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!
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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