Jarod and Faizan’s downtown St. Pete wedding featured vibrant and whimsical decor that incorporated both grooms’ personal style and creative vision. The celebration began with a romantic outdoor ceremony and ended with guests dancing with glow props to club-style music.

“Our wedding theme/design was tropical chic with peacock jewel-tone colors. We chose our theme to represent the vibrancy that St. Petersburg has to offer while embracing the coming of the spring season,” Jarod shared. “We incorporated peacock jewel-tone colors throughout our suits, wedding party dresses, décor, and flowers.”

The springtime ceremony was set in the majestic bamboo courtyard of NOVA 535, while the reception took place in the historic brick exposed building. With more than 150 guests traveling from as far as California, the St. Petersburg couple prioritized working with an inclusive venue that would deliver a five-star experience.

“We looked for ambiance, the flexibility of a venue to ensure all of our unique needs were met as well as a place that demonstrated an LGBTQ safe space,” the groom explained. “We chose NOVA 535 because they checked all of our boxes in making sure our wedding met our unique style and requests. NOVA 535 was not only able to meet but exceeded our expectations due to their client-first approach. We couldn’t have been happier with how our wedding day turned out. They made the entire planning process easy, and they were very detailed oriented.”

As Jarod considered different wedding photographers, he selected Kristen Marie Photography for her talented eye for natural lighting and effortless posing. Her expansive portfolio of photographing inside their venue made her the perfect choice.

“We looked for someone with experience in achieving the goals we had set for our wedding. Additionally, someone who is open to feedback and suggestions and able to provide us with images we could cherish for a lifetime,” Jarod revealed. “We chose Kristen because of her experience with our venue, and we knew she had the ability to capture all of our special moments from the perfect angle and lighting. She was extremely helpful in making sure we had all our photography goals met for our special day.”

While wedding planning, it was important that both Jarod and Faizan express their individuality. The Youngstown, Ohio native had over 2,000 variety styles of cookies as a nod to his hometown traditions, while Faizan incorporated traditions from his Pakistani heritage.

“We incorporated a variety of different cultures into our wedding. Faizan incorporated some of his Pakistani family-style traditions, such as henna tattoos, while I incorporated some of my Italian family traditions, such as the cookie table and memory table of past loved ones,” Jarod explained. “Our wedding colorfully blended two families into one through a tropical oasis that brought people in from all over the country. We had a variety of food, music, and culture-infused throughout our special day. We ended the last hour of our wedding with a tradition called Hora Loca or known as a ‘Crazy Hour.’ Our last hour featured glow props with club-style music to end our special day with a bang.”

Looking back, it was the exceptional experience provided by the experts at their venue and their vendor team that made the wedding day a perfect memory.

“Our most memorable moments were during our ceremony and reception. NOVA 535 ensured our entire vision of our wedding was executed,” Jarod reminisced. “Our whole evening flowed effortlessly thanks to the amazing staff, caterers, photographers, DJ, and wedding planner.”

The Proposal:
After asking my parents for their blessing on a beautiful snowy night in Ohio, Faizan came back to Florida and surprised his parents by asking them to meet him at the jeweler where they picked out the ring. We had a wonderful weekend at Disney World planned but Faizan kept a few surprises to himself.

With the help of our incredible son, Dylan, Faizan got down on one knee at Disney’s Yacht Club and popped the question. My reaction was priceless, and I said YES! Dylan got the whole thing on video, but we’ll keep that to ourselves to cherish for years to come.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We chose Cabo San Lucas because it is one of our favorite tropical paradise locations. We stayed at the beautiful Corazon Cabo Resort and Spa. It gives you the 5-star experience all honeymooners deserve.

Which vendors really exceeded your expectations and how?
Our caterer exceeded our expectations. Typically wedding-style food is not raved about, but in our case, our wedding guests were delighted.

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Give yourselves plenty of time to organize, plan, and budget for unforeseen expenses. Most importantly, don’t settle; Tampa Bay has many great options for getting married. Make sure you explore your options before settling. Using great websites and tools like Marry Me Tampa Bay will help guide you in achieving your dream wedding.