Milynn and Mike's romantic South Tampa wedding was a blend of minimalist and vintage inspiration. The ceremony took place in a lush green garden with a background of moss-draped oak trees and leafy foliage. Opting for a DIY approach to their wedding, the bride and groom curated an event that epitomized elegance while effortlessly exuding charm.
“Mike is a minimalist, and l am a big fan of vintage. We both love neutrals and DIY, so we incorporated a lot of that into our wedding. We chose ‘champagne romance' to anchor a timeless vibe and color scheme. We wanted our wedding to feel modern, romantic, and elegant. We tried to avoid trendy themes and decor so that when we looked back at our photos, it would look timeless,” the bride explained. “Since our wedding was in the spring, we both wanted a neutral color palette with a light pop of color. We chose a champagne pink for a bit of romance against white, gold, green, and wood tones.”
As an avid reader of Marry Me Tampa Bay, Milynn found her photographer, DJ, decor rentals, hair and makeup artists, and photo booth from the preferred wedding professional recommendations provided by the site and personally vetted by our editor.
“We wanted to work with local vendors as much as possible and used Marry Me Tampa Bay often at the beginning of our wedding research! It was so helpful to see the list of preferred vendors, search other weddings for inspiration, and read vendor reviews from the couples,” Milynn revealed. “Because everything on the blog is a wedding in the Tampa Bay area, it made it easy to look through the vendors and event spaces without having to filter to see if that vendor would be available for our wedding.”
Capturing the moments through photography was paramount to the St. Pepe couple. Dewitt For Love Photography's editorial style instantly stood out, and once they spoke with owner Shannon Dewitt, the couple were elated to have found their perfect photography team.
“As someone who dabbles in photography, we looked for a photographer who understands lighting and has experience with golden hour photo shoots, direct light, and flash photography. We wanted our photos to look editorial and someone who makes us feel comfortable in front of the camera,” the bride shared. “We had a meeting with Shannon and just knew instantly that we had found our photographer. She is so bubbly and energetic, and you can tell she loves her job and has a passion for it. We’ve seen a ton of Tampa wedding photos while researching a photographer, and the photos that resonated most with us happened to all be shot by Dewitt for Love. Their photos are editorial, emotional, and just look like art. Brandon and Shannon made us all laugh throughout the day and just made everyone feel so comfortable, especially those who aren’t usually in front of a camera. They both have an eye for placement and are able to easily direct people. We definitely found our family photographer and hope to work with them forever.”
Finding a florist who would help complete their vision was a priority for the couple, who planned to DIY the majority of the decor for the day. Marigold Flower Co. created the perfect bridal bouquet against the bride's effortless cool fit-and-flare beaded crepe gown with a plunging V-neckline, while Femme Akoi Beauty Studio styled her long hair with glamourous Hollywood curls.
“Since we DIY’d a lot of our wedding, we were looking for a florist who could help us with our bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. Our floral inspiration was minimalist with a light pop of color to match our ‘Champagne Romance' theme,” the bride explained. “We saw a ton of beautiful work Marigold Flower Co. did and fell in love with it.”
For an officiant who would make their ceremony as meaningful to their 110 guests as it was to them, the couple entrusted Weddings By Bonnie to deliver a heartfelt and personalized ceremony.
“We wanted someone who was able to easily tell our story. We didn’t think very much about this part of the wedding initially because we hoped it to be short and sweet so we could just get on to the reception, but we really found that it was important to us to find someone who matched our personalities and can work for a crowd,” the bride shared. “Our original officiant canceled on us a month before our wedding, which was a blessing in disguise as she referred us to Weddings by Bonnie. Bonnie was able to quickly get on the phone with us and listen to our story. We laughed and cried together on the phone in our initial meeting, and we just knew she was exactly who we needed. She wrote her own script and did not work off of a template, which made our ceremony even more special. We’ve had a few people reach out to us after the wedding to say that they usually don’t like officiant speeches but really loved Bonnie’s.”
For a reception that would keep the energy high, the couple hired Grant Hemond & Associates with DJ Eric to keep the dance floor filled all night. The Gala Photobooth allowed their guests to have an extra sprinkle of fun with stunning photos of their guests by the end of the night.
“We wanted to capture as many moments of us and our guests as possible, and a photo booth was a great way to do that. The Gala Photobooth had great reviews and services that fit the vibe of our wedding. They were professional, fun, and a great partner to work with,” Milynn beamed. “We loved that we could customize so many of the printed photos and also give our guests an extra activity and something else to take home with them from our wedding.”
Looking back, it was the lively ceremony entrance that stood out to the couple, as they put their heart and souls into creating a memorable wedding day.
“Our merch toss during our ceremony was a great way to get a couple of my best guy friends in the wedding while also doing something unexpected,” the bride reminisced. “We surprised our guests with custom koozies with our funny faces and a custom concert-look t-shirt we handmade just before we exchanged vows. We only had a few made, and our guests were asking for them and are still talking about it after our wedding.”
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I went to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, because I wanted a relaxing, tropical party with my favorite girls. We rented an Airbnb that had a chef, a pool, and a golf cart to drive around the 5-mile-long island. It has a ton of cute restaurants, bars, and beach clubs. Fun fact: Isla Mujeres means “Island of Women.” How fitting is that for a bachelorette party?
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup and wanted to make sure my wedding look resembled how I normally look. I went with a natural makeup look and the Hollywood waves.
I hired Femme Akoi Beauty Studio since they specialized in both of those and were a preferred vendor with Marry Me Tampa Bay.
The Proposal:
When Mike and I first started dating, I had just closed on a house, and he offered to help me renovate it. We spent many months and weekends renovating it, and it was only fitting that the proposal was done in the house that we made into a home. Mike worked with my sister to decorate the house while his family flew in and was joined by my family for a surprise intimate proposal.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
Since we DIY’d a lot of our wedding, we were looking for a florist who could help us with our bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. Our floral inspiration was minimalist with a light pop of color to match our ‘Champagne Romance' theme. We saw a ton of beautiful work Marigold Flower Co. did and fell in love with it.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted to work with local vendors as much as possible and used Marry Me Tampa Bay often at the beginning of our wedding research! It was so helpful to see the list of preferred vendors, search other weddings for inspiration, and read vendor reviews from the couples. Because everything on the blog is a wedding in the Tampa Bay area, it made it easy to look through the vendors and event spaces without having to filter to see if that vendor would be available for our wedding.
As someone who dabbles in photography, we looked for a photographer who understands lighting and has experience with golden hour photo shoots, direct light, and flash photography. We wanted our photos to look editorial and someone who makes us feel comfortable in front of the camera. We had a meeting with Shannon and just knew instantly that we had found our photographer. She is so bubbly and energetic, and you can tell she loves her job and has a passion for it.
We’ve seen a ton of Tampa wedding photos while researching a photographer, and the photos that resonated most with us happened to all be shot by Dewitt for Love Photography. Their photos are editorial, emotional, and just look like art. Brandon and Shannon made us all laugh throughout the day and just made everyone feel so comfortable, especially those who aren’t usually in front of a camera. They both have an eye for placement and are able to easily direct people. We definitely found our family photographer and hope to work with them forever.
What did you look for in a wedding officiant?
We wanted someone who was able to easily tell our story. We didn’t think very much about this part of the wedding initially because we hoped it to be short and sweet so we could just get on to the reception, but we really found that it was important to us to find someone who matched our personalities and can work for a crowd. Our original officiant canceled on us a month before our wedding, which was a blessing in disguise as she referred us to Weddings by Bonnie.
Bonnie was able to quickly get on the phone with us and listen to our story. We laughed and cried together on the phone in our initial meeting, and we just knew she was exactly who we needed. She wrote her own script and did not work off of a template, which made our ceremony even more special.
We’ve had a few people reach out to us after the wedding to say that they usually don’t like officiant speeches but really loved Bonnie’s.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We did a 2-week trip to Italy and the South of France (Nice). Mike’s family is from Italy, and we both have never been, so we took it as an opportunity to visit. The South of France is where I think of as the most romantic destination, and since it was close and easy to get to by train from Italy, that was a no-brainer for our honeymoon!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Mike is a minimalist, and l am a big fan of vintage. We both love neutrals and DIY, so we incorporated a lot of that into our wedding. We chose ‘champagne romance' to anchor a timeless vibe and color scheme. We wanted our wedding to feel modern, romantic, and elegant. We tried to avoid trendy themes and decor so that when we looked back at our photos, it would look timeless.
What were your colors?
Since our wedding was in the spring, we both wanted a neutral color palette with a light pop of color. We chose a champagne pink for a bit of romance against white, gold, green, and wood tones.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We were looking for a DJ who had great reviews and who would customize the music selection for our needs.
We were thrilled to have Grant Hemond and Associates, Eric Harding specifically. He came highly recommended, and we couldn’t have been happier with him!
Why did you choose to have a photo booth?
We wanted to capture as many moments of us and our guests as possible, and a photo booth was a great way to do that. The Gala Photobooth had great reviews and services that fit the vibe of our wedding. They were professional, fun, and a great partner to work with. We loved that we could customize so many of the printed photos and also give our guests an extra activity and something else to take home with them from our wedding.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors were amazing and had an important role in making our big day so special. If we had to pick a few shoutouts, it would be to Dewitt for Love Photography and our videographer for a truly exceptional job of capturing our precious moments while making us smile all day, as well as our planner (big shoutout to Jules!) for coordinating all of the moving parts so that we could focus on having our best time.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Consider getting a month-of coordinator, as they will take a lot of stress off of your plate to coordinate with vendors and timelines. Doing so also saves you the headache of assigning family members and friends roles, and everyone can just have fun! Having ours allowed us to focus on being completely and fully in our element on our big day.
Most importantly, have fun, and don’t sweat that things didn’t go to plan! If something didn’t go to plan, no one would notice but you. The day goes by so fast, so just enjoy it!
