My very own big day was a seaside soiree with a touch of tradition, so it should be no surprise that I fell head over heels in love with this beauty captured by Liga Photography. It’s dripping in that old Florida charm that never fails to leave me speechless, perfectly curated details from MMD Event and of course enough l.o.v.e to fill up that gorgeous blue ocean. Which ultimately justifies my obsession with this pretty little number, but if you need more, it’s all waiting for you right here.

 

From Liga Photography… Finally the weather is cooling down, leaves are falling, and I’m happy to say, Fall is finally showing it’s much-awaited face here in Florida. And along with the gorgeous weather comes gorgeous Fall weddings! To start the season off, we witnessed the lovely destination wedding of Kristin and Steven. Chicago-based, Kristin and Steven decided to hold their wedding in Kristin’s hometown of Clearwater Beach. Their Catholic ceremony was held at Espiritu Santo and reception followed at the historic Carlouel Yacht Club.  I loved incorporating all of the sweet uniquely Florida details of Carlouel into their wedding photographs from the native mangrove and palm trees to the “old Florida charm” cabanas. And the details of their reception were so beautiful. Cathleen Wozney of Cathleen Marie Events did a fantastic job of designing and implementing Kristin’s vision of decor. Glowing candles, blush pink floral, mercury-glass vases, gold chargers, and chivari chairs came together to create a chic romantic setting. The evening ended up being a fabulous party with some amazing toasts, dancing, and cake. I thoroughly enjoyed having the honor to photograph Kristin and Steven’s wedding. And much like the glowing candles which illuminated the room, Kristin and Steve were emitting the warm glow of true love.

Photography: Liga Photography | Coordination: Cathleen Marie Events | Ceremony: Espiritu Santo Catholic Church | Reception + Catering: Carlouel Yacht Club | Decor + Floral Design: MMD Events | Dress: Anne Barge | Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Band: Southtown Fever | Hair + Makeup: Artemis | Videography: Michael Alan Films | Invitations: Not From A Box

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There’s romance and then there’s the romance bursting from this beautiful Sarasota affair captured by Raquel Sergio Photography, which is like every love-filled detail you could ever imagine, all wrapped up in one magical gallery.  (Seriously.)  And the uber-adorable bride and groom?  Well, they happen to be all caps ROMANTIC, too with their office romance beginning, an at-home (+ heartwarming) proposal and, of course, one drop-dead gorgeous wedding.  See it all in the full gallery.

 

From the Bride… The roads traveled to find one another were long. Much longer for Victor as he is Brazilian, and journeyed to the United States to get his PhD. We eventually met in Tampa at the engineering consulting firm where we started working nearly three months apart from one another. Victor and I joined bowling leagues and beach volleyball leagues with other co-workers, so we spent a lot of time together outside of work.

Almost three years later, Victor kneeled on one knee beneath the open sky and the beautiful pergola that he and his father built in our backyard and asked that I be his wife. He made me a very happy woman on that very special evening.

From Raquel Sergio Photography… Stephanie and Victor were married at the selby gardens in Sarasota, Florida. I absolutely love selby gardens for the uniqueness it has to provide. The furniture and decor was very elegant, and added a gorgeous touch to the wedding day as well.

Their ceremony took place on underneath a banyon tree of the garden during sunset. Their cocktail hour followed by the beautiful and famous Floridian pinkish tone sunset sky. Their reception was held in the ballroom overlooking the the beautiful stars. Their flowers and centerpieces were simple and sweet. What a beautiful night full of the simplest emotion of love!

Wedding Photography: Raquel Sergio Photography | Wedding Venue : Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida | Floral + Event Design: Bee Ridge | Catering: Harry’s Continental Kitchen | Wedding Dress: Olgas Bridal Shop

A blending of culture, tradition and personal touches made every little detail of this winter wonderland themed Tampa wedding an absolute hit in my book. Captured to perfection by K&K Photography and beautifully styled by Ideal Design Events + Bay Bouquet, this stunner simply screams timeless romance. See the entire wedding right here!

 

From the Bride… On a warm, sunny, Florida afternoon, I wanted us to step out of the norm and into a romantic and elegant winter wonderland where even with 150 guests, it still felt cozy, warm, intimate and inviting. The entire planning process felt overwhelming, but with the support of family, friends and a wonderful team of vendors, everything fell perfectly into place and the day turned out more magical than we expected!

We wanted the wedding to be something a little different that what would be expected, as my husband liked to go against the norm, starting with my nontraditional aquamarine engagement ring. Also, my family is Polish so I also wanted to incorporate certain traditions like a salt/bread and vodka/water greeting after the ceremony with our mothers and Polish music for the dance floor. An old Polish joke with the vodka/water was that whichever one of us selected the glass of vodka (we did not know which glass was filled with what) would be the boss of the house (I got the vodka!). We had the ceremony and reception in the same location so that guests could start the party as quickly as possible. One of our close friends officiated the ceremony; I chose my best friend and my cousin, who were both like sisters to me, as my matrons of honor; my husband chose his sister as his best ‘person’. As part of the ceremony, we included a candle lighting ceremony and a reading in Polish, followed by the English translation.

The day was full of many emotions – the most anxious part of the entire day being our ‘first look’ moment before the ceremony and one of the most emotional parts being when we read our own vows to each other. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing and the one piece of advice I’d offer to other couples would be to enjoy every single moment because it’s over in a flash. Each moment was perfect (captured beautifully by K&K Photography!), and was made more special by the love and support that surrounded us from our family and friends. To everyone that took part, we say, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wedding Photography: K&K Photography | Wedding Venue: Avila Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Florida | Wedding Coordinator: Ideal Design Events | Floral  Design + Décor: Bay Bouquet | Officiant: Joseph Bailey | Wedding Cake: Chantilly Cakes | String Quartet: String Divas | Photobooth: Fotobox | DJ: Grant Hemond | Stationery: Kristina Hanson | Car Service: Ambassador Limousine | Jewelry: Emelina’s Bridal & Boutique +  Tiffany & Co | Bridesmaids’ Attire: David’s Bridal | Groomsmen Attire: JoS A. Banks | Hair + Makeup: Femme Akoi

K and K Photography, LLC is a member of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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