Florida Weddings

From a chic, city backdrop to the beauty of a rustic farm, this wedding celebration has a little bit of everything. Starting in downtown Tampa for portraits and continuing to Barrington Hill Farm for a heartfelt celebration, see how glamour is infused into every nook of this beautiful day captured by Cathy Durig.

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Their wedding day began in downtown Tampa a the beautiful chic Le Meridian hotel. Here they each got ready with their best and closest of friends. The gorgeous and historic columns outside the hotel was the perfect setting to have their first look. As Megan exited the doors, Brent took a huge breath and didn’t release it until just after he turned around to see his stunning bride. The two embody poise and sophistication, as their portraits unfolded along the colonnade. After their portraits the couple, the wedding party made their way to the beautiful rustic Barrington Hill Farm, where Megan & Brent shared their vows under blowing Spanish moss. The evening proceeded on the front lawn of the farmhouse, where Megan chose dark wood tables that accompanied gold chivari chairs and light blue chiffon drapery for the tablescapes. She chose all white florals to add subtle glam and elegance to her already gorgeous palette. The two enjoyed the company of friends and family under the dark starry night sky, which made way for the stunning sparklers at the end of their already perfect wedding day.

Photography: Cathy Durig | Planner : Barrington Hill | Floral Design: Barrington Hill | Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia | Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations | Ceremony Venue: Barrington Hill | Reception: Barrington Hill | Wedding Shoes: BHLDN | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Hair & Makeup: Rachel Reumann | Calligraphy: Old City Calligraphy | Groomsmen's Attire: The Black Tux | Bride's Clutch: BHLDN | Groom's Shoes: Johnston & Murphy | Groom's Tux: Crown Tailor | Hotel - Getting Ready: La Meridien Tampa | Seating Chart: Old City Calligraphy | Welcome Sign: Paper and Pine Co.

Running late for a flight isn’t exactly what I would call a blessing, but for these two sweeties, there’s just no other way to describe it.  That’s because their late flights (on the same plane!) resulted in the chance meeting that would forever change their worlds… and the introduction to the one that was “meant to be.” Kinda movie-esque, don’t you think?  And just wait until you lay your eyes on their beautiful farm wedding, a whimsical meets romantic affair filled with “quirky” details and sooo, sooo much pretty.  See it all captured by the oh-so-talented (+ very sweet) Andi Mans in the full gallery.

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From Andi Mans Photography… I have to say that this was one of the most unique weddings I have captured thus far, all for amazing things, of course! I met with Lola and Stephen for coffee a few weeks ago as they were visiting Orlando, both are from Canada and I completely clicked with how genuine and special these two were together!

As always, I ask how my bride and groom met, I love hearing love stories (hopeless romantic)! So, how did they cross paths? Both of these two lovebirds were late on a flight, the same flight… and sat next to each other, I mean… how much of a an awesome story is that?! Let’s talk wedding!

Despite the Florida rain showers that were arriving from the west coast, we didn’t let it affect our moods, I also felt it made the wedding even extra special. Lola wanted a southern wedding with her unique charm and love for Southern Weddings Magazine type details. Stephen, who works in the television industry, wanted to add his touch and personality for little monsters, quirky decor and cinematic retro movie scores. If I had to describe this wedding, it would be the South meets Tim Burton!

The reception was filled with music playing from ET, Disney, circus-style popcorn and a pretty intense imported pickle station! Lola created the programs and many other of the illustrations! Overall, I loved the DIY inspirations that were infused in this wedding. Lola and Stephen were a joy to meet and what a fun time, I laughed so much! One of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes was read as they began the vows, ‘We’re all a little weird. And life is weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.”

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Wedding Photography: Andi Mans Photography | Wedding Venue: Barrington Hill Farm | Officiant: Charmaine Doumaian | Event Coordination: Sassy Soiree Event Planners and Wedding Coordinators | Floral Design: Taylormade Wedding and Event Design | Catering: Puff n’ Stuff | Cake: Betty’s Cakes | Dishes: Dishie Rentals | Furniture + Decor: Wish Vintage Rentals | Quartet: Classern Quartet | Music: SG Mobile DJ | Transportation: Assured Transportation

Amalie Orrange has this way of always, always sending us the sweetest soirees, so when I saw her name attached to this gorgeous Dade City affair, I knew we were in for a little something special.  And by something special, I mean a wedding that leaves us smiling from ear to ear, thanking our lucky stars and celebrating our Friday with a whole lot of pretty.  And I was SOOO right on the money.  Ready for a day of vibrant pink hues, sparkly Kate Spades and ruffles as far as the eye can see?  Yep.  Me, too. Check it out in the full gallery.

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From Amalie Orrange… The couple is Kayla & Chad, two of the sweetest people you ever could meet. They are middle school sweethearts and got married in the town they grew up in, it was a full town event! I had the pleasure of getting to know this sweet couple and am honored to now call them friends.

From the Bride… In 1997 Chad and I attended the same middle school in our hometown of Dade City. Both of us went to different high schools, but we still remained friends since one of my best friends (and bridesmaid) lived directly across the street from Chad. Little to Chad’s knowledge at the time, I spent many hours spying on him and his friends from just across the road. After high school, we both moved to different cities to attend college and after a few years we found ourselves back in the Dade City area. On an ordinary night out with friends we both ran into each other at a local hangout. We talked a few times throughout the next few weeks, and Chad invited me to have lunch with him. After a bit of convincing from friends I finally decided to take him up on his offer. Well, a thirty minute lunch break quickly turned into four hours, and I knew that afternoon we had something special. From that day on there has not been a day that has gone by that I have not been so thankful that we met for lunch. Who knew the perfect man for me was here all along!

In May of 2012, we were in the middle of packing up our old apartment to embark on a new adventure together called “home ownership.” It was common for Chad to bring home boxes from Lowe’s on a daily basis and May 6th was no different. On this Sunday afternoon, after I had spent a day of shopping with my mom, Chad came home from work with more boxes. He told me that within the boxes were more packing supplies for our stuff, so naturally I responded, “Want to see what I bought?!” I tried on five dresses before he could say no. After the fashion show, we discussed dinner options for that night. He had just gotten home from work, and was unmotivated to make a decision. He said, “All I want to do is play with the bubble wrap in that large box.” I love bubble wrap, so I immediately headed toward that box. When I opened the box, to my surprise, heart-shaped balloons flew up to the ceiling! I asked, “What is this?!” He said, “Keep going….” Tied to the end of the balloons’ strings was a small box. He smiled and said, “Open it.” Inside was my ring! I was shocked! All I could say over and over was, “What is this? What is this?” He stopped me and replied, “What do you think it is?” He was the one that took the ring out of the box. He got down on his knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I still couldn’t collect my thoughts completely. So I shouted, “We’re getting married?!” He laughed, and said, “I don’t really know because you still haven’t answered me.” So I shouted, “Of course!”

Wedding Photography: Amalie Orrange / Wedding Venue: First Presbyterian Church in Dade City, Florida / Reception Venue: Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio, Florida / Wedding Planner: Stephanie Crona at Clover & Company Weddings and Events / Floral Design: Bonita Flower Shop / Wedding Cake:  Betty Cakes / Wedding Dress: CC’s Boutique / Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bella Bridesmaid / Hair + Makeup: Michele Renee Hair and Makeup

We are making our way through this oh-so-pretty day, and there is still so much gorgeous on the agenda. Like this darling farm wedding as seen through the lens of Elizabeth Davis that just happens to be filled with style and gorgeous blooms and pretty details – which makes us all weak in the knees over it as SMP. It’s the perfect combination of style and sweetness, and you can see every bit of it right here!

From the Bride… I can honestly say that our wedding was the best day of our lives. There have been countless times that I have longed to go back and do it all over again. “Epic” is the word we use to describe March 18th. In our eyes, nothing could have been better. I have always been a firm believer of short engagements. I was ready to marry Rob the moment he proposed in December. He and I love the outdoors and the fresh air, so from the beginning we knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony. I am currently in pharmacy school, so summer was really the only option. The catch was a summer wedding outside in Florida would be miserable. I had always imagined a spring wedding, so we bumped it up to March (my spring break) — which meant three months to plan a wedding. I knew right of the start that it would be possible, because I had three amazing people around me that I trusted so very much. First, my mother, who is amazing. She has worked as a florist and understands weddings and what our priorities would be. Second, my florist and friend Amy Fretto at The Conservatorie in St. Augustine. I could have given absolutely no direction to Amy, and knew I would love every part of it. She was phenomenal. Then there are my sisters: Helen (my sister) and Kate (my sister-in-law).  They understand my style and taste so well, which helped tremendously when decisions had to be made quickly.

My mum has always said one the most important things to do when throwing a wedding is to take care of your guests. Some have traveled hundreds of miles to be there on your special day, so it your responsibility to make sure they are well taken care of. The best way we knew how to do this was to serve incredible food. With Rob’s southern roots and my British heritage, we wanted a southern menu full of shrimp of grits and biscuits done with a classic style. Puff n’ Stuff was the company that we hired for this.They immediately put me at ease over all the many details of the big day. The things I would forget, I knew they would remember, and they did just that.

Photography is something that was very important to Rob and me. We wanted someone that would capture the essence of the day in its natural form. I have known Elizabeth Davis since college and have seen her grow into the outstanding photographer that she is. I had been in weddings that she had shot and loved the presence she brings. She knew when to be there and when to be invisible. It was so exciting to finally see the images she had captured, because I honestly didn’t remember what she had shot. She did a wonderful job capturing not only the details of the day, but our spirit as a couple. March 18th was a perfect day, thanks to the help of all the amazing vendors and my family. Rob and I were true to ourselves and focused on what is really important: the covenant we made before the Lord to live our lives together, loving and serving each other.

Wedding Photography: Elizabeth Davis Photography / Wedding Venue: Lange Farm in Dade City, Florida / Floral Design: Amy Fretto of The Conservatorie Floral & Event Design / Catering: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering / DJ: Grant Hemond and Associates

There’s so many things to love about this super pretty, super DIYed wedding. First off, hats off to the bride who literally made everything from the invitations to the adorable Velveteen Rabbit inspired cake topper! We’re also loving that they chose to include all their guest in the ceremony by doing a ring warming. Each and every person there got to hold their rings and make a silent prayer or wish for their future before the rings were placed on one the bride and groom’s fingers. ee Photography captured all the pretty details and you can see them all right here in the full gallery!

Don’t miss this fabulous film by Tampa Wonderworks Films:

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Tampa Wonderworks Films… Graphic designer Nicole put all her creativity and heart into the look and feel of her and Paul’s wedding day! She chose the timeless, yet modern colors — light purple, sage green, ivory and gray — to complement her Velveteen Rabbit theme. The couple wrote love letters to each other, and during the ceremony, they placed them in a wine box to be opened at a later time. The newlyweds chose to do a ring-warming ceremony too! What’s that, you say?!? As a way for each guest to give a silent prayer/blessing for Nicole and Paul’s marriage, the rings were passed guest to guest before finally making their way to the bride and groom! Terribly sweet and a great alternative to the sand ceremony or unity candle! Nicole, being very hands-on, made just about everything. What a fun day with so many clever ideas!

From the Bride… As a designer, you encounter creative restraints on a daily basis, so planning our wedding was a no-holds barred dream. I poured my heart into everything, down to the music — I really wanted the day to be a reflection of the two us. My DIY list goes on forever; from the invitations and printed materials, to the lace-wrapped candles, cake topper and my husband’s Captain America boutonniere that he wore for the reception. In the months before the wedding, our reverend requested we write letters explaining why we loved each other and our reasons for marrying one another. I remember that part of the day so vividly, while the rest seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. We also wanted to include our guests in the ceremony, and the warming and blessing of the rings was the perfect way to do it. Our friends and family were able to make a silent wish or prayer for our future together just prior to exchanging our vows. Going into it Paul had two concerns: that our guests wouldn’t be into it and that someone would drop or lose our rings. I can’t say they were totally unfounded, as my grandfather let out a muffled “Shoot! I dropped the rings” just before they were supposed to be handed off to my bridesmaids. There was a brief moment of giggling on our part as he tried to find them in the grass. Now every time I hear “Music For A Found Harmonium” by Penguin Cafe Orchestra (the song that was playing) I can’t help but smile.

Wedding Photography: ee Photography / Wedding Venue: The Lange Farm in Dade City, Florida / Floral Design: The Bride’s Bouquet / Officiant: Rev. Glynn Ferguson / Wedding Cinematography: Tampa Wonderworks Films / Catering: Catered by Vesh / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Nomeda / DJ: Grand Hemond / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau “Sydney” / Bride’s Veil: Modern Trousseau / Makeup + Hair: Kyle Lynn

We may be the only people on the planet that actually enjoy Mondays and that’s because we get to bring you gorgeous weddings like this one by Justin DeMutiis Photography. Just one look at this bride’s face and you know she’s the happiest.girl.ever. And why shouldn’t she be? She married the love of her life in a super beautiful and super personal way and we seriously can’t find anything that we don’t totally love about this day. See it all right here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… When I think about weddings, I get SO overly excited about every last detail! I guess that’s why I’m still swooning over my own. Every time I flip through the beautiful pictures Justin took, I find myself going back to that day and daydreaming. Daydreaming about how everything looked, how absolutely amazing my bridesmaids were, how I couldn’t stop laughing the entire day, how “us” it was, how he looked at me, how happy everyone was, and … how certain I was that I wanted to grow old with Brandon, the man of my dreams. Seeing how most of the day was more for me, I surprised him with our first dance. We had agreed on a song, but the night before I contacted the DJ and had him change it to “No One’s Gonna Love You More Than I Do” by Band Of Horses, which is the song he listened to over and over again after he met me. He was so surprised that it brought tears to his eyes.

We wanted to keep it as natural as possible and not over-do the decor because the location was so beautiful on its own, so we just added a few details to accent the surroundings. We couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out! It was such a perfect day, and there was nothing but happiness. Even though there were a few mishaps — he forgot the rings, the wrong song was played for the father-daughter dance, and the random guest choking and coughing while we had our bride and groom session, we didn’t let anything get to us. Our wedding was a perfect reflection of how we are.

Wedding Photography: Justin DeMutiis Photography / Wedding Venue: The Lange Farm in Dade City, Florida / Event Design + Planning: The Bride / Flowers, Pies, Wedding Invitations, Save-the-Dates, Tin Can Aisle Runners, Mrs. and Mrs. Sign, Card Box Decor, Chalkboard + Memory Album: DIY / Catering: Affordable Catering / Photo Booth: Fotobox / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Lace Heels: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Blue Boots: Goodwill / Jewelry: From the Bride’s Grandmother / Hair: Fiona Jacobs (A Friend)