Sydney and Anthony
Sunken Gardens
“We really loved the idea of a tropical wedding in Florida, where we could tie in our family culture/background, have fun with the colors, and make it feel like a getaway! Our colors were all tropical jewel tones, so we had lots of reds, greens, oranges, yellows, and other colors that are naturally found in tropical flowers.” -The Bride
FEATURING
Sydney and Anthony’s tropical-inspired St. Petersburg wedding was a vibrant celebration filled with bold jewel-toned florals, lush greenery, and Caribbean influences that honored their family roots. The couple exchanged vows in an outdoor garden venue surrounded by vibrant blooms before dancing the night away at their colorful reception.
The Proposal
“Anthony proposed while on a hike on the banks of a lake outside of Atlanta in January. He had invited my maid of honor and her husband to hike with us. We both love the mountains and hiking, so it was perfect and private. My senses were up, but I really didn’t see it coming in the moment. It was so special, and we Facetimed our parents right after.”
The Photography and Videography
Evoke Photo and Film
“We were looking for a team that consistently delivered gorgeous, natural-looking pictures and videos. We really didn’t want an album of superposed, looking-straight-at-the-camera shots.
Evoke Photo and Film are literally the best. From the moment we started talking with Stacy, we immediately felt comfortable and confident that they were the ones for us. Garry, Stacy, and Ryan are so good at what they do, and their photos and videos are timeless. Every full wedding album we saw consistently delivered gorgeous photos and a style that we loved.
When it came to our engagement shoot, Garry and Stacy were so easy to work with and really made us feel comfortable in front of a camera together, as we had never taken professional photos before. They are incredibly professional and so encouraging! They really hyped us up, and their excitement really helped us relax and be in the moment.”
The Bachelorette Party & Honeymoon
“We will be going to Moorea, French Polynesia for our honeymoon. We chose this location because we wanted the beach for relaxing and the mountains for hiking. We get the best of both worlds.
I had a bachelorette night with my bridesmaids the Thursday before the wedding. They set up a surprise Mama Mia-themed night out at an Airbnb in St. Pete, where they had printed out photos of us throughout the years. We just hung out before the craziness of the next two days.”
The Rentals
A Chair Affair
“We used the natural chiavari chairs from A Chair Affair, and they really tied our reception room together. They were made of natural wood that almost looked like bamboo, adding to the tropical theme.”
The Design
“Initially, we thought about getting married in the mountains. But as I was searching for wedding décor inspiration and invitations, we stumbled across a photo of a cocktail hour in Sunken Gardens and a tropical invite from Minted. From that moment, everything just clicked. Since both of our families are from the Caribbean, the idea of a tropical wedding in Florida felt perfect. It let us celebrate our culture, play with vibrant colors, and create a fun getaway vibe.
Our colors were tropical jewel tones with lots of reds, greens, oranges, yellows, and other shades you would naturally find in tropical flowers. We pulled inspiration directly from that invitation, which featured monstera leaves, red ginger flowers, and birds of paradise. It fit our vision so well that we just ran with it.
We wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple. My favorite color is green and Anthony’s is red, so we made sure both showed up throughout the day. Beyond that, every decision came down to what truly made sense for us and what we loved, rather than following tradition just for the sake of it.
The colors are what made our wedding feel so unique. We leaned fully into the tropical garden vibe, and it was just so much fun.”
The Caterer
Amici’s Catered Cuisine
“We wanted food that was delicious and could also tie in with our backgrounds, where possible. Amici’s Catered Cuisine was fantastic. We chose them because they were the top-recommended caterer from Sunken Gardens and our planner, and because they had conch fritters, a traditional Bahamian dish, on the menu for hors d’oeuvres.
Their service was amazing, and they really worked with us to ensure the menu was delicious and that we didn’t have to worry about a thing the day of.”
The Florals
Save the Date Florida
“Our wedding florals were inspired by a Minted invitation we found. We really wanted to bring as many tropical elements into the space, though Sunken Gardens doesn’t need too much help. We wanted color, and lots of it, but it needed to be very cohesive and not so overwhelming that the tropical nature and shapes were too abstract.
We hired Save the Date Florida because they had previously done a wedding at Sunken Gardens and had also installed a tropical ceiling.
Danielle at Save the Date nails tropical florals every time. We had saved so many inspiration photos before we realized they were her work. She was a no-brainer! Danielle worked closely with me to narrow down the inspiration for the florals, particularly for my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets. We shared Pinterest boards and had many discussions to ensure everything met our expectations, and she provided fantastic suggestions. Every single floral element was even better than I had imagined.”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our wedding planner, photo/video, and makeup team really just made the day and helped run the show. Christine, our planner, was so calming throughout this whole process, and her knowledge and experience shone through. She always caught things I missed or hadn’t thought about, so by the time the wedding came, I was able to relax and know everything was covered and every situation had been thought through.
Garry and Stacy (Evoke Photo and Film) and Nicki (Nicki Mac Brides) were with us for most of our wedding day, making us feel incredibly special. Nicki fixed my makeup so many times because I was a sobbing mess after our first look. Additionally, she just immediately knew how to make me feel beautiful on our wedding day. I don’t wear a lot of makeup usually, and have oily skin that makes me want to rip makeup off my face. She immediately knew how to handle my skin, how to make me feel comfortable in my skin, and on the day of, she stayed for touch-ups and was a really calming presence.
The previews that Garry, Stacy, and Ryan have sent us have been phenomenal. During cocktail hour, we explored, took photos, and had some time to ourselves after the family portraits were done. We still felt like we had the privacy and excitement of just getting married while they captured photos and video. They are a seamless team.
What was the most memorable moment?
Our first look was the most memorable. We had a private first look and private vows. It was so nice to have dedicated time to ourselves and to really center ourselves during that day before seeing everyone and going into “host” mode. It was the most memorable because it felt like the most important part of the day.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Weddings go by so quickly. Despite the time we thought we had allocated to be on time, we still got behind. Just don’t worry about the small stuff and go with the flow on your day.
