Keriann and Jeremy’s whimsical downtown Tampa wedding was a vision of winter bliss with rustic Manzanita centerpieces, twinkling lights and plenty of sparkles.

“Once we had the winter wonderland theme in mind, I took to Pinterest to help with color inspiration and details,” the bride shared. “Envisioning cool tones, lots of sparkles and a romantic ambiance, we chose a color palette of white, silver and dusty blue that pulled together our winter-glam celebration perfectly.”

MORE: WINTER WEDDING INSPIRATION

Along with Pinterest, Keriann was an avid Marry Me Tampa Bay reader and even found her wedding planner on the site.

“I used Marry Me Tampa Bay quite frequently during the wedding planning process. It was so helpful to get information and advice from other brides,” the bride beamed. “We found our wedding planner through Marry Me Tampa Bay, which was probably the best decision we could have made.

Looking for someone who was detail-oriented, could keep them on track with their budget, and who had connections with trustworthy vendors, the couple chose Special Moments Event Planning.

“From our very first phone conversation, Tammy Waterman with Special Moments Event Planning had me hooked. We spoke for over an hour during that first phone call, and she really listened to my sporadic thoughts on what I wanted and how to capture it. She gave me advice on just about everything from looking for venues to tips on staying within budget,” the bride gushed. “From start to finish, Tammy and her team far exceeded our expectations and stayed true to their catchphrase ‘dream makers’. Our wedding was better than I ever could have imagined thanks to Tammy and her Special Moments team.”

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Looking for a laid-back photographer who could help them feel at ease in front of the camera, the Florida natives looked to Grind & Press Photography.

“Most importantly, we wanted someone who could capture our personalities in a natural way. We loved the look and feel of Grind & Press Photography and felt like it would mirror our personalities perfectly,” the bride explained. “Ashley was amazing and exactly what we were looking for in a photographer. She had this effortless way of truly making us feel like ourselves. We had so much fun during our engagement and wedding photos and our pictures turned out beautiful.”

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The bride wanted a subtle, but chic look, and she found the perfect beauty squad to give her a touch of glam.

“Previously having an amazing experience as a bridesmaid with Destiny and Light Makeup Group made the decision to hire them for my own wedding an easy one. I’m not someone who normally wears a lot of makeup, so I wanted something beautiful, but subtle,” the bride shared. “As for my hair, it actually took me three trials to decide what I wanted. I knew I wanted the back of my dress to be seen and in the end, I went with a glammed-up side ponytail.”

Looking back on their special day, the bride cherished seeing her groom for the first time and learning the choreography for their first dance.

“Jeremy and I decided not to see each other or do a first look before the ceremony, so the moment I finally got to see him was perfect. I just remember coming around the corner of the back of the church, seeing Jeremy for the first time and walking down the aisle with my dad,” the bride reminisced. “Another memorable part of our wedding was taking private lessons to surprise our guests with a choreographed number as our first dance. We both had a lot of fun learning and practicing the dance together, and it definitely showed a little bit more of our personalities.”

The Proposal:
Jeremy and I love to travel. We were trying to plan our next vacation and were looking for places with cheap flights when we found a steal on tickets to Paris. Neither of us had ever been to Europe, so we just decided, “Why not?” Jeremy made reservations for a nice breakfast, and I was anxious to see the spot he picked. On the morning of our reservation, he had us walking through the Tuileries Gardens pretending to be on his GPS trying to find this breakfast spot. After a few minutes, he turned to me and told me we really didn’t have any breakfast reservations, and then he was down on one knee! As if that wasn’t enough, he had hired a photographer to capture the whole thing and do a little photo shoot afterward in the gardens and in front of the Louvre.

 

What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
I’m not someone who normally wears a lot of makeup, so I wanted something beautiful. As for my hair, it actually took me three trials to decide what I wanted. I knew I wanted the back of my dress to be seen and in the end, I went with a glammed-up side ponytail.

Previously having an amazing experience as a bridesmaid with Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group made the decision to hire them for my own wedding an easy one.

What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone laid-back, who could make us feel comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera during our engagement and wedding photos. Most importantly, we wanted someone who could capture our personalities in a natural way.

Grind & Press Photography immediately stood out to us. We loved the look and feel of the photography and felt like it would mirror our personalities perfectly. Ashley was amazing and exactly what we were looking for in a photographer. She had this effortless way of truly making us feel like ourselves. We had so much fun during our engagement and wedding photos, and our pictures turned out beautiful.

How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Romantic, winter wonderland. We wanted cool tones, some splashes of sparkle, lots of lights, and I really wanted Manzanita centerpieces with hanging crystals.

What were your colors?
Once we had the winter wonderland theme in mind, I took to Pinterest to help with color inspiration and details. Envisioning cool tones, lots of sparkles and a romantic ambiance, we chose a color palette of white, silver and dusty blue that pulled together our winter-glam celebration perfectly.”

What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We were looking for someone who would listen to our vision, was organized, detail oriented and could keep us on track with our budget. We had a bad experience with hiring a vendor prior to finding our wedding planner, so we also wanted someone who knew the wedding business well and had connections with trustworthy vendors.

Tammy Waterman with Special Moments Event Planning came highly recommended from a previous Marry Me Tampa Bay bride and from our very first phone conversation, she had me hooked. We spoke for over an hour during that first phone call, and Tammy really listened to my sporadic thoughts on what I wanted and how to capture it. She gave me advice on just about everything from looking for venues to tips on staying within budget. Tammy gave extremely detailed descriptions of what she could turn our wedding into all before we even hired her. From start to finish, Tammy and her team far exceeded our expectations and stayed true to their catchphrase ‘dream makers’. On the day of our wedding I didn’t worry about a single thing, and anything we needed, Tammy was on top of it. The day went smoothly, and our venue was absolutely stunning. Our wedding was better than I ever could have imagined thanks to Tammy and her Special Moments team.

What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We wanted someone fun and energetic who would keep everyone on the dance floor!

From the beginning, Grant Hemond & Associates‘ customer service was amazing. They were easy to work with and really made us feel like they wanted to be a part of our wedding. They worked with us on pricing, customizing our DJ and deciding on a lighting package. We worked specifically with DJ Jason Tally who was phenomenal. We had many phone conversations discussing the details of the cocktail hour and reception, and we could tell he was very organized and detail oriented. Jason even met with me before the reception started to play around with our uplighting colors to make sure the color was just right. The reception ran smoothly from start to finish, and he listened to our music style and song requests. Everyone was dancing the entire night!

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Hire a wedding planner! This was by far the best decision and investment we made in planning our wedding. I can’t even imagine trying to do everything that Tammy and her team did for us throughout the entire process. Also, do your research and read reviews for vendors. I heavily relied on Marry Me Tampa Bay, The Knot and Wedding Wire. Lastly, enjoy the process, even the stressful parts. Little things may go wrong, but at the end of the day, those little things won’t matter as much as you think they will.

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church Tampa
Reception Venue and Dance Lessons: The Hip Room Dance Studio
Photographer: Grind & Press Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Videographer: Movie Magic Productions
Planner: Special Moments Event Planning *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: The Bride’s Bouquet
Caterer: Flavor Gourmet Catering
Rentals: Gabro Event Services *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Linens: Connie Duglin Linens
Desserts: Little Donut House
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – Jason Tally *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Officiant: Fr. Javier Nelson (From Bride’s Hometown Parish)
Invitations: Etsy
Transportation: Skyline Limo
Dress Designer: Stella York
Bridesmaid Dress: Azazie
Hair & Makeup: Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group