lizzi & drew | downtown tampa wedding photography | sacred heart catholic church ceremony & reception at the vault

… how it all came together …

… insight from lizzi …
what was your favorite moment, or favorite part, of your wedding day?
Overall, the ceremony was probably our favorite part of the day… as cliche as it is, the walk down the aisle was just as perfect as people describe. Of course, the whole reception and getting to dance and celebrate with our guests was wonderful too… I guess this means we can’t really pick a favorite!
is there anything you wish you had done differently when planning your wedding?
For the most part, our planning all worked out perfectly! The only thing I think we could have done differently would have been to work on some of the crafty/DIY tasks a little sooner (of course, getting married 15 days after Christmas might have had something to do with this…) so that the few weeks before the wedding were a little more relaxed.
which three vendors were most important to you when planning your wedding?
Photographer, caterer and the DJ. Our top priority was to throw an amazing party for our guests, and to have wonderful photos to remember it!
what was your biggest wedding day savings? (and was it worth it?)
Having our family help us out saved us money in a ton of areas – my mom spent hours comparing prices for our candy bar (and even made some things herself!), Drew’s sister designed our invitations, and Drew’s mom made weekly trips to the thrift store to find all kinds of unique candle holders to use for our centerpieces. It was definitely worth it for us… hopefully for them as as well!
what was your biggest wedding day splurge? (and was it worth it?)
We decided to hire a planner as soon as we got engaged, and she was worth her weight in gold! Our planner, Christi Winsor, was always there to review contracts, answer questions, contact vendors, keep our budget in check and most of all keep me calm and assure me that all the details would come together for our big day!
what was the best advice you received when planning your wedding? (and did you listen?)
All of our friends just kept reminding us not to sweat the small stuff and to remember why we were having this party in the first place, and I feel like overall we were pretty good about following that advice! I think having a wedding planner is a great way to not get bogged down with all the minutia of the wedding throughout your engagement to and keep a sense of normalcy in your relationship.
was there anything encountered during wedding planning that was unexpected?
Without throwing anyone under the bus, I would just remind all brides to read your contracts carefully and keep them all in a safe location. We had an issue with a vendor making some internal changes after we had signed the contract, but they were more than willing to work with us and it resolved without any major hiccups. Had we not been as diligent with the paperwork, it would have been harder to ask them to accommodate their original plans.
when you look back on your wedding day in 50 years, what do you think you’ll remember most?
Being announced as “Mr. and Mrs. Drew Greminger” for the first time, and taking time to look out at all of our guests and reflecting on just how lucky we are to have the most incredible family and friends who chose to be there to celebrate our love. I can’t imagine feeling happier than we did in those moments!