Priscilla and Josh's Clearwater Beach wedding featured a soft color palette of ivory, blush, and white tones that created a timeless and romantic atmosphere.
“We both always imagined a traditional wedding. We wanted to look back on our pictures years from now and still get the same romantic and timeless feeling we had on our big day,” the bride shared. “We felt these colors presented a feminine and romantic feel while also being timeless. Additionally, we both love the color gold so incorporating gold accents made it all feel that much more romantic.”
Although they had to postpone eight months and downsize from 120 to 75 guests due to COVID, the Tampa Bay couple embraced the extra time and attention they had with their guests.
“We’re so glad we had a smaller guest list. This made our wedding that much more intimate, and we were able to spend more than a few seconds with each of our guests!” the bride revealed. “We wanted our close friends and family there and my husband, and I couldn’t wait any longer to have our time together at the alter exchanging our vows. I must say it was well worth the wait! We learned that it’s not about how many people you have at your wedding; it’s about the type of people, as we had more fun dancing and partying than a group twice this size!”
To keep their day traditional, the bride and groom chose to get married in a chapel.
“We truly didn’t have many expectations besides finding something that felt special to us and was indoors due to the variability of Florida weather. It was kind of like buying a house, sometimes when you enter a building you just know it’s the right place,” the bride explained. “When we walked through the doors of Harborside Chapel we instantly knew this was the special place where we wanted our big day to happen. Harborside gave us that feeling we had been hoping for, not to mention the chapel is absolutely stunning with its natural lighting and elegant design. Not only is the chapel gorgeous, but the staff there are so kind and really care about their newlyweds. They truly want to see them succeed. My husband and I are so glad we chose Harborside Chapel.”
The couple chose to have their reception at a resort for the vacation-like feel, amenities, and flawless service.
“We desired a reception venue that had a quality reputation with a positive atmosphere. We wanted a space that didn’t just have four walls and felt like a box. We wanted to find a space that was indoors but felt open and impactful, with outdoor options,” Priscilla shared. “We had always loved the iconic pink Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach as we have spent many weekends there, so when we toured the resort’s Belleair room, we instantly fell in love. The Belleair room was open, newly renovated, and had a spectacular view of the beach as well as the sunset. The Hyatt Clearwater just felt classic and timeless in our minds. Their service was impeccable and attentive, and they didn’t miss a thing; my husband and I were catered to from start to finish.”
While searching for the perfect vendor team, Priscilla referred to Marry Me Tampa Bay inspiration and the preferred wedding pro list.
“Marry Me Tampa Bay was one of the best finds I came across during our planning. The published weddings on Marry Me Tampa Bay really assisted me in planning,” the bride revealed. “I was able to see photos of previous weddings for inspiration, and I was also able to find quality and professional vendors. We found our planner, rental company, and baker on Marry Me Tamp Bay.”
After having a poor experience with her initial wedding planner, Priscilla choose a recommended Marry Me Tampa Bay coordinator.
“I had the misfortune of starting off with a terrible wedding planner. So, when it came to finding someone new, I did my homework. I wanted someone with a good reputation, who had multiple weddings under their belt, and who understood the stress and negotiations of wedding planning. I wanted someone who was going to be there to answer my questions and give advice,” the bride divulged. “I saw Special Moments Event Planning on Marry Me Tampa Bay, and I came across Tammy Waterman’s name several times. Tammy was genuine and more confident than any other event planner we reached out to. She was always on time and seemed to know virtually every vendor in the area. She was able to steer us in the right direction with multiple issues as well as save us a ton of money in the long run due to some decisions that we made. Tammy and her team went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect! They even snuck into our room during the reception for a romantic surprise which we thoroughly enjoyed!”
Looking back, one of Priscilla's most memorable moments was walking down the aisle and seeing her husband's emotion.
“We were both so happy and ready to be marrying each other,” the bride reminisced.
Something that was really special about my wedding is that my mom made several items for our wedding. She made my husband’s bow tie, my garter, and our cake table linen as well as a few other linens. She also made the dress I wore for our engagement photos! I truly can’t thank her enough because these little touches made our day special, and my husband wouldn’t have had a bow tie if she hadn’t made one. Her bow tie was the perfect fit.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We both always imagined a traditional wedding so that made it easy for us. We wanted our wedding to feel traditional, romantic, and timeless. We wanted to look back on our pictures years from now and still get the same romantic and timeless feeling we had on our big day.
What were your colors?
We both love the look of a soft color palette, ivory, blush, and white. We felt these colors presented a feminine and romantic feel while also being timeless. Additionally, we both love the color gold so incorporating gold accents made it all feel that much more romantic.
The Proposal:
Josh woke me up on my birthday with breakfast in bed. He delivered the breakfast and began expressing his love for me. I thought it was strange that he was being so nice as it was only my birthday after all. That was when he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife!
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I used Pinterest for my hair and makeup inspiration, but I also followed Femme Akoi Beauty Studio on Instagram for even more inspiration.
Femme Akoi first did my hair and makeup for our engagement shoot, and I absolutely loved what they did, so I decided to book them for my hair and makeup for our wedding. All of the artists are so talented and were highly accommodating, even for a picky bride like me, as they did the most flawless job on my wedding day hair and makeup. My hair stayed up the entire night and my makeup stayed on through all the tears.
What did you look for in a wedding ceremony venue?
My husband and I wanted to keep things traditional and we knew we wanted to be married in a chapel, but we truly didn’t have many expectations besides finding something that felt special to us and was indoors due to the variability of Florida weather. It was kind of like buying a house, sometimes when you enter a building you just know it’s the right place.
When we walked through the doors of Harborside Chapel we instantly knew this was the special place where we wanted our big day to happen. Harborside gave us that feeling we had been hoping for, not to mention the chapel is absolutely stunning with its natural lighting and elegant design.
Not only is the chapel gorgeous, but the staff there are so kind and really care about their newlyweds. They truly want to see them succeed. My husband and I got paired with Krystal and Amos Pierre as our coordinator and pastor, respectively. Krystal went out of her way multiple times to make sure our day was perfect, and Amos had incredible words to speak on our big day. My husband and I are so glad we chose Harborside Chapel.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Take me back! We spent our honeymoon in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We chose this destination because we wanted to go skiing, and I have never seen the Grand Tetons and the surrounding area. This was an absolutely perfect honeymoon; we spent our days skiing and evenings snuggling up by the fire.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
I was one of those brides that had the misfortune of starting off with a terrible wedding planner. So, when it came to finding someone new, I did my homework. I wanted someone with a good reputation, who had multiple weddings under their belt, and who understood the stress and negotiations of wedding planning. I wanted someone who was going to be there to answer my questions and give advice. I had reached out to several event planners after I withdrew from our first failed planner, and luckily, we picked the best!
Given my issues with my first coordinator and the daily impacts of COVID-19, I knew we weren’t going to feel confident planning our own wedding. I saw Special Moments Event Planning on Marry Me Tampa Bay, and I came across Tammy Waterman’s name several times. When I reached out to Tammy, she was the only event planner that spent more than 15 minutes speaking with me and didn’t just send generic emails. She took the time to meet with us and reassure us that everything was going to go as planned.
Tammy was genuine and more confident than any other event planner we reached out to. She was always on time and seemed to know virtually every vendor in the area. She was able to steer us in the right direction with multiple issues as well as save us a ton of money in the long run due to some decisions that we made. Tammy and her team went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect! They even snuck into our room during the reception for a romantic surprise which we thoroughly enjoyed!
What did you look for in a wedding reception venue?
We knew we wanted our reception to be at a resort, as we love the resort feel and the amenities they offer. We desired a reception venue that had a quality reputation with a positive atmosphere. We wanted a space that didn’t just have four walls and felt like a box. We wanted to find a space that was indoors but felt open and impactful, with outdoor options furthermore.
We had always loved the iconic pink Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach as we have spent many weekends there, so when we toured the resort’s Belleair room, we instantly fell in love. The Belleair room was open, newly renovated, and had a spectacular view of the beach as well as the sunset. The Hyatt Clearwater just felt classic and timeless in our minds. Their service was impeccable and attentive, and they didn’t miss a thing; my husband and I were catered to from start to finish. I can’t say enough good things about Kayla Seager their event coordinator, she was absolutely amazing. She answered over 500 emails and made sure every detail was accounted for.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your wedding?
Kate Ryan Event Rentals helped us achieve the look of an elegant wedding we desired. We rented the gold Chiavari chairs, satin tablecloths, and napkins, which really pulled everything together. We rented a hedge wall that held our guest list and it worked out perfectly with Special Moments' touches to it. Kate Ryan’s rentals were true quality rentals, and they had an extensive collection to choose from.
What was your wedding cake inspiration?
I hired The Artistic Whisk because their team is so genuinely kind and not to mention their cake flavors are delicious. We did several cake tastings with them mostly because we wanted to keep eating their cake.
We finally settled on hummingbird as it’s one of our all-time favorite cakes, as well as creamsicle. My husband and I preferred the look of a classic white cake, so that’s what we went with. We wanted to incorporate our dog in the wedding in some form, and The Artistic Whisk made the most perfect replica of our boy. We cried when we saw him. We can’t wait to eat our anniversary cake!
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We wanted a DJ who could put our family and guests on the dance floor and that’s exactly what Grand Hemond & Associates did!
They were recommended to us by a couple who previously used them at their wedding and had only good things to say. When we reached out to them, they were so kind and were very reasonably priced.
Our DJ, Eric, took his time gathering our preferences prior to the big day and did a great job at our wedding with seamless transitions and keeping the wedding upbeat.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Wait to take your honeymoon. I know this isn’t traditional, but my husband I waited a month after our wedding to honeymoon, and we are so grateful we did. We were so exhausted from the stress and excitement of our wedding that I don’t think we would have and the energy to enjoy our honeymoon as much.
Your wedding is an exceptionally big day and before whisking off to your honeymoon, it is worth it to stay back and enjoy the little things, like the leftover cake and beautiful flowers and bouquets. Your wedding day will be over before you know it and you’ll have a lifetime to honeymoon, but you won’t get back the time to fill up on leftover wedding cake or to put on your wedding dress the night after prancing around the room surrounded by your best friend who is now your husband!
Ceremony Venue: Harborside Chapel *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Reception Venue: Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer and Videographer: Love and Covenant
Planner: Special Moments Event Planning *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: Petals, Presents and Parties
Chairs, Linens, Chargers, Napkins, Hedge Wall Rentals: Kate Ryan Event Rentals *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: The Artistic Whisk *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – Eric Harding *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cocktail Hour Music, White Dance Floor and Uplighting: Matt Winter Band
Ceremony Music: Spark Weddings Events *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Officiant: Amos Pierre, Harborside Chapel
Invitations: Minted
Transportation: Luxor Limo
Dress: Allure Couture Bridals
Shoe Designer: Gianni Bini
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi Beauty Studio *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Wedding Favors: Blush Key Lime Cookies and J.J Gandy’s Pies
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.
