Bella and Sam's downtown St. Petersburg wedding featured a coastal-inspired celebration with bamboo chairs and oyster shells paired with neutral flora and decor, set against views of the glimmering waters of Tampa Bay.
“We chose a coastal and timeless feel. I found a lot of design inspiration from everyday items that exist when you live in a beach town. Things like shells, oysters, sea oats, and the color of the coast really led to a lot of our style choices, and they were all incorporated into our special day. Growing up by the beach was such a crucial part of my childhood and who I am now,” the bride shared. “We chose shades of cream, light blue, and gold.”
The Pineallas bride and groom wanted to showcase their amazing city to their 125 guests and chose an iconic waterfront backdrop as the setting for their October nuptials. With the perfect locale selected, they prioritized the guest experience by perfecting their reception recipe, opting for lively music to create a festive atmosphere.
“The most important things to us were the experience and aesthetic. The party aspect was super important to us. We had a lot of friends from college and wanted to show them how good of a time St. Pete is. We got so lucky with the best DJ who played only bangers and played exactly what we wanted. We also did a post-reception throw-down at the tip of the pier, and it was so much fun,” Bella raved. “Aesthetics were also important. We chose the pier not only for how iconic it is but how beautiful it is. You can see the water and the city. It encapsulates everything we love about our town, and we were so excited to share that with our guests.”
The pair trusted the team of experienced DJs at Graingertainment to create the ultimate wedding bash. Their DJ channeled the energy of the crowd and kept everyone on the dance floor all night long.
“The reception was so so so us. We had amazing and hilarious entrances from our groom and bridal party. There were people completely lined up down the pier and on the incline at the pier, watching us dance and have a good time. At one point, Sam put me on his shoulders, and everyone was just dancing and laughing, and I could see everything from being so high up!” the bride beamed. “I wanted someone who respected our vision and knew how to keep the people going. DJ Gary was witty, funny, let me have the mic whenever I wanted, and just overall killed it. Graingertainment was amazing!”
Despite a clear forecast, the skies surprised the couple with an unexpected shower at the onset of their ceremony. Credit the magic of their impending nuptials or divine intervention, but the clouds parted just as Bella began her walk down the aisle.
“It was just the perfect day. The only thing I was really worried about was rain because we had no rain backup plan, and everything was outside. We checked the radar for weeks leading up to the wedding. The day of was a 0% chance of rain, and it rained just minutes before the ceremony. After delaying the ceremony for about 40 minutes, we decided we needed to go for it even in the rain. Right when I stepped out of the golf cart to start making my walk, the rain completely stopped, and when we kissed, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. It was actually a real magical moment. Everyone was talking about how crazy it was, and the photos had the best lighting because of it,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
Sam proposed on Upham Beach, a spot we frequent regularly. We wanted both the proposal and wedding spot to have meaning to us and be a place we could go back to whenever we wanted.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Paris. I chose it because I lived abroad for some time and thought Paris was the most romantic and feminine city that I had ever been to. I knew, eventually, I would have to come back and bring all my closest girlfriends.
I told all my bridesmaids that if they saved $110 for the next ten months, we could all afford to go. I'm very type A, so I made an entire budget list for all my girls. We went to Paris for a week and spent one day in Iceland. It was $870 per person, which included stay flights and transportation. The only thing that they had to pay for was food and drink and anything else they wanted to buy over there.
One day, I rented a pink limo to take us to a cabaret. It was so much fun, and people stopped us because they thought we were famous!
Where did the groom host his bachelor party?
Costa Rica. Sam really wanted to do something that was less about drinking and more about the experience. They hiked through the jungle, went deep-sea fishing, hung out with monkeys, and partied. He wanted to do something very untraditional and fun.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We did a mini-moon to Mexico because we go there with family often, but we are having a full honeymoon in the South Pacific within the next year.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We chose a coastal and timeless feel. I found a lot of design inspiration from everyday items that exist when you live in a beach town. Things like shells, oysters, sea oats, and the color of the coast really led to a lot of our style choices, and they were all incorporated into our special day. Growing up by the beach was such a crucial part of my childhood and who I am now.
What were your colors?
We chose shades of cream, light blue, and gold.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
The reception was so so so us. We had amazing and hilarious entrances from our groom and bridal party. There were people completely lined up down the pier and on the incline at the pier, watching us dance and have a good time. At one point, Sam put me on his shoulders, and everyone was just dancing and laughing, and I could see everything from being so high up!
I wanted someone who respected our vision and knew how to keep the people going. DJ Gary was witty, funny, let me have the mic whenever I wanted, and just overall killed it. Graingertainment was amazing!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our photographer really captured all the intimate, tiny moments of the day, and our wedding planner really went above and beyond in all categories. She is a great communicator and fought for us every step of the way to bring our vision to life.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Get creative! There are so many amazing parks that are so beautiful here in the Tampa Bay area. Try and do something out of the box. You might be able to save some money and do something that is completely unique to you.
