Downtown St. Pete is known for bringing culture and creativity to the Tampa Bay area and it’s filled with unique, non-traditional wedding venues to host an extravaganza of love. Inspired by the creativity of the city, Delaney Driver, owner of Wilder Mind Events, sought out to design an “Artistic Affair” inspired styled wedding shoot that would allow artistic expression to reign freely.
“I love the James Museum and have worked there several times and noticed that most couples tend to go towards neutral colors when they are planning their wedding. With it being such a unique spot, I wanted to do a shoot that could showcase a fun and colorful route that you could do while still staying true to the space and history. I wanted to play off of the art theme but make it bold and modern to give the space a fresh look,” the wedding planner explained. “My main inspiration came from the idea of flipping the ceremony spot. Typically, John Coleman’s sculpture ‘Honeymoon at Crow Fair’ is the focal point of each wedding, and I wanted to give couples and the venue a new way to look at how they can do a ceremony. Once I figured out the concept for the ceremony, I worked closely with Designs by Laconic and By the Bay Floral to help bring my inspiration together!”
Needing a vibrant and energetic style to capture the color-inspired celebration Dewitt For Love was the ideal photographer to create dramatic portraits and detail shots, such as The Artistic Whisk’s stunning four-tier cake which featured geometric elements reminiscent of the museum’s contemporary architecture.
“The colors were…all of them! We did pinks, blues, oranges, yellows, and purples throughout the entire shoot. We really wanted to create a paint- and art-inspired environment, and bringing in all of the colors seemed to make the most sense to achieve the look we wanted,” Delaney beamed.
To soften the minimalist venue design, luxurious furniture rentals and draping from Gabro Event Services were added to warm the space. Over the Top Rental Linens‘ eclectic selection of table coverings added the range of colors needed to complete the aesthetic.
“I used Gabro’s draping for the cocktail hour, chairs, lounge furniture, and a farm table for the reception space. Their white couches that wrapped around the columns in the middle of the reception room really helped us create intentional space,” the wedding planner revealed. “Their draping is always a must at the Museum because they can block some non-moveable items in the gift shop. This always helps elevate the space to look more like an event and less like the gift shop. Lastly, we loved bringing in a farm table so that we could have a variety of tables since the museum only offered round tables!”
The electrifying ambiance was set by projection mapping illuminating against the museum walls, while electric violinists performed instrumental versions of modern love songs. The reception came to life with a live band, mirrored-photobooth, and individualized poetry from a mobile poet.
“One of my favorite elements was that this shoot turned into a vendor networking event for Suncoast Wedding & Event Leaders at the end of the shoot. Knowing that I and other vendors were going to be showcased really encouraged me to be super intentional with every detail, and it was so rewarding to get to share what we created,” Delany revealed. “We had signature drinks that were purple and glittered, a live trio whose violins lit up different colors, a live band, and a live poet to create poetry on the spot.”
What was your design inspiration for this shoot?
My main inspiration came from the idea of flipping the ceremony spot. Typically, “My main inspiration came from the idea of flipping the ceremony spot. Typically, John Coleman’s sculpture “Honeymoon at Crow Fair” is the focal point of each wedding, and I wanted to give couples and the venue a new way to look at how they can do a ceremony. Once I figured out the concept for the ceremony, I worked closely with Designs by Laconic and By the Bay Floral to help bring my inspiration together!
How would you describe your theme?
I love the James Museum and have worked there several times and noticed that most couples tend to go towards neutral colors when they are planning their wedding. With it being such a unique spot, I wanted to do a shoot that could showcase a fun and colorful route that you could do while still staying true to the space and history. I wanted to play off of the art theme but make it bold and modern to give the space a fresh look!
What were your colors?
The colors were… all of them! We did pinks, blues, oranges, yellows, and purples throughout the entire shoot. We really wanted to create a paint and art-inspired environment, and bringing in all of the colors seemed to make the most sense to achieve the look we wanted.
How did the rentals add to the ambiance of your shoot?
I used Gabro Event Services draping for the cocktail hour, chairs, lounge furniture, and a farm table for the reception space.
Their white couches that wrapped around the columns in the middle of the reception room really helped us create intentional space. Their draping is always a must at the museum because they can block some non-moveable items in the gift shop. This always helps elevate the space to look more like an event and less like the gift shop.
We loved bringing in a farm table so that we could have a variety of tables.
What were your favorite elements of this shoot?
One of my favorite elements was that this was turned into a networking event for SWEL at the end of the shoot. Knowing I was going to be showcased and other vendors really encouraged me to be super intentional with every detail, and it was so rewarding to get to share what we created. We had signature drinks that were purple and glittered, and we had a live trio whose violins lit up different colors, a live band, and a live poet to create poetry on the spot.
Estimated cost of services from this shoot:
Planner: Starting at $3,500 | Photography: Starting at $4,400 | Draping starts at $10 per foot | Farm Table Rentals $75/each | Ghost Chairs Rentals $7.50/each | Poet: $2,500 | Video: Starting at $3,000 | Projection Mapping: $1,600-$4,000
