jessica & tyler | wedding and reception at the oxford exchange | tampa, florida

… insight from jessica …
what was your favorite moment, or favorite part, of your wedding day?
My favorite part of our wedding day was catching up with family and friends and dancing the night away with them at the reception.
is there anything you wish you had done differently when planning your wedding?
No! Everything was perfect : )
which three vendors were most important to you when planning your wedding?
Photographer aside, the three most important vendors to me were (1) catering/bar, (2) the band, and (3) the flower supplier. Catering and bar service were done in house by our venue, the Oxford Exchange. Oxford worked with us to design a personalized menu from scratch that reflected our taste and experiences. For example, the first course was a salad with sauteed kale, orzo, and roasted tomatoes topped with grilled prawns and a citrus vinaigrette – inspired by a meal we had in Key West. They also accommodated our requests for marinated olives (homage to our favorite restaurant in Charlottesville, VA), and executed “his and hers” cocktails perfectly. The band was also of utmost importance to us. Once we decided on our venue, we started searching for a band. Luckily we found The Smoking Jackets, based out of Orlando. We made a weekend trip to Orlando to hear them play and booked them on the spot. In addition to their already amazing playlist they learned around 10 additional songs just for our wedding. Finally, finding the right flower supplier was key. From the beginning I was intent on doing my own flowers. The online company, fiftyflowers.com was extremely helpful each step of the way, from choosing the right flowers to talking me through what to do once they arrived.
what was your biggest wedding day savings? (and was it worth it?)
Our biggest wedding day savings was DIY-ing the flowers. It was definitely worth it. However it might not be for everyone. For example, I woke up at 5am on the day of the wedding (the ceremony was not until 7pm) and worked on the arrangement and bouquets until it was time to start hair/makeup. Worth it but probably not for everyone!
what was your biggest wedding day splurge? (and was it worth it?)
My biggest wedding day splurge was buying a different wedding dress three weeks before my wedding. While I loved my original dress when I ordered it, as the full vision of our wedding developed and the alterations were nearing completion it became obvious that the dress just did not fit the venue. Luckily I was able to find the PERFECT dress at The White Magnolia three weeks before the big day. The seamstress, Rita, did an amazing job deconstructing and putting back together the bodice so that it fit me like a glove. I am so glad that I took the plunge and splurged on a dress that was perfect fit the overall feel of our wedding.
what was the best advice you received when planning your wedding? (and did you listen?)
The best advice I received when planning the wedding was to remember on the day of the wedding to stop and take it all in. To make a conscious effort to slow down and absorb what was happening. I did listen! Various times throughout the day I would stop and breathe and commit the moments to memory. It still flew by but I am so glad that I had been given that advice and will cherish the memories from those moments forever.
was there anything encountered during wedding planning that was unexpected?
We found out a couple months before the wedding that we would need to hire musicians to play music during the ceremony. While it was unexpected it ended up being a great addition. We hired a strings duo which really took the ceremony to another level.
was there a moment(s) during your wedding day that surprised you?
Our best man truly killed it with his speech. He told stories about Tyler and I that I had completely forgotten about. Really glad we got that on video!
when you look back on your wedding day in 50 years, what do you think you’ll remember most?
Looking back on the wedding day in 50 years the thing I will remember most is the amazing feeling that comes with having all of our family and friends in one place, celebrating you. Being in that moment and realizing that this is a once in a lifetime event, that all of these people that we love and who mean so much to us will never be in one room at the same time ever again was bittersweet, but I am so grateful to have had that experience and will cherish it always.

… how it all came together …