Katie and Alex's colorful waterfront Tampa wedding featured an elegant garden celebration and glistening waterfront backdrop, with clear skies, vibrant florals, and a champagne tower.
“We wanted a more vibrant, colorful wedding. We both love the spring and summer seasons along with the foliage that comes with it, so that drove our inspiration for bright colorful flowers. We're also both Florida born and raised and love the water and being outside so we wanted to incorporate tropical Florida elements with palm trees, seen subtly in the flower arrangements,” the bride detailed. “Our colors were hot pink, blush pink, coral, with taupe, gold, and purple accents. We wanted to enhance the beauty of the venue with vibrant and bold summer colors.”
Drawing inspiration from previous receptions at their waterfront venue, the bride turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay's real wedding features to visualize her April celebration's details.
“The site helped me with decorating and floor planning our venue. I liked the drapery and lighting shown in the ‘Modern Black and White‘ feature, so I decided to go with that decor for the interior space.”
When it came to ensuring every detail of their memorable day was meticulously planned and executed, the couple turned to the expertise of EventFull Weddings. Known for their exceptional organizational skills and design flair, the planning company, led by Karen Cerboni, offered a personalized touch that left a lasting impression.
“We looked for someone who is passionate about what they do, is well organized, communicative, and has a nice design style. I was very involved with planning, so EventFull Weddings was hired for the partial planning package as a high-level planner and it worked out really well!” the bride beamed. “Karen was very thorough from our first consult call all the way through the wedding day. We had monthly check-in calls to stay on track but she was also available anytime via text or call to answer questions. She provided a lot of good recommendations and advice from wording on our invitations to assistance with our DIY seating chart. She even went above and beyond after the wedding and returned one of our rentals while we were on our honeymoon. Karen kept everything on track during the big day which was really helpful.”
Capturing the magic of their day was of utmost importance to the couple, and they searched for an expereienced wedding photographer with a keen eye and a style that resonated with them. Amanda Zabrocki Photography's exceptional editing style and striking visuals instantly captivated the bride and groom.
“We focused on the end product, the photographs themself, and reasonable pricing. We wanted light and airy, so when we were searching for photographers we did a lot of browsing through galleries of previous weddings for our preferred type of editing style,” Katie explained. “We picked Amanda Zabrocki Photography because we really liked her editing style and the look of the photographs. Her pricing was also very reasonable and within our budget. Amanda was so bubbly and friendly during our consultation call, and we clicked perfectly when she told us she too has a golden retriever. We never had professional photographs taken together, so she was super helpful in guiding us in different poses and backdrops for our engagement shoot. She was also such good energy on our entire wedding day. She's such a friendly lovely person, and everyone that got in front of her camera complimented how well she was doing. We absolutely love how the photos turned out.”
For the local couple, ensuring their 80 guests had a memorable dining experience was paramount, especially given their shared love for upscale dining. Elite Events Catering was the perfect partner to bring their fusion menu vision to life, offering not just delicious food, but also the flexibility and comprehensive services they were searching for.
“We are both foodies so we knew we wanted a lot of yummy food with Florida and Caribbean flare and a steakhouse menu vibe. We struggled to decide between buffet and plated, but ultimately decided on plated to have some planned sit-down time. For the main dinner, we gave our guests a choice of mahi or filet and even a filet Oscar-style upgrade option. We love the Florida Keys so for dessert we had key lime pie shooters. We also had mini ice cream cones because that's basically a must-have on a warm Florida night,” Katie detailed. “We looked for reasonable pricing, the ability to completely customize our menu, and all-inclusive services such as bar service and linens, plates, cutlery rentals, etc. Elite Events Catering was amazing, and I highly recommend them! It is a husband and wife and woman-owned business. We had an initial tasting and the food was so good. They were very communicative throughout the whole process and were always very accommodating with our change requests to the menu, including some last-minute additions. Alex was adamant about having a Ulele-inspired wedge salad so the owner Melissa even went to Ulele and tried the salad to get her inspiration. She and her husband were such a joy to work with. They delivered everything we discussed!”
Ensuring every moment of their celebration was personal and memorable, Katie and Alex selected notable wedding vendors such as Grant Hemond & Associates. for a packed dance floor and Femme Akoi Beauty Studio to make sure the bride looked and felt her best. The unique touches, from a champagne toast to personalized pet-themed napkins, created an ambiance of intimacy and fun.
“We are both pretty laid back and didn't want it to be black-tie formal so we asked our guests to dress in ‘garden formal' attire,” the bride revealed. “We love our pets very much so we printed custom beverage napkins with our cats and our dog, ordered from Etsy. Alex walked down the aisle during the ceremony with our dog Archie. Our last name is Welch, so our favors were Welch's fruit snacks.”
As the bride reminisced about her wedding day, the private vow exchange during their first look stood out. This intimate moment set the tone for a day filled with heartfelt moments, joyful celebrations, and unforgettable memories.
“Alex and I did a private first look and read our own written vows before the ceremony, so that was really special and intimate. Looking out at all of our friends and family during our ceremony there to celebrate us was really memorable. During ‘golden hour,' our photographer captured a lot of individual shots of our friends and their significant others down by the water as a pretty backdrop, so that was sweet. Dancing the night away with our friends and family was the cherry on top of a wonderful occasion”, the bride beamed. “My sister was nine months pregnant, and she was due on our wedding day however, she still made it to the wedding and stayed the whole night! She gave birth four days later. We're so happy she was able to celebrate there with us.”
The Proposal:
It was intimate with just the two of us. We had just finished vacationing with Alex's family in Lake Tahoe, and from there we drove to San Francisco to visit my sister. She let us borrow her car to spend a few nights in Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. We stayed at La Playa Carmel, just across from the beach; it's a beautiful boutique hotel, and we highly recommend it! We even got upgraded to an oceanview room. We went down to watch the sunset at the beach. Alex didn't have a photographer planned so he walked all the way across the beach to ask someone to take a picture of us, but asked her to take a video as he was about to propose. That's when he popped the question!
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I prefer to wear my hair down so I went with the beachy curls and a textured twist in the back. I added extensions for volume and length. My makeup was soft glam. I wanted to look elegant and feel beautiful. I enhanced my brown eyes with some voluminous lashes, and I also wanted some nice highlights. I chose the soft glam, but looking back on it I think I would've preferred more glam makeup with heavier contouring and more eye makeup. I think brides should be better educated on “soft/natural glam” vs “all-out glam.”
Femme Akoi Beauty Studio came highly rated. My hair and makeup stylist was Ayla, and she was so sweet and listened well to my requests. The other stylists were Vanessa and Vinette. They were both so nice, and I loved how my bridesmaids' and mother's hair and makeup turned out. Everyone looked so beautiful! They all knocked it out and got us all ready by the time we needed to be ready.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We looked for someone who is passionate about what they do, is well organized, communicative, and has a nice design style.
I was very involved with planning, so EventFull Weddings was hired for the partial planning package as a high-level planner and it worked out really well! Karen Cerboni was very thorough from our first consult call all the way through the wedding day. We had monthly check-in calls to stay on track but she was also available anytime via text or call to answer questions. She provided a lot of good recommendations and advice from wording on our invitations to assistance with our DIY seating chart. She even went above and beyond after the wedding and returned one of our rentals while we were on our honeymoon. Karen kept everything on track during the big day which was really helpful. Her team also pulled off handling a few minor hiccups without a hitch. My groom never would've noticed, but I have an eye for detail.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We focused on the end product, the photographs themself, and reasonable pricing. We wanted light and airy, so when we were searching for photographers we did a lot of browsing through galleries of previous weddings for our preferred type of editing style.
We picked Amanda Zabrocki Photography because we really liked her editing style and the look of the photographs. Her pricing was also very reasonable and within our budget. Amanda was so bubbly and friendly during our consultation call, and we clicked perfectly when she told us she too has a golden retriever.
We hired her for both our engagement shoot and the wedding.We never had professional photographs taken together, so she was super helpful in guiding us in different poses and backdrops for our engagement shoot. She was also such good energy on our entire wedding day. She's such a friendly lovely person, and everyone that got in front of her camera complimented how well she was doing. We absolutely love how the photos turned out.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Sandals Grande St. Lucian. We wanted to relax at an all-inclusive resort and not go through the effort of carrying our luggage around multiple places. It was soo beautiful. The resort was very clean and the landscaping was well-manicured. St. Lucia has the Pitons so it made for great views and the water was a beautiful blue! We highly recommend taking helicopter transportation to or from the resort.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
A 3-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Coco Cay from Port Canaveral. All-inclusive was important. I didn't want to ask my bridesmaids to pay for multiple expensive meals and additional activities. I love cruises! Everyone is there to have a good time, and it's a good venue for getting dressed up every night. Most of my girlfriends live in state so it wasn't too much of a destination trip for them.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted a more vibrant, colorful wedding. We both love the spring and summer seasons along with the foliage that comes with it, so that drove our inspiration for bright colorful flowers. We're also both Florida born and raised and love the water and being outside so we wanted to incorporate tropical Florida elements with palm trees, seen subtly in the flower arrangements.
What were your colors?
Hot pink, blush pink, coral, with taupe, gold, and purple accents. We wanted to enhance the beauty of the venue with vibrant and bold summer colors. We're both blonde, and we think hot pink and gold pair well with blonde hair, plus, I love gold jewelry for a timeless look.
What was your wedding menu inspiration?
We are both foodies so we knew we wanted a lot of yummy food with Florida and Caribbean flare and a steakhouse menu vibe. We struggled to decide between buffet and plated, but ultimately decided on plated to have some planned sit-down time. We had shrimp cocktails and Cuban-style pork appetizers passed, along with a beautiful cheese and charcuterie display with all the accouterments anyone's heart could desire. We love the wedge salad from Ulele so our caterer replicated that. For the main dinner, we gave our guests a choice of mahi or filet and even a filet Oscar-style upgrade option. We love the Florida Keys so for dessert we had key lime pie shooters. We also had mini ice cream cones because that's basically a must-have on a warm Florida night.
We looked for reasonable pricing, the ability to completely customize our menu, and all-inclusive services such as bar service and linens, plates, cutlery rentals, etc. Elite Events Catering was amazing, and I highly recommend them! It is a husband and wife and woman-owned business. We had an initial tasting and the food was so good. They were very communicative throughout the whole process and were always very accommodating with our change requests to the menu, including some last-minute additions. Alex was adamant about having a Ulele-inspired wedge salad so the owner Melissa even went to Ulele and tried the salad to get her inspiration. She and her husband were such a joy to work with. They delivered everything we discussed!
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We looked for a budget-friendly, reputable company; one that could customize our playlist, and a good MC for the flow of the whole night.
Grant Hemond & Associates worked with us on pricing and even included a good deal on uplighting for ambiance. There's a reason they're so highly recommended in the Tampa region! They were very responsive from our first inquiry through the end of the night. James King was our DJ, and he was so fun and even played some songs that we wanted to hear last minute. We were very happy with their service!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
We were very pleased with the services of most of them! We were really happy with Elite Events Catering and how they were so willing to deliver our menu inspiration to the fullest. We also really liked our DJ with Grant Hemond & Associates, who kept the mood light and fun. The harpist was really wonderful. As part of her services, she learned a new song just for our wedding. Everyone enjoyed the whimsical romantic sound of her music.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
It's going to go so fast so remember to take it all in! We were engaged for almost two years and there was so much hype leading up to the big day, and then it flew by in the blink of an eye. We really tried to stay within budget, and we found that most vendors were willing to work with us on pricing.
If you're like me and are insistent that you're going to eat all the food you planned for your menu, don't kid yourself. I was so adamant about eating all the food since we curated our menu, and I probably ate a few bites of the main dinner and that's it.
If you're having an outdoor wedding, consider bringing extra makeup or keeping your hair and makeup artist around to do touch-ups throughout the night. I wish I made time for that.
If you care about your flowers plan ahead to have them taken home and preserved! I didn't think about that but luckily our friends took a lot of the arrangements home and kept them in water, and I found a woman that was available to do resin preservation of them.
