Chevonne and Vaughn’s destination Sarasota wedding was a magical evening that brought the couple’s family and friends to a private estate decorated in sparkling lights and romantic florals.
Our wedding design and colors were inspired by a beautiful bouquet I’d seen online. That bouquet became the foundation for our color and floral design. I chose it because the mix of colors was very appealing!” the bride beamed. “Our wedding colors were mauve, soft pink, rose gold, purple, burgundy, gold, grey, and touches of boysenberry.”
To help find their dream wedding venue, for their 110 guests, the Tallahassee couple searched Marry Me Tampa Bay to plan their destination wedding and vet their chosen wedding pros.
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay when searching for venues in the Tampa Bay Area, which is how we discovered the Powel Crosley Estate,” Chevonne revealed. “Once we narrowed down our other vendors, we cross-referenced the weddings they were previously involved with as well as any feature pages they may have had on Marry Me Tampa Bay so we could confirm whether we were making the right decision to move forward with that particular vendor.”
After hiring a wedding planner whom she didn’t initially click with, Chevonne refined her search and chose Special Moments Event Planning.
“I initially worked with a different wedding planner who I was completely unhappy with. She was talented and had managed a sizable number of weddings, but didn’t seem to want any input from me regarding my own wedding, which was terribly off-putting,” the bride shared. “We were looking for someone who understood our personalities, style, and vision. We wanted someone who had a great deal of wedding planning experience, who was accustomed to working with a diverse clientele and who had planned weddings at our wedding venue before. We hired Special Moments Event Planning because not only were Tammy and her team inviting, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable, they had planned weddings at our venue a number of times.”
Finding a Sarasota wedding photographer with a photo-journalistic style and pleasant demeanor was at the top of the couple’s list, and they found all of that at more with Kéra Photography.
“We wanted someone who would understand who we were as a couple as well as our individual personalities. Most importantly, we wanted someone who could truly capture candid, real moments rather than forcing unnatural, posed photos,” the bride explained. “We understood these photographs would serve as memories for a lifetime, and we really wanted to capture exactly how we were feeling in those moments. We chose Kéra Photography as our engagement and wedding photographer because she checked all the boxes we were seeking in a photographer. Kéra was an awesome photographer. We absolutely love our engagement and wedding photos!”
The couple incorporated lush red, pink, and ivory florals inspired by Chevonne’s bridal bouquet, which featured two stunning King Proteas surrounded by an ombre of roses. To add to the romantic ambiance, the courtyard ceremony was elegantly decorated with a crystal chandelier and gold chivari chairs from Gabro Event Services.
“The elements of our wedding that were the most important were the ceremony and the overall ambiance. We wanted to write our own vows to really express how our thoughts about each other after ten years of being together. We also wanted to make sure that the ambiance was fun and exciting,” the bride gushed. “Our rentals enhanced the look and feel of our wedding because it added to the existing ambiance. The estate is already stunning, so we just added a few items to individualize our wedding a bit.”
As the couple reminisced back on their destination wedding weekend, it was the intimate moments that brought the fondest memories.
“The most memorable moments were giving our mothers flowers to include and honor them in our ceremony in a special way and to show them just how much we appreciate all that they have done for us. I know it’s cliché, but truly, without them, there’d be no us,” Chevonne reminisced. “We spoke from the heart to each other for our vows. It was our moment to show how we felt after ten years of loving one another, in about ten minutes, but it still meant so much.”
The Proposal:
I went out to eat on a Friday night with a girlfriend after work. I called Vaughn to explain I’d be getting home a little later as a result. He told me he’d likely be working late that night. I arrived home later that night, and his car was gone, so I figured he was still at work. When I walked into our house, all the lights were off, which was typical. Then I opened our bedroom door, and there were candles, rose petals, and balloons all throughout our bedroom. Vaughn was on one knee and with tears in his eyes and asked me to be his wife. I cried. He cried. He put the ring on my finger, and we hugged. It was just incredible. It was absolutely one of the best moments of my entire life! I thank God every day for having such an incredible man in my life.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your event?
Our rentals enhanced the look and feel of our wedding because it added to the existing ambiance. The estate is already stunning, so we just added a few items to individualize our wedding a bit.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We were looking for someone who understood our personalities, style, and vision. We wanted someone who had a great deal of wedding planning experience, who was accustomed to working with a diverse clientele, and who had planned weddings at our wedding venue before.
We hired Special Moments Event Planning because not only were Tammy and her team inviting, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable, they had planned weddings at our venue a number of times.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
For our wedding photographer, we wanted someone who would understand who we were as a couple as well as our individual personalities. Most importantly, we wanted someone who could truly capture candid, real moments rather than forcing unnatural, posed photos. We understood these photographs would serve as memories for a lifetime, and we really wanted to capture exactly how we were feeling in those moments.
We chose Kéra Photography as our engagement and wedding photographer because Kéra checked all the boxes we were seeking in a photographer. She was awesome! We absolutely love our engagement and wedding photos!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We spent two weeks at the Excellence Rivera Cancun Resort for our honeymoon. It was the most relaxing vacation ever. Most importantly, the service at the resort was unmatched. We’ve never traveled to a resort so elegant. We’d definitely return! We chose that resort based on a recommendation from our vacation planner. She advised us that she’d had a number of clients go there for their honeymoon and really enjoy themselves.
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
Go with your gut. I initially worked with a different wedding planner who I was completely unhappy with. She was talented and had managed a sizable number of weddings, but didn’t seem to want any input from me regarding my own wedding, which was terribly off-putting. I dealt with it, fighting my gut the entire time, until finally speaking up.
After speaking up, I decided to no longer work with her. Looking back, it was the best decision I made during my entire planning process because the additional stress of dealing with a wedding planner who is not compatible with you is incredibly exasperating and not worth it. Remember that you’re a paying customer being provided a service.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Powel Crosley Estate
Photographer: Kéra Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Videographer: VHVideo.COM
Planner: Special Moments Event Planning *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: Ever After Vintage Weddings
Caterer: Delectables Fine Catering
Chairs, Lighting, and Table Rentals: Gabro Event Services *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: Publix
DJ: Shut Down Productions
Invitations: PaperHeartCompany (Etsy)
Transportation: Luxor Transportation
Dress: Something Blue Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Hair: Sabrina’s Beauty
Makeup: Stenza Beauty
Photobooth: Be Glam Photo Booth
Sparkler Fountain: Spark Wedding Events
