Years in the Making | Erica & Jencen’s Hilton Clearwater Beach Wedding
Erica and Jencen’s story does not begin on a wedding day, but years earlier with a simple swipe on Tinder in 2017 while they were both in undergrad. What followed was not immediate or loud, but steady in the way the best things often are. Life moved around them, school schedules shifted, distance came and went, and through it all they kept finding their way back to each other.
Over time, their relationship took shape in the everyday things. Traveling together became second nature. So did the small rituals in between trips, like finding new restaurants, discovering cafés in unfamiliar cities, and settling into quiet nights with board games. Those moments built a rhythm that felt easy, familiar, and deeply their own.
In May 2024, Jencen proposed on their favorite beach in Asbury Park on their anniversary. It was a place already woven into their history, which made the moment feel both natural and meaningful. Right after, the celebration continued in an unexpected way with a surprise engagement gathering at The Main Stay, where their closest family and friends were waiting. The moment expanded quickly, moving from private to shared without losing its intimacy.
Not long after, Erica created her own proposal in June during Asbury Park Pride. She planned a scavenger hunt that led through meaningful stops, ending at a decorated hotel room at the Asbury Ocean Club overlooking the beach. It was playful and thoughtful, layered with intention and personality. Two proposals within weeks of each other, each one distinct, both reflecting the same shared foundation of love and partnership.
What stands out most about Erica and Jencen is the way they speak about each other. Erica admires Jencen’s self-awareness, the way she reflects on herself with honesty and intention, always striving to grow in how she shows up for the people around her. Jencen carries a deep and steady kind of care, especially for her family, always thinking about how to support, protect, and love them well, no matter the distance.
Over the years, Clearwater and the surrounding St. Pete area in Florida became more than just a destination. It became a place they returned to again and again, sometimes just the two of them, sometimes with friends and family. The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa became part of that rhythm, a familiar home base tied to so many shared memories. Even when they were not staying there, Tommy’s Tiki Bar became part of the experience, connected to the ease and comfort they felt in the area.
Choosing to get married there felt less like a decision and more like a continuation of something already in motion.
Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
The wedding weekend unfolded with a sense of familiarity and intention that matched the place itself. Guests arrived into a setting that already held meaning for Erica and Jencen, stepping into a location that had long been part of their story. The design was intentionally understated, built around an elegant beach aesthetic with soft blues, natural textures, and a coastal ease that never felt forced.
The weekend felt less like a single event and more like something unfolding in layers, each moment flowing into the next without ever feeling rushed or contained. Guests arrived into a space that already meant something, and from there everything just seemed to move at its own pace, shaped by the people, the setting, and the ease of being together.
The ceremony took place barefoot on the sand, simple and grounded, with the ocean just beyond them. There was a quiet ease to the moment, a sense of presence that did not need anything more than what was already there. Surrounded by their closest family and friends, it felt personal in the most honest way.
The celebration continued on the Sandpiper Terrace, an open-air reception space overlooking the beach and water. As the evening unfolded, the environment stayed central to everything, with the ocean breeze and fading light shaping the atmosphere as much as any detail or design element.
Thoughtful touches were woven throughout the day. A welcoming sign set the tone for the weekend. Sea glass place settings tied the design back to the coast in a subtle way. Signature drink signage added personality without taking away from the natural setting. Everything felt intentional but never overdone.
Still, what stayed with them most was not the design or the details. It was the feeling of being surrounded by their people in a place that already held meaning, celebrating something they had been building toward for years.
Some of the most memorable moments came in the quieter in-betweens. Sunset portraits between palm trees. The stillness after the ceremony when everything had just shifted. And later, a dance floor filled with family and friends, where the entire weekend came together in movement, laughter, and music.
The weekend felt less like a single event and more like a shared experience stretched across days. Guests staying at the resort, gathering throughout the property, moving between beach and celebration spaces, all part of the same rhythm.
If there was a single feeling that carried through everything, it was gratitude. For the people who showed up. For the place that already meant so much. And for the chance to bring it all together in one shared moment.
And as the night came to a close, the celebration ended exactly where it belonged. On the beach, with a sparkler exit under the night sky, the ocean behind them, and their closest people gathered around them as they stepped into what comes next.
Lead Photographer | Jeff Mitchell
Associate Photographer | Noelle Topa
Videography | Limelight Photography
Lead Videographer | Earl Speid
Second Videographer | Kevaughn Reid
Band | Let It Drop Entertainment
Bridesmaid Dresses | Birdy Grey
Cake | Publix Bakery
Caterer | Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
Ceremony Site | Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa (Sandpiper Terrace / Beachfront)
DJ | Let It Drop Entertainment
Event Planner | Haily Dick & Rebecca Webster – Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
Florist | Choose You Events – Jaimi Witherspoon
Hair Stylist | Hibiscus Spa at Hilton Clearwater Beach
Invitations | The Knot
Make-up Artist | Hibiscus Spa at Hilton Clearwater Beach
Reception Venue | Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa – Sandpiper Terrace