Hilton Tampa Downtown | Event Design

Lauren and Shane met in Graduate School while Shane was in his second year of Medical School and Lauren had just started pursuing her education to become a Physician Assistant. They were first introduced by Lauren’s sister, who was also in Shane’s class, but didn’t reconnect until a few months later when Shane became a Teacher’s Assistant for Lauren’s Physiology exam. After offering to help her study for one of her exams (which she ended up not getting the best grade in – haha) they decided to go on their first date.

After a few years of dating Shane decided to pop the question during a family and friends trip to Park City, UT. Lauren was completely unaware that this was going to happen and packed absolutely no makeup and almost left the house for dinner with two wet braids.

While planning their modern and elegant themed wedding the couple’s biggest focus was to make sure that everything came together smoothly and with as little stress as possible. They both originally decided to get married at the Hilton Tampa Downtown due to its occupancy size, but it later became a huge convenience factor since all of their guests were able to stay on site.

Looking back on her wedding day, Lauren said she is SO THANKFUL that she hired Event Design to help her with her decor items. Between the gold chiavari chairs, drapery, chargers, and a high gloss white dance floor (which gives off a similar vibe to a vinyl wrap) the Hilton’s ballroom was completely transformed. Without these items, Lauren believes that her wedding reception would have looked like a typical conference hall but due to these enhancements the couple are still receiving compliments months after their special day!

Whitney and Frank met on www.match.com and a few days later they had their first date (which ironically was St. Patrick’s Day!) After a few months of dating and endless chemistry they both knew that they had found the one. Frank decided to pop the question at one of their favorite restaurants, Armani’s, and surprised Whitney with an engagement party immediately after at her mom’s house!

Since they decided to have their wedding the following summer, Whitney and Frank wanted a venue that offered both their ceremony and reception indoors. Due to the large space and numerous ballrooms, The Hilton in Downtown Tampa became their number one choice. Soon after signing the contract with the venue, Whitney contacted Event Design for centerpieces, flowers, drapery, and other decor items to completely transform the space and prevent it from looking too ballroom-y.

Aside from the standard decor items, Whitney and Frank knew that they needed a large dance floor since they and their guests were very big dancers. To go with their classic color scheme, the couple decided on a matte all white style which allowed the light to bounce off perfectly for their photos!

Looking back on her wedding day, Whitney is glad she hired Event Design to take care of both her decor and florals to avoid having to communicate with numerous vendors. If she could give any piece of advice to couples it would be to provide your vendors with loads of pictures so you both are on the same page. By doing that, Whitney was able to get exactly what she envisioned and create the beautiful wedding that she had always hoped for!

Alsooo, fun fact! Whitney’s Aunt and Uncle were married at the same hotel 30 years prior so looking back at their wedding day Whitney and Frank are glad they were able to experience their first dance in the same room!

Venue: Hilton Tampa Downtown | Photography: Life’s Highlights | Decor, Floral, and Drapery: Event Design

Hilton Tampa Downtown Wedding – Lauren & Shane

Hilton Tampa Downtown Wedding – Whitney & Frank