Ciara and Colin's rustic-inspired Dade City wedding was a gorgeous affair filled with elegant florals, southern charm, and the couple's five dogs who accompanied the wedding party as they walked down the aisle. The outdoor event centered around the bride and groom's Christian faith and the bonding of their two families.
“We love rustic and country style weddings, so that is what we chose. Colin and I also have a lot of faith, and we decided to incorporate traditional prayers and faith-based symbols into the wedding, such as the large cross that we got married in front of,” Ciara shared. “I really enjoy nature, and Colin is more of an outdoorsy person, so we included some smaller details to reflect that. My biggest inspiration for the farm and the rustic theme was Joanna Gaines. She's amazing. Our main colors were sage green and grey. We chose these colors since they were most earthy and natural-looking, and they went well with the theme of the wedding. We didn't want to overpower the scenery in our photos with bright or bold colors.”
MORE: RUSTIC WEDDING INSPIRATION
During her wedding planning research, Ciara sought out a Tampa Bay wedding planner who had an eye for design and detail. The Trinity couple hired John Campbell Weddings for their industry expertise in planning and luxurious aesthetic in floral design.
“We looked for someone with a lot of experience and someone who understood what we wanted for our special day. We absolutely love John Campbell and would highly recommend him for any wedding! He was so helpful and really took the time to understand what we wanted. He was very thorough when it came to planning and had shown us many important details we did not think about during our initial planning,” the bride gushed. “John had a lot of experience in styling weddings and provided a lot of ideas for the decor. He also made all of our beautiful floral arrangements. We didn't even need to hire a florist.”
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John Campbell Weddings, the planner and floral designer, intertwined ivory roses with eucalyptus leaves throughout the ceremony and reception. The sweetheart table featured two stunning floral bouquets chicly adorned on top of wooden barrels. To add to the rustic elegant theme, textured linens from Kate Ryan Event Rentals were added to the tablescapes.
“The rentals added beautiful elements that really helped pull the whole look together,” Ciara explained. “We also included a number of custom signs to include our faith in the ceremony, and my uncle made a custom wooden cross for us to be married in front of.”
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As the couple outlined their 150 guest list, they worked with Olympia Catering to create a delicious menu that would leave all of their loved ones satisfied. Bar service from Spunky Spirits added to the festive experience.
“We looked for a catering company that had a lot of options to choose from since we had a lot of guests with dietary restrictions. We chose to have a pasta bar along with a buffet that provided guests with a beef or chicken option,” Ciara detailed. “Olympia had the most delicious food we tried, and there were so many options, even for guests with dietary restrictions. The catering planning was very easy, and they were very accommodating to making changes to the menu. Olympia also provided a lot of other services if we needed them.”
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The bridesmaids wore long mix-and-match sage green dresses, while Ciara selected a classic silhouette for her wedding day look. The sweetheart neckline lace dress featured a stunning cathedral length veil, and the bridal makeup from Femme Akoi Beauty Studios stayed polished and elegant throughout the entire day.
“I wanted a more natural look to match the venue and theme of the wedding. Femme Akoi's makeup artists had great reviews and they were very accommodating,” the bride beamed.
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Looking back on her wedding day memories, Ciara cherished the intimated moments she and her groom had to themselves.
“The most memorable moments were the ceremony and taking pictures with my husband after the ceremony. The ceremony was special because it was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, and the weather was perfect,” the bride reminisced. “The moments that we were taking pictures were also the most memorable because that was a time that my husband and I could have a minute without the guests and celebrate us just getting married.”
The Proposal:
Colin proposed while we were taking Christmas photos with our dogs!
What was your makeup inspiration?
I wanted a more natural look to match the venue and theme of the wedding. Femme Akoi's makeup artists had great reviews, and they were very accommodating.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We looked for someone with a lot of experience and someone who understood what we wanted for our special day.
We absolutely love John Campbell Weddings and would highly recommend him for any wedding! He was so helpful and really took the time to understand what we wanted. He was very thorough when it came to planning and had shown us many important details we did not think about during our initial planning. John had a lot of experience in styling weddings and provided a lot of ideas for the decor. He also made all of our beautiful floral arrangements. We didn't even need to hire a florist.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We love rustic and country style weddings, so that is what we chose. Colin and I also have a lot of faith, and we decided to incorporate traditional prayers and faith-based symbols into the wedding as well, such as the large cross that we got married in front of. My biggest inspiration for the farm/rustic theme was Joanna Gaines. She's amazing.
What were your colors?
Sage green and grey. We chose these colors since they were most earthy and natural-looking, and they went well with the theme of the wedding. We didn't want to overpower the scenery in our photos with bright or bold colors.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We chose to spend our honeymoon in Captiva and Sanibel Island. South Seas Island Resort in Captiva was tranquil and allowed us to relax after all of the planning! The island was beautiful!
What did you look for in a bartending service?
We wanted our reception to be a big party to celebrate our families coming together. We heard great things about Spunky Spirits and, their prices were fair.
How did the linens enhance the ambiance of your event?
They added beautiful elements that really helped pull the whole look together.
What was your menu inspiration?
We looked for a catering company that had a lot of options to choose from since we had a lot of guests with dietary restrictions. We chose to have a pasta bar along with a buffet that provided guests with a beef or chicken option.
Olympia Catering had the most delicious food we tried, and there were so many options, even for guests with dietary restrictions. The catering planning was very easy, and they were very accommodating to making changes to the menu. They also provided a lot of other services if we needed them. Olympia had a personal attendant for me and my husband, so we were able to enjoy our meal and drinks without having to leave our table during dinner.
How did you incorporate you and your spouse's personalities into the wedding?
I really enjoy nature and having the scenery for our ceremony really worked out for me. Colin is more of an outdoorsy person, so we included some smaller details to reflect that. The groomsmen all had boutonnieres made from shotgun shells Colin had saved. Our cake topper really brought together our individual personalities; it was made of two rocking chairs, mine with flowers and his with a rifle.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
There are times that may be stressful, but enjoy the ride because it is over before you know it. Also, take a few minutes after the ceremony to be alone with your new spouse. Celebrate what just happened! You got married!
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Covington Farm
Photographer: Shawna Meadors Photography
Videographer: Elmwood Forest Productions
Planner, Design, and Florals: John Campbell Weddings *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Caterer: Olympia Catering *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Table Linens: Kate Ryan Event Rentals *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: Kristen Marie Cakes
Bar Service: Spunky Spirits *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Pet Coordinating: Furry Ventures
DJ: DJ Kenwa
Officiant: Traveling Notaries of Hernando
Invitations: Minted
Dress: Ivory & Lace Bridal Boutique – Morilee
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal
Hair: Blush Hair and Nail Studio
Makeup: Femme Akoi Beauty Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Signage and Custom Decor: The Crazy Bunny Lady
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
