Claire and Frank’s classic South Tampa wedding combined a traditional church ceremony with an elegant yacht club reception accented with neutral flora and décor and an outdoor waterfront dance floor under a canopy of bistro lights.

“Our wedding style was elegant, romantic, classic, and easy-going. I’ve loved this look since I was a young girl and Frank added in the easy-going part,” the bride shared. “We chose shades of ivory, greenery, and gold. They speak classic bridal to me.”

The Tampa couple embraced their wedding planning as a welcomed distraction from the pandemic and an opportunity to host a celebratory and meaningful event with their closest loved ones. They were able to include 120 guests in their wedding ceremony, and then host an intimate reception with 50 of their friends and family in light of COVID precautions.

“We got engaged in July, married in October, planned everything during COVID, and had the wedding of our dreams in the midst of a really tough year!” Claire beamed. “With COVID, we faced restrictions so we had to get creative. With the size of our church, we were able to have all of our friends and family in attendance so we wanted it to be really personal and special. We included a moment at the end of our ceremony to face our guests and soak in their love. The dinner that followed was immediate family only, and we loved the ability to speak with each family member without the distractions of a typical, large reception.”

The bride, who is a former wedding coordinator, relied on her industry knowledge to choose an experienced floral design company with reputable talent to create classic floral arrangements and décor for the chapel and reception spaces. Claire turned to the team at FH Events who fashioned loose arrangements of eucalyptus greenery accented with an all-white palette of roses, hydrangea, ranunculus, stock, and lisianthus.

“I wanted a timeless look, greens, ivory, and a pop of navy in the anemone flower,” Claire explained. “Being in the industry, I have worked with FH Events many times and had seen their work first hand. I have limited knowledge of florals but I knew I could trust their team because I had seen their amazing work time and time again.”

To enhance her natural beauty, Claire enlisted the artists at Femme Akoi Beauty Studio for wedding day hair and makeup. Having experienced their renowned services before through past industry experience, it was a no-brainer when it came time to selecting the beauty team for her own wedding.

“I wanted natural beauty but also for it to look like I had put some extra effort in on the day. I wanted to look elegant and bridal but also wanted my husband to recognize me. I had gotten my hair and makeup done with Femme Akoi Beauty Studio before so I trusted them. They were able to nail my vision with just a couple of inspiration photos and their work was better than I had imagined! I felt the best I had ever felt on my wedding day,” the bride raved.

Claire recalls two stand-out moments during her celebration that she will forever treasure- one during the ceremony and another during the reception.

“Walking down the aisle, the world disappeared, all I saw was my husband. Franks says he doesn’t remember anything else except waiting for the door to open. Our church doesn’t have a center aisle so Frank stood at the end of the aisle so we could lock eyes the whole time,” the bride reminisced. “Our first dance was outside on the circle patio under the string lights with our family surrounding us and an acoustic guitarist sang Made for You. At the end of the song, we had impromptu father/daughter and mother/son dances, and it was sweet!”

The Proposal:
Frank rented out the top portion of the Columbia Café, proposed with roses and champagne, and then had both of our families join us for dinner. It was really sweet and better than I could have imagined.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to the Ritz Sarasota but this year plan on going to Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico for our official honeymoon celebration.

Where did you host your bachelorette party?
We did an at-home wine tasting with PRP wines. Sit at home, get served delicious wine with your best friends, and you can walk to a bed afterward. Would recommend!

Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our venue’s service and care to detail were impeccable especially given the heightened COVID restrictions. They put my worries at ease.

What was your wedding floral inspiration?
I wanted a timeless look, greens, ivory, and a pop of navy in the anemone flower.

Being in the industry, I have worked with FH Events many times and had seen their work first hand. I have limited knowledge of florals but I knew I could trust the FH team because I had seen their amazing work time and time again.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Don’t wait for the perfect time to get married because that time won’t ever come. Just do it!! It’s worth it.

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.