Dawn and Ilana were together for ten years before finally getting married in their backyard with only a handful of people; they made the quick decision when same-sex marriage became legalized nationwide, wanting to make sure they could get married if the ruling was later repealed. After waiting over two years since that little backyard ceremony when the law was passed, it was finally time to have a celebration that reflected the depth of their love. Ilana's love of Tampa's history meant a vintage Cigar City themed affair was a natural choice for the couple; paired with a culmination of 10+ years of love, a small and simple ceremony, and the fact that Dawn puts her life on the line everyday as a law enforcement officer, meant a true celebration of their relationship and all the people that had been a part of their love story for the last ten years was finally in order.
Julia and Chris - A Plantains-and-Poppies Wedding
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!