Becky and David wanted their Clearwater wedding to feel like a true celebration for their 180 guests and included them in both unique and personal ways. With this mindset, they commissioned many of their friends' and relatives' talents for their big day from the hair and makeup to the photography. The bride gravitated towards a subtle color palette of dusty rose, white, natural greens, and accents of gold.
“All of those colors together turned out to be very natural and pretty, and the pop of gold here and there gave it a nicer touch. Dusty rose became one of my favorite colors after using it so much at the wedding. My bridesmaids joked that it was the color of the year. I guess you could say I was looking through ‘dusty rose-colored glasses' while planning my wedding,” the bride shared. “I aimed to have as much natural light as possible with little bits of greenery all around. I wanted the day to feel good and easy; not too overwhelming or serious.”
MORE: PINK WEDDING INSPIRATION
While searching for a venue, the Clearwater couple wanted a traditional wedding chapel and fell in love with Harborside Chapel.
“We loved the heart behind Harborside Chapel. It was a ministry over a business. They cared more about nurturing future marriages instead of benefiting from them,” the bride explained. “The minute we found Harborside Chapel though, every other option was tossed aside. They were so personable, friendly, helpful, and available. The chapel itself is nothing short of beautiful.”
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The couple's wedding was a balance of traditional elements and unique touches, including three pastors officiating their ceremony and custom Disney-inspired trading pins.
“We love Disney, and when we’re at the parks we like to trade pins. So we created a pin for our wedding,” the bride shared.
When it came to selecting their dinner menu, the bride and groom both included special guests to join in on the planning process.
“We brought our moms to the tasting and basically let them pick what they liked and thought would be nice!” the bride beamed. “Olympia Catering made everything very easy! Our cake was delicious. We had a white cake with raspberry filling and vanilla frosting. Also, the hors d’oeuvres had a mini grilled cheese with a shot of tomato soup. So good!”
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To honor the couple's relationships with their guests, Becky and David surprised them with complimentary floral bouquets as they left the wedding ceremony.
“Our guests were all somehow apart of our individual and relational journeys. We wanted to thank them in a way,” the explained. “I loved the idea of people getting flowers as a favor and also being able to take pictures in front of the truck. It seemed to ‘match' the simple, happy, and romantic vibe we were going for. I was so pleased Posies Flower Truck was there. People still bring up to me how having Posies there was one of the most unique and awesome ideas they’d seen at a wedding.
LEARN MORE ABOUT POSIES FLOWER TRUCK | EMAIL
Looking back, one of the most memorable and unique moments for the bride occurred when she saw her husband-to-be for the first time.
“We did the first look, and David surprised me (he does this a lot). He pulled out his guitar and sang his own personal vows to me,” the bride reminisced.
The Proposal:
We had been dating for a little over a year. David made me think we were planning a surprise birthday dinner for my friend. It was on her actual birthday, so I would have never guessed anything other than her dinner was happening that day. My “part” in the surprise for her was taking photos of her and her boyfriend at a park and then going to dinner from there. They then led me to a big field where first I heard music playing, stopped dead in my tracks and instantly knew, ”Oh my gosh this is for me.” I rounded the corner and saw a huge wall of sunflowers with David standing there! I can only use about half of the proposal photos because I am ugly crying throughout a lot of them. He definitely surprised me. Afterward, we all went to my favorite restaurant where all our friends and family were waiting for us.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
The theme turned out very romantic and soft. I aimed to have as much natural light as possible with little bits of greenery all around. I wanted the day to feel good and easy; not too overwhelming or serious. I think it turned out exactly how I had imagined.
What were your colors?
Dusty rose, ivory, sage, navy blue, and matte gold. I think I found a similar color scheme on Pinterest and went from there. All of those colors together turned out to be very natural and pretty, and the pop of gold here and there gave it a nicer touch. Dusty rose became one of my favorite colors after using it so much at the wedding. My bridesmaids joked that it was the color of the year. I guess you could say I was looking through “dusty rose-colored glasses” while planning my wedding.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
I had always imagined getting married in a “chapel” setting, but if we didn’t end up getting married in a church or chapel it would have been fine.
The minute we found Harborside Chapel though, every other option was tossed aside. We loved the heart behind Harborside. It was a ministry over a business. They cared more about nurturing future marriages instead of benefiting from them. They were so personable, friendly, helpful, and available. The chapel itself is nothing short of beautiful. I told Krystal (of Harborside) I wanted to live in the bridal suite.
Why did you incorporate flower bouquets for your guests?
Our guests were all somehow apart of our individual and relational journeys. We wanted to thank them in a way.
I saw Posies Flower Truck all over Tampa Bay and loved the feel of their presence. They’re such a happy and inviting business that offers such beautiful arrangements. I loved the idea of people getting flowers as a favor and also being able to take pictures in front of the truck. It seemed to “match” the simple, happy, and romantic vibe we were going for. I was so pleased they were there. People still bring up to me how having Posies there was one of the most unique and awesome ideas they’d seen at a wedding.
What was your wedding menu inspiration?
We brought our moms to the tasting and basically let them pick what they liked and thought would be nice!
As for Olympia Catering, they were amazing. I’d recommend them to anyone! They were easy to communicate with and worked with whatever we wanted when it came to the table settings and linen choices. They made everything very easy! Our cake was delicious. We had a white cake with raspberry filling and vanilla frosting. Also, the hors d’oeuvres had a mini grilled cheese with a shot of tomato soup. So good. As for the main courses, I didn’t get to eat a lot the day of so I don’t remember it as much. I got good feedback on the dinner though!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Work together with your spouse. It doesn’t have to just be the bride planning the wedding and making all the decisions. When I took a big project on by myself having to do with the wedding, I almost started to harbor some resentment towards David because I was doing all this work by myself. When really it was only because I was being stubborn and wanted it all done “my way.” Don’t do it all yourself. Use who you have around you, family, wedding party, and your fiancé!
Use Pinterest. No one is too good for Pinterest. Explore all the crazy amounts of wedding websites out there, like Marry Me Tampa Bay! ;)
Make lists. I’m not even a big “list person,” but seriously there are just too many things to write down and keep track of.
Splurge and buy a nice new perfume especially for that day. Having a special wedding scent just added that extra touch of future nostalgia you’ll be so grateful to have later on in life.
Have fun! It’s a celebration, so treat it like one.
Ceremony Venue: Harborside Chapel *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Reception Venue: Countryside Christian Church
Photographer: Jennifer Martin Photography
Videographer: Kindred Wedding Videography
Florist: The Bride’s Bouquet
Caterer: Olympia Catering *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rentals: Audi Productions
Cake: Olympia Catering *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
DJ: Party Doctor Productions
Officiant: Pastor Kurt Parker, Pastor Jonathan Starrett, Pastor Ryan Miller
Dress: Martina Liana
Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Azazie
Wedding Favors: Posies Flower Truck *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
