Gina and Steve’s destination St. Pete beach wedding dazzled with elegant charm and breathtaking postcard Florida views. Wanting a laid back ambiance, the Illinois bride and groom incorporated their personalities with a cigar bar, a bilingual band and gold details.
“For our theme, we wanted a romantic garden design. Since our wedding wasn’t black tie, I wanted the ceremony and reception to be more relaxed and flowy,” the bride shared. “During the mock floral appointment, John of Bruce Wayne Florals advised me to rethink my initial floral arrangement for our ceremony on the beach due to the possibility of wind. I am so grateful for his honesty that day because it did end up being incredibly windy during our ceremony, and the alternative he suggested was absolutely perfect! We had several guests who reached out to tell us how beautiful and unique the floral arrangements were. They were perfect bloom and absolutely stunning!”
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As the bride pieced together her special day all the way from Chicago, she turned to websites like Marry Me Tampa Bay for wedding day inspiration.
“I follow Marry Me Tampa Bay on Instagram, and it helped me get inspiration for my wedding design,” the bride shared.
Through lots of online research, Gina eventually came across Parties A’ La Carte and knew they would be the perfect event planner to bring her vision to life.
“Parties A’ La Carte was highly recommended by my venue. After seeing some of their previous weddings on social media and meeting with Jessica, I hired Parties A’ La Carte for partial planning and day of coordination,” the bride explained. “Their service exceeded all expectations I had for a wedding planner. Jessica consistently made herself available during the wedding planning process to ensure the ceremony and reception design was perfect. I knew from day one of meeting her that she was passionate about her job and exceptionally talented, but the day of coordination services showed that Jessica and her team truly care about their client’s happiness. Anything my husband and I needed on our wedding day, the Parties A’ La Carte team handled in five minutes or less! I could easily say the team went above and beyond for us. We have no idea what we would have done without them!”
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Wanting a modern St. Pete Beach wedding venue that could truly capture Florida’s stunning beauty and accommodation for at least 250 guests, the bride and groom chose The Don CeSar.
“The Don certainly earned its title, as The Pink Palace,” the bride gushed. “The hotel is absolutely stunning, full of history, and has one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen. After looking at a few venues in the St. Pete area, choosing the Don CeSar was a no-brainer.”
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Gina knew she wanted a natural look with a little bit of shimmer to make her feel beautiful for her big day and was ecstatic to find a glam squad that she instantly loved.
“Femme Akoi Beauty Studio did a great job! They sent over three stylists who were able to finish all nine bridesmaids hair and makeup plus mine with extra time to do touch-ups on the entire bridal party,” the bride shared. “Brittnee did my hair and makeup exactly how I wanted it. She even took the time to redo the top half of my hair after I wasn’t 100% sold on having a braid.”
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Looking back on their romantic beachfront wedding, the bride will never forget finally making it to the reception where all the hard work finally paid off.
“Choosing one special moment is really hard because the day was so amazing and flew by so quickly, but if I had to pick, I would say the most memorable moments were at the reception when we could finally let loose and enjoy the party!”
What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
I chose a flowy half-up half-down mermaid hairstyle to match my dress with natural wedding makeup that consisted of golds/browns for my eyes and a soft nude lip.
I want to learn more about hair & makeup from Femme Akoi.
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio did a great job. They sent over three stylists that were able to finish all nine bridesmaids hair and makeup plus mine with extra time to do touch-ups on the entire bridal party. Brittnee did my hair and makeup exactly how I wanted it. She even took the time to redo the top half of my hair after I wasn’t 100% sold on having a braid.
What was your floral inspiration?
Romantic garden with flowing greenery and roses.
I want to learn more about flowers and decor from Bruce Wayne Florals
During the mock floral appointment, John of Bruce Wayne Florals advised me to rethink my initial floral arrangement for our ceremony on the beach due to the possibility of wind. I am so grateful for his honesty that day because it did end up being incredibly windy during our ceremony, and the alternative he suggested was absolutely perfect! We had several guests who reached out to tell us how beautiful and unique the floral arrangements were. They were perfect bloom and absolutely stunning!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Since several of our guests would be traveling for our wedding, we wanted a venue that captured Florida’s stunning powdery white sand and beautiful views. We also focused on finding a venue that could accommodate at least 250 guests.
I want to learn more about weddings at The Don CeSar.
The Don CeSar certainly earned its title, as The Pink Palace. The hotel is absolutely stunning, full of history, and has one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen. After looking at a few venues in the St. Pete area, choosing the Don was a no-brainer.
The Proposal:
Steve and I were spending Christmas with my grandparents in Mexico, so we decided to exchange gifts before we left. After opening a few presents, he brought out a huge box that ended up being a box within a box within a box situation. Since Steve convinced me we weren’t going to get engaged any time soon, I assumed the last box would have a bracelet I had hinted about. Instead, the box had a toy car in it, which referenced an inside joke about how he was “leasing” me for the time being. When I turned around to look at him, he was on one knee with the most beautiful diamond ring inside of a Faberge egg. After the proposal, Steve took me on a private plane ride around Chicago, which was incredibly meaningful since we met on a flight home from Vegas to Chicago.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
I initially looked for a planner who could capture the wedding I was envisioning. I decided to take my time looking at different planners’ Instagrams, Facebook, and blogs to get a feel for their unique wedding designs to see if they would align with what I was looking for.
I want to learn more about planning from Parties A La Carte.
Parties A’ La Carte was highly recommended by my venue. After seeing some of their previous weddings on social media and meeting with Jessica, I hired Parties A’ La Carte for partial planning and day of coordination. Their service exceeded all expectations I had for a wedding planner. Jessica consistently made herself available during the wedding planning process to ensure the ceremony and reception design was perfect. I knew from day one of meeting her that she was passionate about her job and exceptionally talented, but the day of coordination services showed that Jessica and her team truly care about their client’s happiness. Anything my husband and I needed on our wedding day, the Parties A’ La Carte team handled in five minutes or less! I could easily say the team went above and beyond for us. We have no idea what we would have done without them!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Romantic garden. Since our wedding wasn’t black tie, I wanted the ceremony and reception to be more relaxed and flowy.
What were your colors and why did you choose them?
Blush, navy, white, and gold. I chose these colors because they pair nicely together and mix well with the colors at the Don CeSar.
I want to learn more about rentals from Over the Top Rental Linens
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Hire a day-of coordinator! It’s the best way to ensure you fully enjoy your special day!
Ceremony, Reception Venue, and Caterer: The Don CeSar *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Photographer: Stout Studios
Videographer: Noeth Films
Planner: Parties A La Carte *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: Bruce Wayne Florals *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rentals: A Chair Affair *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Linen Rentals: Over the Top *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rentals: Kate Ryan Event Rentals *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Cake: Hands on Sweets
DJ: Bay Kings Band
Officiant: Dan McSweeney
Invitations: Be In Love Designs
Dress: Berta
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Additional Wedding Vendors: Photography by Avery
