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Read moreAbraham & Victoria’s Multi-Cultural Belleaire Beach Community Center Wedding (With Tea Ceremony!)
WOW. Looking through this wedding again brings back so many great memories. Abraham & Victoria are so completely in love and the amount of happy tears shed during the ceremony brought tears to our eyes as well. Their wedding had some really fun details, like the semi-circular ceremony setup with a modern and fashion forward arch setup.
Victoria’s Chinese background was celebrated through a traditional tea ceremony, were all of her relatives (and some friends!) gave their blessing and a gift, couple by couple. Traditions like this need to be kept alive and we were so happy to see that this was such a major part of their day!
Corey & Shaquonda's The Palmetto Club FishHawk Ranch Wedding
So excited to share this gorgeous Tampa Spring wedding! Corey & Shaquonda had an incredibly fun wedding with all their friends and family in attendance. So many great traditions and fantastic dances happened and it was just overall a lovely day!
3 Things to Consider When Hiring a Tampa Wedding Photographer
3 Things to Consider When Hiring a Tampa Wedding Photographer
This Orlando Indian Wedding was shot entirely indoors at the Hyatt Regency to escape the summer heat. Knowing how to with and without flash in low light conditions is always something you should be looking for when hiring an Orlando wedding photographer.
So excited to get to talk about this topic today, something near and dear to our hearts, a few key things to look for when hiring a wedding photographer, in everyone’s favorite list format. We’ll go ahead and jump right in:
1. Will they be familiar with/sensitive to your particular cultural traditions and background?
There are a few quick way of determining this: Do they have a wide variety of couples in their portfolio? Do the weddings themselves look like what you imagine your wedding will look like? Definitely ask to see full galleries! We’re huge fans of the incredible variety of cultural traditions we get to see while photographing weddings here in Florida
2. Do they excel in different lighting conditions, or struggle outside of their preference?
How will they handle portraits if it's raining, or if their flash dies, or if things run behind and they have 20 minutes to photograph your whole extended family formals? If there’s anything we’ve learned from working as Tampa Wedding Photographers, it’s that weddings are complicated, and each has its own set of challenges. With so many elements at play, there are bound to be complications in each that need to be overcome.
This leads into the last thing to consider:
3. Are they organized and on top of their game?
For this Mixon Fruit Farms Wedding in Bradenton, Florida, the ceremony spot was in full sun, while the recessional aisle was in deep shade. Balancing these two extremes was essential to nailing the shot.
Are their couples waiting months to get their photos? Look for organization cues early in the process: Do they remember special details you've mentioned? Do they keep good track of invoices and contracts? Do other vendors like working with them? These are some early things to look for to make sure you'll get the best experience while looking for a Tampa wedding photographer.
Thanks so much for reading.
If you’re looking for a Florida Wedding Photographer, we would love to be considered.
Have more questions? Click here to contact us now with any question you may have on the wedding planning process, and stay tuned for the recommended wedding vendor guide we are hard at work making!
Georgi & Mariana's Clearwater Beach Wedding
It was a beautiful sun kissed Florida day when Georgi and Mariana tied the knot in Clearwater Beach. The scent of saltwater mingled with fresh cut flowers in the fall breeze. Their families traveled from separate corners of the earth to watch them take their vows by the sea and pledge their love to one another. As Tampa wedding photographers, we get to experience such an amazing range of venues, and beach weddings like this one really showcase Florida at its best.
The groomsmen got ready at The Element with a stunning view of Downtown Tampa. They started off with a clean cut and shave a time honored Bulgarian tradition, then got suited up for the big day. The crew looked dashing as they headed to the beach to meet the ladies for the ceremony.
The ladies got ready upstairs at a private condo on Clearwater Beach overlooking the water. Stylish makeup and beachy waves highlighted the bride’s natural beauty and bubbly personality. Her elegant lace mermaid style wedding gown was accented with delicate sparkly straps.
You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day at the beach or a more beautiful couple. Georgi and Mariana brought together their love of family, culture, and started their own traditions. As they exchanged their vows, the sun shone down on them and smiled as the breeze played with the bride’s veil and tousled her curls.
We took their portraits on the beach, right at sunset. This is quite predictably our favorite time of day, fantastic light mixing with even better emotions in a cocktail that makes for incredible photos.
If you are on the lookout for a Clearwater Beach Wedding Photographer, we are located just 30 minutes away in Tampa, Florida and love spending time out on the sand. Get in touch through the contact form!
Taylor & David's Pena Peck House St. Augustine Wedding
It was a perfect late fall Florida day when Taylor and David tied the knot. The kind where the humidity is blessedly low and the temperature sits just above the indoors. Where you can sit in a patch of afternoon sunshine, the light warming the pages and lulling you into a state of quiet reverie.
Taylor and David got ready at the Casa De Solana in Old Town, St. Augustine. It is a time capsule of a bed and breakfast with a history dating back over 250 years.
Taylor got ready in the Montejurra room, the Casa De Solana being the sort of hideaway where every room has its own story and place in history. The room hearkened back to 19th century elegance and pomp; admirably suited to an event of as much import as a wedding.
Taylor’s bridesmaids were so sweet and supportive, doing a phenomenal job getting her ready for her big day.
Their ceremony was wonderfully simple, and we have to point out that David hand built the arch they were married under!
Taylor & David’s Ceremony and reception were held at the Pena Peck House, one of the oldest colonial buildings in St. Augustine, which started its life as the home of the Royal Spanish Treasurer in the new world, and now lives on as a museum and wedding venue.
The Perfect Pour served up incredible Rosemary Gin Fizz cocktails all night long among the bougainvilleas at The Pena Peck House. We were amazed by the time and attention to detail put into the making of each drink.
Taylor & David’s reception was incredible, with the most heartfelt toasts from their best friends, so excited to see them start their new life togther.
We have to mention, the tables and benches the guests ate and drank at were handmade by David. The tables proved so popular that they were overwhelmed with requests to rent them out, and so not long after getting married themselves, Taylor & David formed Timeless Design, an event rental company focused on handmade furniture.
If you are looking for a St. Augustine wedding photographer get in touch! We loved photographing this Pena Peck House Wedding.
Vendor Credits:
Furniture - Timeless Design Rentals
Planner - Endless Possibilities
Bartender - The Perfect Pour
Catering - The Perfect Pear
Florals - EP Florals
Dress - Miss Stella York
Brian & Paige's Boca Bay Pass Club Wedding
Brian & Paige’s Wedding was a breezy, late spring affair, with over
one hundred friends traveling from the midwest to celebrate with them out on
the sleepy island community of Boca Grande.
With startlingly blue waters and impeccably tasteful architecture, Boca Grande has quitely made a name as a destination for a particular sort of well heeled and mild mannered vacationer. Henry Flagler essentially put the island on the map, building a section of his famous railway to it. (Rumour has it the famous rogue Jose Gaspar was known to hide out on the island in wilder days.) Constructed in 1913, Gasparilla Inn served as a hub for wealthy northeasterners escaping the winter snows, and likely it was on one such visit Flagler decided a railway line simply had to be built to the island. Passing over the decidedly modern bridge in present day, the remains of that rail line stand to this day, now mostly serving as tempting fishing spots for local gentleman anglers.
Brian & Paige were the kind of couple you always hope to have as a wedding photographer. Utterly in love with endless amounts of patience and kindess for each other and everyone around them. Both got ready in a family beachside residence, and we had a merry time hiding them Paige from Bryan. Paige’s getting ready room was a hubub of excited sqeaks and cooing mumurs, while Brian’s was filled with hearty slaps on the back and sonorous yet lighthearted benedictions of goodwill.
Their ceremony site was Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on Boca Grande. It was designed in a classical Italian Renaissance style by the same architect of the Viscaya Mansion in Miami. The Architect, a gentleman named F Burrell Hoffman, was a frequent visitor to the island, having designed four homes in the surrounding area while in company of an old Harvard friend. This little chapel has so much of the character of the island within its tastefully simple walls, and the Reverend Carosella gave a stirring yet down to earth mass entirely fitting to the balmy surroundings.
Can we point out the adorably tiny electric car they rented for their exit?
It has been said that no trip to Boca Grande is complete
without a walk down Banyan Street.
More couples that are exceptional dancers, please! The sailcloth tent at the Pass Club and sea breeze coming off the Gulf kept things cool as they danced to swirling Jazz and roaring applause.
We took Paige and Brian out for a second set of portraits around sunset, and shortly thereafter Paige broke down as she reflected on the day. Watching Brian hold her about made us cry too. These two were wonderful.
Toasts are one of those parts of the day that never ceases to amaze us. Getting to see the people a couple is closest to in the world be so publicly and openly pouring out their love makes this job immeasurably better.
Brian’s brother was hysterical. Seriously. Difficult to take photos because we were laughing so hard levels of funny. He gave the best man speech to end all best man speeches. Future best men of the world, take notice, this guy set a new standard!
So so thankful to have been able to witness and capture this day! If you or someone you love are thinking about getting married on Boca Grande, we’d heartily recommend it! Every time we come here we fall in love a little more. (Also, get in touch if you would like photos like this, we’re available for weddings at Gasparilla Inn, Boca Bay Pass Club, and all the other major wedding venues on Boca Grande!).
Thanks so much to Brian and Paige for bringing us out, and the lovely staff of Boca Bay Pass Club for crafting such a remarkable reception!
Tampa Heights Fancy Free Nursery - Wedding Inspiration
To cap things off, we decided to incorporate one of Julia’s Xiaolin bespoke wedding dress designs. The wedding dress featured delicate mirror image lace appliques, pearl buttons down the back, and a soft ostrich feather plume train. The feather train perfectly complimented the verdant surroundings.
So excited to debut this gorgeous styled shoot we recently put together at Fancy Free Nursery in Tampa Heights!
The beginnings of this shoot came about when our friends Taylor and David contacted us with exciting news. They were starting an event rental company following an incredibly enthusiastic response to their wedding furniture, which David had handcrafted in his backyard workshop. After some deliberation, they came up with the name, Timeless Design.
This news started our minds whirring, as we dreamed up the perfect location to set this earthy, minimalist furniture in. Fancy Free Plant Nursery came instantly to mind. Their positively lush workshop, venue, and store has become something of a Tampa landmark, with its endlessly instagrammable interior and remarkable selection of exotic greenery.
The day started out with setup and prep by our fantastic makeup artist, Kayla Marie, whose meticulously detailed and refined work looked perfect on our model Taylor.
We ended up asking our friends Brandon & Taylor to model for the shoot. They’re a super cute young couple already planning their own wedding this year and their chemistry was just what we needed. Brandon is a wedding photographer himself and Taylor does wedding florals, so they were a huge help in pulling off the whole day!
Keep scrolling for gorgeous photos of the couple + photos of Timeless Design's handiwork!
Timeless Design brought along two of their hand crafted tables and benches for Fancy Free’s veranada, which is next door to another Tampa Heights staple, Foundation Coffee Co! We stopped in throughout the shoot for coffee refills. Such a great venue perk!
Below, right, Timeless Designs also brought one of their shiplap bars, seen under Fancy Free’s circular garden arch.
Below, left, we just loved the little details of this shoot. The boquet was a modern mix of crisp white florals and dramatic greenery.
The Bride’s dainty floral inspired hairpiece as seen below was provided by Romantic Art Life.
Thanks again to the wonderful team of vendors that collaborated on this!
Links to their work below:
Florals/Venue — Fancy Free Nursery
Furniture/place settings — Timeless Design Rentals
Dress — Xiaolin Design
MUA — Kalya Marie
Hairpiece — Romantic Art Life
Models — Taylor Stacy & Brandon Burridge
Erwin & Alondra - Oxford Exchange Tampa Wedding
Erwin and Alondra’s wedding was one for the books! Taking place just a few days before Christmas, both their traditional Catholic ceremony at Nativity Catholic church in Brandon and their reception at Oxford Exchange were filled with Christmas spirit and decor. It was an all day affair with minimalist greenery and timeless details. Erwin and Alondra were the life of the party, salsa dancing and champagne toasting the night away. A pleasure to get to shoot at such a well known Tampa venue, we’ll remember photographing this Oxford Exchange Christmas Wedding for years to come.
Nativity Catholic Church was a stunning place to get married in December. The church was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the red poinsettias looked magical against the bride’s white dress.
The upstairs rooms at Oxford Exchange were the perfect place to get ready for the reception and pop champagne. Photogenic brick walls and vintage furniture made it a great place to take photos too.
You can’t have a wedding at Oxford Exchange without taking photos on the beautiful staircase! We love how elegant the bride and groom look here.
The lights dimmed and the restaurant was turned into a dance floor. The guests were eager to kick off their shoes and dance the night away. We love a crowd that knows how to party!
Oxford Exchange was decorated with a mix of classic and contemporary. White and green florals with a hint of pink shone out amongst the Christmas decorations.
If you are looking for an Oxford Exchange Wedding Photographer based in Tampa, we’re for you. Click that contact button!
Josh & Victoria's S Bar S Barn Lakeland Wedding
Josh and Victoria were married at S Bar S Barn in Lakeland, Florida. It’s a quaint venue full of details pointing to its place as a working ranch in addition to a barn wedding venue. As Tampa wedding photographers, we love the opportunity to venture out of the city for weddings like this! Barn weddings can be a nice respite from city life, a little reminder of quieter places.
Rob & Katie - Medieval Times Offbeat Wedding
Excited to be sharing this unique wedding full of really remarkable details!
Rob and Katie knew they wanted to incorporate their passions and interests into their wedding, so they decided ordinary attire and venue wouldn’t do, electing to order period correct attire from half a word away for their Medieval themed wedding, appropriately held at Medieval Times Dinner Theater & Restaurant in Orlando, FL.
Rob & Katie both got ready at the Embassy Suites on International Drive. It ended up being an oasis of calm for the two of them, the rooms filling up without feeling crowded.
They decided to have a first look and it was wonderfully emotional and intimate. (Seriously if youre considering a first look, do it, they’re the best!). It was incredible seeing them both in their delightfully elaborate outfits together. Seriously so happy with the way the portraits came out!
Their ceremony was as flair filled and loaded with personality as you’d expect, with both reading a sonorous set of vows in unison, and the “King” of Medieval Times presiding.
The reception was short, yet fun, with drinks, hors d'oeuvres, toasts, and dancing all taking place in the span of an hour, with anticipation for the dinner show to come building.
Josh & Victoria USF Botanical Gardens Engagement Shoot
We had so much fun with these two at the USF Botanical Gardens this past weekend! Locations like this are wonderful because they contain so many lush, shady areas for hiding from the intense Florida sun! This venue is normally only open until 4pm, so we started shooting at 3pm, wandering around the various stands of bamboo, and listening to the wind mumur through the leaves. It's a beautiful and relaxing garden, which was quiet and peaceful on the Saturday afternoon we visited. Definitely would recommend visiting!
Zachary and Krystal
Excited to be blogging this beautiful Florida Rustic Barn Wedding. Zachary and Krystal chose this beautiful new venue in Plant City. The wooden interior of the barn was strung with fairy lights and the tables were decorated with elegant white hydrangeas and soft puffs of baby's breath and greens.
It's time to get ready for the big day! The girls sipped mimosas and curled their hair while the men shared a bottle of something stronger.
Swooning over this sweet and intimate first look before the big ceremony.
The guys got ready in the lodge like mens dressroom before heading outside for photos (we mostly goofed off!).
The ceremony took place beneath a row of gorgeous old oaks, pews replaced with rough hewn log benches facing a small stage with two pillars of oak draped in floral arrangements flanking Zack and Krystal. They said their vows in rapt silence and their "I Do's" to thunderous applause before heading for the exit. Krystal was positively light on her feet and Josh was shaking hands and getting clapped on the back the whole way.
After the ceremony we snuck away for an all too brief half hour and photographed Zach & Krystal on their own. This is undoubtedly my favorite part of the day, when a newlywed couple is just overwhelmed with love for the moment and for each other.
Everyone had so much fun at the reception, with basically all in attendance salsa dancing at one point or another. Had some minor incidents along the way (Zach cut his hand instead of the cake!). Aside from that, it went smoothly thanks to the team at Florida Rustic Barn weddings and the incredibly relaxed and fun loving couple.
One more thing before you go - we also made a wedding film for Zach & Krystal! Please take a moment to view it before you go. I think it captures their kind, free spiritedness excellently. As always, be well.
Willowby Bride
So excited to finally be able to share this fine art wedding inspiration shoot! We're thrilled with all the delicate textures gorgeous light!
We had the privilege to work with an amazing team of vendors for this styled bridal shoot!
Josh Best of Joshua and Rachel wedding photography pulled together the whole team in a matter of days and filmed the whole affair. (See his video here).
Flowers by Shelby Glynn provided the stunning boquet you see featured here.
Professional bridal stylist, Elizabeth Dugan modeled this light and airy gown from Willowby by Watters. The gown is available at the St. Pete boutique she works at, CC's Bridal Boutique. Schedule an appointment with her to find the gown of your dreams!
Elizabeth's hair and makeup were expertly done by Lo Edwards and Anna Dutko of Style Hair & Makeup, a company based here in the Tampa Bay area.
The shoot was held at the Santaella Studios for the Arts, which is an amazing artist loft/cowork space housed in an old cigar factory a few miles from downtown Tampa. Such a privilege to have these amazing spaces being renovated and made available to the creative community!
Lastly, Coastal Film Lab did an outstanding job with the processing and scanning of the film used in this shoot.
We just want to say thanks again to everyone who made this shoot possible!
Please be on the lookout for our next inspiration, The Blush Bride, a simple, elegant styled bridal shoot inspired by ballet and soft pastels.