Sylvia and Joe's destination downtown St. Pete wedding was a fusion of classic glamour and tropical elegance that combined tradition and heritage with a rich color palette.
“Our wedding theme was a mix of classic glamour with a bit of tropical flair. I wanted the wedding to feel like a true evening event, but I also wanted to highlight the gorgeous Florida views and colors,” the bride detailed. “Our colors included classic ivory, champagne, and gold tones, shades of peach, pinks, vibrant fuchsias, and rich tropical greens. I wanted a bright, airy feel with all the white, punches of Spring color with the pinks, and a nod to our Florida location with the tropical greens.”
Since the couple planned their April wedding from out-of-state, they relied on online resources, such as Marry Me Tampa Bay, which helped in selecting their planner, venue, wedding cake, DJ, hair and makeup artists, and officiant.
“Marry Me Tampa Bay was an amazing resource for pinpointing tried and true wedding vendors and learning more about their personalities and styles. I felt that the features and testimonials complemented the galleries we could view on individual vendor sites,” the bride shared. “Marry Me Tampa Bay was especially useful when we were selecting our venue. It was helpful to see how the same ballroom could be transformed in different ways.”
When selecting a wedding venue, the New Jersey couple wanted a space that could accommodate their out-of-town guests and host all of their events at one location. Their search led them to The Birchwood, a boutique hotel on the bustling Beach Drive strip, which hosted 106 of their closest friends and family.
“It was important for our venue to host both the ceremony and reception, and since The Birchwood is a hotel, we could both also get ready at the same location. We also wanted that location to highlight Tampa Bay's beauty and have plenty of delicious food and a good bar for all our guests. It was really important that our guests had a great time,” the bride explained. “We fell in love with the location of The Birchwood in the heart of downtown, the elegance of the ballroom, which provided its own décor with sweeping views, terrace, mirrors, and chandeliers, and the size of the ballroom. The wedding team was incredible during the planning process and always checked in. We enjoyed the tasting, and everyone raved about the food at the wedding. We highly recommend The Birchwood, and they really are a well-oiled, all-in-one venue where you can customize your vision.”
Seeking to capture their unique personalities, Sylvia and Joe turned to Lifelong Photography Studio for their experience and familiarity with their venue. The final product was a stunning assortment of ethereal images that beautifully captured their memorable day.
“We wanted our photos to feel bright and airy. We had a great meeting with the Lifelong Photography Studio team and knew they had a lot of experience shooting at The Birchwood. We felt confident that they'd be able to capture our day and the scenery,” Sylvia beamed. “We're so happy with our photos; we had an excellent engagement session in New York City, and our wedding photos are bright and airy like we hoped. Buffy made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and gave great instructions for how to pose and move. They took great care to fit in all the types of photos we wanted and all the people we wanted photos with.”
Desiring a relaxed, stress-free wedding day, Sylvia enlisted the wedding planning team of Coastal Coordinating. Appreciating their early involvement and open communication, the bride found comfort in knowing every detail would be meticulously handled, allowing them to truly enjoy their day.
“We wanted a day-of coordinator and loved that Coastal Coordinating provided a premium day-of package where they became more involved a couple of months before the wedding. We planned our wedding about two years in advance and booked Coastal Coordinating within the first month. We wanted to feel comfortable putting the reigns in their hands for the day so we could step back and enjoy the day to the fullest,” the bride detailed. “Katy and the team encouraged open communication even at the start of this process, many months before their contract technically kicked in. We received vendor recommendations, could ask questions when needed, and forwarded vendor contracts as we signed them. By the time we were nearing the wedding, it felt like Katy and her team were already caught up. We also had many meetings with Katy and our venue to go over timelines and perfect the plans. Katy and her team at Coastal Coordinating are worth their weight in gold. They made the whole day run smoothly, and we didn't have to worry about a single detail. These teams worked so well together and made the day so enjoyable.”
With Femme Akoi Beauty Studio‘s artful touch, Sylvia's natural radiance was highlighted through her cascading curls, bejeweled hairpiece, and elegant trumpet-style wedding gown.
As the festivities continued into the night, Grant Hemond & Associates set the perfect tone for the celebration, while guests indulged in a lemon raspberry dessert by the Tampa Bay Cake Company.
“We made sure to incorporate our personalities in the wedding. We wrote our own vows, included cultural traditions during the reception, and choreographed a medley for our first dance, beginning with a slow dance and ending with an upbeat disco hit. We really wanted the whole day to feel like a celebration,” Sylvia beamed. “We incorporated some Bulgarian wedding traditions to honor my family's culture, featured a performance from our local Bulgarian folklore dance group, and danced several traditional horos with all the guests. These moments were really fun for us and our guests.”
As the bride reflected on her wedding day, keeping things simple created the most amazing memories.
“We really enjoyed spending time with all of our friends and family together,” Sylvia reminisced. “Having the ceremony and reception in the same location meant we had more time to talk with our guests, celebrate, and dance. “
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I wanted a classic natural makeup look and wavy hair. I knew I'd be dancing and moving a lot, so I wanted my hair to be free.
I hired Femme Akoi Beauty Studio because they were recommended by Marry Me Tampa Bay and because I really liked their photos and videos on Instagram. We were really happy with their services; my makeup and hair were exactly how I envisioned and stayed put the entire night!
The Proposal:
Joe proposed on the beach in South Florida. We're both from Florida and met in Florida, so we wanted to plan a wedding that highlighted our roots.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted our photos to feel bright and airy. We had a great meeting with the Lifelong Photography Studio team and knew they had a lot of experience shooting at The Birchwood. We felt confident that they'd be able to capture our day and the scenery.
We're so happy with our photos; we had an excellent engagement session in New York City, and our wedding photos are bright and airy like we hoped. Buffy made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and gave great instructions for how to pose and move. They took great care to fit in all the types of photos we wanted and all the people we wanted photos with.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We wanted a day-of coordinator and loved that Coastal Coordinating provided a premium day-of package where they became more involved a couple of months before the wedding. We planned our wedding about two years in advance and booked Coastal Coordinating within the first month. We wanted to feel comfortable putting the reigns in their hands for the day so we could step back and enjoy the day to the fullest.
Katy and the team encouraged open communication even at the start of this process, many months before their contract technically kicked in. We received vendor recommendations, could ask questions when needed, and forwarded vendor contracts as we signed them. By the time we were nearing the wedding, it felt like Katy and her team were already caught up. We also had many meetings with Katy and our venue to go over timelines and perfect the plans. Katy and her team at Coastal Coordinating are worth their weight in gold. They made the whole day run smoothly, and we didn't have to worry about a single detail. These teams worked so well together and made the day so enjoyable.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We went to an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. Living in the northeast, we wanted a tropical and relaxing honeymoon.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I hosted my bachelorette party in Philadelphia since that is where I lived at the time. It was fun to get all my friends together for the weekend.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
It was important for our venue to host both the ceremony and reception, and since The Birchwood is a hotel, we could both also get ready at the same location. We also wanted that location to highlight Tampa Bay's beauty and have plenty of delicious food and a good bar for all our guests. It was really important that our guests had a great time,
We fell in love with the location of The Birchwood in the heart of downtown, the elegance of the ballroom, which provided its own decor with sweeping views, terrace, mirrors, and chandeliers, and the size of the ballroom. The wedding team was incredible during the planning process and always checked in. We enjoyed the tasting, and everyone raved about the food at the wedding. We highly recommend The Birchwood, and they really are a well-oiled, all-in-one venue where you can customize your vision.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was a mix of classic glamour with a bit of tropical flair. I wanted the wedding to feel like a true evening event, but I also wanted to highlight the gorgeous Florida views and colors.
What were your colors?
Our colors included classic ivory, champagne, and gold tones, shades of peach, pinks, vibrant fuchsias, and rich tropical greens. I wanted a bright, airy feel with all the white, punches of Spring color with the pinks, and a nod to our Florida location with the tropical greens.
What was your wedding cake inspiration?
We wanted a classic, simple cake with fresh flowers. I fell in love with the modern tall-tiered cakes that the Tampa Bay Cake Company showcased on their website.
We were very happy with the taste-tasting and designing phase, where Emily sketched a mock-up of the cake so we could appreciate the design and make adjustments. The cake looked amazing at the wedding, and everyone loved the lemon raspberry flavors.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We knew we wanted our reception to turn into a party with lots of dancing. Grant Hemond & Assoc. was recommended by Marry Me Tampa Bay, and we read excellent reviews on other sites as well. We were really happy with their services.
Our DJ, Steve, listened to both the types of songs we wanted and respected our “Do Not Play” list. He was very open to night-of-song suggestions and kept the party going. We didn't sit down the whole night!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
The Birchwood team was absolutely incredible. They paid close attention to detail, made sure everything looked and tasted amazing, and were constantly checking in. Also, Katy and her team at Coastal Coordinating are worth their weight in gold. They made the whole day run smoothly, and we didn't have to worry about a single detail. These teams worked so well together and made the day so enjoyable.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
The Tampa area is growing rapidly and getting busy. If you can, start planning your wedding well in advance. We felt we really benefited by having two years to nail down the vendors and details and didn't feel rushed to make decisions.
