lauren & bo | tampa yacht and country club ceremony and reception | south tampa wedding photographer

… insights from lauren…

how would you describe your wedding to someone who was not there? what were some of your inspirations? how did you envision the wedding prior to your special day?

The wedding was over way too quickly. I am not really the girl who would clip pages out of bridal magazines or go crazy on Pinterest… I had envisioned a Tampa Takeover–all of our closest friends coming from all over the country to celebrate all weekend with us. It didn’t disappoint.

is there anything you wish you had done differently when planning your wedding?

I was an extremely hands off bride, which I’m sure is not for everyone, but it was really exciting to see it all come together.

which three vendors were most important to you when planning your wedding?

The photographer
Picking a photographer was the first thing we did when planning the wedding. Marissa was the first vendor we chose for the wedding. My mom knows Marissa’s mom and had met Marissa before and assured me it would be a great fit. She was totally right. Marissa was professional and really good at wrangling the wedding party. I will cherish the photos forever.

The band
My mom picked the band and I am so glad she did. Once I got engaged, my mom definitely started doing a little band “reconnaissance” (i.e. listening to bands playing weddings at the Yacht Club). She found the band we ended up hiring while sitting outside at the pool after a night of tennis. She sent me a video of the band playing a Weeknd song and I knew it was who I had to have.

The venue
Even though I have been living in Georgia for almost eight years now, Tampa will always feel like home. Bo and I met in Tampa, so it felt right to have the wedding back where it all started. The Yacht Club was the perfect venue because of its outdoor space. Many of our guests were coming from out of town and I wanted everyone to be outside as much of the weekend as possible. The weather was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for better.

what was the best advice you received when planning your wedding?

So, I actually did not do much wedding planning. In the six months before my wedding I was studying for the bar and starting a new job, so I was a *little* preoccupied. Fortunately, my mom and mother-in-law were all over it. It’s not really advice per se, but, having both a mom and mother-in-law who were insanely supportive throughout the entire process was definitely the most valuable thing to me.

was there a moment during your wedding day that surprised you?

How difficult it was to cut the cake! Bo and I struggled with it for what seemed like an hour before he finally popped out a slice.

what was your favorite moment, or favorite part, of your wedding day?

So this is mega cheesy, but, my favorite part was when I finally walked down the aisle to Bo. I was really nervous on the day of my wedding and the only person I wanted to see I couldn’t. As soon as I saw him, I felt completely at ease and that the night could finally begin.
Aside from seeing Bo, my favorite moment was standing upstairs with my bridesmaids watching all of the guests arrive. We could see them, but they couldn’t see us.

… how it all came together…

ceremony | tampa yacht and country club

reception venue & catering | tampa yacht and country club

caterer | tampa yacht and country club

cake artist | let them eat cake tampa

florist | the potting shed
musician/DJ | frequency band

stationery | KT jane’s

officiant | the cathedral basillica

event coordinator | gloria howell

gown boutique | bella bridesmaids

hair and makeup | kendra and company salon