Madison and Gregory
“Our personalities, the location, and the time of year inspired us. We wanted to use warm fall colors, but make them bright to reflect us and the tropical location. This led us to choose our colors of red, orange, pink, blue, and a tiki/fire theme. The sunset was also our inspiration. We decided to add pops of blue for the ocean, too!” -The Bride
FEATURING
Madison and Greg’s tropical Longboat Key wedding was a vibrant, joy-filled celebration set against the Gulf Coast backdrop they both hold dear. Their November wedding welcomed 185 guests to an outdoor celebration at The Resort at Longboat Key Club, where a glowing sunset cocktail hour, lush florals, and a bold palette of red, orange, pink, and blue set the tone. Warm fall colors blended beautifully with tropical and ocean-inspired details, creating an energetic atmosphere made for celebration.
“The most unique element was our fire theme. We loved incorporating fire dancers, fire pits, tiki torches, matchbooks for our seating chart, and candles throughout the space,” the bride beamed.
The Hair and Makeup
“I used inspiration from another wedding I was in, as well as my veil. I loved the makeup I had done at my best friend’s wedding, and then I had a long, heavy veil, so I wanted it attached to a low bun.
I loved, loved, loved Adore Bridal! Their reviews and Instagram were great, but I had a call with Kelcey, and we clicked right away. She set me up with Kailyn, who was also great. We did two previews, and she was such a good listener and ended up being such a special part of the day!”
The Proposal
“Greg proposed on a Thursday night, when I least expected it. He told me to come up to the roof of our building, which has an amazing view of the Chicago skyline, to look at some police activity, but when I got up there, he was on one knee! My brother and friends flew in as a surprise a few hours later.”
The Venue
The Resort at Longboat Key Club
“We looked for a venue where we felt special and where our guests would feel special. We made an instant connection with Gwen Paseka and could envision the day even from the first tour.
We wanted to make sure everyone had fun and felt the love! This started with the venue. From the moment we saw the Harbourside Lawn and the Resort at Longboat Key Club, we could picture our friends and family dancing the night away there.
We loved the Resort at Longboat Key Club! I cannot emphasize enough how amazing they were, the service was, etc. They were so communicative, always had options, and were willing to listen to all our ideas. Even with a venue that hosts multiple weddings in a weekend, The Resort at Longboat Key Club made our wedding feel uniquely ours.”
The Bach Party and Honeymoon
“My bachelorette party was in Nashville. It is a driving distance for some of my friends, and I love country music. I had always imagined my bachelorette party there.
We honeymooned in Japan and Hong Kong. We wanted to go far away because we had a good excuse to take time off work, and we love exploring new places. Plus, we love sushi.”
The Design
“Our personalities, the location, and the time of year inspired us. We wanted to use warm fall colors, but make them bright to reflect us and the tropical location. This led us to choose our colors of red, orange, pink, blue, and a tiki/fire theme. The sunset was also our inspiration. We decided to add pops of blue for the ocean, too!
We prioritized music and the timeline to make sure our guests enjoyed themselves. The flowers and table settings were top priority. I think they turned out great!
We added bright colors, special entertainment, and personalized napkins. We love a party, so we knew we needed to make it special with fire dancers, sparklers, and extra instruments. The personalized napkins were a touch of home. They incorporated notes we had written to each other over the years.”
Finding Wedding Vendors
“I often visited the Marry Me Tampa Bay website and read what the publication had to say about our photographer and other vendors.”
Most Memorable Moment
“When we walked out into our cocktail hour just as the sun was setting, and saw all our loved ones and all the details we had worked so hard on! It was truly breathtaking.”
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Cornelia Zaiss Photography and Curate Entertainment. Cornelia was amazing. She had so much attention to detail and found us the perfect spots to take photos. She was patient and gave great direction. When another bridal group was in the same spot as we were, she handled it so well and prioritized our group. Curate exceeded expectations as well. The saxophonist was truly amazing. He knew every song we asked for and brought the party all night. DJ Promo was awesome and nailed every detail.
What advice would you give to other Sarasota couples?
Get an amazing wedding planner and use them! The Tampa Bay area has such amazing vendors, and they all seem to be part of a community. If you tell your planner what you are looking for, they will likely be able to find it.
