Wendy and Jason’s urban downtown St. Pete wedding was a whimsical evening filled with pastel flora, delicate accents of pale blue, a unity sand ceremony, and the cutest convertible getaway car for their end-of-the-night send-off.

“We wanted the wedding to be a combination of elegant, glamour and fun. The inspiration came from our many discussions between us and later with our wedding planners. They took our spirit and made our day memorable,” the bride shared. “We chose pink, dusty blue, and purple with a bit of sparkle. You can never have too much pink or sparkle, and blue is Jason’s favorite color.”

The St. Petersburg couple envisioned a nearby wedding venue with ample space for their 80-guest celebration without requiring their friends and family to commute between multiple locations. They were immediately impressed upon discovering Red Mesa Events and were dazzled by their attentive, caring staff.

“We learned about Red Mesa Events from the Marry Me Tampa Bay website and toured the venue. We wanted a venue that could handle the ceremony and reception in the same venue without the transition between the ceremony and the reception being intrusive on the day. We also wanted it to be in downtown St. Petersburg,” Wendy shared. “We wanted an elegant space filled with flowers, sparkling crystals, and candles to create the illusion of a massive venue. We chose Red Mesa Events because the La Florida Ballroom and the rooftop bar were the perfect size for our party. Their event staff was brilliant and worked seamlessly with our wedding planners and vendors to create our event. The venue staff also provided creative input and suggestions to help us in our process. They were on hand at every stage of the planning process and made the day run without a hitch.”

The bride and groom focused on personal touches that reflected their personalities and told their love story throughout the fall event. From the historic setting to the attire to the custom cocktails, each element was thoughtfully curated.

“We wanted our wedding to be traditional, glamorous, and exciting. The right dress was essential. It had to represent my love of sparkle. For Jason, the venue had to be exactly what we dreamed of. We love being outdoors and making the most of Florida’s wonderful weather. We are both foodies, so having the right food was essential. Music has always played a big part in our lives and reflects who we are.” the bride revealed. “We both wanted our pets to be incorporated into the story of the wedding, and we chose to name our signature drinks after them and chose the drinks that aligned with their personalities.”

As busy professionals, Wendy and Jason recognized the importance of hiring an experienced wedding planner to guide them through the process leading up to the big day. They sought a team known for their attention to detail and organization, along with offbeat creativity, and found the perfect match in Wilder Mild Events, who is also a preferred planner at the venue.

“We both have careers that take up a lot of time. We started planning our wedding by ourselves but quickly realized that we could not achieve the type of wedding we wanted without the help of a professional. We looked for someone who wanted to work with us to bring our dream to reality, could take on the majority of the tasks, and could bring experience to the table. The venue provided a list of planners that they work with, and we narrowed the list down to two or three based on their portfolios on their websites and social media. We chose Wilder Mind Events due to their creativity. We saw photos of a Halloween photo shoot on their Instagram that incorporated a black cat. We have several pets and loved their creativity,” the bride gushed. “We had an introductory meeting and knew they were our planners. Morgan and Delaney brought enthusiasm and experience to our very first meeting. They had wonderful vision and smart ideas but essentially wanted to ensure that whatever they did aligned with our vision of the day. They also gave us a plan and helped us to make decisions that fit our budget and our aesthetic.”

Two emotional memories stood out among the rest for the pair. The anticipation of the day made for an unforgettable first look and ceremony experience for them both.

“For Jason, the most memorable moment was the first look. Our photographer orchestrated the moment with elegance and excitement. The pictures and video of the moment captured Jason’s tears of joy and the wonder in his eyes when he saw me for the first time in my wedding dress,” Wendy reminisced. “For me, it was the wedding ceremony. Our officiant made it beautiful and meaningful but fun. Walking down the aisle with my father and seeing Jason standing there in the spectacular space that was created just for us was a very impactful moment.”

The Proposal: 
We did not have a formal proposal, as we just knew we were going to get married. We found the perfect engagement ring at Boodles in Chester, UK. The marquis diamond is flanked by two pink diamonds. It was meaningful as it was close to Wrexham, Jason’s hometown in Wales. We hosted an engagement lunch for about 35 friends and family at the Urban Stillhouse.

Where did you host your bachelorette party? 
The bachelorette weekend was at Walt Disney World. We stayed in a villa at the Wilderness Lodge, went to dinner at Disney Springs, and attended Cirque du Soliel’s Drawn to Life. I selected the location since it was a fun, easy location not too far from home. Not all of the bridesmaids, friends, and family members were able to attend the weekend events, so I also hosted a girl’s night the Wednesday before the wedding at LALA St. Pete, where we had a fun evening in a private karaoke room.

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted the wedding to be a combination of elegant, glamour and fun. The inspiration came from our many discussions between us and later with our wedding planners. They took our spirit and made our day memorable.

What were your colors?
We chose pink, dusty blue, and purple with a bit of sparkle. You can never have too much pink or sparkle, and blue is Jason’s favorite color.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We stayed at the Belmond Grand Timeo in Taormina, Sicily, and the Belmond Caruso in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. We chose these locations because we had both dreamed of visiting these parts of Italy. 

Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
All of our vendors were amazing, and they all exceeded our expectations. Our photographer was wonderful. We asked her to capture the story of our engagement, our wedding, and our love, and she did it brilliantly. She worked closely with our videographer, who captured our day unobtrusively and provided us with a memoir of our day. Our florist blew us away with the floral designs she created.

The Red Mesa Events team created a fantastic menu and really got on board with our pet-themed drink selections. They shepherded us through the day so well that it took any pressure off of us so we could enjoy the day. Our officiant put together the ceremony we had dreamed of and encapsulated everything we could have wanted from our ceremony. Our wonderful DJ took our eclectic musical tastes and weaved them into a great playlist. The Berkley Beach Club provided us with a slice of South Beach for our rehearsal dinner, which was out of this world. Michael Crippen, who is the owner and chef at The Studio Public House in St Petersburg, wonderfully catered our pre-wedding party with a mixture of British and American food.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Give yourselves plenty of time to plan your wedding. Choose your wedding planner early in the process. Having their help is essential. Do not be afraid to dream big dreams about your wedding. With the right help, you can have the wedding of your dreams. The wedding day goes fast, so be sure to take it in and enjoy it!