Winsor Event Studio's Blog Musings
When Jennifer and Casey met while out on the town with friends, it truly was love at first sight. At the end of the evening, like a scene from a movie, their first kiss through the taxi door was as electric as their first kiss as husband and wife at their waterfront nuptials! The couple exchanged vows in front of 150 of their closest friends and family at the Davis Islands Garden Club near downtown Tampa.
Kaylee and Ryan wanted their wedding to reflect their Southern roots and shared Faith in a gorgeous waterfront garden wedding in Tampa. Their soft color palette of blush, rose gold, and gold, was reflected in details like the flowy chiffon bridesmaid dresses, romantic loose flora, and vintage candlesticks on the tables.
For this stylized shoot, we wanted to highlight the history of a new venue with an old beginning (a former life as a cigar factory, indicative of the Ybor district of Tampa also known as the "Cigar City"). Our model wore a wedding gown with dramatic ruffles down the back, creating a Flamenco flair. We accented her hair with a Spanish-style rhinestone comb, and styled her makeup with bold red lips and gold-leaf eyeshadow to compliment the event's color palette of moss and gold. To set the tone for our Ybor Cigar Loft shoot, we created old world style invitations set in wooden cigar box 'envelopes'. The table names featured vintage cigar box labels in ornate gold frames. Our escort card display (which doubled as favors) featured mini bottles of whiskey with guests' names written on paper tags. For the cocktail area, we draped tables with tufted champagne linens layered over iridescent moss linens, with cigar boxes of gold mercury glass votives suspended from the ceiling beams as if floating above the tables. The fondant cake featured sugar buttons, a brushed gold fondant ribbon, and a sprig of hydrangea on top. The natural bridal bouquet consisted of ornamental cabbage, seeded eucalyptus, waxflower, palm frawns, and loops of gold wire, which complimented the natural table arrangements aside more gold mercury glass votives and stacked cigar boxes filled with moss and candles. We also uplit the brick walls with amber lighting for extra drama, and created a Cigar Lounge area as well. The result was a gorgeous representation of a historic cigar-themed event.
Julia met Chris in Germany in August of 2011 where they were both serving in the military. They quickly became inseparable, and when it came time to plan their wedding, they decided on a destination wedding in the bride's hometown of Tampa. Both desired an eclectic feel for the wedding with a nod to the bride's Tampa roots as well as the couple's travels abroad. The Don Vicente in historic Ybor City was perfect. The bride's favorite flowers are poppies, and with the groom in his dress blues for the wedding, the color scheme of poppy orange, lemoncello, and aqua blue was born. Julia wanted their guests to really understand and feel the Tampa she grew up in. This inspired such details as a Cigar Bar, Cigar box centerpieces with collections of candlesticks and bottles and cans filled with colorful flowers, a Cuban cuisine menu, Florida orange marmalade favors, and even a tangelo mojito signature drink!
There’s no better way to say "I Do" than on a breezy autumn day with a waterfront view at Davis Island Garden Club. Blair and Jake exchanged their vows amongst family and friends in Southern style surrounded by the lush garden setting. This country couture wedding was perfectly accented with vintage-style furniture as outdoor seating where guests could lounge and enjoy a mini cigar bar. Classic beverage dispensers offered a variety of refreshing lemonades and teas. To honor the couple’s journey, guests found their seats at tables reflecting places to which Blair and Jake had traveled. Each table was adorned with flickering votive candles surrounding lanterns or tall floral arrangements of curly willow with violet and ivory stock. String canopy lighting floated above while family and friends gathered at the food stations offering unique choices such as a salad and biscuit bar, chicken and potatoes, or brisket and mac n cheese. If guests saved room for dessert, a large wine barrel displaying a stand of assorted cupcake flavors would satisfy their sweet tooth.
