kristin & steven | st. petersburg museum of fine art wedding | downtown st. pete wedding photographer

…insight from kristin…

what was your favorite moment, or favorite part, of your wedding day?
My favorite part of the ceremony was saying our vows that we wrote to each other. It was the most personal and emotional part of the day for me. My favorite part of the reception was during dinner when Steven and I had a moment to take in the fact that all of our friends and family were in one room together on the best day of our lives.
is there anything you wish you had done differently when planning your wedding?
Although it could be chaotic at times, the planning process with my mom and Steven was so much fun. So many friends and family members played roles in helping everything come together and it was bittersweet to see it all come to an end!
which three vendors were most important to you when planning your wedding?
My venue/catering/linens contacts were all the same person, so that one-stop shop made the planning process very smooth. The photographer was essential for creating the timeline of the day and for capturing all of the little moments that we missed. My day-of coordinator made everything run so smoothly and saved the day more times than I am probably even aware.
what was your biggest wedding day savings? (and was it worth it?)
Most of our savings came from DIY projects and my mother’s extreme crafting skills. Her motto was, “Don’t buy it, I can make it!” She invested in a Cricut machine, which created most of the paper details, and she even hand-crafted our ceremony arbor from scratch. She was able to bring all of my visions to life in such a personal way that made all of the hard work absolutely worth it. For some of the other details like my accessories, I tried to support Etsy artists as much as possible.
what was your biggest wedding day splurge? (and was it worth it?)
Our biggest splurge was the videographer. We wanted a quality film that would allow us to relive the day for years to come. I haven’t received it yet, but we plan to save watching it for the first time until our 1-year anniversary.
what was the best advice you received when planning your wedding? (and did you listen?)
From the very beginning of wedding planning, our friends and family told us to stay true to ourselves and to our visions for the day, which can be difficult with so many different opinions and options. We really took that to heart and as a result I think our personalities were truly represented in all of the details. We were also advised to hire a videographer and a day-of coordinator, and I’m so glad that we did!
was there anything encountered during wedding planning that was unexpected?
I had some difficulty finding a florist that was willing to take on a Mother’s Day weekend wedding at an affordable price. One florist even laughed at me over the phone! It took a lot of calls and a little networking, but it all worked out in the end.
was there a moment(s) during your wedding day that surprised you?
Steven is a singer and a musician, so I had an inkling that he was going to sing a song at some point during the reception. The big surprise came when he got up to sing and my brother followed him to the dance floor with his guitar. In one day, they both had learned to play a song that Steven wrote for me while we were dating. All of my bridesmaids kneeled on the floor next to me during the song and it was such a sweet moment.
when you look back on your wedding day in 50 years, what do you think you’ll remember most?
I hope I will always remember the feeling of walking down the aisle to Steven. Seeing him for the first time with my dad by my side just felt right. I thought I would cry, but I was too happy to do anything but smile. That actually sums up my feeling of the entire day, and that’s what I think I will remember most.

… how it all came together …