Nicole and Lance’s downtown St. Pete wedding was a gorgeous celebration with lush greenery, complemented by soft hues of lavender and mauve that created a romantic tropical paradise. The bride and groom planned a simple garden-themed wedding ceremony followed by a modern ballroom reception that allowed the couple to fully emerge themselves in the celebration of their special day.
“We love Florida so much and all of its beautiful palm trees. We fell in love with the luscious tropical rain forest feel [our ceremony space] gave. We are simple and knew we wouldn’t need any other flowers or decorations, as the ceremony would be naturally beautiful,” the bride shared. “I always knew I wanted Lance to wear navy blue and dreamed of the pictures we would take there. I fell in love with mauve too and knew it had to be my bridesmaids dress color.”
MORE: TROPICAL WEDDING INSPIRATION
For a stress-free wedding planning experience with a full-service selection along with a delicious menu, the St. Pete couple chose Red Mesa Events. Using the historic venue’s natural elegance to decorate their reception space, the bride also repurposed the bridesmaids’ bouquets in the centerpieces. Elegant wooden cross-back chairs, which are provided by the venue, added a luxurious touch to the whitewashed exposed brick setting and complemented the modern geometric finishes of the La Florida Ballroom at Red Mesa Events.
“We chose Red Mesa Events for our reception because it is one of our favorite places to eat and offered a ‘one and done’ kind of deal, including everything we needed in one package,” the bride gushed.
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Wanting an authentic photography style, the couple hired St. Pete wedding photographer Kéra Photography to capture every moment of their wedding day. From their intimate first-look together until their last dance, Kéra told the beautiful story of Nicole and Lance’s big day.
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The bride had always envisioned herself in a stunning gown with light layers of lace that would create a subtle and soft look. During her dress search, Nicole found the design of her dreams at Truly Forever Bridal, which was beautifully adorned with a handcrafted veil made by the groom’s mother.
“My dress still gives me goosebumps. I always wanted an open back and beautiful train with touches of lace, and that is just what I found! I want to wear it every day,” Nicole beamed. “Lance’s mother made my veil. There are no words. It was incredible and complemented my dress perfectly. The veil will be kept in the family, and I’m sure worn by many beautiful brides in our family for years to come.”
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Nicole and Lance’s wedding had many memorable moments, but they both agreed that the photo booth and celebrating with their friends was the highlight of the day.
“We loved the entire day, honestly. We loved the photo booth so much and the guest book that was created with all of the pictures everyone took. It was so special to see all of the fun everyone had in those photos,” Nicole shared. “We don’t have one favorite part because the entire day was amazing, from getting ready with our best friends to the party bus ride to taking silly pictures, dancing the night away, and of course, the after-party!”
The Proposal:
Lance proposed on Lake Crescent in Washington. We had just finished a hike to the waterfalls with my parents. My stepmom was carrying the ring in her purse the whole hike, and I had no idea. It was absolutely beautiful, and we all happened to be wearing blue that day to match the gorgeous backdrop of the lake. It is still so special to me that he included my dad and stepmom that day.
What was your wedding dress inspiration?
My dress still gives me goosebumps. I always wanted an open back and beautiful train with touches of lace and that is just what I found! I want to wear it every day.
Lance’s mother made my veil. There are no words. It was incredible and complemented my dress perfectly. The veil will be kept in the family and I’m sure worn by many beautiful brides in our family for years to come.
What was your wedding theme?
We love Florida so much and all of its beautiful palm trees. We visited Sunken Gardens and fell in love with the luscious tropical rain forest feel it gave. I always knew I wanted Lance to wear Navy blue and dreamed of the pictures we would take there. I fell in love with mauve too and knees it had to be my bridesmaids dress color. We are simple and knew we wouldn’t need any other flowers or decorations, as the ceremony would be naturally beautiful. We chose Red Mesa Events for our reception because it is one of our favorite places to eat and offered a “one and done” kinda deal- including everything we needed in one package.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We chose Red Mesa Events for our reception because it is one of our favorite places to eat and offered a ‘one and done’ kind of deal, including everything we needed in one package.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Don’t sweat the small stuff! Seriously! Get a great photographer, have delicious food and booze, a party bus for you and your friends, good music, a photobooth for hilarious pics, and the rest doesn’t matter. We literally only had flowers that were carried and worn. My bridesmaid’s bouquets doubled as centerpieces. We didn’t worry about small details or decorations and just focused on the big pieces and we are so happy with how everything turned out. Enjoy your groom, make time for just you two- and eat! One more thing- get as many pictures done as early as you can so you can get to the party!
Ceremony Venue: Sunken Gardens
Reception Venue: Red Mesa Events *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photography: Kera Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Event Planning: Forevermore Planning
Floral: Desiree Flowers
Wedding Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Hair and Makeup: Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group
Wedding Dress: Truly Forever Bridal *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
