Melissa and Chris’ waterfront Clearwater Beach wedding combined sea glass shades of aqua and misty green with classic white flora accented by natural greenery to complement the views of sand and surf. Following a ceremony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, guests enjoyed a elegant ballroom reception adorned with soft linens and gold accents, before ending the evening with an epic dance party, hand-scooped gelato, and late-night chicken sandwiches.

“The vibe I wanted for my wedding was minimalist, modern and romantic. I really wanted the beach and the water to take center stage, so I didn’t want to do too much decor or distract from the beauty of the venue,” the bride shared. “My colors were sage, white, and gold, and I chose them because I felt like they coordinated well with the venue and followed the simple and modern vibe that I was going for.”

The local Clearwater couple recognized the value of working with a seasoned wedding planner while crafting their 86-guest celebration. Breezin’ Weddings helped the couple stay on task by minimizing stress, especially on the event day.

“I wanted a planner who understood what we wanted for our wedding and would help us accomplish that while taking some of the stress away from me during planning. Breezin’ Weddings came highly recommended from our venue, and when my husband and I met with them we felt like it was a great fit. Anna was absolutely amazing!” Melissa raved. “She was so easy to work with, knew exactly what we wanted, and did everything and more! She had great ideas and was so good at her job that when it came to the day of the wedding, I was not in the slightest bit nervous because I knew it was all in great hands.”

Melissa and Chris infused their color palette into the reception space through colorful napkins and elegant place settings courtesy of Outside The Box Event Rentals. The creative team at Lifelong Photography Studio artfully captured all of the gorgeous details while documenting the glowing summer day as it unfolded.

“This was probably the vendor that I interviewed the most people for. We wanted that light and bright airy feel for our pictures without being super staged and posed,” the bride revealed. “Lifelong Photography Studio had the look we were going for within a reasonable price for a package that included everything we needed. We enjoyed having Lifelong and could not be happier with their work. We get endless compliments on our pictures, and they look so natural but elevated. They were awesome to work!”

The pair personalized their wedding through unique touches that spoke to their relationship and individual styles. From the venue choice to the attire to the cuisine, each element was thoughtfully curated to reflect their personalities.

“My husband and I are very chill people and wanted the vibe of our wedding to be exactly that. We didn’t want a stuffy, formal wedding. We wanted a celebration with our favorite people in the entire world at our favorite place in the world, the beach. We wanted to make sure all of our guests had the time of their lives while celebrating our love, so the most important elements were celebrating and honoring our love, having the best time with the people we love most, and dancing to the best music. We spent a lot of time curating the perfect playlists for every part of the night,” the bride detailed. “My husband is obsessed with sneakers so he and his groomsman all wore custom sneakers for the wedding. We also love Chick-fil-A, so we made sure to bring that in as a midnight snack for all our guests.”

Chris’ priority was the music, so choosing a skilled DJ who fit their vibe without feeling like a typical wedding emcee was crucial. Upon connecting with Breezin’ Entertainment, they knew they were the ideal choice who could create a party on the dance floor.

“This was probably the vendor that was most important to my husband. We wanted someone who would understand our vibe and was not that traditional wedding DJ. We interviewed a lot of different DJs but when we spoke to Jeff at Breezin’ Entertainment we knew he completely understood what we were going for when he said the music we were describing is what he has in his personal playlist. We knew he understood what we were trying to accomplish and he crushed it!” Melissa gushed. “We are still getting compliments that our wedding had the best music. It was definitely tailored to our group of 30-year-olds raised in the early 2000s, but I feel like he did such a great job, he would be able to nail any vibe any couple wanted.”

Bucking tradition and opting for ice cream instead of wedding cake, the couple hired The Gelato Carte to delight their guests with a sweet treat after dinner.

“Chris and I are not huge fans of cake, so we knew we wanted to do something different for dessert. We both love ice cream and that is where we went for our first date, so we knew that we wanted to incorporate ice cream in some way. I had known of The Gelato Carte from previous events and after seeing all the different flavors they had and tasting them, we knew we needed them at our wedding,” Melissa beamed. “Their service was awesome and our guests loved it. Many told us that they went up multiple times and tried multiple flavors. If I was to have one regret at my wedding, it would be that I only had one serving; My husband had at least three!”

While the entire celebration was unforgettable, it was the custom ceremony led by their mutual friend, followed by the first kiss), that truly created a core memory for Melissa.

“The whole day was memorable. I wish I could relive it over and over again. We were so lucky that everything went perfectly, the weather was beautiful, and we had the best time ever,” the bride reminisced. “The ceremony was probably the most memorable. We had our best friend marry us, and the tailored program he created for us was just so special and at the end I got to kiss my husband!”

The Proposal: 
We were on vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We had gone for a walk after dinner along the beach and went to this spot to look out at the water. I turned around and found Chris on one knee. 

What did you look for in a wedding photographer? 
This was probably the vendor that I interviewed the most people for. We wanted that light and bright airy feel for our pictures without being super staged and posed.

Lifelong Photography Studio had the look we were going for within a reasonable price for a package that included everything we needed. We enjoyed having Lifelong and could not be happier with their work. We get endless compliments on our pictures, and they look so natural but elevated. They were awesome to work!

What did you look for in a wedding planner? 
I wanted a planner who understood what we wanted for our wedding and would help us accomplish that while taking some of the stress away from me during planning.

Breezin’ Weddings came highly recommended from our venue, and when my husband and I met with them we felt like it was a great fit. Anna was absolutely amazing! She was so easy to work with, knew exactly what we wanted, and did everything and more! She had great ideas and was so good at her job that when it came to the day of the wedding, I was not in the slightest bit nervous because I knew it was all in great hands.

What was your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I love wearing makeup and having it and my hair done and knew I wanted glamourous makeup that would last tall day in the Florida heat in may.

I felt like Femme Akoi Beauty Studio would be able to do that and also do more natural looks for those looking for that. I also had a larger group of people, so it was nice that they gave me the option to add more artists. They did an absolutely great job! I feel like they just elevated everyone’s natural beauty and it lasted all day and night!

How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your event? 
We rented chiavari chairs, sage napkins, gold dishware, and pipe and drape from Outside The Box Event Rentals. The items that we ordered completely helped us to transform the room for our reception and helped continue the theme we were going for.  

What did you look for in a wedding DJ? 
This was probably the vendor that was most important to my husband. We wanted someone who would understand our vibe and was not that traditional wedding DJ. We interviewed a lot of different DJs but when we spoke to Jeff at Breezin’ Entertainment we knew he completely understood what we were going for when he said the music we were describing is what he has in his personal playlist. We knew he understood what we were trying to accomplish and he crushed it! We are still getting compliments that our wedding had the best music. It was definitely tailored to our group of 30-year-olds raised in the early 2000s, but I feel like he did such a great job, he would be able to nail any vibe any couple wanted.

Why did you choose to incorporate a gelato cart at your reception?
Chris and I are not huge fans of cake, so we knew we wanted to do something different for dessert. We both love ice cream and that is where we went for our first date, so we knew that we wanted to incorporate ice cream in some way. I had known of The Gelato Carte from previous events and after seeing all the different flavors they had and tasting them, we knew we needed them at our wedding. Their service was awesome and our guests loved it. Many told us that they went up multiple times and tried multiple flavors. If I was to have one regret at my wedding, it would be that I only had one serving; My husband had at least three!