Kayla and Nicholas
Marie Selby Gardens
“My inspiration was whimsical, romantic secret-garden/fairytale vibes. I wanted our wedding to be unique with lots of florals. The color scheme was very us. We didn’t do traditional fall colors; instead, we went for bright pastels. It definitely achieved the romantic, whimsical look we were going for!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Kayla and Nicholas’ romantic Sarasota wedding was a whimsical celebration filled with soft, pastel flora and intimate candlelight, set in an enchanting botanical garden. The bride and groom exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony under a moss-clad oak tree before hosting their 130 closest friends and family for dinner and dancing under a canopy of twinkle lights and greenery vines.
“Our memorable moments were on the dance floor. From our magical first dance, to the hoorah, to slow-chicken-dancing to Groovy Kind of Love, we were having fun with the people we love the most, and there is nothing better than that!” the bride beamed. “I really loved seeing the reception and ceremony spaces for the first time, completely decorated. It was so rewarding and special to finally see our vision come to life!”
The Proposal
“My husband did a great job with this one. We were in San Diego for my 30th birthday. He arranged a private hot-air balloon ride at sunset, with views of the water and the city. While I may have panicked that the ring was going to somehow fly out of the basket, it was incredibly thoughtful, memorable, and absolutely gorgeous!”
The Hair and Makeup
Adore Bridal
“My makeup inspiration was a glowy, natural look with shades I know complement my coloring. I wanted to look like me, just elevated! For hair, I wanted curls, some embellishment (a clip or something), and it to be pulled back from my face.
Adore Bridal was amazing! I loved their portfolio, and they were a recommended vendor by our planner MDP Events. Their studio is in Tampa, which made it easy to do my trial when I was in town visiting family. Everyone who got their makeup done looked incredible the day of. The makeup artists and hairstylists were just wonderful people. We had so much fun with them when getting ready.”
The Bach Party & Honeymoon
“I hosted my bachelorette party in Palm Springs. I had never been and always wanted to go. I wanted my bachelorette to have a fun girly vibe, and it was exactly as I had imagined!
We just got back from our honeymoon in Portugal. We started in Porto, traveled to Madeira, then Lisbon, and the Algarve. Neither of us had been to Portugal, and we have always wanted to go. Due to its small size, it was easy to see different locations, and it was the perfect mix of cultural experiences with relaxation/beach time.”
The Photography
“I am not the most photogenic person and am not comfortable in front of the camera, so I wanted to find a photographer who would provide direction but also help put me at ease. From our first call with Shannon and Brandon of Dewitt for Love, we knew we hit the jackpot!
We loved them and their portfolio! They are truly wonderful people, and we had so much fun with them. You can tell how passionate they are about capturing these moments. They are incredibly talented in addition to being amazing individuals. I loved that their photos were unique, not just the same photos you see everyone do. Their creativity, kindness, and passion are unmatched. We feel so lucky we were able to have them capture our day and take our engagement photos.”
“This wedding was the perfect example of ‘there are no seasons’ in wedding design! Kayla and Nick may have had a fall wedding, but their design screamed Spring, which was the perfect palette to complement the stunning grounds of Selby Gardens! Nick decided to wear a beautiful pink linen suit, and Kayla wore a beaded floral gown to echo the garden party energy. Besides just the visuals, Kayla and Nick are the perfect example of hiring an amazing team and just letting go! They were both fully present in each moment, giving ‘Type B’ energy throughout the whole day, which allowed their team to truly connect with them and serve up a celebration that was perfect for them! You can feel their sweet and positive energy right through the screen…it was such a joy to work with them and help them celebrate this new chapter in their lives!”
-Shannon Dewitt, Dewitt For Love Photography
The Inspiration
“I spent a lot of time on Pinterest! My inspiration was whimsical, romantic secret-garden/fairytale vibes. I wanted our wedding to be unique with lots of florals. The color scheme was very us. We didn’t do traditional fall colors; instead, we went for bright pastels. It definitely achieved the romantic, whimsical look we were going for!
We also had a lot of personal details, many of which centered around our four dogs. We had cocktail napkins with our dogs’ faces and custom cake toppers of our dogs. We also chose a faster-paced song, rather than a traditional slow song, for our first dance. My husband also had some fun music requests that created some awesome memories. He requested we do the chicken dance in slow-motion to Groovy Kind of Love (as done in New Girl). The entire bridal party danced to it together. It was just fun and absurd. He also asked the band to learn Florida by Taylor Swift for obvious reasons.
We wanted it to be fun! That was the most important. Secondly, I wanted to make sure our wedding reflected us and that we actually had time together throughout the celebration. I think it was just a great reflection of us. We are not traditional, and our wedding reflected that in many of the ways I described.”
The Planning
MDP Events
“We live in Kansas City, so I wanted someone with great experience and lots of connections. I wanted a planner who was creative and could expand on my ideas.
MDP Events‘ work speaks for itself. They throw beautiful events and curate incredible vibes. We worked with Lauren Gertz Bisbee, and she understood exactly what we were looking for from the start. Lauren kept us on track throughout the process and was a pleasure to work with!”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of them! Quick story to illustrate how incredible my vendors are: I couldn’t find my beautiful handmade hairpiece by Lavlii, an absolutely amazing local artisan in Sarasota, when I got to Sarasota for the wedding weekend. I was panicking, of course, and reached out to our planner, Lauren of MDP Events, who put me in touch with Kelcey of Adore Bridal, who immediately reached out to Lucie, the amazing artist behind Lavlii. Lucie handmade an exact replica of the piece in one day based on the photo Adore Bridal had taken of it during my trial (so organized and thoughtful of them to do that!). Not only did she make a brand new one in one day, but she also dropped it off at the hotel and didn’t even charge me for it. Just such incredible kindness. I will be forever grateful to Lucie, Kelcey, and Lauren for preventing a total bridezilla meltdown! MDP Events executed our vision perfectly. Lauren was so helpful throughout the process in keeping us calm.
Selby Gardens, which had been hit by a major hurricane a month prior, was absolutely beautiful! Michael’s on East served fantastic food and drinks. We received so many compliments that it was the best wedding food people have ever had, and our bartenders were amazing. They made sure everyone had a good time without getting too crazy!
I don’t even think Shannon and Brandon of Dewitt for Love took a break during the wedding, and they had us laughing during every interaction. We received so many (well-deserved!) compliments about how wonderful they are.
Our videographers, Palm Film Production, captured all of the special moments on our big day, and the drone footage was such a cool way to see our venue. Lily Bella Floral did an amazing job with everything. I wanted lots of florals, and they made my dreams come true. From the greenery above the dance floor to the pocket boutonnieres, they executed everything perfectly. They even threw in some extra greenery above the dance floor just because they had it! Bay Kings Band were incredible performers, and some core memories were definitely made scream-singing Paramore with my best friends and the singer. They are incredibly talented and definitely know how to keep people on the dance floor! I cannot say enough great things about Cakes by Ron. It was so fun to have not one, but several unique cake flavors (key lime with key lime cream cheese filling; cookies and cream with fudge filling; chocolate with raspberry filling), and the cake was absolutely gorgeous.
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
Just have fun with it! It is about you and your soon-to-be spouse, so it is okay to do things your way and be a little selfish with your time on the day of! Don’t sweat the small stuff.
