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Jen and Alex - An Autumn Aqua and Aubergine Wedding

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Jen and Alex - An Autumn Aqua and Aubergine Wedding

Jen and Alex desired a wedding filled with southern simplicity, and planned to DIY many wedding details to help maximize their budget.  Their Florida roots inspired such details as the painted blue mason jars, cut log risers, collection of bud vases and lanterns, program fans, burlap table runners, and Southern-inspired menu items. They wanted a rustic Autumn feel to the day but were drawn to shades of Aqua and Aubergine (the shade of purple was in honor of the bride's Dad who passed away from Pancreatic Cancer; she was surprised with a photo locket on her bouquet so he would be walking her down the aisle).  The couple wanted to honor their family members who could not be present with them that day, while also providing a great experience for their closest friends and family who were present.  Although a thunderstorm thwarted their outdoor ceremony plans, they did not let it ruin our day because they remembered the big picture and what was really important that day which was being with all the people they love, and marrying your best friend (all brides and grooms should have this outlook!)  The Magnolia Building's vaulted ceilings, wood floors, and stone fireplace made for a stunning backdrop for both the indoor ceremony and the reception that followed.

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Blair and Jake - A Country Couture Wedding

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Blair and Jake - A Country Couture Wedding

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.

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Meghann and Friedel - A Homespun Garden Wedding

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Meghann and Friedel - A Homespun Garden Wedding

Meghann and Friedel met when their mutual friends decided to play matchmaker and invited each of them to an FSU football game. After spending the entire weekend together, they returned to Tampa and went on their first official date a few weeks later. When Friedel proposed, he gave Meghann a gorgeous antique ring from the turn of the 20th century. Meghann, a health-minded dietitian, and Friedel, a landscape designer and small business owner, wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere for their wedding guests - like they were all among family. They chose the Davis Islands Garden Club as a gorgeous backdrop for these nature-lovers' nuptials. Meghann wanted to DIY elements of the wedding to offer a personal touch, including herb-infused olive oils at an Olive Oil Tasting Station, home-made Florida orange marmalade favor jars that doubled as escort cards, sourced vintage furnishings for a Cigar Bar area, and old family frames suspended from tree branches as an open-air photo booth space. They chose a color palette of eggplant and palm green, and incorporated such details as a Farmers Market display of local fresh produce and cheeses (as a nod to the bride's passion for healthy living), garden details like tin flower cans as vases, and vintage elements like lace overlays, mismatched china at the place settings, and mason jars down the aisle. They wanted a personal touch for their guests, to the escort cards were displayed on clotheslines along with personal pictures of the couple with each guest from over the years! The couple agree that the most memorable aspect of their wedding was exchanging their self-written vows as they committed their lives to each other forever. For future couples, they offer this advice: "make it personal, and make sure you savor every moment the day of your wedding as it goes by in a flash, so take mental pictures whenever you can so you walk away with personal snapshots of all the memories!"

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Buffy and Dave - A Naturalistic Love Nest Wedding

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Buffy and Dave - A Naturalistic Love Nest Wedding

Lovebirds Buffy and Dave’s intimate wedding was full of romantic, rustic details. The newlyweds exchanges nuptials at The Lange Farm accompanied only by their two children. Light tones of misty pink, ivory, and gold were reflected throughout the flowers and linens. The couple chose a “Naturalistic Love Nest” style, tying in vintage furnishings and décor, glowing candles, and lovebird accents like feathers, nests, and metal birdcages. After the newlyweds sealed their vows with a kiss (with an adorable look of awe from their daughter and amusing grimace from their son), they shared a special first dance under the canopy of Oak trees. Delicate miniature bird nests tucked into branches created the seating chart, and the reclaimed wood dining table was lavishly decorated with a Spanish moss runner, pedestal bird cages, terrariums of flora, and an abundance of candles. Place settings of layered chargers and vintage china were topped with organza napkins in metal finch napkin rings.  The new family enjoyed a light meal of delicious hors d’oeuvres, and the children filled printed kraft bags at the trail mix bar before partaking in the dessert display – a vintage hutch featuring butterscotch-nest topped cupcakes displayed in teacups and vintage china stands, and a wedding cake adorned with a suspended birdcage ornament topper.

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Jackie and Christie - A Gourmet Garden Wedding

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Jackie and Christie - A Gourmet Garden Wedding

Under the shady canopy of Great Oaks at the Tampa Garden Club, Jackie and Christie exchanged vows in front of their closest family and friends. The couple shared a love for great food and wine, and wanted a garden setting with both rustic and chic elements.  Since their top priority was guest experience, we set out to make sure their friends and family enjoyed amazing food and drinks, unique personal details, and great music for dancing!  With a color scheme of dove grey accented by cerulean blue and sage green, the wedding party sported coordinating tea-length dresses and suits.  Bouquets incorporated herbs and even ornamental kale, and the bride carried an heirloom photo of her grandmother tucked into her bouquet.  Mahogany chiavari chairs and an aisle lined with lanterns and potted herbs led to a trio of salvaged vintage doors adorned with eucalyptus branches to create a stunning backdrop for the ceremony, which concluded with a unique unity wine presentation. During the cocktail hour, a Farmer’s Market-inspired cart offered a mouthwatering array of fresh fruits and vegetables, and guests enjoyed a DIY Mimosa Station and sampling of local beers from Cigar City Brewery.  Reception tables were decorated with a collection of silver candelabras and lanterns along with more potted herbs, along with bottles of infused olive oils for guests to share during the meal, and table numbers made entirely of wine corks.  Live action food stations tempted guests with potato leek soup and artisan breads, shrimp and grits with assorted hot sauces (a nod to bride Christie's collection), and fresh made crepes filled with chicken, goat cheese, and roasted vegetables.  A tower of cupcakes topped with a small wedding cake featured clothespin doll toppers reflecting the couple’s likeness.  Before departing, a wheelbarrow filled with wheatgrass and seed packets offered guests keepsakes to plant at home and continue to “let love grow.”  At the end of the evening, firefighter bride Christie surprised her betrothed Jackie with a fire truck sendoff!

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