Colleen and Bryan's local roots, along with a simple floral illustration that caught the bride's eye, inspired the couple's gold and pink Tampa country club wedding.
“I have always been very simple and also very girly. I actually oddly enough came across my table numbers first. I fell in love with the floral design and gold accents on them and ended up basing everything off of that,” the bride shared. “I just love pink. I did not want it to be overdone with too many colors, so I stuck with pink (dusty rose to be exact.) It also made it very easy to find things in all categories/accessories in this color.”
MORE: PINK WEDDING INSPIRATION
Since she organized her wedding without a planner, Colleen turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for local wedding inspiration and vendor reviews.
“Planning isn’t really my thing, so this wedding planning process was a lot to take on. Everyone wants to throw random opinions at you during this process, but reading featured blogs, stories, and seeing pictures from real Tampa weddings with Tampa vendors was so helpful,” the bride explained. “I looked at pictures and read info on Marry Me Tampa Bay DJs and photographers. I loved seeing all of the information, pictures, and even direct links to request quotes on the website.”
When it came time to choose a wedding venue to host their 150 guests, the Carrollwood bride and groom recalled their first date at Avila Golf & Country Club and knew returning to that sentimental locale would make their wedding day even more special.
“We wanted a venue that was beautiful and breathtaking in its own skin. We didn’t want to go into a venue and have to overly decorate. That is something I truly loved about Avila, especially that main room where we had the ceremony and dance floor. From the hanging chandelier to the beautiful wood floor and arches surrounding the room, everything was just beautiful and had a character all of its own,” the bride gushed. “The service was amazing! I did not have to worry about anything not being executed the way we wanted it. And the food was incredible; we still have family talking about how it was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding!”
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When it came time to select a Tampa wedding photographer, the couple wanted a team that would make them feel comfortable and gently guide them through their photos. It was important that their photography team make them feel stress-free on their wedding day, but also naturally capture the events and emotions as they unfolded.
“Bryan and I both don’t really love being the center of attention, so we knew we would need photographers that could coach us through pictures and the process. We wanted photographers that would keep us calm in those anxious moments but also capture the true emotion that is involved in a wedding, without forcing anything on us,” Collen explained. “Many of my friends had already used Lifelong Photography Studio and had amazing pictures and experience. They truly were incredible. They were so easy to work with and captured everything and more. They captured our true emotions and feelings and we had so much fun with them.”
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Luckily, with an experienced photographer by their side, Colleen was able to feel comfortable in front of the camera despite an earlier mishap.
“I, unfortunately, broke my foot three weeks before our wedding. So, I had to figure out how to be a graceful bride with a big boot on. I decorated my boot with some fun words like our hashtag and last name and also bedazzled it,” the bride shared. “It does make for a great story now. (I wasn’t so sure I’d ever think that.)”
To capture the special moments and emotions of their day on video, the bride and groom sought a wedding videographer who could not only document their complete wedding experience but also someone whose presence they would enjoy throughout the day.
“We loved Bonnie Newman Creative! I loved that Bonnie wanted to meet before we did anything involving money. That spoke volumes to me. I loved her even more after meeting her and talking with her,” Colleen beamed. “The fact that Bonnie gave us a sneak peek videos in 48 hours also exceeded our expectations. We actually got them right when we landed in St. Lucia for our honeymoon. It was such a great start to our vacation! She even gave us an extra sneak peek video for fun with my broken foot. It made us laugh and helped make light of the fact that I had a broken foot on my wedding day.”
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Although Colleen jokes that one of her favorite memories of the day was walking down the aisle in her boot without falling, she credits her first dance with Brian as the highlight of her wedding day.
“We were not sure if we wanted the whole song or not and even had a plan with the DJ to cut it off if we needed. We ended up dancing to the whole song. It was such a special moment for us to have that time together and have everyone in our lives surrounding us. When else do you get that opportunity? I highly suggest dancing to your whole first dance song and really taking in that moment,” the bride reminisced. “Even though everyone told me the day would fly by, I did not believe them for some reason. So, take that advice to heart. Before I knew it, Donna Summer’s Last Dance was playing, and it was time for our exit. It all seemed to be a blur so be sure you take a moment to step back and just take it all in.”
What did you look for in a wedding videographer?
We really wanted a videographer who would capture those same moments as the photographer. We wanted someone with a great personality that would capture those raw and real emotions and not force anything on us.
We loved Bonnie Newman Creative! I loved that Bonnie wanted to meet before we did anything involving money. That spoke volumes to me. She also had her packages and pricing all listed on her website, and I loved that information being available upfront. Then, I loved her even more after meeting her and talking with her. The fact that Bonnie gave us a sneak peek videos in 48 hours also exceeded our expectations. We actually got them right when we landed in St. Lucia for our honeymoon. It was such a great start to our vacation! She even gave us an extra sneak peek video for fun with my broken foot. It made us laugh and helped make light of the fact that I had a broken foot on my wedding day.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that was beautiful and breathtaking in its own skin. We didn’t want to go into a venue and have to overly decorate. We also wanted a space where the dance floor was big! We wanted everyone to have space to move and enjoy dancing the night away.
We had our first date at Avila Golf & Country Club! It was so special for us to be able to get married in the first place we met. On our wedding night, we even went in and crashed a dinner party to be able to take pictures at the table we ate at for our first date. The fact that we got married where we had our first date really brought everything full circle. From the hanging chandelier to the beautiful wood floor and arches surrounding the room, everything was just beautiful and had a character all of its own, especially that main room where we had the ceremony/dance floor.
The service was amazing! I did not have to worry about anything not being executed the way we wanted it. And the food was incredible, we still have family talking about how it was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding.
The Proposal:
I had done my fair share of annoying hinting, so Bryan had his work cut out for him to keep it a surprise. We had a big Mother’s Day celebration at my parents’ house with both families. Bryan knew I would want everyone there, and he made it happen without me fully knowing. My brothers lured me to the backyard to play some yard games, and before I knew it, Bryan was on one knee. He also knew having pictures was important to me, so as he got down on one knee, my best friend popped out to take pictures. He had her hiding in the neighbor’s house. I love that our families were there and how special it was to happen at my childhood home. We then all got to celebrate together for the rest of the day!
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Bryan and I both don’t really love being the center of attention, so we knew we would need photographers that could coach us through pictures and the process. We wanted photographers that would keep us calm in those anxious moments but also capture the true emotion that is involved in a wedding, without forcing anything on us.
Many of my friends had already used Lifelong Photography Studio and had amazing pictures and experience. They truly were incredible. They were so easy to work with and captured everything and more. They captured our true emotions and feelings, and we had so much fun with them.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I have always been very simple and also very girly. I oddly enough came across my table numbers first. I fell in love with the floral design and gold accents on them and ended up basing everything off of that.
What were your colors?
This all goes back to my floral find and the fact that I just love pink. I did not want it to be overdone with too many colors, so I stuck with pink (dusty rose to be exact.) It also made it very easy to find things in all categories/accessories in this color.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We had wedding guests that ranged in age from 18 to over 80. I wanted to ensure that everyone would enjoy the music, and we could have the dance floor full as often as possible.
We hired Grant Hemond & Associates after being at a number of events that they also DJed. From start to finish, we had a great experience with grant Hemond. Our DJ Doug did an outstanding job! He really listened to what we wanted, what we did not want, and kept that floor full!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Make sure you are making your wedding about you as a couple. People will be giving you their opinions (sometimes whether you ask or not). It is very easy to slowly drift from your vision or from what you as a couple really want for your big day. Remember it is you and your fiancé’s wedding, not anyone else’s. You can do whatever you want and should not feel obligated to do something. We were so happy with everything we decided to do or not do. It truly made our wedding ours and was everything we wanted and more.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Avila Golf & Country Club *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Lifelong Photography Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Bonnie Newman Creative *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: The Bride's Bouquet
Rentals: Elite Events and Rentals
Linens and Draping: Custom Linens
Cake: Tracey's Tasties
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Mary Waterbury
Invitations: Inviting Business
Transportation: ESCOT Bus Lines
Dress Shop and Designer: Athena's Bridal – Allure
Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Azazie
Hair & Makeup: Lili's Weddings
