TRENDSETTING - A Rustic Coastal Wedding

When the Rusty Pelican asked us to help create new wedding images to showcase their prime waterfront property overlooking Tampa Bay, we immediately said YES and began daydreaming about chic decor and details!  This styled shoot incorporated rustic coastal elements indicative of Tampa, Florida with beautiful colors of gold, blush, and pops of coral!  So many beautiful and unique details that are sure to inspire!

A waterfront venue is perfect for a bride who wants to incorporate Floridian elements.

An invitation suite featuring pops of coral give a hint to the theme of this wedding without being too 'beachy'.

A sweet and simple gown was chosen for the waterfront nuptials but featured elegant illusion lace details.

An intimate ceremony space overlooking the water featured pomander balls dripping with crystals, and a gazebo chandelier.

Soft peach and ivory florals were in abundance for this outdoor ceremony.

Fun coastal details, like a message-in-a-bottle guestbook, were incorporated throughout.

Lush florals were accented with the twinkle of gold and candlelight, and coral watercolor table numbers.

An intimate reception setup featured a feasting table of romantic flora.

Starfish escort cards directed guests to their seats.

Plus one of the most gorgeous and unique cakes, with gumpaste net and shells and shadowbox stand!!

We know this stunning shoot will provide you with all the inspo you need for your own waterfront celebration!

The amazing wedding pros who helped create this vision include:

- Venue & Catering:  The Rusty Pelican Tampa

- Photography:  Life Long Photography Studios

- Videography:  Brett Rohlfing

- Dresses & Accessories:  Isabel O'neil Bridal

- Hair & Makeup:  Femme Akoi

- Groom Attire:  Mens Wearhouse

- Stationary:  The Southern Wedding Belles

- Floral & Decor Rentals:  Alrene Floral Designer

- Cake:  The Artistic Whisk

Nicole and Ray - A Classic Garden Wedding on Davis Islands

Nicole and Ray met nine years before their nuptials, and after a sweet Christmas morning proposal they decided to plan a Spring wedding overlooking Tampa Bay.  Nicole wanted classic details and a clean color scheme of grey and white with greenery elements that would compliment the Davis Islands Garden Club setting.  As a nod to the groom's love of craft beer, the couple served kegs of local brew from a friend's nearby brewery, Angry Chair, and pint glass favors featured clothespinned name cards, escorting guests to their seats inside.  This intimate waterfront wedding was full of personal details and elegant garden decor. 

A Florida sunset on the water creates the perfect backdrop for photos!

The bride wore a timeless ballgown and her bridesmaids donned chic charcoal chiffon dresses.

The couple's fur-baby made an appearance while everyone was getting ready.

Gentlemen looked dapper in their crisp light grey suits.

Fluffy hydrangea accented the reception tables and the bouquets.

Sweet messages were hand written on vintage window panes and set around the ceremony space.

The pair were wed in front of the waterside gazebo with an intimate group of friends and family as witnesses.

A ruffled fondant cake satisfied guests' late night cravings after partying on the dance floor all night long.

The couple departed beneath a sparkler sendoff!

Wedding pros who helped create this sweet evening include:

- Venue: Davis Islands Garden Club

- Photography: Whitnie Williams Photography

- Dress: The Dressing Room

- Entertainment: DJ Brendon

- Videography: Brett Rolhfing

- Caterer: Empress Tea Room

- Linens: Connie Duglin Linens

- Cake: The Desserterie

Darlyn and Eric - A Beautiful Brewery Wedding in Tampa

With a picturesque proposal story (they were engaged on the ice skating rink in Rockefeller Center NYC!) Eric and Darlyn's wedding was sure to be equally memorable.  They wanted a wedding that provided a unique and fun experience for their guests, where they could celebrate with their friends and family, with a balance between traditional and non-traditional elements.  Tampa's thriving brewery scene inspired the couple to choose the Pepin Hospitality Centre for their venue, and even planned a pre-ceremony tour and beer tasting as a surprise for their guests as they arrived on site.  Food stations allowed guests to mix and mingle during the reception, and offered comfort foods perfect for beer pairings, including carved New York strip, a Mac n Cheese station, and a fire roasted pizza station in honor of the couple's New York engagement.  Giant framed menus and engagement photos were displayed on the walls over the food stations, and the pizza station even featured a video screen with the couple's proposal video on loop!  The entire event was truly a celebration and filled with so much laughter and love, and sure to be cherished memories for all who attended.

The venue, an Anheuser Busch distributor, boasted manicured topiaries and bronze Clydesdale statues.

Chic design elements in the invitation suite set the tone for this fun and elegant wedding.

Greenery and neutral florals accented the groom's navy suit.

The bride's bouquet boasted garden roses, anemones, dusty miller, and berries.

Bridesmaids wore blush chiffon dresses with lace accents.

Groomsmen wore grey suits with navy accents, while the groom and ring bearer sported dapper navy suits with blush accents, to reflect the silver, navy, and blush color scheme.

The ceremony was set in front of the property's feature waterfall wall, with a stunning draped backdrop.

The couple's color scheme was reflected in the lush flora and chic decor.

The bride wore a gorgeous lace mermaid style gown with sheer illusion back detailing.

Guests sipped from their custom pint glass favors which doubled as escort cards.

The custom pint glasses were perfect for the craft beer taps flowing at the bars.

Inside the ballroom, an installment of strung white flowers was suspended from the ceiling over the dance floor.

Lounge seating and cherry blossom trees flanked the sides of the dance floor.

Tables were dressed in sleek linens and aglow with candlelight accenting soft floral centerpieces.

Pink uplighting accentuated the blush accents and cherry blossom trees.

One of the sweetest moments was when the bride's son and ringbearer requested a special song from the DJ and asked his new Dad, Eric, to have a special dance with him - there wasn't a dry eye in the house!

A "starry night sky" curtain with twinkly lights hung behind the sweetheart table.

The garter was wrapped around a football to toss into the crowd of bachelors as a fun and unique version of this wedding tradition.

Blue sugared flowers cascaded down the simple and elegant three tier cake.

The silver cake accessories along with the blue sugared flowers incorporated the color scheme found throughout the rest of the wedding.

The entire event was truly a celebration and filled with so much laughter and love, and sure to be cherished memories for all who attended.

The talented team of wedding pros who made this event so amazing include:

- Venue: T Pepin's Hospitality Centre

- Caterer: Puff 'n' Stuff

- Photography: Sarah & Ben

- Videography: VH Video

- Florist: Arlene Floral and Event Design

- Lounge Furniture: Gabro Event Survices

- DJ & Uplighting: Grant Hemond & Associates

- Photo Booth: Gigglebox

- Cake: Publix Greenwise

Hilary and Patrick - A Coastal Chic Wedding on Tierra Verde

Hilary and Pat share a love for the outdoors, be it scalloping in the summer, riding their horses, or just being outside every day.  Their fun, laid-back lifestyles dictated their wedding style (along with Hilary's love of everything blue and white), and they fell in love with the Tampa Bay Watch venue for it's waterfront views as well as their contribution to marine research.  The couple wanted their wedding to be a fun celebration with their closest friends and family, where they enjoyed great food and great music above all else.  The dinner reception on the second floor featured a wrap-around balcony overlooking the sunset, surrounding water and dancefloor below.  Everyone danced under a canopy of bistro lights as the sun disappeared over the waterline, before hopping on the open-air trolley to head back to the beach resort.

The couple shared a first kiss, overlooking the stunning waterfront view.

The groom sported a sky blue tie to accent his navy suit, and a custom monogramed pocket square.

The boutonnieres reflected the clean color palette and unique succulent accents of the floral arrangements.

The gentlemen sported navy suits with soft blue and white adornments.

Bridesmaids wore chiffon dresses in varying shades of seaglass, to compliment their soft, organic bouquets.

The bride's bouquet was wrapped with a sentimental piece of fabric from her grandmother's dress.

The couple exchanged vows in front of a jaw-dropping arch made from large driftwood branches accented with flora.

Organic-style floral arrangements boasted quicksand roses, lisianthus, stock, eucalyptus, blue thistle, hydrangea, queen anne's lace, dusty miller, and succulents,

Watercolor blues and glass bottles added a nautical element to the decor.

Guests enjoyed views of Tampa Bay as the couple were married.

The bride's brother, dressed in full uniform, sabered a bottle of champagne for a ceremonial toast before the couple was pronounced husband and wife.

A coastal chic motif incorporating sunbleached wood boxes gave a nod to the bride's rustic Southern style.

Driftwood accents were incorporated into the floral arrangements.

Guests enjoyed Floridian cuisine including grilled oysters in the halfshell, cedar plank salmon, and a giant seafood paella station.

Bling bling - how about that RING!?!?

Seriously - our clients are just the cutest (and the sweetest)!!

Wedding pros who created this picture-perfect event include:

- Venue: Tampa Bay Watch

- Photography: Life Long Studios Photography

- Catering: Catering by the Family

- Florist: Braun's Fine Florals

- Rentals: Coast to Coast Rentals

- Lighting: Tampa Lights 

- Entertainment: Grant Hemond and Associates, DJ Eric Harding

- Transportation: Clearwater Jolley Trolley

- Hair & Makeup: LDM Beauty Group

- Linens: Connie Duglin Linen

- Cake: Publix Greenwise

Kristin and Wil - A 'Harvest in Havana' Wedding on Bayshore Boulevard

Kristin and Wil wanted their Tampa wedding to reflect their unique story and personalities while also embracing the season and the area's rich history.  Every element of their wedding was intentional and special.  And much like the hidden mickeys at Disney World, this wedding had lots of little hidden personal touches filled with special meaning, including 'Player 1' and 'Player 2' toasting flutes in honor of the groom's love of vintage video games and a bumble bee bouquet brooch from the bride's late grandmother.  Scroll and get ready to swoon!!  

The couple posed for photos at their waterfront venue, overlooking famed Bayshore Boulevard.

Tampa's rich Cuban heritage and 'Cigar City' moniker, inspired details like the cigar box motif invitations and woven straw hand fans.

The bride's lace ballgown was fit for a Disney princess (perfect for a fanatic bride who maintains annual passholder status at the theme parks and knows the characters from all the movies!) and her hairstyle embodied the iconic braids from the Tangled and Frozen heroines.

The bridal party's silk robes featured colorful florals with both tropical and autumnal vibes.

'The Princess Bride' accessorized her gown with a gold dinosaur necklace that had actually belonged to the groom when he was a young child.

The groom sported rich red details that fell in theme with this Cuban inspired affair, and even snuck in some nerdy video game references on his tie clip and cuff "Links".

The couple got ready at the historic Floridan Palace hotel where they shared an intimate first look.

Choosing to have a first look is a great way to get rid of pre-ceremony jitters together, and creates an opportunity for super cute photos!

The groom looks suave in his grey three piece suit with red accessories, and of course shades for that Florida sun.

A yellow chrysanthemum boutonniere provides a harvest touch to the groom's look for this October wedding.

Bright florals in shades of orange, red, and yellow looked right at home against brick backdrops iconic to Tampa.

The couple made their way to the venue on an open air trolley traveling through Downtown Tampa.

And of course stopped for amazing pictures along the way!

Bridesmaids wore dresses in bright fall shades which accented the colors found throughout the wedding.

The bride truly looked like a princess in her lace ballgown with keyhole illusion lace detailing on the back.

The Tampa Garden Club's lush garden space created the perfect ceremony backdrop as the two exchanged vows led by a close friend from the groom's residency program.

It wouldn't be a 'Cigar City' wedding without a shade station complete with fedoras!

Colorful flora combined Fall colors with bright hues, resulting in arrangements that reflected the season as well as surprise tropical elements.

Bright florals and vintage style cigar boxes lined the aisle.

The fairy tale couple share a kiss as they are received by guests, after saying "I do"!

Guests enjoyed creative Florida-Cuban fusion cuisine, including passed 'Cuban cigars' of puff pastry filled with traditional Cuban sandwich ingredients studded with mustard and seasoning to resemble cigars in a cigar box.

Mahogany Chiavari chairs and tropical colored linens were adorned with candle light and table numbers in gold frames, helping to marry the harvest and Havana themes!

A Florida sunset created the perfect lighting to accent the ballroom.

Tropical fruit was incorporated throughout the collection of cigar box centerpieces.

And table numbers were presented in form of dominos (a famous Tampa pastime).

The coupled shared a first dance surrounded by A LOT of family and friends!

The cake featured flavor combos like Vanilla Key Lime, Hummingbird with Rum Pecan, and Guava Cream Cheese - topped off with a pair of adorable brass ducks in honor of the Peabody hotel in Memphis where the couple became engaged after the daily ducks parade through the lobby!

During cocktail hour a cigar bar was presented for guests to celebrate and relax.

The couple even had custom cigars made!

You know the couple that plays air guitar together, stays together, right? Yeah, we totally agree!

A gorgeous Florida sky was the perfect backdrop for this couple who celebrated in true Tampa fashion!

The incredibly talented team who created all this magic includes:

- Venue:  Tampa Garden Club

- Photographer:  Life Long Photography Studio

- Catering:  Catering by the Family

- Rentals & Floral:  Arlene Floral Designer 

- Transportation:  Clearwater Jolley Trolley

- Hair & Makeup:  Michelle Renee the Studio

- DJ & Lighting:  MBC Entertainment

- Bridal Gown & Bridesmaids Dresses:  Alfred Angelo

- Cake:  Publix Greenwise Bakery 

- Accommodations:  Floridan Palace Hotel

- Stationary:  Lollie J Designs

- Linens:  Connie Duglin Linens