Tampa 4th of July Wedding Ceremonies

Tampa 4th of July Wedding Ceremonies

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Beach, Barbecue, and Tampa 4th of July Wedding Ceremonies

For some it was celebrating 4th of July by going to the beach, barbecuing with friends and family, and fireworks. Others celebrated by getting married or with a celebratory vow renewal ceremonies. We did it all.

The entire weekend we kept busy with Tampa 4th of July wedding ceremonies. We started on Saturday with a sunrise wedding ceremony at Sand Key Beach Park for Natalie and Terrance. Terrance is a sergeant in the US Army and Natalie is a US Veteran. They had an very intimate beach wedding ceremony with just two close friends, Jamia and Jeff, in attendance.  Natalie vowed to take Terrance as her beloved king and Terrance vowed to take Natalie as his beloved queen.  They chose to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of a Foot Washing Ceremony, “The feet of the twelve disciples were caked with the dust of daily travels. The job of washing feet was reserved for the slave of the home. Yet, in striking fashion, Jesus – the one who spoke galaxies into existence – dons the towel of a poor slave and wipes the muddied feet of his friends. What a display of love – a love that would bend as low as necessary to lift up, a love that would enter into the mess so it could make things once again clean. This is what Jesus not only does for us, but calls us to do for one another – love by serving and humbling ourselves.” The love Natalie and Terrance was infectious as their wedding ceremony was performed.

Natalie sent a review a few days later, “Amazing. Mrs. Charmaine was a true God-send. She stayed in constant communication with Terrance and I. She made us feel comfortable. When she was reading the vows we picked, she was reading them as if they were special to her too.”

That same Saturday evening our associate officiant, Ellida, performed  Jamia and Jeff’s ceremony (Natalie and Terrance’s two friends that attended their morning wedding) at sunset at Sand Key Park in Clearwater.  Jamia and Jeff were also a military couple. Jamia and Jeff radiated with the love they have for each other. Their ceremony was recognized with a sweet treat that will bring joy to their lives and nourish their souls. They shared a delicious chocolate bar promising to always be present for each other in darkness and in light in sweet and in titter in dismal and delicious!

On Saturday at sunset I officiated Bruce and Patricia’s 20 year vow renewal ceremony at Redington Shores Beach. Bruce totally surprised his wife Patricia. Bruce arranged for over 30 family members to be at the ceremony. Many of the family members hadn’t seen one another for years. Bruce had a plan and George Sr captured the moment as Bruce got down on one knee and proposed again to his wife…..She said “Yes” 😉

Bruce wrote a few days later “Great to work with. Very nice people. Everything was just beautiful.”

It was a busy weekend and we still had a few more Tampa 4th of July wedding ceremonies!

Amy and Chuck thought they were eloping until the word got out. Monday evening they had a beautiful sunset wedding ceremony at Ft Desoto Beach Park.

Also on Monday, Brandon and Tracy eloped at Sand Key Beach in Clearwater.

Pam and Lonnie thought they were eloping on the 4th, but word got out and they had a number of guests attend their ceremony at Honeymoon Island. Pam wrote the following day “Thank you we were very touched by the ceremony you made it very special for us we will always remember it and we wish you a lifetime of happiness”

What a great weekend for so many wonderful couples!! After all the Tampa 4th of July wedding ceremonies, we still had a little time for barbecuing, pool, family and fireworks.

 

 

Ways to Use Rose Petals at your Wedding Ceremony

Ways to Use Rose Petals at your Wedding Ceremony

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You want to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony but not sure how. Check out our favorite ways to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony!

Whether it be on the beach, park, venue, or elsewhere rose petals can be incorporated into your wedding ceremony. We’ve used rose petals to make a heart, down the aisle, lining the aisle, circle, accent petals around an arbor, and much more! Here are some different rose petal options to consider for your wedding ceremony.

Fresh mixed colored rose petals

Mixed colors of fresh rose petals

Rose petal heart ideas

A rose petal heart can have mixed colored petals or a solid color. We always use fresh petals on the beach or on the grass because the artificial petals easily get blown away into the ocean and all around the park. Fake rose pedals need to be picked up, which is super annoying, and are are harmful to the environment.

You can do a pretty flower heart with artificial flowers that are strung together. This is always a good option on a windy day or for a grass location. The string of flowers can easily be picked up and secured into the ground.

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A mound style heart in the sand with fresh rose petals in the center of the heart is a very pretty idea to consider. The heart can be accented with tiki torches and greenery with flowers at the end of the tiki torch posts or shepherds hooks with hanging lanterns or flower balls.

heart in sand with tiki

How about a circular ceremony with rose petal heart in the center of the circle! We love this setup because all of your guests are truly around you. Having a rose heart in the middle of the circle gives the ceremony a beautiful pop of color.

Rose petal heart in center of circular ceremony setup. Siesta Key Beach

Rose petal heart in center of circular ceremony setup at Siesta Key Beach

Lining the aisle

At the beach, park, or inside venue adding rose pedals to line the aisle is a great touch. Adds just a pop of color and really pulls the look together. Here are a few pictures of wedding ceremonies we’ve done with fresh and artificial flowers lining the aisle.

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Wedding at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, FLWedding Package #1 jim&ann2
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Circle

If a heart is not your thing you can make the flower petals into another shape. We think it’d be neat to have a circle of rose pedals for the couple to stand inside showing their love will go on forever. Another idea we had was to make an infinity sign out of pedals!

Down the aisle

The traditional rose pedals down the aisle is always a great look! Keep in mind if you are having an outdoor wedding ceremony and use artificial rose pedals you need to pick them up…and that’s not easy or fun.

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Shapes down the aisle

If you want to get real creative use flower pedals and make shapes down the aisle. This is a wedding Charmaine officiated at the Kapok Tree in Clearwater Florida. If you create a flower design in the aisle you need to make sure to block the inside chairs (see how they did it hear with fabric) so guests enter into their seats from the outside in….and don’t mess up the design. We can do these designs or you can have your florist or coordinator do it.

Kapok Special Events Wedding Room

 

There are a ton of neat ways to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony. We love working with couples to make their vision come to life! Keep your wedding simple, affordable, and pretty by using rose petals whether it be beach or elsewhere. Contact us to discuss your wedding ceremony ideas: info@abeautifulweddinginflorida.com

Where should I have my Tampa wedding?

Where should I have my Tampa wedding?

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Where should I have my Tampa wedding? We can help! We often get asked for suggestions on where in Tampa to have a wedding. Recently, I got a call from a bride to-be who was in North Dakota and planning a Tampa Florida beach wedding. She had just been surfing the internet about locations and had contacted a resort in Marco Island. The resort told her to contact us, A Beautiful Wedding in Florida, for help answering her question on where to have her Tampa wedding ceremony.

Barb contacted me and asked, where should I have my Tampa wedding? I guided her with suggestions and ideas for her wedding, places to stay ,and restaurant ideas for after the wedding.  Barb’s wedding would consist of no more than 10 guests and she wanted it on the beach. She said she knew nothing about the Tampa area. As Barb and I spoke, we discussed options and ideas for her wedding. Barb decided she would have her wedding at Sand Key Park in Clearwater. Barb looked at our website,  reviewed our packages, and a la carte items. Barb was so pleased and excited that we put together plans for just the wedding she had been envisioning. She decided on: Officiant,  flowers, photographer, cake, and tiki torches. I helped her put it all together and she couldn’t have been more pleased.

Wedding cake with topper

Wedding cake with topper

Barb emailed me two days later letting me know she got her flights and more of her family were interested in coming. She thanked me again and let me know how excited she was.

I thanked her for contacted me and allowing us to be a part of her special day. As Clearwater wedding officiant service this is what we do. We are always glad to give suggestions on locations for the wedding, fun things to do while you’re in the Tampa area, and we can always help with wedding ideas. Your Tampa wedding ceremony doesn’t have to be at the beach. If you’re not sure where in the Tampa area to have your wedding contact us, we’d be happy to recommend a number of park locations, gazebo’s, homes, and gardens.

Spur of the moment elopement ceremony in Tampa

Spur of the moment elopement ceremony in Tampa

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Tom and Katie were traveling to Tampa from Miami and decide to they wanted to get married. They contacted us on Friday morning and asked if we had an officiant available to perform a spur of the moment elopement ceremony in Tampa the following day. They had their marriage license and wanted to have the wedding at the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa. George Sr. was available to officiate so we quickly put the plans together.

Tom asked if we could get them a bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere, and we could! We were able to get a beautiful bouquet and boutonniere from our friend’s at Flowerama.

The wedding took place on Saturday on the 4th floor balcony of the the Epicurean Hotel overlooking Tampa. It was a beautiful afternoon and the balcony was empty which made for the perfect intimate elopement ceremony. George Sr. brought their flowers and officiated the wedding ceremony. During their wedding ceremony, Katie and Tom said beautiful words to each other. Recognizing obstacles and challenges they may encounter on their journey ahead, however, never forgetting the love they have for each other. It was truly a perfect heartfelt elopement ceremony.

Later that evening Tom and Katie were going to a celebratory dinner at Bern’s Steakhouse.

Tom and Katie both thanked us for everything!! They were so pleased and appreciative of all we did to make their spur of the moment elopement ceremony in Tampa wonderful.

Last minute wedding ceremonies and elopements are fun for us and we love being a part of them. If you’re considering a spur of the moment elopement ceremony in Tampa area, we’d be glad to help you put it together!

A Look Back at our 2016 Tampa Area Wedding Ceremonies

A Look Back at our 2016 Tampa Area Wedding Ceremonies

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As we take a look back at our 2016 Tampa area wedding ceremonies, we smile and feel so grateful. We had the privilege, pleasure, and honor to officiate so many wonderful weddings and vow renewals throughout 2016. We met a ton of couples and families from many different states and countries. Each ceremony had it’s own uniqueness and style; all of our 2016 Tampa area wedding ceremonies were truly amazing.

One of our first 2016 Tampa area wedding ceremonies was for  dear family friends, Kim and Felipe. George Sr officiated their wedding ceremony at Sunken Garden’s in St Petersburg on January 2nd. Their ceremony included a wine love letter box, Harry Potter, references to fantasy football, and so much love.

Kim & Felipe Sunken Gardens Ceremony

Kim & Felipe-Sunken Gardens wedding ceremony

In April 2016, Charmaine donated her officiant service to the ‘Mission I Do‘ wedding charity. She had the honor of officiating Tim and Anh’s ‘Mission I Do’ wedding ceremony at The Barn at Crescent Lake in Odessa. Tim is a wounded veteran. The wedding, ceremony, and all wedding costs were generously donated to Tim and Ahn from all the vendors in honor of, and to raise awareness, for the services and sacrifices of all of our USA military. Tim and Anh’s wedding ceremony was a truly honorable event to be a part of.

In 2016 we performed a number of vow renewal ceremonies throughout Tampa and Clearwater.  We love vow renewals! Lisa and Terrance celebrated their 25th year wedding anniversary at Sand Key Park in September. They were vacationing with their daughter, son in law, and granddaughter from England they took a break from Orlando activities and had us officiate a beautiful sunset vow renewal ceremony.

Lisa and Terrence 25 years

Lisa and Terrence celebrated 25 years of marriage with a wedding anniversary vow renewal. Photo by George Sr.

As the laws changed in 2016 for same sex marriages, we officiated a number of Tampa area wedding ceremonies for same sex couples. Angelia and Barbara were married at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs in August.  Mathew and Andrew had a holiday wedding at Sunken Gardens in December. We provided officiant service for many more same sex Tampa area wedding ceremonies throughout the year. It was wonderful to be a part of so many beautiful unions.

Holiday Wedding Sunken Gardens

Holiday Wedding Sunken Gardens

We were a part of all sorts of Tampa area wedding ceremonies: small wedding ceremonies, big wedding ceremonies, simple weddings, fancy weddings, funny weddings, wedding ceremony on a boat, backyard wedding ceremonies, Florida elopements, and many more! George Sr photographed a number of the Tampa area wedding ceremonies we officiated. We enjoyed every ceremony, every couple, and all the preparation and correspondence with all of our couples. What a great year= THANK YOU!!! We look forward to 2017!!!

Fancy wedding ceremony setup for a wedding we officiated in 2016

Fancy wedding ceremony setup for a wedding we officiated in 2016

Wedding Ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar

Wedding Ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar

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If you are looking for the perfect location for a Tampa Bay wedding check out Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar. The park overlooks old Tampa Bay and has a large beautiful gazebo where wedding ceremonies can be held. The gazebo is available to rent for a very reasonable price. The wedding can be held in the gazebo, with chairs lined up just outside in front of the gazebo, or if wedding is small all guest can gather in the gazebo for the ceremony. The park has restroom facilities and is open sunrise to sunset.

Veteran's Memorial Park Gazebo in Oldsmar

Recently, I performed a wedding ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar for Angie and Alberto . Tables were setup inside the gazebo along the sides. Food, drinks, wedding cake, and other snacks were setup for an outside park reception. Alberto had decorated the gazebo and setup all the chairs. It was very nice!

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Many beautiful spots for pictures!

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Angie and Alberto cutting their pretty wedding cake.

A wedding ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar is a great idea because the big gazebo offers shelter in the event of rain and the park is a beautiful place for photographs. Not only does it overlook Tampa Bay it has many beautiful trees. The park is such a nice place children can play on the grass while adults keep an eye on them while enjoying the wedding reception.

Kids can have fun at the park during the wedding reception.

Kids can have fun at the park during the wedding reception.

On Mother’s Day, I performed a wedding ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar for Erin and Tom. Tom and his son rode their bikes down to the park. Erin and Tom wanted to be married at the pretty park.  I officiated a sweet and simple wedding ceremony then they went to  Kelly’s in Dunedin for a reception.

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Erin and Tom’s family wedding ceremony at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar

Veteran’s Memorial Park in Oldsmar is truly a great place to consider if you are looking for a place that has shelter, beauty, and priced right.