An intimate elopement took place on the sands of Clearwater Beach. Friends and family of Cherri and Curtis gathered to celebrate the couple and their new adventure together. With sandy toes and the sounds of the oceans, our couple enjoyed a day of special moments with a stunning scenery.

WHAT WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING?

Flawless! Magical! Perfect! Everything we had hoped for and more.

THE PROPOSAL:

Curtis and I had met on an online dating site. He was my first date! We just clicked. But this particular weekend a couple of years after being together, he had planned a couples massage for Father’s Day weekend… it didnt go as planned because when we arrived at the place, they informed us that the “couples” massage would not be in the same room at all! So we ended up leaving there and going to a home improvement store to look at lawn mowers! Lol we always have fun no matter what we do so I didn’t think anything of  it but Curtis was acting a little off…he disappeared to the bathroom for a while but I still didn’t really give it much thought. Little did I know- he was in there putting his plan together now that the original plan had changed. We left the store and he had suggested going to get a quick drink at the place we had our first date at. It looked closed but he said to take a walk around the back to see if they had the patio open.  We get around there and it was open. First thing I see is his sister and nephew sitting at a table. Then I see his brother in law, but he is taking our picture. Strange but ok… Me, still not putting it together, looks up at him and say “babe, look it’s your sister! Did you know they were gonna be here?” He looks at me and smiles, leads me over to the area that they are sitting, which I at that point realized had been fenced off, and over to a table which is beautifully decorated with flowers and pictures we had taken together from our first profile picture match up til present time. It was then I realize what is happening! I turn to look at him, he drops to one knee and proposes… of course I said yes! The staff at the bar cheered, I kissed and hugged my hubby-to-be and the rest as they say is history.

THE VISION:

Honestly with covid, our “vision”had changed so many times to try to just make it happen. In the end I just wanted something beautiful, simple but elegant to symbolize the joining of our families.

THE PLANNING PROCESS:

Planning was easy! We took care of the flights, accommodations and outfits and “Elope Tampa Bay” handled the rest! Even advising us on how to handle the marriage license and suggestions on where to eat afterwards. They were amazing! The questionnaires they sent made sure that every detail was covered. It was so stress free!

YOUR OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES

My dress was actually bought used. This was both of our second marriages and we didn’t want to spend too much on the wedding choosing to put more money into the actual Florida trip with the kids. But as it turned out, it was a perfect fit with no adjustments needed! I loved it! His and our sons suits were rented from Men’s Wearhouse and the girls dresses were from Amazon (little girls) and Dillard’s (older bridesmaids).

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

 Walking down the “aisle” and seeing how perfect everything was. The day itself was beautiful, the wedding planners had secured the ideal location and everyone looked picture perfect. Everything felt so right. I was completely relaxed and fully focused on our day.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES

 Apply for the marriage license in plenty of time! Make sure you fill out the surveys as soon as possible- they are there to help make YOUR day your own. True the professionals!!!!! Can’t stress this enough! They were wonderful! And if possible, stay at a hotel as close to your wedding location as possible. The traffic can get crazy! After that, just enjoy your day! Be present in the moment and don’t stress the small stuff! This is just the beginning….

VENDORS

Officiant: Bonnie Sanchez

Photographer: Amber McWhorter

Videographer: Imagery Wedding Films

Coordinator & Permit: Elope Tampa Bay

Venue: Clearwater Beach

Floral: Wonderland Floral