Maddie and Alex’s vibrant Tampa yacht extravaganza of a wedding featured variations of pink through blush, coral, and even muted fuchsia, lots of florals, and even more pineapples.
“I saw a picture on Yacht Starship’s Instagram that had pineapples on the table, and after that, I was completely pineapple obsessed! We tried to incorporate our pineapple theme in everything: our table numbers, seating chart, napkin rings, and cocktail napkins, the tables were decorated with pineapples, the groomsmen had pineapple cuff links, our guests were welcomed on board with Pina Coladas, and even one of our cupcakes was Pina Colada flavored!” explained the bride of her pineapple inspiration.
The couple, being from out of town, had been looking for a unique venue that would give them plenty of time to spend with their guest and an intimate vibe. Yacht Starship was the perfect fit, especially for the COVID-19 wedding.
“We both thought a wedding on a boat was really special and unique. We also liked that we were able to space ourselves out and that it was open air.” the bride divulged of her choice in their venue. “Yacht Starship was amazing from beginning to end. They handled everything and really made planning a wedding from across the country, in the middle of a pandemic an easy process.”
Maddie and Alex utilized Marry Me Tampa Bay to find vendors such as The Cake Girl and even their photographer Limelight Photography who captured their magical day.
“I really focused on photography, florals, and the overall theme of our wedding. Alex focused on the food, specifically our rehearsal dinner, the reception, and our cupcakes. We both wanted our guests to have a safe and fun weekend, with lots of fun events and things to do.”
The most special aspect of the wedding though was the long-awaited Christmas ornament guest book that the bride had been fantasizing about. The couple had their guest leave well wishes and advice in their guest book, “Our first Christmas as a couple was very special, as we got to decorate our wedding tree and read the well wishes and advice of all of our guests.” to the bride this memory and moment was priceless.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
Photography is super important to me. I see a lot of wedding photos that have really muted tones. I wanted something vibrant and fun to capture all the beautiful colors of the ocean (and our wedding). When I found Limelight (through our venue), I fell in love with their photos. When I talked to them on the phone, they made me feel like I was in the most capable hands in the industry. I still feel that way to this day. I can’t say enough good things about Michael and Rebecca.
The Proposal:
I planned to take some pictures at Saguaro National Park to celebrate my graduation from law school. Luckily, Alex’s roommate at the time was an amateur photographer. I jokingly said that morning that Alex should have planned a proposal that day. So, he drove to Phoenix, got the ring from the jewelers, and proposed at the photoshoot. I was so surprised and excited!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
I wanted something that was a complete 180 from our original venue. I knew if we were going to move our wedding to Florida, I wanted it to be on the Yacht Starship (actually my dad’s suggestion). We both thought a wedding on a boat was really special and unique. We also liked that we were able to space ourselves out and that it was open air.
The Yacht Starship was amazing from beginning to end. They handled everything and really made planning a wedding from across the country, in the middle of a pandemic, possible. We cannot say enough good things about Chris Dorroh (our planner), the officiant, the food, the DJ, and the whole experience.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We were going to go to Tahiti, but with the COVID lockdowns, we rain-checked on that and instead chose to head to Key West. Our Airbnb was a floating hut in the middle of the ocean!
How would you describe your wedding theme?
I saw a picture on Yacht Starship’s Instagram that had pineapples on the table, and after that, I was completely pineapple obsessed! Lucky for me, Alex likes pineapples too. I tried to incorporate our pineapple theme in everything: our table numbers, seating chart, napkin rings, and cocktail napkins, the tables were decorated with pineapples, the groomsmen had pineapple cuff links, our guests were welcomed on board with Pina Coladas, and even one of our cupcakes was Pina Colada flavored!
What were your colors?
My dress directed the color scheme. The actual color of my dress was “sherbert” which consists of a blush, coral, and a muted fuchsia. Our bridesmaids’ dresses were also blush and had florals on the bottom.
What did you look for in a wedding bakery?
My husband and I wanted cupcakes from the get-go, but our families are more on the traditional side, so we decided to combine our favorite flavors (strawberry & lemon) and have a small cake to cut in addition to our cupcake flavors. Our cupcake flavors were: cinnamon roll, alotta colada, lemon pop, and latte blast. Working with The Cake Girl was amazing! They were super helpful, really well priced, and they delivered! The tasting was our favorite part of wedding planning!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Enjoy every minute and reach out to your vendors when you need help.
Venue: Yacht StarShip *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Venue
Photographer: Limelight Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Florist: 2 Birds Events
Cake: The Cake Girl *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Invitations: Beacon Lane
Dress Designer: Lazaro Bridal
Shoes: Birkenstocks, Betsey Johnson
Bridesmaids Dress: Alfred Sung at Dessy
Hair and Makeup: Destiny and Light Hair and Makeup
Tailor: Alterations by Wendy
Suits: The Black Tux
Bridal Salon: Schaffer’s Bridal
Headpiece and Earrings: Lindsay Marie Design
