Alyson and Zachary's romantic St. Pete Beach wedding featured a delightful day set against the backdrop of Florida's white sandy beaches, clear blue water, and sunset views.
“Our wedding theme was modern. We wanted colors that were calming and understated that also complemented the beach and the beauty of Isla del Sol. With the wedding being in March, we also wanted to choose colors that fit the season,” the bride shared. “We chose a range of dusty blues because we wanted something neutral and understated that also blended well with the venue and the beach. We felt as though the blues were calming and when in photos we thought that blue looked really elegant.”
The South Tampa couple gathered 135 of their friends and family, many from out of town, to experience all that the Tampa Bay region offers. Alyson and Zachary prioritized the venue location and selected Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club for its private beach and reception space, large dance floor, and after-party beach bonfire.
“We wanted a venue that exemplified Florida’s beauty, but we also really desired privacy and seclusion. We desired a beautiful reception space that overlooked the water, in addition to a dance floor that fit our dancing needs! When we came upon Isla del Sol Yacht & Country Club, we felt like we had found a hidden gem,” the bride beamed. “When we first visited Isla del Sol, we immediately fell in love with its beauty. After exploring other venues, what attracted us the most to Isla del Sol was the privacy and exclusivity. We would be the only couple getting married on-site on our wedding day. This stood out to us in comparison to other venues. Aside from the venue providing food, beverage, and rentals for our reception, it also offered a ceremonial package that included an officiant and a month of wedding planning, which we were more than pleased with. On our wedding day, the entire Isla del Sol staff was extremely attentive to us and helped to collaborate a smooth day of events.”
Capturing the memorable moments of the day through photography and videography was important to the couple, and the pair selected J&S Media for their professionalism and reputation.
“An element of our wedding that was important to us was the memory that we would have of it, or the photography and videography. We put a larger portion of our budget into our photography and videography because we wanted to be able to look back on the day for years to come. We looked for someone whose previous work fit the aesthetic that we craved. When we came upon J&S Media, we absolutely loved their work and that they are a married couple,” the bride explained. “They blew us away with not only the photography but our 8-minute wedding film that continues to bring tears to our eyes each time we watch it. Their team of four were professionals that worked extremely well together. They were never too pushy or overbearing on our wedding day but were still able to capture each moment perfectly. They definitely exceeded our expectations, and we are so thankful we chose them.”
The party didn't end with the couple's glow stick exit; it moved just a few feet away to the venue's private beach.
“Our wedding was unique with having a bonfire after the wedding reception. This added a nice cool-down moment for our guests to just take in the day and then relax at the bonfire with each other,” the bride revealed.
Looking back on their day, Alyson and Zachary shared that creating memories with their family made the day even more special.
“One of the most memorable moments of our day was including our son, Everett, in our ceremony,” the bride reminisced. “Another memorable moment was just simply having my dad attend our wedding. Two weeks before our wedding he was diagnosed with stage four cancer. We informed all of our vendors and asked J&S Media to capture some extra moments with him. The day meant so much more to all of us that he was there to make these special memories together.”
“An element of our wedding that was important to us was the memory that we would have of it, or the photography and videography. We wanted to be able to look back on the day for years to come. J&S Media blew us away with not only the photography but our 8-minute wedding film that continues to bring tears to our eyes each time we watch it.”
-The Bride
What did you look for in a wedding photo and video team?
An element of our wedding that was important to us was the memory that we would have of it, or the photography and videography. We put a larger portion of our budget into our photography and videography because we wanted to be able to look back on the day for years to come. We looked for someone whose previous work fit the aesthetic that we craved. We were also concerned that separate photographers and videographers may not work well together. When we came upon J&S Media, we absolutely loved their work and that they are a married couple.
J&S Media were not only affordable in comparison to other companies, but their work is simply amazing. They blew us away with not only the photography but our 8-minute wedding film that continues to bring tears to our eyes each time we watch it. Their team of four were professionals that worked extremely well together. They were never too pushy or overbearing on our wedding day but were still able to capture each moment perfectly. Our guests also agreed that they were great at capturing the day without being intrusive or taking people out of the moment. They definitely exceeded our expectations, and we are so thankful we chose them.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Modern. We wanted colors that were calming and understated that also complemented the beach and the beauty of Isla del Sol. With the wedding being in March, we also wanted to choose colors that fit the season.
What were your colors?
We chose a range of dusty blues because we wanted something neutral and understated that also blended well with the venue and the beach. We felt as though the blues were calming and when in photos we thought that blue looked really elegant.
The Proposal:
We traveled to Cancun during the pandemic. It was the first night of our vacation, and Zachary proposed privately in our hotel room before we went to dinner. We spent the entire week celebrating our engagement, and it was absolutely perfect.
“When we first visited Isla del Sol Yacht and Country Club, we immediately fell in love with its beauty. We knew that the private beach with the gazebo would be a perfect place to exchange our vows.”
-The Bride
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
One of the most important elements of our wedding was the venue. We wanted a venue that would be unforgettable but that also fit all of our needs. We wanted a venue that exemplified Florida’s beauty, but we also really desired privacy and seclusion. We wanted to be the only couple getting married at our venue on our wedding day, which is surprisingly hard to find in the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area. We desired a beautiful reception space that overlooked the water, in addition to a dance floor that fit our dancing needs! When we came upon Isla del Sol Yacht & Country Club, we felt like we had found a hidden gem.
When we first visited Isla del Sol, we immediately fell in love with its beauty. We knew that the private beach with the gazebo would be a perfect place to exchange our vows. After exploring other venues, what attracted us the most to Isla del Sol was the privacy and exclusivity. We would be the only couple getting married on-site on our wedding day. This stood out to us in comparison to other venues. In addition, we loved that the venue included many different elements of our wedding that we didn’t have to establish on our own.
Aside from the venue providing food, beverage, and rentals for our reception, the venue also offered a ceremonial package that included an officiant and a month of wedding planning, which we were more than pleased with. Moreover, Isla del Sol was affordable. There was no venue fee, only a minimum that had to be met. This made Isla del Sol stand out in comparison to other Tampa Bay venues.
As far as service, Melissa’s hospitality could not be overlooked. Whenever a question arose, we would reach out to Melissa, and a response would always be returned quickly and with a smile. On our wedding day, the entire Isla del Sol staff was extremely attentive to us and helped to collaborate a smooth day of events. Isla del Sol provided private locker rooms on-site for the bridal party to get ready in the morning. The private beach, reception space, dance floor, and bonfire following the reception made for an exceptional wedding day.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Las Vegas. I chose that location because I wanted something extravagant and somewhere that had unlimited options for fun! Dancing was a priority at my bachelorette party, and Vegas has endless night and day clubs!
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
The music and dancing were of utmost importance. We wanted our guests to have an uplifting, fun, and memorable experience. We wanted a DJ who would customize our experience and fit the vision that we had in mind. Grant Hemond & Associates did exactly that.
We chose Grant Hemond because Zachary had previous experience with them and knew that they would exceed our expectations. I danced my entire childhood and knew that the reception and dancing were a high priority to me. Tom Delisa was our DJ of choice, and he went over the top to ensure we were happy with our playlist. He continuously checked in with both of us throughout the reception but was also not too overbearing. The dance party that we envisioned really came to life thanks to Tom.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
J&S Media exceeded our expectations because they captured the day perfectly in photos and film. Melissa at Isla del Sol was always so attentive to us throughout our wedding planning process. Our officiant went above and beyond to make our ceremony special and unique to us. Our florist was always quick to reply to any questions or concerns we had and was extremely easy to work with. Our “month of” wedding planner went over the top for both of us. When my dad got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer two weeks before our wedding, she provided us with comfort that she would take care of everything and our sole focus at that time could be my dad. The day was still absolutely perfect thanks to Liz.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do their research and also follow their instincts. We are glad that we took risks and decided to go with vendors that were younger or had fewer reviews. The cost of the vendor does not necessarily represent their quality of work.
