Downtown St. Pete Wedding | The Birchwood Wedding
Katie and Kjel's downtown St. Pete wedding featured a laid back atmosphere with a dash of glitz for their waterfront wedding ceremony and ballroom wedding reception.
“Our colors were blush, navy, rose gold and gold. We chose them because I really love the color pink, but we didn’t want it to be tacky, so we went with a more neutral version of it,” the bride explained. “Also, my husband, Kjel picked out my engagement ring in rose gold because he knew I would love it, so we wanted to incorporate the color into our wedding as well.”
Having no clue as to where to begin with the wedding planning process, the Tampa couple hired St. Pete wedding planner Special Moments Event Planning.
“We wanted a wedding planner to guide us along the way because neither of us had planned a wedding before and had no idea what it all entailed nor what anything cost. Weddings are so expensive, and we wanted to create our dream wedding without going bankrupt.” Katie shared. “We were skeptical as to whether or not a wedding planner's services would be worth the cost, but as soon as we sat down and met with Tammy and Petra of Special Moments we knew we needed their help! They were outstanding every step of the way. They made the planning process so much easier, and they coordinated our ceremony outside with very little input from us. I don’t know what we would have done without them!”
MORE: SPECIAL MOMENTS EVENT PLANNING WEDDINGS
Searching for a downtown St. Pete wedding venue that could offer everything in one location, the couple chose boutique hotel The Birchwood.
“We wanted a venue that was convenient for our family, since we have a few family members with limited mobility. The Birchwood had everything all in one location (a restaurant, hotel, ballroom and after party), and we could get married outside, which was one of the main things we looked for in a venue,” the bride shared. “The people we worked with at The Birchwood were phenomenal! You could tell they were very experienced with big events and weddings because they were organized and full of helpful hints and tips for us. The food was unbelievable too and everything was served quickly and hot! They did an amazing job.”
With a health concern in mind, it was important for the bride to find a St. Pete wedding cake bakery she was confident could safely handle her allergy and also provide a superior finished product.
“I have a severe allergy to eggs, so I wanted a bakery that could bake me an egg-free cake top so that I could actually eat my wedding cake, Katie explained. “Laurie was great at A Piece of Cake; she made a sample egg-free cake for me at our cake tasting and gave us a ton of great cakes to try with different flavors we had not thought of. She designed our wedding cake exactly how we wanted. I showed her one picture, and she nailed it completely. It was perfect!”
Looking back, the bride's most cherished memory was one that almost didn't happen. With the advice of her wedding planner, Katie was certainly glad that she decided to have a first look.
“Our first look, highly recommended by our planner Tammy, even though I didn’t want to do it, was my most memorable moment. I am so glad we did; it set the tone for the whole day and let me and my husband have a special moment to ourselves before everything started. It also allowed us to get our wedding photos done before the ceremony so we could enjoy our cocktail hour with our guests,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
Kjel proposed at home, just the two of us, with a puzzle box and a sweet poem inside the puzzle box.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted a wedding planner to guide us along the way, because neither of us had planned a wedding before and had no idea what it all entailed nor what anything cost. Weddings are so expensive, and we wanted to create our dream wedding without going bankrupt. Also, we really wanted someone who would coordinate everything leading up to the wedding and during our wedding day. We didn’t want to think about anything else expect marrying each other.
We were skeptical as to whether or not a wedding planner's services would be worth the cost, but as soon as we sat down and met with Tammy and Petra of Special Moments Event Planning we knew we needed their help! They were outstanding every step of the way. They made the planning process so much easier, and they coordinated our ceremony outside with very little input from us. Petra also did all the table/decor/flower setup and design, packed everything up and organized it all after the wedding. I don’t know what we would have done without them!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We wanted a venue that was convenient for our family, since we have a few family members with limited mobility.
The Birchwood had everything all in one location (a restaurant, hotel, ballroom and after party), and we could get married outside, which was one of the main things we looked for in a venue. The people we worked with at The Birchwood were phenomenal! You could tell they were very experienced with big events and weddings because they were organized and full of helpful hints and tips for us. The food was unbelievable too and everything was served quickly and hot! The bartenders and wait staff were all friendly and helpful too. They did an amazing job.
How would you describe your theme?
We didn’t really have a theme per se, we wanted it to feel more like a party/celebration and more casual overall.
What were your colors?
Blush, navy, rose gold and gold. We chose them because I really love the color pink, but we didn’t want it to be tacky, so we went with a more neutral version of it. Also, my husband Kjel picked out my engagement ring in rose gold because he knew I would love it, so we wanted to incorporate the color into our wedding as well.
What did you look for in a wedding cake bakery?
I have a severe allergy to eggs, so I wanted a place that could bake me an egg-free cake top so that I could actually eat my wedding cake.
Laurie was great at A Piece of Cake, she made sample egg-free cake for me at our cake tasting and gave us a ton of great cakes to try with different flavors we had not thought of. She designed our wedding cake exactly how we wanted; I showed her one picture, and she nailed it completely. It was perfect!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Do what makes you happy. People have lots of opinions about what your wedding could/should be, but at the end of the day it is about you and your husband, so make it fun for the two of you.
Ceremony Venue: North Straub Park
Reception Venue and Caterer: The Birchwood *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Fairytale Productions
Planner/Coordinator: Special Moments Event Planning *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Florist: 2BirdsEvents
Rentals: Signature Event Rentals
Cake: A Piece of Cake
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Andrea Hearn
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
Dress Shop: The White Magnolia
Groomsmen: Men's Warehouse
Hair & Makeup: Premiere Hair and Makeup
