Alison and Michael had a beautiful wedding day in downtown St. Petersburg. This was an international affair with guests traveling in from across the Atlantic. Guests joined these two in the lush scenery of Sunken Gardens for the ceremony, and then traveled to the Birchwood to continue their celebration in one of the hotels ballrooms. In Alison's words, these two met, “At MacDintons Tampa very late one night! He stopped me as I was leaving and I gave him my phone number. Turns out, for the longest time before we went on a first date, he had me in his phone as "Cute Russian Chick"! Who knew a British accent sounded Russian?! He will never live that down! After our first sushi date, we knew there was something between us. After the first time he came to my house and met my parents, my dog crashed into his leg with such excitement and they had an immediate bond. He misses our Henry as much as I do! Six years later...the rest is history!” Their history turned into a marriage proposal that Alison said yes :) One day… “At sunset on the beach at Tortuga Inn on Anna Maria Island. We had been going there every year since we met for Mike's birthday, and this year seemed no different so I didn't suspect a thing! He almost backed out- I was not feeling well and then a thunderstorm approached and he decided it was a bad omen! My sister Nicola, being the level-headed person she is, told him to snap out of it (ha ha!) and I'm so glad she did :) We walked down to the beach on the way to dinner and the post thunderstorm sky was so beautiful that unsuspecting me almost didn't realize that Mike was trying to propose, while I tried to take sunset photos! Oops! How could I say no to that ring?! It was stunning. My sister took discreet photos from afar and then my parents came onto the beach holding Veuve Clicquot champagne that my heavily pregnant sister had sent for the occasion. We face timed with her and my brother in law and all celebrated on the beach together as a family. It could not have been more perfect or more of a complete surprise!” It was great working with these two and congratulations to the newlyweds! :)
Lead Photographer | Ann Fuentes
Associate Photographer | Stephanie Duffany
Caterer | The Birchwood
Ceremony Site | Sunken Gardens
Reception Venue | The Birchwood