Sara and Alex's intimate Clearwater Beach wedding combined the elegant backdrop of a pristine hotel ballroom with the vibrant colors indicative of local flora.
Since many of their 70 guests would be traveling to attend the wedding, Sara wanted their formal wedding to also reflect a tropical palette that complemented their Florida venue.
“Our inspiration was to have a vibrant, but elegant feel to our wedding. We wanted our wedding to be formal, but also incorporate the bright tropical colors into our florals to suit the location. We didn’t have a set color palette but wanted to incorporate both blues and pinks to go with our venue colors. We also loved the idea of having bright florals, so we styled our bridal party in darker colors to allow for them to ‘pop' and create a formal feel,” the bride explained. “Our flowers were a mix of pinks, reds, purples with touches of yellows which looked great against the pink hotel and sunset colors in the sky. All other accents were in gold to create an elegant feel.”
MORE: BEACH WEDDING INSPIRATION
The Orlando-based couple love the beach and wanted to provide their guests with a wedding location that would also be an unforgettable vacation destination. They searched for a venue that was convenient to the airport and beaches and that would also provide inclusive options when it came to catering, equipment, and wedding coordination.
“When it came down to choosing from the large selection of hotels on Clearwater Beach, The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach won us over with their private rooftop terrace, cocktail area, and reception hall. We loved the idea of not having our guests have to walk through sand, but also have a beautiful view of the beach as our backdrop. It was important that our ceremony had a private and intimate feel, and the Hyatt seemed to check all of these boxes,” Sara remarked. “We found their service to be exceptional as well. We worked with Roseli and communicated with her directly throughout the year when planning our wedding. She ensured all of our questions were answered and set up our reception area beautifully with any extra decorations we had brought to her (place settings, name cards, welcome sign, etc).”
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The Hyatt Regency's famous rooftop views provided a breathtaking setting for the couple's guests, offering panoramic views of the iconic Florida beach.
“We think our rooftop venue location was a unique experience for us and many of our out-of-state/out-of-country guests,” the bride recalled. “For our friends attending within Florida, we wanted our wedding to feel like a vacation without needing to travel far.”
When choosing a wedding photographer, the pair sought a seasoned professional with a portfolio filled with beach weddings and the light and airy style that Sara and Alex favored. When they found Kéra Photography they knew it was a perfect match.
“We came across Kéra online and loved her styling and experience with beach photography. After we met her, we knew we wanted her to be there on our wedding day based on her professionalism, kindness, and great communication. Her service was exceptional, and we would recommend her to anyone,” Sara raved.
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The bride and groom planned a surprise choreographed first dance at the reception, so they sought a DJ who was familiar with their venue and could help them seamlessly execute their performance.
“We hired Grant Hemond & Associates as they were very professional, communicated very well, and even let us request a specific DJ based on a recommendation we had received,” Sara shared. “Their service was great as they worked with us to develop our own GOBO and ensured we had everything we wanted for a reasonable price. Eric was our DJ and was so kind and observant. He listened to all our requests and kept the dance floor moving.”
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Looking back, one of the most memorable moments for the couple occurred during the “first look.”
“We originally weren’t sure if we would do one, but this was by far the best decision we made. It was the most intimate and emotional experience we both have had together,” the bride revealed. “We were able to be vulnerable together which made the ceremony so much more relaxed and comfortable for us. It really took the edge off the rest of the day.”
The Proposal:
We had taken a trip to St. Augustine for the weekend. We enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant followed by a walk around the fort at sunset. Alex proposed while we were walking by the water, and the rest is history.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
The location was the most important to be able to have a beautiful backdrop, sunset ceremony, and be able to enjoy the moment on the beach with each other as the sunset. With most of our guests being from out-of-town, we wanted a hotel venue with a beach backdrop and also located near an international airport. We wanted a venue that we did not have to worry about traveling between separate locations from ceremony to reception and have most items inclusive, such as catering, tables, day-of planner, etc. Additionally, we wanted a hotel with updated venues and rooms, which The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach had both of and really gave us everything we wanted.
When it came down to choosing from the large selection of hotels on Clearwater Beach, the Hyatt won us over with their private rooftop terrace, cocktail area, and reception hall. We loved the idea of not having our guests have to walk through sand, but also have a beautiful view of the beach as our backdrop. It was important that our ceremony had a private and intimate feel, and the Hyatt seemed to check all of these boxes. We found their service to be exceptional as well. We worked with Roseli and communicated with her directly throughout the year when planning our wedding. She ensured all of our questions were answered and set up our reception area beautifully with any extra decorations we had brought to her (place settings, name cards, welcome sign, etc).
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We loved the look of bright and airy photography that was not oversaturated. We wanted to hire a photographer who had a substantial portfolio of beach pictures and was familiar with wedding photography.
We came across Kéra Photography online and loved her styling and experience with beach photography. After we met her, we knew we wanted her to be there on our wedding day based on her professionalism, kindness, and great communication. Her service was exceptional, and we would recommend her to anyone.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our inspiration was to have a vibrant, but elegant feel to our wedding. We wanted our wedding to be formal, but also incorporate the bright tropical colors into our florals to suit the location.
What were your colors?
We didn’t have a set color palette but wanted to incorporate both blues and pinks to go with our venue colors. We also loved the idea of having bright florals, so we styled our bridal party in darker colors to allow for them to “pop” and create a formal feel. Our flowers were a mix of pinks, reds, purples with touches of yellows which looked great against the pink hotel and sunset colors in the sky. All other accents were in gold to create an elegant feel.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We were interested in a DJ who was familiar with our venue and also provided lighting and microphones for our ceremony. We also wanted someone who other vendors personally recommended.
We hired Grant Hemond & Associates as they were very professional, communicated very well, and even let us request a specific DJ based on a recommendation we had received. Their service was great as they worked with us to develop our own GOBO and ensured we had everything we wanted for a reasonable price. Eric was our DJ and was so kind and observant. He listened to all our requests and kept the dance floor moving.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Be selfish, and do what you want as a couple, not what others think you should do for your wedding. Ultimately your guests are there for you, so you don’t have to cater to them. Also, don’t overthink when it comes to the small stuff, as the most memorable part of your wedding will likely be the time you share together.
Ceremony, Reception Venue & Caterer: Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Kéra Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Imagery Wedding Films
Florist: 2Birds Events
Rentals: Gabro Event Services *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Cake: A Piece of Cake
DJ: Eric from Grant Hemond and Associates *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Ceremony Music: Sunset Strings
Officiant: Jocelyn Shaw
Invitations: Minted
Dress Shop and Designer: One and Only Bridal, Lilian West
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Birdy Grey
Hair & Makeup: Destiny and Light
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
