Ashley and Derek’s destination waterfront South Tampa wedding combined joyful yellow attire and festive entertainment to create a chic and spirited celebration overlooking Tampa Bay. After a traditional Catholic ceremony, guests dined and danced amongst bistro lights and the Bay breeze.
“Our wedding theme was inspired by the adventure and joy of our relationship. The bridesmaids wore yellow, which is not a color you see often. We are a joyous and optimistic couple and adore the happy tone that comes with the color,” the bride beamed. “We wanted to have a belly dancer incorporating my culture at our wedding. And to make things sweeter, it was a surprise for my dad! Derek has quite an obsession with Celine Dion. As a surprise to us, my maids of honor arranged for an opera singer (who happens to be a server at the wedding venue) to sing The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.”
When the pandemic threatened their original vision of a wedding near their Maryland home, the couple pivoted to the bride’s former hometown of Tampa. The result made for a truly unique wedding experience.
“Our story of how the wedding ended up moved from Maryland to Tampa after being postponed a year due to COVID is one for the books!” the bride recalled. “Tampa is very special to us, as we both love the beach and I’m originally from Tampa and the entire family still lives there. After a postponement and unclear if our wedding could still happen in Baltimore a year later, we thought it would be best to move our entire vision to Tampa!”
The pair envisioned a venue that would showcase the best that the area has to offer for their 80 guests, from delicious cuisine to stunning sunsets.
“We were looking for an outdoor wedding venue with a view of the beautiful Tampa Bay! The Westshore Yacht Club was an easy choice for us considering how beautiful the venue was and how close my family is with Julie and her team. Julie, Amy, and the entire team at the Westshore Yacht club were hospitable, accommodating, and the food was spectacular. We plan to spend our one-year anniversary at the Westshore Yacht Club!” Ashley raved.
The destination pair sought a photographer with the experience to artfully capture their May wedding in a natural way.
“We wanted someone who captured the natural beauty and authentic spirit of the day. We wanted the photographers to make us feel comfortable and like ourselves in front of the camera,” the bride revealed. “Carrie Wildes Photography came highly recommended by my sister, Angel. Her work blew me away and the experience of working with Carrie, you truly can’t a price tag on. The artwork experience and printing credit you get with Carrie is unique to her services by far!”
The bride and groom treated their guests to a variety of musical entertainment throughout the event, which Ashley attributes as the most memorable aspect of their celebration.
“The most memorable events moments of our wedding were the belly dancer, the opera singing, and the dynamite band that had everyone dancing the night away,” the bride reminisced. “The belly dancer danced to some of our favorite Middle Eastern music, the opera singer brought everyone to tears in the most beautiful way, and the band kept the party going and even learned Rick Asley’s Never Gonna Give You Up for our first dance!”
The Proposal:
We met at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. Being so close to the city, we would spend our evenings and weekends capturing the sights of the city. We shared their very first date in Madison Square Park, sitting on a bench eating Shake Shack. On December 8, on that very same bench, Derek asked me to marry him.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone who captured the natural beauty and authentic spirit of the day. We wanted the photographers to make us feel comfortable and like ourselves in front of the camera.
Carrie Wildes Photography came highly recommended by my sister, Angel. Her work blew me away and the experience of working with Carrie, you truly can’t a price tag on. The artwork experience and printing credit you get with Carrie is unique to her services by far!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
Our wedding theme was inspired by the adventure and joy of our relationship. The bridesmaids wore yellow, which is not a color you see often; it is our favorite color!
We are a joyous and optimistic couple and adore the happy tone. It exudes happiness and radiates joy, just like how we feel about life and each other!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We were looking for an outdoor wedding venue with a view of the beautiful Tampa Bay!
The Westshore Yacht Club was an easy choice for us considering how beautiful the venue was and how close my family is with Julie and her team. It is a place where my family has grown very close to the staff over the years; they have truly become family!
Julie, Amy, and the entire team at the Westshore Yacht club were hospitable, accommodating, and the food was spectacular. We plan to spend our one-year anniversary at the Westshore Yacht Club!
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
My bachelorette party was hosted in Boston, MA on St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Who doesn’t love Boston on St. Patty’s Day weekend?!
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We did not get the chance to have a big extravagant honeymoon. We spent our last day in Tampa at St. Petersburg Beach on a jet ski tour. This was our mini-moon! We look forward to traveling somewhere next summer, we may even make a stop in Lebanon, it would only be fitting!
What elements of your wedding were the most important?
The most important elements of our wedding were incorporating the Lebanese culture with a belly dancer, a live band, and not having a traditional wedding cake as dessert. We decided on a gelato cart.
The most important piece for us was to have the day resemble us as a couple. We wanted people to leave our wedding thinking, “that was so Ashley and Derek!” The band was a priority, and it came full circle when the band was the same band who would provide music for our family parties back in the day!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Trust your vendors! You spend so much time trying to find the perfect ones for a reason, so trust them! Also, if you have an outdoor wedding in Tampa, some outdoor fans and misters never hurt!
