Classic, South Tampa Wedding | Tampa Garden Club Wedding
Melissa and Ryan's romantic Tampa garden wedding featured a classic theme with a cream, bordeaux and gray color palette.
“I would describe our wedding design as romantic, natural, and classic. My inspiration came from Pinterest after seeing examples of rustic weddings,” the bride explained. “I wanted to to bring in two ideas, outside and rustic, but not farm/barn-like, with it still being elegant. I didn't want to look back on my photos or videography and think I chose something that wasn't me. I wanted to love my decor and design, and I did!”
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The Tampa bride and groom wanted to ensure that their guests were happily fed, had good drinks, good music to dance to and amazing photos to look back on. With the desire to capture the candid moments of their wedding, and searching for a Tampa wedding photographer who was as easy going as the couple, they hired Caroline & Evan Photography.
“I like the traditional photos, but I wanted photographers who captured the good in between photos. Ryan isn't used to cameras or having strangers take our photos, so we needed photographers that could make us feel comfortable and take all the photos we love without worrying,” Melissa shared. When I met Caroline & Evan at a bar, and after that I knew we would be good together. I fell in love with them (and the venue) after I saw photos of a wedding they had captured. They're a great team, and you can tell how they help each other out during the sessions, how they talk to each other about ideas, and how they work with couples. Ryan and I had no idea what we were doing but without them, we wouldn't have had the beautiful portraits we have today.”
MORE: CAROLINE & EVAN PHOTOGRAPHY WEDDINGS
Looking back, one of the bride's most memorable moments included the “must have” wedding party guest in the couple's wedding ceremony.
“The best moment of the day was having our dog, Mookie, walk down the aisle as our ring bearer and taking photos with her. It may sound silly, but we couldn't picture our “perfect” wedding without her,” Melissa reminisced. “Another moment that was memorable was having an entrance rather than an exit. Caroline and Evan mentioned that after a few hours, you get some of the same photos: guests dancing, drinking and eating, and I didn't want to end the party for an exit, so we chose an entrance and the pictures are awesome!”
The Proposal:
Ryan and I had found a lot to build a house on. He was getting ready to leave the country for work for three months, and before he left he wanted to go look at the house. As we approached the foundation of the house, surrounded by partially built houses, I saw sunflowers (my favorite flower), watermelon (my favorite fruit) and a giraffe (my favorite animal) blanket on the lot. I read a sign that said, “Now that we have a house, do you want to make it a home? Will you marry me?” My best friends were taking photos and a video of the entire thing. It was such a well thought out proposal in now what is to be our garage.
How would you describe your theme?
Romantic, natural and classic. My inspiration came from Pinterest after seeing examples of rustic weddings. I wanted to to bring in two ideas, outside and rustic, but not farm/barn-like, with it still being elegant. I chose this because I didn't want to look back on my photos or videography and think I chose something that wasn't me. I wanted to love my decor and design, and I did.
What were your colors?
Cream, bordeaux, and gray. I wanted warm colors like gray and cream with a pop of color, the bordeaux. Aside from black, the bordeaux color for the bridesmaid dresses was so flattering on every girl. Because my wedding was in between summer and fall, I had to be careful about it being too dark and I love pink, but I wanted something that would be complementary in the garden and in pictures.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
I was looking for a photographer who captured candid moments, were fresh, and easy going. I like the traditional photos, but I wanted photographers who captured the good in between photos. Ryan isn't used to cameras or having strangers take our photos, so we needed photographers who could make us feel comfortable and take all the photos we love without worry.
When I met Caroline and Evan [owners of Caroline & Evan Photography] at a bar, and after that I knew we would be good together. I fell in love with them (and the venue) after I saw photos of a wedding they had captured. I thought their services were great! They're a great team, and you can tell on how they help each other out during the sessions, how they talk to each other about ideas and how they work with couples. Ryan and I had no idea what we were doing but without them, we wouldn't have had the beautiful portraits we have today!
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
This is supposed to be one of the best parties of your life, enjoy it! Set a budget before you put deposits on anything, do your research, don't be afraid to ask questions, and don't be afraid to tell a vendor if something isn't up to your standards. Weddings can be expensive, and you didn't work this hard to not have exactly what you want. This is the happiest moment of your life, cherish it and take it all in — you're married!
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Tampa Garden Club
Photographer: Caroline & Evan Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Videographer: Love It Wedding Films
Florist: Marry Me Flowers & Christine Vasconcelo
Caterer: Lynn's Catering
Rentals: Classic Events Entertainment, Ideal Design Events
Cake: Cakes by Nadia
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – Cory Barron *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Invitations: Oh My Designs
Dress Shop and Designer: CC's Bridal Boutique – Allure
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Dessy
Flower Girl Dresses: David's Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Ashlee Artistry & Natalia Perez
Bartender: Spunky Spirits
