manatee village historical park | tampa wedding photographer

When you meet a person who’s good-hearted and warm, you know it right away. That’s how I felt the moment I was introduced to Lindsay – her charming personality shines right through, I can’t help but be touched by it.

Lindsay is an elementary teacher and an all-around good friend to everyone. She’s very sweet and patient, and you can tell that she’s the sort of person who gives a lot of herself and doesn’t expect nor ask for anything in return. Meeting her husband-to-be, Bryan, I could tell from his eyes how lucky and blessed he’s feeling to have such a wonderful woman by his side. Seeing them together, I knew it was going to be a very good day, and a very good wedding.

The wedding was last April 4th, on a pleasant afternoon. It was held at the Manatee Village Historical Park in Bradenton. Lindsay told me that the wedding coordinator there was very sweet and helpful! It was a breathtaking place – everywhere you look, there were buildings and structures that were part of a history dating back to the 1800s. The church was very old and romantic, and nearby were a court house, an old barn, and a train – great opportunities for a few photo sessions before and after the wedding.

I was again invited by Justin to shoot this wedding with him. Occasionally, he would ask Lindsay’s bridesmaids to do different poses. Holding their flowers (provided by Bee Ridge Florist in Sarasota) and acting silly in front of our cameras proved to be a lot of fun! Here’s a perfect example of one of those shots…a candid moment captured! This is Lindsay and her sister, Kelli. You won’t find sibling rivalry here!

The ringbearers were dressed like little bouncers at the club, while the flower girls look pretty and angelic. They really made an impact, and made me smile!

The reception was family-oriented and buffet style at the Manatee Riverhouse in Palmetto. Everyone was treated like family, including me, and it was really fun and, oh, how else to say it – lovely! The food was provided by Catering by Robert based out of Tampa/Lutz, while the wedding cake was from Mr. Cheesecake in Bradenton. Look at this paella…it tasted as good as it looked!

What I also love about the reception was that it has this beach club house feel to it. After the tears and the cheers, everyone was relaxed and just having a really good time. The restaurant was designed with a lot of windows all throughout, so when sunset came and dusk fell, the whole room was bathed with exquisite light. It provided the perfect setting for emotional speeches and of course, dancing! The DJ, Justin Harper, is based out of the Orlando area and is a friend of the couple’s. He gave us fantastic music the whole night:

I had a really good time   Thank you, Lindsay and Bryan!