Katy and Cole's romantic downtown St. Pete wedding was as sentimental as it was elegantly designed. With guest experience a top priority for the couple, the pair focused on an elegant evening filled with dancing and personal touches.
“We have always wanted a soft, romantic, elegant wedding. We did not want anything over-the-top because we are a simple couple, so we wanted our wedding to reflect that,” the bride revealed. “We chose light blues, greens, white, and gold accents. I’ve always loved light blues and gold together, and the greens and whites gave it a naturally soft and elegant look.”
The Tampa couple placed emphasis on making their 138-guest summer wedding a wonderful memory. As a touching tribute to how deeply they cared about their families, every element of the night was designed to be as special for them as it was for the bride and groom.
“What made our wedding unique was having our families so involved. We are both family-oriented people, so it was important for us to incorporate that. My mom was my Matron of Honor because she has always been my best friend, and it meant the world to me. Cole’s brother, Austin, officiated our wedding, which made our ceremony extra special,” the bride beamed. “We also incorporated a unity candle during our ceremony so our families could be a part of the ceremony too. I had a piece of my grandmother's wedding dress sewn into my dress. Those are memories we will always cherish from our wedding.”
Their historic ballroom wedding was elegantly adorned with romantic details, creating an enchanting atmosphere that enveloped their guests in a love story. The soft candlelight perfectly complimented the sophisticated rentals from Gabro Event Services.
“We used the piping and draping and chairs from Gabro Event Services. We draped all sides in our ceremony, and it really gave our ceremony such a soft, intimate, and romantic feel,” Katy explained. “We decided on gold Chiavari chairs, and it was the perfect touch to our gold accents. The elegant chairs definitely enhanced the ambiance. The Gabro team did such a beautiful job.”
Less than a month before the wedding, their original cake vendor canceled the couple's order, but Tampa Bay Cake Company quickly agreed to create the cake of Katy's dreams. The white four-tier cake was delicately decorated with floral accents.
“We looked for someone that was easy to work with, accommodating with tastings, and understanding our vision. Of course, we also wanted the cake to taste delicious as well,” Katy shared. “We actually went with a different vendor from the start, but they canceled on us three weeks before our wedding. Our wedding planner recommended Tampa Bay Cake Company, and we regret not going with them from the beginning. They were so accommodating and nice to work with. We loved how our cake turned out, and it was absolutely delicious. We were in panic mode for a day or two, but Tampa Bay Cake Company saved the day for us.”
With a desire for an elegant and entertaining photo booth experience, the couple turned to The Gala Photobooth. The personalized guestbook created not only captured beautiful memories but also served as a cherished memento, allowing the couple to relive the joyful moments shared with their loved ones.
“When it came to the photo booth, we wanted it to be elegant and fun, and that's exactly what The Gala Photobooth was. We purchased our guestbook through The Gala Photobooth and had our guest take a picture, place it in our book, and write a message,” the bride detailed. “I'm so happy we did that because the book turned out absolutely beautiful, and it allows us to actually see the guests in the moment. The Gala Photobooth was friendly and easy to work with. Not to mention, the photos turned out beautiful!”
As Katy looked back on what made her wedding truly one-of-a-kind, the choreographed first dance lessons she and Cole took were the highlight.
“Some of the most memorable moments were our first dance, our band, and speeches. We are not dancers, to say the least, so we took a couple of dance lessons which were so much fun and helped us feel confident for the day of the wedding. Learning a dance together and performing it in front of all our friends and family was very special to us,” the bride reminisced. “We will never forget all the singing and dancing that took place. Seeing our loved ones dancing, smiling, and having a great time is what we wanted the most. Lastly, the speeches at our wedding were incredibly heartfelt and thoughtful. We truly felt so loved, and we will never forget the heartfelt words and happiness from the speeches. It isn’t often that you get to listen to loved ones express their love for you as a couple through their words. We felt loved and appreciated.”
The Proposal:
Our proposal took place July 31st, which was also Cole’s birthday. Cole wanted to take the boat to one of his favorite restaurants for his birthday dinner, and I didn’t think anything of it because he loves going out on the boat, and it’s one of his favorite restaurants.
He told me he wanted to stop on an island for a drink and sunset before heading to dinner. Again, I didn’t think anything of it because we’d been to that island before. Funny story, when we pulled up to the island, a party boat pulled up and started yelling, so we left. We ended up pulling up to an oyster bed, and that’s when Cole proposed. A photographer pulled around on another boat and captured the moment perfectly. We took the boat to Cole’s parent's house, where he had planned a whole party with all of our friends and family from near and far. It was such an emotional evening filled with love.
How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your day?
We used the piping and draping, and chairs from Gabro Event Services. We draped all sides in our ceremony, and it really gave our ceremony such a soft, intimate, and romantic feel.
We decided on gold Chiavari chairs, and it was the perfect touch to our gold accents. The elegant chairs definitely enhanced the ambiance. The Gabro team did such a beautiful job.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We spent our honeymoon in St. Lucia at Sugar Beach Resort. We wanted a relaxing honeymoon with beautiful scenery while not traveling too far. We came across Sugar Beach, and it was incredible. It captured us after seeing the beautiful villas with plunge pools and the resort being in a valley between the mountains. Sugar Beach offered the perfect amount of relaxation and activities.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I chose Charleston because I wanted the perfect mixture of relaxing, good food, and a night scene. Charleston is the perfect place for a girls' weekend. We spent the weekend eating some of the best food, had a spa day at Charleston Place, bar-hopped, and ended the weekend with a private chef cooking for us at the house.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We have always wanted a soft, romantic, elegant wedding. We did not want anything over-the-top because we are a simple couple, so we wanted our wedding to reflect that.
What were your colors?
We chose light blues, greens, white, and gold accents. I’ve always loved light blues and gold together, and the greens and whites gave it a naturally soft and elegant look.
What did you look for in a wedding bakery?
We looked for someone that was easy to work with, was accommodating with tastings, as well as understanding our vision. Of course, we also wanted the cake to taste delicious as well.
We actually went with a different vendor from the start, but they canceled on us three weeks before our wedding. Our wedding planner recommended Tampa Bay Cake Company, and we regret not going with them from the beginning. They were so accommodating and nice to work with. We loved how our cake turned out, and it was absolutely delicious. We were in panic mode for a day or two, but Tampa Bay Cake Company saved the day for us.
What did you look for in a wedding photo booth company?
When it came to the photo booth, we wanted it to be elegant and fun, and that's exactly what The Gala Photobooth was.
We purchased our guestbook through The Gala Photobooth and had our guest take a picture, place it in our book, and write a message. I'm so happy we did that because the book turned out absolutely beautiful, and it allows us to actually see the guests in the moment. The Gala Photobooth was friendly and easy to work with. Not to mention, the photos turned out beautiful!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our planner was the perfect wedding planner. She made our lives so much easier, gave us peace of mind, and truly cared about us. We cannot say enough good things about the band. Their energy, enthusiasm, and passion for performance were evident, and they made our wedding feel like a concert. All of our vendors were incredible, but those two truly stood out.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
If you are on the fence about hiring a wedding planner, I highly recommend working with one. We got so lucky with ours and it saved us so much time and money in the long run. We interviewed multiple planners but went with our planner because she meshed with our personalities, understood our visions, and we knew she would get the work done. It is so important to work with vendors who genuinely care and want to make your visions come true. Interview your vendors, and don’t settle until you feel confident. You will feel so much better on your wedding day knowing you trust the vendors that are involved.
