Ocean-Inspired Wedding at Florida’s Stunning Ca’ D’Zan Museum

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July 5, 2024

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

Tara and Graham’s wedding melted their love of boating and adventure into a weekend of culturally significant ceremonies hosted at unforgettable locations. The couple held both a Hindu ceremony to honor Tara’s background and a traditional Western ceremony for Graham.

Proposal Story

While their first date was the outcome of an online match on a dating app, Tara and Graham first met in the trauma center at their local hospital. Graham worked as a paramedic and brought a patient into the hospital where Tara was the receiving trauma doctor. Even though Tara was wearing a mask that day, Graham vividly remembered her dark brown freckled eyes. During their time dating, the couple discovered a love for stone crabbing off the coast of Florida. Graham devised an elaborate plan to have Tara pull up a crab pot in one of her favorite locations with a crab-shaped box holding a replica engagement ring inside. However, on the day of the proposal, Tara got called into work at the hospital. Graham had to reroute his plan. Instead, he picked up Tara on their boat outside the hospital, which luckily happened to be right near the water. Even though she was in her scrubs, and the day was drizzly outside, Graham was able to pull off his surprise!

Bridal Portraits

Flat Lays

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

Tara celebrated the Indian ceremony in a magenta sari before changing into a lacy, robin's egg blue lehenga for photos. Her western wedding dress was a white, off-the-shoulder ballgown by Reem Acra.

Wedding Party

Ceremony

The Details

Food & Drink

A selection of pre-selected entrées for the wedding reception included roasted garlic and herb-rubbed chateau of beef, macadamia-crusted snapper, and eggplant with roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella rollatini.

Florals & Decor

For their mandap, the couple created a breathtaking altar constructed from driftwood, flowers, and an abundance of greenery to resemble a coral reef. While countless moments of their weekend were awe-inspiring, their final venue was a standout, creating unique photos for the couple that overlooked Sarasota Bay. Their final ceremony was held at the magnificent front entrance to the Ca’ d’Zan Museum. This building, built in the 1920s, showcased art with unique circus-bound history and Italian-inspired architecture. Windswept moments carried Tara’s timeless jacquard ballgown into dramatic shapes as the couple posed along many different viewpoints around the venue. An aisle, lined in peachy-toned florals, led to the ceremony, facing the stone building and its stained glass windows. A continuous motion of earthy pink floral arrangements moved into the evening with moments of ocean-inspired blues and decor. The museum’s pink-colored courtyard lent itself to a monochromatic blush-toned setup. Gold-rimmed oyster shells were used as place cards atop iridescent pink and gold plates, where soft blush and deep blue tablecloths worked in tandem. Vintage-feeling gold lanterns were illuminated by candles, and chandeliers strung from trees kept a glow about the evening.

Wedding Cake

A small, turquoise-colored cake sat among an array of cupcakes, where guests could choose their flavor.

Special Detail #1

Instead of a typical Baraat where the groom rides in on a horse or fancy car, Graham and his groomsmen arrived on two large boats.

Couple Portraits