“In mid April, Megan and Nathan had the night of their lives with their closest friends and family at the Davis Island Garden Club in Tampa. The two had an intimate first look at the University of Tampa, then exchanged vows to spend the rest of their days together and celebrated well into the night! They had perfect weather {even with predicted thunderstorms!}, a gorgeous waterfront venue, tons of hand-crafted DIY details by the bride and love the completely filled the room. These two met three years ago while country line dancing at the Round Up. Who knew, you can actually meet your future spouse in a country bar! No wonder they chose “Head over Boots” as their first dance song.” –Michelle Stoker Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite wedding day memory was when my new husband and I decided to be impromptu dessert servers to our guests after we cut the cake. We had a dessert bar with over 8 choices, including Snickers cheesecake, chocolate covered strawberries and key lime pie. We helped serve each and every one of our guests their favorite desserts and got to spend a few minutes with each person in a non-traditional way. Our unplanned encounter with our guests was a hit and we will always remember the sweetest way we ended the sweetest day.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

As a low budget bride, it was imperative that I draw on my creative side and DIY as much as possible to save money and personalize our special day. I hand painted the stem of every single guest’s dinnerware, I designed all of our centerpieces and our wood and aluminum bar and delegated a great friend to build the items. I asked my family to help propagate succulents from seeds in the containers my friend built. I used paint swatches from our local hardware store to create a seating chart on an old flea market picture frame. I hand cut scraps of fabric to tie around each silverware setting and asked my future Mother in Law to make her secret jam as our wedding favors! I purchased sunflowers and baby’s breath from grocery stores several days before and created all the flower arrangements myself! My Mother in Law hand cut and sewed all of the decorative pennants for the wedding and made all of the appetizers. I purchased a large metal ‘H’ and asked all of our guests to sign that instead of a traditional guest book. We also asked one of our friends to be our bartender and got our specialty cocktail recipes off Pinterest. My talented Sister in law used her beautiful handwriting to create a menu for dinner and the bar on old frames we re-purposed into chalkboards. My Aunt and Father in Law printed all of the programs and I glued Popsicle sticks in between two sides to create a fan and pressed our monogram into a brown craft paper heart and tied a ribbon around the fans to complete them. We used our personal canoe as an ice chest for our cold canned beverages. All of our personalized details were really what made the night so unique. Our guests raved about it for weeks after and we got to save a lot of money!

Did you have a something old, new, borrowed and blue?

I’m not a traditional bride and didn’t participate in this particular tradition on my wedding day.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice to brides is to do whatever makes you and your Groom happy on your big day. I didn’t feel like doing a bouquet toss, so I didn’t. My Groom and I wanted a fun party vibe so we served our guests shots when drinking songs came on. This is your day and you don’t have to play by anyone’s rules. -Megan, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Michelle Stoker Photography // Videographer: Fifth Gen Films // Venue: Davis Island Garden Club // Florist: Apple Blossom Florist // Invitations: Wedding Paper Diva's // Catering: 4 Rivers Smokehouse // DJ: Expert DJ // Engagement Ring: International Diamond Center // Rentals: Rent All of Tampa // Transportation: Water Taxi Tampa // Bride's Attire: David's Bridal // Jewelry: Swarovski // Bride's Shoes: Nordstrom // Bridesmaids Attire: Dillards // Bridesmaids Jewelry: Etsy // Hair and Make-up: Sarina Durden Makeup and Hair // Groom's Attire: Macy's // Groom's Shoes: DSW