Tampa Wedding by Life Writing Photography

March 30, 2012

Give us a modern wedding to blab about for an afternoon and we are happy campers. There's something about clean lines and a striking color palette that speaks directly to our adoring souls. MMD Events knows their way around just such a fête and whipped up bright yellow details and streamlined tablescapes that modern dreams are made of. Tucked away in this Florida beauty is also one of the best sparkler send offs we've seen in quite awhile captured by Life Writing Photography.

From the Bride... When Josh and I got engaged, we knew we wanted to have the event in Tampa and wanted it to reflect old Tampa with a southern twist — we felt like our roots were both. I am also big on textures and shapes, which can be seen in every detail of our day. The ceremony was at Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, which is where my parents and my sister were both married. I grew up in that church, so it made our day that much more special. I wore my mother’s cathedral veil with a one-shoulder, fitted gown and walked down the aisle to the song that Queen Elizabeth entered to on her wedding day “Praise my soul the King of Heaven.” A fun touch was exiting the church with a bagpiper leading the way! MMD made the most gorgeous bouquet with fragrant gardenias, white roses and fringed tulips. My bridesmaids wore gray dupioni silk dresses and carried bouquets of football mums, yellow roses and yellow craspedia. My husband wore a white gardenia boutonniere, while the groomsmen had a craspedia with a cockscomb collar resembling sea coral and the surprise of a silver crab claw.

We chose to have our reception at the historic Italian Club in Ybor City because it had the classic Tampa feel that we were going for. Guests entered from historic Seventh Avenue and were greeted with refreshing white sangria. Catering by the Family designed a custom menu that reflected historic Tampa with that southern charm we were going for. Place cards were hand-punched scalloped cards affixed on dulce de leche cake pops. Suspended from silver ribbons on a wrought iron gate above the table were wedding pictures of the bride and groom’s families. The custom shaped and painted signage was done by Salty Sisters. There was a sign directing guests to parking, the reception and balcony. Guests retreated to the balcony area overlooking Seventh Avenue while they puffed on locally hand-rolled cigars.

The stage of the ballroom was set with refinished vintage furniture brought in by MMD Events. The sleek, white finish with a vintage silhouette was the perfect combination of modern and historic. Tables dressed in platinum crinkle taffeta and lemon bengaline linens laid the perfect foundation for the tablescapes created by MMD. There were several different centerpieces, all with their own creative touches. Yellow urns filled with hydrangeas and yellow calla lilies were accented with silver sea fans. Long, mirrored containers for the low and high top banquet tables were modern and elegant but had painted crab claws nestled inside. Low boxes had a pattern of gray and yellow formed by florals and painted oyster shells. The cake by A Piece of Cake was a four-tier cake with varying flavors, such as guava, dulce de leche and passion fruit. I wanted a lot of texture in the cake, so each layer was decorated with a different buttercream effect. Shutterbooth was the big hit of the night and guests wrote us well wishes on custom chalkboard cut-outs. Before guests sent us off with a sparkling farewell, they had one last opportunity for a sweet treat: Peeps with a sign that read, “We want to thank our favorite peeps for sharing our special day." When guests arrived to their hotel rooms for the night, one last detail was a door hanger: “Shhhh… we’ve been partying at The Crum’s wedding.” Josh and I had the best wedding day and are so thankful to our wonderful vendors and friends who brought our vision to life.

Wedding Photography: Janie Koike of Life Writing Photography / Ceremony: Hyde Park Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida / Reception: The Italian Club of Tampa in Tampa, Florida / Wedding Décor, Floral Design, Pipe + Draping: MMD Events / Wedding Planning: Christi Winsor of Winsor Event Studio / Catering: Catering by the Family / Wedding Cake + Cake Pop Place Cards: A Piece of Cake / Signage: Angelique Muller of Salty Sisters / Linens: Connie Duglin Linen / Chiavari Chair Rental: Signature Event Rentals / Photo Booth: Shutterbooth / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Hair + Makeup: The Michele Renee Hair and Makeup Artist Group / Bridesmaids' Dresses: Nordstrom

Tampa Wedding By Life Writing Photography