Jen and Hutch originally dreamt of a Napa Valley wedding, but it just wasn't in the cards, so they decided to try to bring some of that natural, elegant, & Earthy beauty of Napa Valley to their wedding in Florida. We selected a muted color palette of creams, taupes, leafy greens, & blush pinks. The St. Pete Women's Club on Snell Isle was the perfect location.  We held the ceremony on the venue's lawn, & transformed the parking area into reception space with overhead string lights, large feasting tables, & a dancefloor.

The bride wore a classic lace gown, & the bridesmaids selected their own champagne cocktail dresses. The bride carried a bouquet of hydrangea, vibernum, roses, peonies, freesia, & hypericum berries, while the bridesmaids carried clusters of ivory & green hydrangea (courtesy of Arlene Floral Designer). The bride walked down an aisle lined with suspended mason jars filled with roses, lilies, hydrangea & seeded eucalyptus, while serenaded by the Dillingham string quartet. The groom's sister, a local judge, performed the ceremony. They exchanged vows in front of a white wooden arch with climbing vines & flora.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed passed pulled pork sliders & mac-n-cheese lollipops (catering by Good Food Catering), along with a customized Bubbly Bar offering sparkling wine & mixers like pear puree, peach nectar, & pomegranate juice. The bar was placed in front of a Great Oak tree trimmed in twinkling lights (kudos to Tampa Lights).

Guests found their escort cards tucked into wine corks, directing them to tables named after wineries the couple had visited together. Each table featured a framed winery label as a guide. To save money, the bride had her programs & menu cards printed by an artist from Etsy. The dining tables featured copper chargers & beams of wood dotted with mis-matched metal lanterns, votive candles, & mason jars filled with flowers (all collected by the bride & her mother).

Guests dined on regional favorites like shrimp-&-grits & lemon-artichoke roasted chicken before dancing under the stars (music provided by Universal Music Entertainment). The couple also saved money by ordering sheet cakes from a local renowned bakery, (thank you Wright's Deli!) to be cut & served from the kitchen, & opted for a simpler, yet equally elegant cake for the cake cutting (props to Publix Bakery).  A big thank you to Lauren Pauline Photography for the amazing images!!

This weekend we had the pleasure of celebrating the wedding of Jen and Charles in true Tampa style!  This couple really loves this city – the history, the culture, the food…  it all came together in their wedding celebration.

We started with a color palette of sangria, ruby, and saffron.  The couple was immediately inspired by the jewel tones and ornate pattern of these gorgeous sheer organza linens (which we used on the cocktail tables and sweetheart table.)  We set the tone right away by sending guests save-the-date postcards printed with a Tampa cigar box motif.  The bride wore a beautiful ivory chiffon gown and tucked a ruby rose behind her ear for a little Spanish flare.  She carried a gorgeous bouquet of exotic flowers with pops of orange and red.  And check out her bedazzled shoes!  Bridesmaids wore long deep red chiffon gowns, and the guys donned grey suits with red accents. 

The aisle was lined with suspended mason jars filled with roses, orchids, and colorful croton leaves.  Pretty traditional for a wedding, but we made sure to introduce some Tampa touches, like the cigar box the ring bearer carried down the aisle, and the unity wine ceremony the couple participated in during the ceremony, wherein they each poured a varietal of red wine into a single glass creating a wine blend from which they both sipped.

During the festive cocktail hour, the waitstaff passed trays of Tampa favorites such as mini empanadas, deviled crabs, and bacon wrapped plantains.  And as a surprise to the bride and groom (both beer lovers) we offered sampled of local Cigar City beers – two brews that paired well with robust cigars.  Guests signed pages of a Tampa coffee table book.  And naturally we had to offer a Cigar Bar for the gentlemen, with cigars rolled locally in Ybor city.

Escort card tags were attached to mini coffee bags stamped with vintage mailing labels and coffee cups.  This was a nod to the Cuban Coffee offered in Ybor City, but instead we filled the bags with chocolate covered espresso beans as gifts for the guests.  We just loved how these turned out!

The reception tables were draped with saffron linens and featured mixed cigar box centerpieces.  Even the votive candles on the tables were wrapped with vintage cigar box labels.  And the bride and groom’s sweetheart table featured a gorgeous patterned overlay as the center of attention.  We even displayed a cigar humidor as the card box.

Guests dined on traditional Cuban food of pulled pork, mojo grilled chicken, yellow rice, black beans, and Cuban bread, and danced all night long to the high energy music of a live band.  At the end of the evening, the bride and groom cut and served their gorgeous three tier wedding cake decorated in pearl-colored icing with piped patterns to match the wedding invitations.  And as a final gesture of well wishes, the guests sent off Chinese sky lanterns up into the night sky.