Christine and Scott's traditional downtown Tampa wedding combined a neutral color palette of black and white with chic gold accents. The bride and groom exchanged vows in a Catholic ceremony before dining and dancing the night away overlooking the Tampa Riverwalk.
“Our wedding theme was classic and sophisticated. We knew we wanted to go with a classic theme because it is timeless,” the bride shared. “I chose black and white with hints of gold. We knew black and white fit the classic theme, but the touches of gold we had throughout the wedding really popped.”
The local Tampa couple knew they needed a seasoned wedding planner, given their busy careers and Christine's studies, as they wanted to enjoy the wedding planning process.
“We wanted someone who would lift a lot of stress off our shoulders and help guide us basically every step of the way. We knew we wanted someone with a lot of experience as well. Karen, the owner of EventFull Weddings, was hands down one of the most generous, authentic, and professional planners I have met. We could tell she knew exactly what she was doing and was very experienced. The EventFull team did an amazing job, and I will forever recommend them to anyone,” the bride raved. “Karen always made time for us whenever we needed her and constantly stayed on top of everything. We had zero hiccups on our wedding day (or maybe there were, but Karen made sure we never knew!) We enjoyed our wedding day so much, and we know a big part of it is because of EventFull Weddings.”
The pair incorporated their personalities in various details throughout their 200-person celebration. Christine attributes these personal touches as some of the most unique aspects of their wedding day.
“Our wedding was classic, but it reflected our personalities with details throughout the ceremony and reception. We had touches of us wherever we could fit it, like our dog-inspired bar menu, our guest book made with our engagement photos, and our wedding playlist included our favorite songs,” the bride detailed. “One unique element was that Scott's dad designed our wedding invitations and timeline sign. It was amazing to have such an important piece made by him and shared with all of our closest friends and family.”
Christine prioritized the reception decor, opting for gold-rim chargers to elevate the table place settings, courtesy of Kate Ryan Event Rentals. The talented team at Save The Date Florida created stunning white florals and greenery arrangements that encompassed the classic and timeless style the bride envisioned.
“We knew florals were going to be such an important element on our wedding day that we wanted someone who was going to execute it beautifully and trust them with that. When we showed the owner, Danielle, our inspiration for the florals, and she brought it to a whole new level. With that being one of the most important details of the wedding, we couldn't have asked for a better florist. Danielle has a talent, and we are so glad we chose her!” the bride beamed. “Anytime I reflect back on pictures of the florals, I'm just falling in love all over again with them. Danielle and Save the Date Florida were an amazing team, and I am so glad we chose them.”
Looking back, the bride recalls two special memories from the day that stood out among the rest; being surrounded by friends and family during the sacred wedding ceremony, followed by celebrating on the dance floor.
“One memorable moment was the ceremony at Christ the King Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic and for us to get married in the Catholic church meant a lot to my family and me. We had a full mass, and to see all our family and friends who come from different backgrounds come together to celebrate us was really emotional,” the bride reminisced. “Another memorable moment was the reception. We were so excited to dance the night away. It was the most fun we had dancing ever, and made it even more fun to have our closest family and friends dancing with us.”
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
My wedding hair was actually inspired by Kim Kardashian. I remember just showing a picture to the hair stylist during our wedding trial, and she immediately goes, “Ahhh yes the Kim K look!” It made me feel even better she knew exactly what I was going for without even saying it!
Adore Bridal did my makeup for our engagement pictures, and I was blown away by the team, the service, and the kindness of everyone. I immediately called them back after my engagement picture session and booked them. The Adore team made getting ready with my bridesmaids so fun! The talent the team has is amazing. All my bridesmaids showed one inspiration picture for hair, and they executed it perfectly. I actually miss hanging with them from that day. That's how great of an experience it was.
The Proposal:
It was Christmas Eve, and we always have dinner with my family on Christmas Eve, and then we spend Christmas Day with Scott's family. I thought I was meeting my family at Ulele for a normal Christmas Eve dinner. While my parents were waiting for our table, Scott and I went on the beer tour they have. When we got there, Scott popped the question while my family and his family were hiding inside the same room. Family is so important to us, and to have both of ours together for a special moment was something we will always cherish.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
Scott and I were working full-time, and I was also juggling my Master's classes and wedding planning. We wanted someone who would lift a lot of stress off our shoulders and help guide us basically every step of the way. We knew we wanted someone with a lot of experience as well.
Karen, the owner of EventFull Weddings, was hands down one of the most generous, authentic, and professional planners I have met. We could tell she knew exactly what she was doing and was very experienced.
EventFull Weddings was seriously the best decision we could've made. Karen was so on it from the start, we felt like we had nothing to worry about. Any concerns that came up, Karen had a solution. She made sure our dream wedding that we had visioned came to life on our wedding day. We truly couldn't have done it without her and the team. We knew we could trust her with one of the happiest days of our lives. The EventFull team did an amazing job, and I will forever recommend them to anyone. Karen always made time for us whenever we needed her and constantly stayed on top of everything. We had zero hiccups on our wedding day (or maybe there were, but Karen made sure we never knew! We enjoyed our wedding day so much, and we know a big part of it is because of EventFull Weddings.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
We knew florals were going to be such an important element on our wedding day that we wanted someone who was going to execute it beautifully and trust them with that.
Save the Date Florida was introduced to us by our planner, and we are so glad she recommended this team. If you look at their social media, you can see how unique and beautiful each arrangement is for any wedding theme. When we showed the owner, Danielle, our inspiration for the florals, she brought it to a whole new level. Save the Date Florida just did such a beautiful job with the florals. With that being one of the most important details of the wedding, we couldn't have asked for a better florist. Danielle has a talent, and we are so glad we chose her. We were in such amazement when we walked in and saw everything she did. Anytime I reflect back on pictures of the florals, I'm just falling in love all over again with them. Danielle and Save the Date Florida were an amazing team, and I am so glad we chose them.
How did the rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?
We rented chargers for our wedding from Kate Ryan Event Rentals. We wanted to break up the black and white with pops of gold, so we did just that with the table setting.
The chargers had a gold rim and beautiful shape that just added more to our classic touch as well.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was classic and sophisticated. We knew we wanted to go with a classic theme because it is timeless.
What were your colors?
I chose black and white with hints of gold. We knew black and white fit the classic theme, but the touches of gold we had throughout the wedding really popped.
Why did you choose to have a photo booth at your wedding?
I loved the quality of the pictures from Gala Photobooth. They do black and white filters, which I knew I wanted for our wedding day. It helped add that touch of classic to our wedding theme. When reaching out to them, they were so informative and really on it! I knew they were going to do a great job, and they did just that. Gala Photobooth was a huge hit at the wedding!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Hawaii. We chose Hawaii because we knew we wanted to be somewhere tropical, and I am a huge Disney fan. There is a Disney resort on Oahu called Aulani, and it was such a fun and stunning resort. We had an amazing honeymoon with a touch of magic! The weather was perfect, and we just relaxed, explored, and enjoyed being newlyweds.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Nashville. I chose that location because I had been to Nashville in the past, and when I saw how much fun other bachelorette parties were having, I knew immediately I wanted to be there. The atmosphere was fun, the live bands were amazing, the bars were so cool, and the Honky Tonk party buses are hands down the best thing you can do with your group. You don't even have to love country music to enjoy Nashville. It was a party non-stop in Nashville!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Know what is going on in the Tampa Bay area on your wedding weekend. There was an Eric Church concert downtown on ours, and it took almost an hour of our time just trying to get from our ceremony back to our hotel. It definitely crunched down our time for photos and pushed dinner back. I kid you not, our limo was a quarter mile down from Marriott stuck in standstill traffic so my bridal party group just ended up getting out of the limo and running down the street in our dresses! That was definitely another memorable moment.
Enjoy your engagement phase. We would get all caught up in planning and spending every weekend going over wedding details, vendors, etc., and I think we missed just taking it in like ‘WOW, we are fiancés!” Spend time as an engaged couple, plan a fun little staycation, and just enjoy your moments as an engaged couple. It's good to get your mind off wedding planning here and there so you don't stress yourself out too much.
