Centro Asturiano de Tampa Wedding | Ashley & Jay

Tampa is home to quite a number of historic venues, and I’m certain these spaces have stories to tell! One of them is Centro Asturiano de Tampa. It was once a social club that “took care of members from birth until after they died,” and today it has been transformed into a venue for weddings and events. Much of the original architecture of the space has remained, and it’s on display the most in the theatre and ballroom. Both spaces happen to be where Ashley and Jay hosted their wedding day!

Weddings, carrie, linda 2nd shootingCarrie WildesNovember 14, 2021Centro Asturiano Wedding, ballroomComment

Tampa Family Portraits Julian B Lane | McCreary Family

Here’s just a few of my personal favs of Shelley, Larry, and Cole. Note their fabulous outfit choices, and that red bench in the background totally is the perfect accent to Shelley’s white and red top. When we were planning their session Shelley just wanted something pretty outside to capture who they are as a family in this moment.

carrieCarrie WildesNovember 12, 2021family portraits, Tampa Family Portraits, Tampa Family PhotographyComment

Innisbrook Resort Wedding | Charmaine & Earl

Charmaine and Earl win the award for one of our cutest couples of the year! These two got engaged at a Salamander Property, so that's why they choose Innisbrook Resort for their wedding (as it is also a Salamander property). The Innisbrook Resort has a gorgeous garden space and loads of landscapes to choose from for photos! We love the serene setting!

Top Tips for Having the Perfect Family Portrait Style

November is the month for getting those updated family portraits done! Starting a couple of years ago Miriam (who is one of our lead photographers) and I made a little pact to practice what we preach and get our own annual family portraits done.

Probably the biggest question I get is “What do we wear?” so I’m going to give you my top tips and show you what we did this year!

Carrie WildesNovember 4, 2021family portraits, Tampa Family PortraitsComment

Florida Aquarium Wedding | Ellen & Dan

Ellen and Dan’s day with us started with their first look (what a fun way to kick-off the day for us!). The aquatics-loving duo decided on the Florida Aquarium for their wedding day. The aquarium has some beautiful outdoor areas, so it was all the garden vibes, despite the location hinting otherwise!

Fred Howard Park Engagement Session | Lisette + Michael

Who doesn’t love a romantic picnic at the beach? A little champagne, charcuterie and fruit! I love this sweet little setup Lisette came up with for her and Michael’s engagement session at Fred Howard Park.

Tampa Family Portraits | Riley Family

carrieCarrie WildesOctober 26, 2021milestones, family portraits, Tampa Family Portraits, Tampa Family PhotographyComment

SWEL Muertos Mixer | The Pavilion at Mixon Farm

Every so often us wedding and event people get to get together and throw a pretty awesome party! This week we got to work with an amazing team of sponsors to photograph the October meeting for Suncoast Wedding & Event Leaders (SWEL) at The Pavilion at Mixon Farm and it did not disappoint!

linda, eventsCarrie WildesOctober 14, 2021events, The Pavilion at Mixon FarmsComment

Tampa Newborn Lifestyle Session | Baby Wyatt

Just a few weeks before little Mr. Wyatt was born I got to see Violet and Geoffrey for their maternity session! He is such a cutie and had some sweet little baby poses for us already. Violet and Geoffrey moved into a new house before he was born, and we used their neutral walls for this simple lifestyle look that is all about them as a family of 3.

carrieCarrie WildesOctober 12, 2021newborn portraits, milestonesComment

Safety Harbor Resort Wedding | Heather & Hunter

Heather and Hunter’s intimate destination wedding was hosted at the Safety Harbor Resort. These two, and their families, came down from Missouri to celebrate the couple’s union. It was a very warm August day, but the sky was clear of clouds, which is always a blessing for a summer day in Florida! Although the festivities were indoors, we’re always hopeful for a no rain wedding day for our couples.

Ballast Point Park Tampa Engagement Session | Logan + Kevin

Logan and Kevin arehaving a coastal styled wedding at the Grand Hyatt in April next year. To compliment the theme and views of Tampa we did their engagement session at Ballast Point Park where there is the perfect view of downtown from the water front!

Harborside Chapel & Safety Harbor Resort and Spa Wedding | Sadie & Michael

At the beginning of August, Sadie and Michael celebrated their much-anticipated wedding day in Safety Harbor, Florida. The couple and their families could not have been more thrilled for their joyous day, and the weather could not have been more ideal. Each of their days began at Harborside Chapel and continued at nearby Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, and both their ceremony and reception were beautiful. I cannot wait to share more!

carrieCarrie WildesOctober 4, 2021safety harbor resort and spa, intimate micro, ballroom, churchComment

University of Tampa Engagement Session | Carissa + Anthony

Carissa and Anthony are getting married at Nova 535 in St. Pete next April and wanted a little bit of down town Tampa for their engagement session. Since they’re getting married in St. Pete and did their engagement session in Tampa, they get both sides of the bay! It doesn’t really get any more “Tampa” than university of Tampa, as it’s such an icon and there’s SO many gorgeous locations!

Tampa Bay Food Fight 2021 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Last night was one of my personal favorite annual events because it’s so crazy, fun, and by far the best reason is that it’s a fundraiser to benefit the culinary school at Metropolitan Ministries. This was the 5th year for the Tampa Bay Food Fight, this year hosted at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel. This event brings together all the best restaurants both both side of the bay and the best of the best battle it out for team Tampa and Team St. Pete. Team Tampa was led by captain Chef Taro Larrea, who is Executive Chef and partner at Eddie V’s Tampa. Team St. Pete was led by captain Chef Joshua Breen - Annata Wine Bar.

carrie, eventsCarrie WildesSeptember 29, 2021events, Tampa Bay Food Fight, metropolitan ministriesComment

Armature Works Rooftop 220 Sweet 16 | Lexi

What could be a cooler setting for a sweet 16 than a rooftop in Tampa? It’s safe to say Lexi agreed! She was joined by her family and friends as she celebrated her milestone birthday at Armature Works’ Rooftop 220. The venue is highlighted by a downstairs public market, industrial style, and indoor-outdoor spaces, plus the views of the city, especially when it glows at night, cannot be beat.

Sweet 16, carrie, eventsCarrie WildesSeptember 20, 2021Armature Works, eventsComment

Wedding Timeline: How Much Time Do I Need?

I was thinking about the most asked question from our couples and it is “how much time do I need?” That my friend is kind of a loaded question but can be answered very easily with these 3 questions below:

CouplesCarrie WildesSeptember 16, 2021Tampa Bay WeddingsComment

JW Marriott Tampa Water Street | Association of Bridal Consultations/National Association of Catering Executives

All the people who plan the events actually do get together and have their own events! This month was a joint meeting of 2 of my favorite groups to attend in the Tampa Area - Association of Bridal Consultations (ABC) and National Association of Catering Executives (NACE).

carrie, eventsCarrie WildesSeptember 15, 2021events, weddings Comment

Lake Park Tampa Maternity Session | Lauren & Zach

Lauren and Zach are expecting a little girl arriving in November!! They wanted a pretty, outdoorsy location and Lake Park is one of my favorite hidden gems. Lauren had 2 dresses picked out and the blue looks stunning with all the greenery in the background and with Zach’s outfit.

carrieCarrie WildesSeptember 13, 2021maternity portraits, tampa maternity sessionComment

Fenway Hotel Wedding | Tiffania & Laurence

Tiffania & Laurence's intimate wedding of 13 guests was hosted at the First United Methodist Church Dunedin, with a reception at the Fenway Hotel following their nuptials. Tiffania is a pastor, as are both of her parents. Her dad officiated a beautiful ceremony, which was incredible, as a photographer, to be able to capture!

Weddings, carrieCarrie WildesSeptember 10, 2021Fenway Hotel, intimate micro, church, weddingsComment

Yacht Starship Wedding | Sara & Jamie

We love a unique wedding venue, and the Yacht Starship sure delivers! There is something so quintessentially Clearwater about a wedding on the water and you can’t get much closer than a wedding on a yacht!