Demiana & Mike

05/16/21

Wedding Venue

Ceremony at St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church in New Port Richey
Reception at Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach

Vendors & Their Instagram Handles

Planning & Design: @alexakritisevents
Ceremony Venue: St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church
Reception Venue: @wyndham_cwb
Photography: @ivash_photography
Videography: @compassweddingco
Florist: @cottonandmagnolia
DJ: @sparkweddingevents
Cake: @theartisticwhisk
Hair & Makeup: @FemmeAkoi
Transportation: @ambassadorlimotampa
Rentals: @im_events_rentals & @customlinenrentals

How did you & Mike meet?

Mike and I met on December 2014 at a college church retreat in Titusville, FL. As Mike would say, "She was the girl in the ASU hat that I really wanted to get to know." Sure enough, he made it happen on our last night at the retreat. We stayed up playing games, getting donuts from across the street and watching the sunrise. One of my favorite games was a coin game because Mike and I had a blast teaming up and messing with people, it was so much fun being his partner in crime! We then went our separate ways, I went back to Scottsdale, AZ and Mike went back to Clearwater. We started Snapchatting everyday then he moved our conversation to text, then phone calls and facetimes!

Where was your first date?

Our first date was at McDonald's!

How did Mike propose?

Mike proposed at the Celebration Lakeside Park on 6/27/20. His cousin had just graduated high school in Clearwater and they had planned a "graduation party" for her here in Orlando because Clearwater had a lot more restrictions due to Covid. His sisters even created a graduation invite and sent one to me to make it more realistic! Mike came to pick me up and he insisted on going to Target to buy pens/ highlighters and of course because it's Target we were there for quite a while looking at more than just pens and highlighters. We then make it to the park and I see rose peddles, pictures, lanterns, candles and lights and that's when it hit me- Mike was proposing!

What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?

My dress shopping experience was so exciting at first but then after visiting a few stores and realizing that I wasn't a fan of anything I started getting a little worried. My brother, sister and I were leaving a dress store in Winter Park and they spotted a Bella Bridesmaids store. We decided to stop by and look at some bridesmaid dresses. My brother, knowing I was not a fan of any wedding dresses we've seen, asked Christa-from Bella Bridesmaids- if she knew of any wedding dress places that she would recommend and immediately she recommended The Bridal Finery. I called in and spoke to Roberta and she told me I can come in later that day and asked me to send her pictures of dresses that I may have seen online and liked. As soon as I walked in I already saw so many potentials!! Roberta was absolutely amazing, she was so full of energy, excitement and passion! After speaking with her for a bit I could tell that she genuinely cares and wanted me to find the most perfect dress. Roberta had a few dresses hung up and of course one of them caught my eyes. I didn't even try on the other dresses, I knew I wanted that Ines Di Santo dress! Roberta made the entire process so easy and exciting!! She gave me so many tips and recommendations that helped me during the planning process. She was so accommodating when I wanted the entire family to come see the dress and help me pick out my jewelry.

What bridal accessory was your favorite?

My headpiece was my absolute favorite accessory! I had never seen anything so unique and beautiful!

What do you love most about your wedding venue?

 The area where we had our first look was my absolute favorite part of our wedding. It had high ceilings and windows for natural lighting and I'm a huge fan of high ceilings! Mike loved that it was on the beach in his favorite city!

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

I wish I knew that we would need more time for pictures in the morning! We took a good amount of pictures but I would have loved for individual pictures with the bridal party, the family and more portraits at the venue before the ceremony.

How would you describe the overall feel of your wedding?

We are Coptic Orthodox and we love the traditions in our religion and culture so we had an Orthodox Ceremony and a simple/ elegant reception!

What was your wedding color palette?

Our color palette was mauve, charcoal grey and gold.

What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides?

Definitely hire a wedding planner, at least a day of coordinator. Alexa from Alexa Kritis Events and her team did SO much not only before the wedding but the day of the wedding. Alexa and her team made sure everything ran smoothly and on time. She was in constant communication with the vendors during the day so that Mike and I can enjoy the best day of our lives stress free!

Where will your honeymoon be?

We went to Kauai, Hawaii and it was beautiful and relaxing! We would definitely recommend it!

What are you enjoying most about newlywed life?

The time we have together! Our relationship has always been long distance and it's been amazing to be able to do everything together, such as cooking or going out for a nice walk on a random Tuesday night!

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