Alexia and John’s downtown Tampa wedding exuded love vibes with a mix of red and pink florals, complemented by crisp, white and pastel green linens, creating an enchanting atmosphere in a historic venue.

“The theme of our wedding was romantic, art deco, and modern chic. We wanted something that leaned into the February ‘month of love’ aesthetic while also incorporating modern design ideas. We really wanted something that reflected who we were, not only as individuals but also as a couple,” the bride beamed. “I chose a scale of pinks, reds, and maroons for our colors. I loved the idea of each bridesmaid and all the flowers being different colors, coming together to create a full spectrum that beautifully represents love. We were especially lucky to have our wedding in February, allowing us to embrace this vibrant concept fully.”

Hosting their winter nuptials in Tampa was a perfect and sentimental choice, as the pair are from Florida and have family and friends nearby.

“We live in Seminole Heights. I was born and raised in Florida, so it was an easy choice to get married in Tampa,” the bride shared. “Half of our friends and family were already located here. Plus, I am a third-generation Tampa native, so the city has always been near and dear to my heart. My husband grew up in Brooksville, which is slightly north of here, and we both decided Tampa was the ideal location.”

While searching for the perfect location, the bride utilized the Marry Me Tampa Bay website to gather venue-specific information to decide which one was the best fit for their 107 guests.

“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay to research the venues I had narrowed down through my search and wanted to see how different couples decorated the space,” the bride explained. “It was extremely helpful once we booked The Vault, as Marry Me Tampa Bay had different articles featuring past weddings held there for us to get inspiration from.”

The couple chose The Vault, a historical, neo-classical building constructed in 1919, which was previously home to the Exchange National Bank, for their ceremony and reception.

“Once we had narrowed it down to Tampa and decided on an indoor wedding, there really wasn’t any competition. I did not want to risk the special day being rained out, so it had to be a space that held up on its own without the beautiful Floridian backdrop. We chose The Vault because as soon as you walk up to those 1920 columns, you are fully transported into a historical Tampa landmark. It speaks for itself,” the bride gushed. “When you walk through the doors the first thing you see is the floor-to-ceiling windows as well as the original marble floors. The space on its own is simply breathtaking and in the back is the actual vault that the bank used way back in the day. Another main perk is that The Vault handles all of its food catering itself to ensure you have the best day possible. This made it easier to ensure top-of-the-line service. Everything about The Vault service was 10 out of 10 from the moment the day started until we closed the place down.”

To document their wedding day and preserve cherished memories through beautiful, lasting images, Alexia and John selected Dewitt for Love Photography.

“Finding the right photographer was most important; we wanted someone who made us feel comfortable and understood who we were as a couple and able to convey that in their photographs. The photographs were most important because those are the memories that we can cherish forever. We were looking for a photographer who really leaned into unique shots and wasn’t afraid to try out-of-the-box ideasI have not seen many aesthetics like our wedding,” the bride revealed. “We chose Dewitt for Love Photography because they showcased a wide variety of shots at the expo where we met them. They really seemed to reflect each of the couples’ personalities in the way they shot photography. At the time, I didn’t even know that was something a wedding photographer could do. From the moment we hired them, they just understood what we wanted, but we also trusted them to get the shot if they wanted to be experimental. I will be using Dewitt for Love for any professional photographs we need to be taken until the end of time! We have recommended them to countless people who have asked for recommendations, and I will forever be thankful for the vibes they helped create on the wedding day. We have beautiful photographs forever. 

The couple hired Tampa Bay DJ Company to set the tone for the celebration and ensure a lively and memorable atmosphere.

“The music was a top priority for us because that is typically the thing that sets the tone for your guests to get up and party,” the bride gushed. “Our wedding planner highly recommended Tampa Bay DJ Company. [During our call], we went over everything that was important to us, and they took the time to learn our music tastes and what was important to us during our special day. Plus, they used a special mix of our current faves plus old fan favorites, which we all loved. I have never seen so many people up and dancing and having fun!”

Alexia and John personalized their celebration by creating meaningful and memorable experiences.

“We each had specific areas we were passionate about which were the food, music, and photos. My husband curated the music list to reflect our tastes while ensuring it would be enjoyable for our guests. I have a particular fondness for anything gold, which we incorporated into the floral vases,” the bride detailed. “Being foodies, we wanted the food to be a highlight of the night. Additionally, as a software engineer, my husband suggested we create our own wedding audio guestbook, which ended up being the hit of the night. Now, we have personal voice memos from our friends and family that we can cherish for decades to come.”

Amid the hustle and bustle of a wedding day, it was a quiet moment together that stood out to the newlyweds.

“The most memorable moment of our wedding was our first look because Dewitt For Love and our wedding planner really made that moment special for us,” the bride recalled. “It was the only time of the whole day I got a special one-on-one moment with my husband and it just really meant the most to us.”

The Proposal:
We had our two-year anniversary dinner at Ulele. Then John left and gave the waitress an envelope that had a clue leading to a scavenger hunt of all our special places (first date spot, where we met, favorite snack), all leading to a Julian B. Lane Park where I had a scratch-off on the last card that said “Will you marry me?” with a photographer waiting. 

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
Once we had narrowed it down to Tampa and decided on an indoor wedding, there really wasn’t any competition. I did not want to risk the special day being rained out, so it had to be a space that held up on its own without the beautiful Floridian backdrop.

We chose The Vault because as soon as you walk up to those 1920 columns, you are fully transported into a historical Tampa landmark. It speaks for itself. When you walk through the doors the first thing you see is the floor-to-ceiling windows as well as the original marble floors. The space on its own is simply breathtaking and in the back is the actual vault that the bank used way back in the day.

Another main perk is that The Vault handles all of its food catering itself to ensure you have the best day possible. This made it easier to ensure top-of-the-line service. Everything about The Vault service was 10 out of 10 from the moment the day started until we closed the place down.

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Finding the right photographer was most important; we wanted someone who made us feel comfortable and understood who we were as a couple and able to convey that in their photographs. The photographs were most important because those are the memories that we can cherish forever. We were looking for a photographer who really leaned into unique shots and wasn’t afraid to try out-of-the-box ideasI have not seen many aesthetics like our wedding.

We chose Dewitt for Love Photography because they showcased a wide variety of shots at the expo where we met them. They really seemed to reflect each of the couples’ personalities in the way they shot photography. At the time, I didn’t even know that was something a wedding photographer could do. From the moment we hired them, they just understood what we wanted, but we also trusted them to get the shot if they wanted to be experimental.

I will be using Dewitt for Love for any professional photographs we need to be taken until the end of time! We have recommended them to countless people who have asked for recommendations, and I will forever be thankful for the vibes they helped create on the wedding day. We have beautiful photographs forever. 

What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
The music was a top priority for us because that is typically the thing that sets the tone for your guests to get up and party. Our wedding planner highly recommended Tampa Bay DJ Company. [During our call], we went over everything that was important to us, and they took the time to learn our music tastes and what was important to us during our special day. Plus, they used a special mix of our current faves plus old fan favorites, which we all loved. I have never seen so many people up and dancing and having fun!”