that was both special and convenient. We love Tampa and knew it would be the perfect place to celebrate with everyone.”

The ceremony took place at the romantic, light and airy Harborside Chapel, a venue known for its timeless elegance. Inside, the chapel featured soaring vaulted ceilings, large windows that bathed the space in beautiful natural light, and exquisite chandeliers that added to the ambiance. The crisp white interior was adorned with antique lanterns and candles of varying heights, creating a warm and inviting entrance. Seventy-five guests looked on as Amanda made her way down the aisle in a breathtaking white v-neckline gown with delicate thin straps and intricate embellishments. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, with soft, loose tendrils framing her face, completing her effortlessly romantic look.

“Florida weather can be unpredictable. We love outdoor weddings but we felt it was best we have it inside. I found Harborside Chapel from a blog post by Marry Me Tampa Bay during my research process. I saw it, and it was love at first sight. We knew that was where we wanted to get married,” the bride gushed.  “Our faith was a large contributing factor when deciding where to have our ceremony. We both felt very strongly about getting married in a church or chapel with a priest. Harborside is undeniably stunning. We loved that it had so many windows and brought in amazing natural light. The people who work there are so kind. It was very seamless working with them. They went above and beyond to make sure I had the song I wanted for my walk down the aisle, which was a difficult song to find.”

Planning a wedding is no easy task, and adding Florida’s unpredictable weather into the mix only makes it more challenging. With so many moving parts to consider, having an experienced wedding planner was essential to ensuring everything came together flawlessly.

“My journey with UNIQUE Weddings and Events has a deep familial connection. I’ve known Staci since before she started her wedding and event planning business—my mom was her Maid of Honor. In fact, Staci’s own wedding was the first she ever planned, and it was so stunning that it inspired her to launch her career. She later planned my sister’s wedding and did an incredible job. I had followed her work over the years, so when it was time for me to choose a planner, the decision was an easy one,” the bride beamed. “Staci is truly amazing at what she does! She has an incredible depth of knowledge about the wedding industry and is always on top of every detail. She works magic—it never feels like a question of if she can make something happen, but how she’ll make it work. That level of dedication is so admirable, and she is an absolute joy to work with. Our wedding day felt completely seamless, and I know that’s all thanks to the effort she put in behind the scenes. She is truly incredible.”

Amanda and Jason knew that finding the right wedding photographer was essential to preserving the memories of their day. They were drawn to Lifelong Photography Studio’s warm approach and talent for showcasing heartfelt emotions.

“We wanted a photographer who captured moments that felt genuine and had an editing style that was close to true color. Lifelong Photography had an amazing portfolio and we were super comfortable around them,” the bride shared. “The day of our engagement photos and wedding were honestly so fun. Buffy made us feel so at ease in front of the camera, which was pretty foreign to us.”

Among all the beautiful moments, the couple’s first dance stood out as one they’ll never forget.

“We did not have a choreographed dance, but we had a couple of moves to surprise everyone with. When it was time for us to shine, I had two left feet! Although not perfectly executed, we just laughed it off and had fun. The next day we asked one another, what our favorite moment was, and we both agreed it was the first dance,” Amanda reminisced.

The Proposal:
Jason proposed at a Japanese botanical garden in Chicago. We’re both from the midwest, and I was born in Chicago and lived in Illinois up until I was 13 years old. I felt that he was really thoughtful in his choice to propose there, and it was near a museum I visited often as a kid. 

What did you look for in a wedding ceremony venue?
Florida weather can be unpredictable. We love outdoor weddings but we felt it was best we have it inside. I found Harborside Chapel from a blog post by Marry Me Tampa Bay during my research process. I saw it, and it was love at first sight. We knew that was where we wanted to get married. Our faith was a large contributing factor when deciding where to have our ceremony. We both felt very strongly about getting married in a church or chapel with a priest. Harborside is undeniably stunning. We loved that it had so many windows and brought in amazing natural light. The people who work there are so kind. It was very seamless working with them. They went above and beyond to make sure I had the song I wanted for my walk down the aisle, which was a difficult song to find.

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted a photographer who captured moments that felt genuine and had an editing style that was close to true color. 

Lifelong Photography Studio had an amazing portfolio and we were super comfortable around them. The day of our engagement photos and wedding were honestly so fun. Buffy made us feel so at ease in front of the camera, which was pretty foreign to us.

What did you look for in a wedding planner?
My journey with UNIQUE Weddings and Events has a deep familial connection. I’ve known Staci since before she started her wedding and event planning business—my mom was her Maid of Honor. In fact, Staci’s own wedding was the first she ever planned, and it was so stunning that it inspired her to launch her career. She later planned my sister’s wedding and did an incredible job. I had followed her work over the years, so when it was time for me to choose a planner, the decision was an easy one.

Staci is truly amazing at what she does! She has an incredible depth of knowledge about the wedding industry and is always on top of every detail. She works magic—it never feels like a question of if she can make something happen, but how she’ll make it work. That level of dedication is so admirable, and she is an absolute joy to work with. Our wedding day felt completely seamless, and I know that’s all thanks to the effort she put in behind the scenes. She is truly incredible.

What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
Our wedding planner told us Tampa Bay DJ Company was amazing and they would do a great job! She was right! They did an awesome job with the crowd, we danced all night. All of our family said it was the most fun they’ve had at a wedding in a long time.