Carly and Dan
Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club
“We decided to go with a timeless and classic theme, filled with elegance, romance, and vintage touches. We used velvet napkins, touches of gold throughout, lace overlays, and lots of florals and candles.
We chose to use ivory, white, gold, beige, and light pink as our colors. This soft and delicate color palette helped us to create a classic, romantic, and vintage feel with our decor and florals.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Carly and Dan’s romantic, vintage-inspired Sarasota wedding was a timeless March celebration in ivory, white, gold, beige, and light pink, filled with velvet, lace, florals, and candlelight. The self-described foodies welcomed 90 guests to an elegant country club venue for a ceremony complete with a dove release, followed by a reception menu of sushi, caviar, lobster, and a one-of-a-kind foodie adventure cart.
“The ceremony and the food were the most important elements of the wedding. The ceremony was filled with pieces of our story, beautiful traditions from our faith along with explanations from the officiant about their significance, and included a dove release at the end that signified our union as partners and the joining together of our families in supporting our future together,” the bride revealed. “We were ecstatic to serve all of our favorite food and drinks at the wedding—sushi, charcuterie, caviar, lobster, filet, scallops, bananas foster, and more! It was a true foodie paradise.”
Researching Wedding Vendors
“We did extensive research to find our vendors through our site’s preferred vendor list, which included Marry Me Tampa Bay. It was a great resource for exploring local weddings, venues, and inspiration.”
The Proposal
“Our proposal happened during the adventure of a lifetime at the edge of the world. After enjoying a magical and gourmet itinerary through Iceland, we embarked on a crazy journey to the world’s most remote Michelin-starred restaurant, KOKS, in the 50-person village of Ilimanaq, Greenland. Overlooking the glaciers and UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ilulissat Icefjord, Dan proposed in the middle of our 18-course meal.”
From The Photographer
“Carly and Dan’s wedding was such an extraordinary day! From heartfelt vows to the last dance, every moment mattered. Their day had so many small details that make them, them. I loved how they incorporated Dan’s car, a Corvette (my personal favorite), on the wedding day. We got some awesome shots with them by the car.”
—Will DeCosta, Iyrus Weddings
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“We did a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Nashville, which was a dream come true. The guys and girls stayed in suites at the Maddox Hotel and had an incredible weekend filled with special memories and fun. We love doing things together and had an absolute blast with all of our friends.
We made a trip to Copenhagen for our honeymoon to visit our dream restaurant—the two-Michelin-starred Alchemist, currently ranked #5 in the world by World’s 50 Best. The seven-hour meal was a dream come true and an experience we will never forget. Chef Rasmus Munk combines more than 50 inventive courses with art, theater, science, and social commentary to create one of the world’s most unique culinary journeys.”
The Most Memorable Moments
“One of the most memorable moments was my walk down the aisle. Standing at the top of the dramatic spiral staircase, seeing Dan and everyone I love below gave me a few moments to reflect and truly enjoy the moment before meeting my parents at the bottom and walking together. It was a perfect dream moment!
Another memorable moment was our first look and private vows. Getting to see each other before the busy day began was truly special, grounding, and comforting.”
The Experience
“We made the wedding our own and wanted our personalities to shine. It was most important that it felt like ours, and not just another wedding to our guests. We incorporated countless personal touches throughout the day, down to the cocktail garnishes. Our favorite was the foodie adventure cart. We filled it to the brim with gourmet snacks and foodie finds curated by us and inspired by our adventures together. We encouraged each guest to choose what spoke to them and go on their own foodie adventure.
Our wedding was made unique by special personal moments. My family rewrote the words to a popular song and sang it as part of their speech. We even invited our parents up to cut the cake with us to celebrate their decades of enduring love. Our friends and family came from all over the country to celebrate our big day. Having everyone we care about all in one place was incredibly special.”
The Inspiration
“We decided to go with a timeless and classic theme, filled with elegance, romance, and vintage touches. We used velvet napkins, touches of gold throughout, lace overlays, and lots of florals and candles. Our sweetheart table was so dreamy and the perfect centerpiece to the room.
We chose to use ivory, white, gold, beige, and light pink as our colors. This soft and delicate color palette helped us to create a classic, romantic, and vintage feel with our decor and florals.”
The Photography
Iyrus Weddings
“We wanted a photo/video team that could command the crowd, get all of the dream shots, capture the day truly authentically, and make us look and feel our best both in the moment on our day and in the content.
While Iyrus Weddings’ photography style originally inspired us, what sold us was Will DeCosta’s talent, communication, and understanding of our vision. Will and his videographer did an incredible job the day of our wedding, ensuring no shot was missed and getting us effortlessly through a tight schedule. The video is exceptional and perfectly captures the magic of our day, highlighting all of the unique, intentional moments.”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Amy, our venue’s wedding coordinator, exceeded our expectations in every way. She made sure all of our dreams came true, even if they did not feel possible at first. She did everything in her power to bring our dream to life and went above and beyond with her communication and help during planning. She even fluffed my dress before I walked down the aisle, and she was there in every moment to ensure a seamless and perfect experience for us and our guests.
Tim with TLS Entertainment taught a line dance mid-wedding upon our request, which was so much fun, and our guests loved it! He did an amazing job DJing and picking the best songs to keep the party going.
Shy Chic Boutique did an incredible job with our florals, matching our colors perfectly and maximizing our budget with their flexibility and talent! I was ecstatic with how the flowers looked, and they created a gorgeous background.
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
Try not to get overwhelmed, and trust the process. Everything will work out, and all of the effort you put into planning will absolutely be worth it, no matter what happens.
