Michelle and Richard's downtown St. Pete wedding featured a whimsical creative celebration that highlighted the bride's favorite color, pink. The bright florals and romantic celebration set the festive tone for the evening.
“I would describe the wedding design as colorful romantic glam. The inspiration came from me always wanting to be dressed up in full glam and my love for all of the colors of the rainbow. I wanted to express that in our wedding by throwing out the most beautiful vibrant colors to really make the reception unique with more than your traditional one or two colors,” the bride beamed. “The colors of my wedding were candy pink and navy blue. My husband loved the idea of navy blue for himself and his groomsmen and to complement that perfectly, I chose candy pink, which happens to be my favorite color.”
The Palm Harbor bride used local resources to research wedding vendors. In addition to reading the daily real wedding features, Michelle also reviewed Marry Me Tampa Bay's preferred wedding planners when selecting her dream planning team.
“For wedding vendors, I first started my search online and found Marry Me Tampa Bay which featured weddings, and began jotting down vendors I saw that I liked. I found my wedding planner Parties A' La Carte from Marry Me Tampa Bay, and it just took off from there,” Michelle revealed. “Marry Me Tampa Bay was helpful along the planning process by keeping me updated through email of venue and vendor suggestions, tips, and more.”
Luxury St. Pete wedding planner Parties A'La Carte curated the bride's dream wedding team for her spring wedding date. Their pristine portfolio and stellar reputation influenced Michelle's decision to hire them.
“When searching for a wedding planner, I wanted someone who has unique and creative ideas with an awesome personality who I could trust throughout the planning process. I hired Parties A' La Carte after reading tons of excellent reviews and checking out multiple articles they have been featured in. Every one of them was the most elegant, unique wedding I have ever seen. I knew from that moment they were exactly who I was looking for,” Michelle gushed. “With my romantic side, I wanted to focus all of that energy on the ceremony and make that as timeless and romantic as possible by doing everything in all white. My wedding planner, Jessica Ralph, and her team played a huge part in bringing these visions to life. I can't thank Parties A' La Carte enough for their exceptional service throughout the entire planning process. Their communication is A+.”
The 98-guest ceremony took place in the outdoor Tea Garden at the Vinoy Renaissance followed by a waterfront reception in the Esplanade courtyard.
“When searching for a wedding venue, I was looking for a venue that could provide me with the ultimate enchanting, romantic experience all outdoors from beginning to end. I chose the Vinoy Renaissance for its unique historic charm and beautiful outdoor setup for my ceremony and reception. The Esplanade where the reception was held had the most breathtaking views of the bay and such a charming feel,” Michelle detailed. “The Vinoy provided excellent service. I especially enjoyed the private tasting event that was held for us to choose our cocktail, hors d'oeuvre, and dinner menu.”
With a unique design in mind, Michelle turned to Bruce Wayne Florals to create a classic romantic ceremony setting, followed by a whimsical ombre rainbow-inspired reception.
“My wedding floral inspiration came from a series of Pinterest board photos that I had gathered up over the years of colorful and iridescent palettes and designs. What made my wedding unique was all of the fun colors and glam we incorporated to go with my personality. When meeting at the florist to discuss the details and planning of the centerpieces was such a fun experience, and the staff was extremely helpful. They took their time to make sure we created exactly what I wanted,” the bride shared. “The ceremony felt so romantic and enchanting, with the white baby's breath displayed beautifully throughout the Tea Garden. The detail and creativity that went into the center centerpieces for the reception were one of a kind. The baby's breath was absolutely stunning. I loved the idea of coloring the baby's breath to create the exact look I was going for at the reception.”
Looking back, the day was full of memories starting with the ceremony and ending with an unforgettable party.
“The most memorable moments were my dad walking me down the aisle and my husband and I reading our vows to each other at the altar. Seeing the big reveal of the reception before everyone else was just breathtaking,” the bride reminisced. “Celebrating with family and friends while dancing the night away was the most memorable and meaningful part of the day as well.”
The Proposal:
Richard proposed in the Florida Keys on a family vacation. It took place at the end of the dock when it was just me and him after a romantic night kayaking tour. I was completely caught off guard!
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We spent a week in St. Lucia. We wanted something very relaxing after all of the wedding planning and celebrating. The island was so breathtaking and the ultimate honeymoon destination.
Where did you go on your bachelorette party?
I actually hosted two bachelorette parties, one here in Tampa for all of my friends and family. We took a party bus out for the night and went to a Male Revue in Tampa (Hunk-O Mania). We ended the night at Club Eden Downtown Tampa with a couple of VIP tables. It was a wild night, to say the least!
The second bachelorette party I hosted was in Miami, mainly with my bridal party. We took a party bus around downtown Miami and ended up at a Male Revue, which I highly recommend called La Bare. We also rented a yacht for a day by Aristocrat Yacht Rentals which was amazing!
What were your hair and makeup inspiration?
My hair and makeup inspiration began when searching Pinterest boards and Instagram, and I fell in love with Hollywood curls as I was in search of the perfect hairstyle that best complemented me and my personality. I was looking for a very dramatic makeup look that was full glam.
I chose Femme Akoi Beauty Studio after viewing their portfolio on the recommendation list from my planner. I knew right away they had that fun, full glam, fresh vibe I was looking for, and I was absolutely right!
My bridal party had the best experience with Femme Akoi as they were able to execute exactly what the girls wanted and made them look gorgeous!
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
I wanted someone who has unique and creative ideas with an awesome personality who I could trust throughout the planning process.
I found my wedding planner Parties A' La Carte from Marry Me Tampa Bay, and it just took off from there. I hired Parties A' La Carte after reading tons of excellent reviews and checking out multiple articles they have been featured in.
Every one of them was the most elegant, unique wedding I have ever seen. I knew from that moment they were exactly who I was looking for. I can't thank Parties A' La Carte enough for their exceptional service throughout the entire planning process. The communication is A+.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
I was looking for a venue that could provide me with the ultimate enchanting, romantic experience all outdoors from beginning to end.
I chose the Vinoy Renaissance for its unique historic charm and beautiful outdoor setup for my ceremony and reception. The Tea Garden is so unique and one of a kind. It was exactly what I was looking for and so much more. The Esplanade, where the reception was held, had the most breathtaking views of the bay and such a charming feel.
The Vinoy provided excellent service from the first phone call with the catering sales executive Chris Starman who was exceptional and answered all of my questions to the day of the wedding, all of the staff was amazing to work with. I especially enjoyed the private tasting event that was held for us to choose our cocktail, hors d'oeuvre, and dinner menu. Catering manager Rainee Herrera was also extremely helpful in the planning process.
What was your wedding theme?
Colorful romantic glam! The inspiration came from me always wanting to be dressed up in full glam and my love for all of the colors of the rainbow. I wanted to express that in our wedding by throwing out the most beautiful vibrant colors to really make the reception unique with more than your traditional one or two colors
What were your colors?
Candy pink and navy blue. My husband loved the idea of navy blue for himself and his groomsmen and to complement that perfectly. I chose candy pink, which happens to be my favorite color.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
My wedding floral inspiration came from a series of Pinterest board photos that I had gathered up over the years of colorful and iridescent palettes and designs.
When meeting at the florist to discuss the details and planning of the centerpieces was such a fun experience, and the staff was extremely helpful. They took their time to make sure we created exactly what I wanted. I hired Bruce Wayne Florals as it was one of the suggestions to choose from my planner, and I couldn't have been happier.
The ceremony felt so romantic and enchanting, with the white baby's breath displayed beautifully throughout the Tea Garden. The detail and creativity that went into the center centerpieces for the reception were one of a kind. The baby's breath was absolutely stunning! I loved the idea of coloring the baby's breath to create the exact look I was going for at the reception.
How did your rentals enhance the ambiance of your event?
The rentals I used from Gabro Event Services were clear ghost Chairs, feasting tables, a crystal chandelier, sashes, and string bistro lights. These were the perfect touches that heightened the ambiance of the reception that much more to make the night so magical.
What did you look for in a wedding bakery?
I was in search of a company that could make the best-tasting cake anyone has ever had. We were able to order a sampler and pick out flavors to try before placing our order.
The Artistic Whisk had the most unique and tasty flavors! We ended up picking three flavors for our cake: Salted Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Key Lime Blueberry.
We decided to keep the design more on the simple side since we had tons of color at the reception. We had the flowers from the reception beautifully displayed for a pop of color for an elegant look. Our guests still talk about how delicious the cake was.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
I hired Grant Hemond & Associates when discussing with my wedding planner what I wanted in a DJ for our wedding day, and without hesitation, she quickly knew who to contact and specifically which DJ to go with. DJ Jason Tally did a phenomenal job!
From the day I met him on our phone interview we connected right away. He was able to see my vision and created the best playlist for cocktail hour and reception that everyone loved. Growing up in the 90s and listening to old-school freestyle music, we had to incorporate that into the DJ playlist as well to give a little bit of that 90s vibe. Jason's enthusiasm and love for his profession are a reflection of how amazing of a DJ he is.
Why did you choose to incorporate a photo booth into your wedding day?
I hired The Gala Photobooth after visiting their website, and it blew me away with how luxurious it looked with the endless backdrops/props they had to choose from.
Our friends and family still talk about how much fun they had. It was definitely the highlight of the reception! Their professionalism is above all else and a pleasure to work with. I am so happy we chose them.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
It's hard to not recognize each vendor because they all exceeded my expectations in every way! These vendors made my wedding just perfect and all of the guests still talk about how beautiful the wedding was. I cannot be happier with the outcome of the entire event, and I have the vendors to thank! Our photographer blew me away with her talent; my wedding photos were nothing short of amazing. Gala Photobooth was such a hit; it was elegant and fun, and everyone absolutely loved it! The catering by the Vinoy was phenomenal; the food was prepared and presented beautifully. DJ Jason Tally was absolutely amazing. Femme Akoi made all of us look absolutely stunning! I can't thank them enough!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Sit down with your partner and make a list of what both of you want in a venue/wedding and start your research. Begin with a budget you want to stay within, and then figure out what style and theme you are going for. I highly recommend hiring a wedding planner as it will be such a smooth, seamless process with tons of great vendor suggestions and so much more.
