Lizzy & Zach

04/17/2021

Wedding Venue

Bay Preserve at Osprey - Sarasota, Florida

floral arch at wedding on the florida bay

Vendors & Their Instagram Handles

Bay Preserve @baypreserve
NK Productions Wedding Planning @nk_weddings
Hunter Ryan Photo @hunterryanphoto
Flowers by Fudgie @flowersbyfudgie
Eli Meyer Studio (videography) @elimeyerstudio
Michaels on East Catering @married.with.michaels
Wonder Cake Creations @wonder_cake_creation
SoStaged Event Designs @sostaaged
Sarasota Trolley @sarasota_trolley
Ashlee Ann Makeup @ashleeannmakeup
Brittany/Salon on West @bee_blondes
Big City Rhythm (band) @bcratl
Classern Quartet @classern
Covadonga Cigars @covadongacigars
Minted Weddings (paper) @mintedweddings
Live Wedding Painter, Julie Rieutort @eventpaintingbyjulie
The Gala Photo Booth @thegalaphotobooth

How did you & Zach?

We met in college at Ole Miss during our sophomore year! Zach was already friends with a lot of my best friends and we all started hanging out during winter session of our sophomore year. The rest as they say "is history!"

Where was your first date?

Our first date was at brunch in Oxford, Mississippi.

bride and groom pose together at their florida wedding

How did Zach propose?

Zach planned the most beautiful proposal at The Alfond Inn in Winter Park, FL! I thought we were meeting some work associates of his for dinner and it was a rainy Friday after a busy week at work for me. I was tired and my attitude about the whole evening was a little .... sub par (oops!)
He asked me to Uber to the Alfond where they "were starting the evening with a cocktail before dinner." I got out of the Uber and he was standing there (looking very handsome) but I was having technical difficulties snapping my purse. I couldn't understand why he was so intent on holding my hand to walk into The Alfond. Then he calmly said "what if I told you we aren't going to a work dinner??" I looked up to see the beautiful conservatory of The Alfond with a rose petal path leading to a huge rose petal heart . This is where he got down on one knee, asked me to be his wife and placed the most beautiful diamond ring on my finger!!
It felt like a fairytale and then after "our moment" our entire immediate family came out from the background. There were lots of tears and hugs and so much happiness! Our families have become very close during our dating so it was a very special time. The icing on the cake was when my big brother, Taylor, appeared from the background. He lives in Denver and having him there meant so much to me.
Just when I thought the evening couldn't be any better we walked nearby to The Imperial Bar Winter Park, Zach's uncle's place, where we were going to meet "our family" for a celebratory glass of wine and then go to dinner. Instead we walked into about 60 of our friends and family and the best part was.... in the corner stood my college and childhood best friends who Zach had arranged to fly in for the weekend to surprise me! I felt like the most loved girl in the world and it was the most fun night ever as we partied and celebrated at The Imperial all night with friends and family!

bride shows off her ines di santo wedding dress

What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?

It was so fun and so special! It was me, my mom and Zach's mom, Barbie. Barbie has two boys and my mom and I think every mom should get her chance to wedding dress shop regardless if it's for her son's or daughter's wedding. So, it was a very special time for the 3 of us!

We made some appointments at some local bridal salons. I went to 2 and felt like a princess playing dress up but I just didn't feel like I had found my dress! I was feeling a little defeated and then Barbie said "hey I've heard about this cool place in Winter Park that only takes one bride at a time for shopping and has really beautiful wedding gowns." she knew they were unique and had read an article but didn't know much more about them. She did a little search on her phone and said "here they are! It's called "The Bridal Finery." It was a Saturday and we felt like the odds of them seeing us were slim to none but my mom called and they said "well we have about 30 minutes before our next bride arrives. If you want to come take a quick peek, come on in and then we can schedule an appointment to come back if our dresses interest you." They proceeded to ask a couple of questions about what I was looking for in a wedding dress…ten minutes later we drove up to The Bridal Finery. We walked in and that's when we met Roberta and Tali. They had pulled a couple of gowns which they thought might interest me based on the 2 min conversation. The very first dress was the most beautiful Ines Di Santo ball gown I had ever laid my eyes on! I said "that's my dress!" I tried it on, tears were shed by me, and both moms and that WAS my dream dress!

bride poses for wedding portrait of her ines di santo dress

My story with The Bridal Finery was far from over at this point and Roberta and Tali truly became my fairy godmothers (or at least it felt that way to me and my mom!)
In the following months, Tali styled me from head to toe. She helped me choose a second gown, an Oscar De La Renta, for the reception that was breathtaking and timeless and styled my entire look for the reception.

bride and groom kiss at the end of the aisle

Then came COVID.... our original wedding date of June 6, 2020 became an intimate elopement with only parents, grandparents and siblings at The Alfond Inn in the exact spot where Zach had proposed less than a year earlier. We knew we would eventually celebrate BIG with our entire family and all of our friends (which we did on April 17, 2021!!!). I wanted to wear something beautiful and different from what I would wear on that day. Tali came to my rescue and found me an off the rack beautiful gown and made it work financially for my parents (cause 3 wedding dresses wasn't exactly in the budget!!!) As I said, they were my true fairy godmothers of wedding gowns!

I walked through a lot with these ladies and they saw me through every up and down during a most unprecedented time! Tali was there for every single fitting, they helped with bridesmaid dress fabric colors, directed my mom to find her gown at an amazing shop in Atlanta and literally made me feel like their only bride. This is what they do for each and every bride that comes through their doors and what makes them different from all the other salons. I have already taken one of my very best friends there to find her dream gown (boy did she!!!) and I have a feeling she won't be the last! From the day I walked in the door with no appointment to the day my beautifully preserved gowns were tucked safely into my mother's trunk I couldn't have asked for a more special experience than I had with Tali and Roberta at The Bridal Finery. I consider them friends and we are forever grateful for every kindness they showed. It was a fairytale!

What bridal accessory was your favorite?

My favorite bridal accessory was my Ines Di Santo veil! I loved how it blew in the wind during out ceremony.

outdoor wedding setup at Florida wedding on the bay

What do you love most about your wedding venue on the bay?

Zach and I both wanted a very formal, classic, old world elegant feel for our wedding. From the beautiful historic home at Bay Preserve to the old Florida oaks bordering Little Sarasota Bay that is what we got! It was just truly magical and so elegantly Old Florida. We said our vows under those oaks with the most amazing breeze coming off the bay. It didn't even feel real, it was so beautiful and surreal! Then the large property allowed for our beautiful clear tent where we celebrated, ate an amazing dinner, sipped delicious cocktails and danced the night away!

What is one thing you wish you knew before you started wedding planning?

Even when bumps in the road come along - even a BIG bump like COVID - it's all going to turn out wonderfully and will be the most amazing day! Enjoy it and enjoy the time with your fiancé! Take those bumps in the road in stride. At the end of the day that's all they are and you are marrying your best friend!

How would you describe the overall feel of your wedding?

Classically elegant and old Florida- with a modern fun celebratory vibe!

bride walks down the aisle to meet groom

What was your wedding color palette?

Lots of whites and off-whites - with soft pinks, blush and champagne undertones, played up by lots of candlelight and soft twinkle lights!

What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides?

If your budget will at all allow it, hire a good wedding planner! When I say "good" I mean the one you and your fiancé and others helping plan/finance the wedding mesh with! Make sure you agree with their approach, their pricing structure, they are easy to contact and communicate with etc... Having a wedding planner truly takes so much of the stress out of the planning and especially of your wedding day! Know that wedding planners offer many different plans. While full wedding planning is the most costly, many offer other a la carte services and "day of" or "month of" services as well. We hit the jackpot with NK Productions in Sarasota. Nicole and her team were amazing and made the whole process and our wedding day feel seamless! If you are marrying in the Sarasota, Boca Grande, FL area I can't recommend Nicole and her talented team highly enough!!!!

bride and groom cut their first piece of wedding cake

Where will your honeymoon be?

We went to the island of Antigua and it was beautiful! We stayed at an all inclusive resort, Coco Bay, which we highly recommend!

bride and groom start to exit wedding reception

What are you enjoying most about newlywed life?

My favorite part of newlywed life is getting to do life with my best friend! It is the best feeling to have someone truly in your corner as we build our futures together.

Want to learn more about Lizzy’s Orlando Bridal Shop? Check out The Bridal Finery’s homepage.

Lizzy Wears an Ines Di Santo and Oscar De La Renta Gown for Her Wedding on the Bay