Naseem + Michael Step Into The Limelight | Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay | Tampa, FL

May 23, 2019

I had quite the privilege of being able to be with Naseem and Michael on their wedding day on this beautiful day in early May. Our sweet couple chose to get married and the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. We started off the day by getting ready. Naseem got in her dress with the help of mom and her then, soon-to-be sister in-law with the happiest of smiles! She looked spectacular in her gown specially made for her! Michael wore an all black suit - very classy and sharp! It was finally time for both of them to see each other for the first time that day. First look was the sweetest moment for both of them and they took the time to comfort each other and have an intimate moment to themselves. It was now ready for the ceremony! Naseem and Michael chose to do a ketubah signing with their dearest loved ones present and said their I Do’s in one of the Grand Hyatt’s ballrooms which was decorated with gold chairs, white floral and a beautiful chuppah at the front of the room. Once married, Michael broke the glass and sealed their new lives together with a kiss!

Their reception was nothing short of spectacular! Every single item was specifically chosen by our couple so their guests could celebrate in comfort and in style. Each table was decorated with a floral centerpiece, custom match box and chocolate chip cookies! our couple danced the night away and had such a great time.

We were very blessed to be a part of this couple and their new journey in lie as the new Mr and Mrs. Congratulations to the newly weds!!!

Lead Photographer | Carlos Rello
Associate Photographer | Kara Lerchenfeld

Ceremony Site | Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Event Planner | Days Remembered by ND
Reception Venue | Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay

Catalina + Shayne Step Into The Limelight | Hillsborough River State Park | Thonotosassa, FL

May 23, 2019

Catalina & Shayne’s first date was at the Hillsborough River State Park so having their engagement session at this location just made sense. Shayne loves the outdoors and he took took us along an educational hike during their session. Did you know Wild Grapes is a thing? Animals love them! There is also such a thing as Wild Coffee along the trails, it’s a glossy little shrub and if eaten… it will give you a burst of energy unlike our normal Starbucks coffee cup (more like a buzz). Shayne saved us all when he quickly spotted poison ivy! I just loved how Catalina just gracefully smiled throughout it all… She can hang though, don’t get me wrong. spiders and mosquitoes were everywhere!

Fun fact… Catalina was one of Limelight’s Interns a few years ago and now we get to be a part of the planning process of her own wedding day! It is such an honor and I cannot wait to see it all come together. They will tie the knot in January at Beso del Sol Resort and we are here for it.

Lead Photographer | Dafne Spencer

Location | Hillsborough River State Park

Jessie + Mike Step Into The Limelight | Marco Beach Ocean Resort | Marco Beach, FL

May 22, 2019

One sunny day at the NYC Medical Examiner’s Morgue….(2012) Two bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 4th year medical students shared a cadaver, but little did they know, they were soon to be co-interns in general surgery at NYU. Mike was smitten almost immediately… Jessie required a little more convincing. But after two years of battling in the trenches of residency together and becoming close friends, Mike (while subtly fending off other suitors) finally worked up the courage and held her hand… under the table, at a bar. It was a little weird. Yet here we are, nearly 4 years later, happily engaged and very much in love. Mike has come to appreciate Jessie's passion for burn-your-face-off spicy food and Jessie has watched all of the Star Wars films (Episodes I-VIII, but not in that order).

Jessie’s dad, Dingwei, was very ill, very suddenly, with pancreatic cancer and hospitalized at NYU Langone Medical Center where both Jessie and Mike work. While Mike had been saving up for a big ring, given these circumstances, he decided to push up the timeline. He secretly got a pearl ring that he knew Jessie loved, snuck into the hospital to get Dingwei’s blessing in secret and showed him the ring. He then found Jessie at home on the couch and proposed on one knee in their apartment. They then immediately called Mike’s parents before running into the hospital to share the moment with Dingwei and Liya (Jessie’s Mom). On September 8, 2017, when Mike surprised her in their little NYC apartment living room with the ring of her dreams, the only answer was, “Yes!” They had planned to get married in an intimate backyard ceremony in Princeton NJ 9/16/18, however given Dingwei’s untimely death, they postponed the wedding.

Jessie and Michael love everything about each other. They are a team. Jessie says: “Mike is super smart, compassionate to his patients, extremely nerdy and funny, the right kind of weird, is the heart of every party, quick to smile, effortlessly charming to a fault. Makes me laugh. Knows my strengths and weaknesses and loves them all. Supports me in difficult times without hesitation.” Mike says: “Jessie is beautiful, brilliant and talented. Her smile is infectious and she lights up every room. She is kind and caring and a devoutly loyal friend. Loving her has made me a better man. She’s also my kind of weird.”

Together they enjoy cooking, exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants in NYC, traveling and going to Marco Island. Their destination beach wedding was filled with some Marco magic where friends, family and loved ones gathered to relax and have a good time away from the hustle and bustle of NYC.

They fell in love with Marco Island after a couple vacations there. Luckily it is also a popular destination for Mike’s extended family over the years. 5/4/19 wasn’t the original date, but became the date that worked for the majority of the family. Mike is also a HUGE Star Wars fan, and was thrilled to have the date fall on “May the Fourth…” which generated their wedding hashtag #Maythe4thBeWithYu Noteably… this was NOT a Star Wars-themed wedding BUT Mike did still try to sneak in some hints of it. Their wedding was simple, modern and timeless. “A little bit of NYC in Marco! Jessie changed into a Chinese traditional dress and outfit right before the afterparty (Shanghai Speak Easy theme).

The private first look was romantic and genuine. Michael an Jessie loved the aesthetic of the arches/driveway as well as the wooden boardwalk out to the beach for the ceremony. A very special note of importance is that the officiant is Jessie’s jewish grandmother/godmother. A soloist performed a beautiful singing performance. And they had a small Chinese portion of the ceremony and exchanged wine that was a gift from Jessie’s dad Dingwei. They are a fun-loving, warm couple who threw a great party and danced with their friends and family in celebration of starting a new chapter of their lives together. After all guests mingled on the beach for cocktail hour they danced the night away with loved ones. Intimate, Festive, Romantic, Laid-back, Modern but classy

Lead Photographers | Michael + Rebecca Zoumberos

Kelsey + Joseph Step Into The Limelight | Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa | Clearwater Beach, FL

May 15, 2019

Kelsey grew up in South Dakota and knew ever since she was little that she wanted to live near the beach. Six years ago Kelsey made her dreams come true by moving to Florida. If Kelsey would have never made the journey from South Dakota, she would have never met the love of her life, Joseph. Kelsey + Joseph met through a mutual friend and have been together ever since….4 1/2 years ago to be exact!

Joseph proposed to Kelsey while on a trip to her parents house in South Dakota on the 3rd of July. They were enjoying an evening boat ride and during the fireworks display, he dropped down on one knee! So romantic!

What they love about each other:

Kelsey says, “I love Joseph’s patience and kind heart. He keeps me level headed when I overreact and doesn’t care what people think about him.

Joseph says, “I love Kelsey for her motivation, ambition and good heart. She’s the sweetest most relatable person I’ve ever met.”

Kelsey + Joseph enjoy spending time with their fur baby, a 2yr old cavapoo named Duke. They love food, friends and family, often opening their home to host different guests for parties and family gatherings. It was important on their wedding to foster the same environment as they both had families flying in from all around the country. Most of Kelsey + Joseph’s family have never met before, so it was really exciting to get everyone together to share their joy and love for one another and to celebrate as one big happy family.

Lead Photographer | Stephanie Duffany
Associate Photographer | Audrey Clifford

Lauren + Max Step Into The Limelight | Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort And Spa | Clearwater Beach, FL

May 15, 2019

Lauren & Max

the love story | written by the bride

I apologize for the extended addition of our story in advance...but I think it's rather cute! For those of you who don't know, Max and I met in medical school. We were friends for a while but, unfortunately, we did not get together until two years after we met. We found each other attractive but, for many reasons, did not try to date for a long time.

As time went on, I dated other people but none of them worked out. Max and I became really close during this time and were talking on the phone, Facebook, etc... every night. Around the time of my birthday in October, Max wanted to ensure I had an amazing party so he planned an amazing dinner for me at Mellow Mushroom, my favorite restaurant, and invited all of our friends. He also invited me to see a scary movie at his place ("Sinister") but never really clarified that it was meant to be a "first date". I showed up wearing pajamas to the movie whereas Max had gone all out for this event and was wearing nice cologne and looked like a million bucks. I knew what was going on at that moment but I also knew I had really thrown him off by dressing like I was coming over for a nap.

As my birthday got closer, I wondered if Max would actually show up to the party after my embarrassing moment at the scary movie. He put the whole thing together but I had made it seem like I wasn't interested. To my surprise, he showed up. He greeted me wearing a very handsome plaid shirt and gave me a big hug. He didn't sit next to me, so I did what any other normal, boy-crazy girl would do, I texted him from across the table. I flirted as much as I could trying to show him I was still interested.

We started to talk a lot after that. Eventually, we watched another movie together, an event to which I showed up looking amazing and he came to the door wearing sweat pants and a dirty t-shirt (touché). I told him how I felt that night and he did the same. We started going out and two years of adventures, set backs, excitement and happiness, we got engaged.

For those of you who haven't seen the video, Max proposed in an incredible way. He saved pictures of the two of us from six months into our relationship onward and kept them on his phone. He happens to be a great guitar player and singer so he informed me that he wanted to put on a "Ten-Year Anniversary Show" with his friend, Jacob. He traveled back and forth from Gainesville several times a month for several months, an hour and a half long drive to go practice with his friend. He then rented out a church hall with a stage and invited 75 people who were close to us. We filled the house. He then proceeded to play and sing 15 of our favorite songs he had learned on the guitar. The last song was our song "Love you Like the Movies" by Anthem Lights. During this song, he jumped down from the stage, and had a powerpoint presentation go on behind him of all of our pictures together. He proposed at the end - I obviously said yes!!

From the moment I met Lauren & Max I could feel the sweet and passionate love they both possess for each other. It is undeniable…they are meant to be together. They lift each other up and support each other other through it all. I had the pleasure of following just a small portion of their medical journey as they were both matched to complete their residency at USF and Tampa General Hospital. Lauren in vascular surgery and Max in psychiatry. Just that itself is MAJOR! They both have worked intensely and tirelessly to pursue their dreams… meanwhile planning a wedding!
Ahhh… the wedding day. We LOVED being a part of such a special day. People from all over the world were present to celebrate Lauren & Max, even China. Yes! China. How absolutely amazing is that? Max’s parents who were among the travelers beamed with joy ad pride. It was a beautiful site to see.
Each moment of the day was so incredibly sweet and each detail was perfectly executed. The touches of blush and ivory were just perfection. Classic & elegant.
Thank you Lauren & Max for trusting us to capture your love story… May life bring you many many more joyous moments.

ps. fun fact: Max is probably the fastest typer in the world (no joke!) It’s incredible.

Lead Photographer | Dafne Spencer
Associate Photographer | Carlos Rello