Paige and Nick’s romantic, garden-themed Thonotosassa wedding was a springtime soirée that truly blossomed from their love for plants and nature. Infused with soft pastel hues, their wedding day was a vibrant, ethereal dream, filling every moment with light, romance, and pure, unbridled joy.

“When we first started dating, my husband got me a plant subscription where every month a new plant came in the mail, and I fell in love with how much life it brought into our space. Our house is now filled with flowers and plants, overflowing really. I have always dreamed about an outdoor garden wedding, so when I started looking for venues, this is exactly what I was looking for. In this search, I came across Mill Pond Estate and just fell in love. We toured it in the pouring rain and even then knew it was the place for us,” the bride beamed. “We chose soft pastels in shades of pink, yellow, and green to fit with the spring garden theme.”

Surrounded by garden blooms, the couple shared a romantic first look that set the tone for a day full of love and joy. With the bride’s godfather officiating the 135-guest ceremony, the newlyweds lit up with joy that lasted well into the night.

“My favorite part of their wedding day was the first look at the garden at Mill Pond Estate. Paige radiated with joy! You can tell she felt stunning and joyful as every bride should,” wedding photographer Angel Guzman, of Love and Covenant, revealed. “Paige and Nick added film photography to their wedding package, which made all the images have that dreamy, nostalgic feel. In the garden, her stunning gown and veil were the perfect match!”

Planning their Florida destination wedding from afar, this Chicago couple was intentional about every detail, including how the day would be remembered. To make room in the budget for their dream wedding photographer, they opted to include Behind the Vows content creation to capture all the candid, in-between moments they didn’t want to miss.

“We went back and forth for almost the entire wedding planning process on whether a videographer was important to us. We ultimately decided to splurge on the photographer (who did not disappoint), but as we got closer to our wedding date, I started to contemplate that we would miss capturing the special moments of our wedding day, including our vows, first dance, and speeches. That’s when I came across the concept of a wedding content creator,” Paige explained. “Behind the Vows understood that I wanted to capture the candid special moments throughout the day. We received so much content consisting of short clips of us laughing and getting ready to walk down the aisle with our vows, to our first dance, speeches, and then the reception party. There were so many details that on the wedding day, chaos, we didn’t even notice, so it was so great to reflect on all these big and small moments. Behind the Vows then compiled a video/reel highlighting our entire day, and we love it! We are so glad that we decided to have Behind the Vows as part of our wedding!”

Paige’s long-sleeved lace gown was paired with a sophisticated pull-back low bun and a natural makeup look from Femme Akoi Beauty Studio. The intricate detailing and flattering silhouette felt timeless, while the open back added just the right touch of modern drama.

“My wedding day beauty inspiration was centered around the dress. It had this dramatic open back, and I knew I needed to show that off, so I opted for a classy, slicked-back bun,” the bride shared. “I had been a bridesmaid in two to three weddings that had hired Femme Akoi, so I knew the quality of their work beforehand.”

The bride ensured the wedding DJ struck the perfect balance between timeless classics and dance-floor anthems. The reception hit its peak when Tampa Bay DJ Company played Shots by LMFAO, sparking bartenders to hit the dance floor and pour shots for everyone.

“We were looking for a DJ who was enthusiastic and understood our vision. We wanted the ceremony and cocktail hour/dinner to have a more romantic feel, then transition to high energy and fun for the reception. We wanted to get everyone dancing and keep that energy going until the last song (mission accomplished!),” Paige raved. “There is actually an overwhelming amount of music choices you have to make when it comes to planning a wedding, and when we met Chris from Tampa Bay DJ Company, we just felt at ease. We requested some must-play songs for the reception and otherwise trusted Chris to keep the party going. We spent the entire reception on the dance floor and had the best night dancing with our family and friends!”

While reflecting on the magic of their wedding, it was the romance and enchantment of their ceremony that felt extra special to the couple.

“There was something so romantic about having our ceremony under this sprawling centuries-old oak tree and saying our vows in front of our closest friends and family,” Paige reminisced.

The Proposal: 
Every trip we go on, we always watch the sunset. So on a trip to St. Petersburg for the holidays, we planned to go to the beach for sunset. I didn’t think anything of this, but when we walked up to the beach, there was a beautiful picnic set up where Nick popped the question. I was completely caught off guard. It was absolutely perfect.

What was your wedding day beauty inspiration? 
My wedding day beauty inspiration was centered around the dress. It had this dramatic open back, and I knew I needed to show that off, so I opted for a classy, slicked-back bun,” the bride shared. “I had been a bridesmaid in two to three weddings that had hired Femme Akoi, so I knew the quality of their work beforehand

What did you look for in a wedding content creation team? 
We went back and forth for almost the entire wedding planning process on whether a videographer was important to us. We ultimately decided to splurge on the photographer (who did not disappoint), but as we got closer to our wedding date, I started to contemplate that we would miss capturing the special moments of our wedding day, including our vows, first dance, and speeches. That’s when I came across the concept of a wedding content creator.

Behind the Vows understood that I wanted to capture the candid special moments throughout the day. We received so much content consisting of short clips of us laughing and getting ready to walk down the aisle with our vows, to our first dance, speeches, and then the reception party. There were so many details that on the wedding day, chaos, we didn’t even notice, so it was so great to reflect on all these big and small moments. Behind the Vows then compiled a video/reel highlighting our entire day, and we love it! We are so glad that we decided to have Behind the Vows as part of our wedding.

What did you look for in a wedding DJ? 
We were looking for a DJ who was enthusiastic and understood our vision. We wanted the ceremony and cocktail hour/dinner to have a more romantic feel, then transition to high energy and fun for the reception. We wanted to get everyone dancing and keep that energy going until the last song (mission accomplished!)

There is actually an overwhelming amount of music choices you have to make when it comes to planning a wedding, and when we met Chris from Tampa Bay DJ Company, we just felt at ease. We requested some must-play songs for the reception and otherwise trusted Chris to keep the party going. We spent the entire reception on the dance floor and had the best night dancing with our family and friends!