Downtown Tampa Wedding Northside Florist | Floridan Palace Hotel Wedding
Laura and Jon knew that the iconic Sacred Heart Catholic Church would be the perfect place for their downtown Tampa wedding ceremony.
“Utilizing the church that I grew up attending was one of the most important aspects of the day. My grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins have all had their wedding ceremonies at Sacred Heart, and I felt it was an important tradition that I wanted to carry on,” the bride shared.
After saying “I Do” at their downtown Tampa nuptials, guests made their way to The Floridan Palace Hotel, located a few blocks away from the ceremony location.
The couple’s elegant and romantic wedding reception was adorned with soft colors of ivory, gold and blush. Searching for opulent details and with a distinct vision in mind, the couple hired Tampa wedding florist Northside Florist on the recommendation from their wedding venue.
To complement the large ballroom and royal feeling of the Laura and Jon’s historic wedding venue, downtown Tampa wedding florist Northside Florist created lavish tall centerpieces on gold bases with ivory hydrangeas and an assortment of blush and light pink roses with greenery to pull the entire look together.
“I wanted a specific gold candelabra centerpiece that looks amazing in the high ceilings of the Floridan ballroom. I interviewed numerous florists who had never worked with those candelabras before or would have to order them. I knew I wanted someone who wouldn’t be using my wedding as a ‘trial run’ to make those centerpieces, and Northside Florist had done them for numerous receptions at the Floridan,” Laura explained. “Meeting with the owner, Kathy Gilbert, was like meeting my flower fairy godmother! Her service was amazing from start to finish. The centerpieces, bouquets and other flowers were absolutely perfect and lasted quite a while even after the wedding weekend.”
Adding a stunning effect to the cake table, ivory hydrangeas and blush roses were arranged under a round glass table to create a unique accent to the already gorgeous wedding cake design.
What did you look for in a wedding florist?
I don’t know a lot about flowers, but I had a very specific idea about the color palette and size that I wanted, so it was important to me that we hire a florist with extensive knowledge that was willing to take my ideas and run with them. I also wanted a specific gold candelabra centerpiece that looks amazing in the high ceilings of the Floridan ballroom. I interviewed numerous florists who had never worked those candelabras before or would have to order them. I knew I wanted someone who wouldn’t be using my wedding as a “trial run” to make those centerpieces and Kathy Gilbert (from Northside Florist) had done them for numerous receptions at the Floridan.
Kathy got a great sense of what I wanted from just one meeting. I hired her because I could see that she would not only do an excellent job with the task, but that she was a kind and caring person that took pride in her work. She was always available for questions and consultations and is incredibly organized. She even found a way for me to attach a small frame of my deceased maternal Abuelo (grandfather) to my bouquet so that I could “carry” him down the aisle with me. I remember looking down at his picture a couple of minutes before I started walking down the aisle; it is a memory that I will treasure forever. She made that possible and I will never forget that!
The Proposal:
Our proposal took place at Bern’s Steakhouse. It was actually the week that we were moving into our new home that we had closed on together a few days before. Jon called me and said that since it was the night before the moving trucks came, we should go out and celebrate our new home purchase at Bern’s. I was ecstatic and had no idea that he was actually planning to propose.
After a delicious and lengthy dinner, we went to Bern’s Dessert Room, and as we settled in to wait for our Bananas Foster, a server brought a crystal dish with a cover on it. They set it in front of me but I just kept talking and laughing. I do remember telling him, “We didn’t order this.” It wasn’t until Jon got very quiet, took off the lid and got down on one knee that I even realized what was happening. By then a group of servers with cameras had gathered around us to take pictures and video. It all felt wonderful and completely surreal. He had always said that he wanted us to be engaged before we moved in together, and he definitely made that happen!
How would you describe your theme?
I knew exactly the look that I wanted for my wedding: a classic color palette, romantic but modern touches and guests dressed in black tie attire. I told all my vendors that I wanted everything to be elegant and classy, but not uptight.
What were your colors?
Ivory, gold and a touch of blush pink. I chose them because I wanted a traditional color palette that would look elegant from start to finish.
Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Floridan Palace | Florist: Northside Florist | Photographer: Melissa Lauren Images | Videographer: Hearts Video | Planner: Ideal Design Events | Caterer/Linens: Floridan Palace | Rentals: Ideal Design Events | Cake: Olympia Catering | DJ/Lighting/Draping: Delite Entertainment | Officiant: Father Frank Critch from Sacred Heart Catholic Church | Transportation: Network Limousines | Wedding and Bridesmaid Dress: David’s Bridal | Hair & Makeup: Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup Group