Laura and Peter’s 'Presidential' Sunset Beach Wedding

Laura and Peter are both busy working professionals, so Laura wanted a simple, stress-free wedding. Since that happens to be our specialty, we were a perfect match! Laura’s mother, Madeline, was instrumental in helping us plan the couple's wedding ceremony, and even surprised the happy couple by booking our violinist and some special decor for their beach wedding!

Though their beach wedding ceremony was relaxed, intimate, and fun, the hour leading up to it was anything but for us as we worked to set everything up! Laura and Peter opted for our white wedding arch and chairs for a few of their closest friends and family on Treasure Island’s gorgeous Sunset Beach. We arrived and started unloading the van, but on the first trip from the parking lot to the beach, we realized someone else had already set up for a beach wedding in the exact spot we had planned to use for Laura and Peter! We quickly sprung into action and moved the ceremony down the beach a few hundred yards. It was a lot more work for us, but the setting (right next to the rocky jetty at the southern tip of Treasure Island) was absolutely stunning!

Of course, once we had everything set up, we also had to redirect Laura and Peter’s guests to the new ceremony site and even repark a few cars. It was certainly exciting! But once we got everyone in place, Laura and Peter’s Sunset Beach wedding was perfect! Afterwards, Madeline wrote to say:

"Thank you for all you did to help make this weekend special with a wonderful wedding ceremony...We are so glad you made the decision you did and loved the new location even more. The arch and decorations were perfect and the chairs with your starfish and bows were also just right. The violin added a special touch and Jeff's ceremony was sweet, simple and meaningful. We all were very happy with everything!"

After the ceremony, there was one final moment of excitement. President Obama, who was visiting Florida to give a speech on energy policies, paid homage to Laura and Peter's beach wedding with a fly-by in Marine One! Of course we can neither confirm nor deny whether the President was actually in his helicopter, but it's a safe bet. In any case we threw in the fly-by at no extra charge!

Laura and Peter (and Madeline!): Thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We were honored to be a part of your Sunset Beach wedding. Below are few of our favorite pictures from your Sunset Beach wedding ceremony. Keep an eye on our website at http://www.simpleweddingsflorida.com/ for the rest in a few days!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Claire Copeland
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
Simple…Elegant…Perfect!

Jamie and Phil’s Pass-a-Grille Beach Wedding

Jamie and Phil contacted us several months ago from Iowa to help them plan their Florida beach wedding. In fact, it was Jamie who first requested our now infamous bamboo canopy for her wedding. So she can rightly claim that it was custom-built for her beach wedding! The bamboo canopy looked stunning with white fabric and pink trim.

There was a little bit of excitement with regards to their wedding music; Jamie had requested our sound system with recorded music for her ceremony, and was very specific that she wanted John Michael Montgomery’s “I Can Love You Like That” played during their sand unity ceremony. Jeff spent hours preparing her playlist and making sure everything was there. But wouldn’t you know it – a half hour before her ceremony as he was doing sound checks, he realized that particular song was missing from the play list!

With no time to spare, he jumped into action and called our good friend Ron (who also happens to be one of our wedding officiants) who lives nearby. He had Ron download the song to his iPod as Jeff raced to Ron’s house to pick it up. It was ready just in the nick of time. Jeff changed clothes and was back on the beach with the music queued up with 4 minutes to spare. Most importantly, Jamie was thrilled to have the music of her choice played for her wedding!

As mentioned above, Jamie and Phil were married under our bamboo canopy on Pass-a-Grille Beach. Jeff officiated and Claire provided their wedding photography on what turned out to be a gorgeous evening and a beautiful Pass-a-Grille Beach wedding ceremony.

Jamie and Phil: Thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We were honored to be a part of your special day. Below are few of our favorite pictures from your Pass-a-Grille beach wedding. Keep an eye on our website at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com for the rest in a few days!

Sincerely,


Jeff & Claire Copeland
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
Simple…Elegant…Perfect!

Jennie and Will’s Pass-a-Grille Beach Wedding

Jennie and Will contacted us a few months ago from Minnesota. They were interested in having a Florida destination beach wedding, and we helped them plan it every step of the way.

They were married on Pass-a-Grille beach (at the southern tip of St Pete Beach) under our bamboo canopy. The weather and the setting were absolutely perfect and it all looked stunning!

Jennie also opted to have us provide our sound system with recorded music and a microphone for her ceremony. The music added a very special touch, and her guests were able to hear every word of their beach wedding ceremony over the gentle background noise of the wind and surf. It was simple, elegant, and perfect!

Claire provided the happy couples’ wedding photography, and after the wedding ceremony Jennie, Will, and their handsome three year old son, Connor, enjoyed a vibrant beach sunset for their wedding portraits while their guests retired to the infamous Hurricane restaurant right across the street.

Jenny and Will: Thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We were honored to be a part of your special day. Below are few of our favorite pictures from your Pass-a-Grille beach wedding. Keep an eye on our website at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com for the rest in a few days!

Sincerely,


Jeff & Claire Copeland
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
Simple…Elegant…Perfect!

Dianne & Leon’s Treasure Island Beach Wedding

Dianne lived in Key Largo, Florida, and Leon near Lakeland, Florida. They decided to have their wedding on the beach on Treasure Island’s beautiful Sunset Beach with just a few of their close family and friends.

Dianne claimed to be very nervous, but we can’t imagine why – their wedding was laid back, intimate, and fun, and she was all smiles! The only slight hiccup came just as Dianne was just about to walk down the aisle: One of their guests took a phone call from another guest who had taken a wrong turn on their way to the wedding. They were just down the street, so Leon decided to wait for them to arrive. Dianne took the delay in stride, and once all of the guests were seated, her daughter walked her down the aisle.

It was a beautiful beach wedding ceremony that included our sand unity ceremony and champagne toast. The weather was absolutely perfect, and we all enjoyed a stunning Treasure Island sunset.

Dianne and Leon: Congratulations and thank you again for choosing Simple Weddings! Below are a few of our favorite pictures from you wedding. Keep an eye on our website at http://www.simpleweddingsflorida.com/ for the rest!

We wish you all the best in the years ahead!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Claire Copeland

Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography

Simple…Elegant…Perfect!

Lisa and Jason’s Windy Wedding on Sunset Beach

Lisa and Jason traveled from Minnesota for their wedding on Treasure Island’s aptly named Sunset Beach. They were married near the very spot where Jason proposed in the Sunset Vista Pavilion.

Their wedding on Sunset Beach was a windblown affair – with thirty mile per hour gusts! Though the wind made setting up our wedding arch and sound system quite a challenge, their beach wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. Lisa’s brother, Mark, offered a classic reading from 1st Corinthians, and Lisa and Jason’s seven month old daughter, Jaila, assisted with the rings and the sand unity ceremony.

Music for their Sunset Beach wedding was provided by our guitarist, Jeff, and it added the perfect laid-back ambiance to their intimate beach wedding, with about fourteen of their closest family and friends in attendance. It was simple…elegant…and perfect! (What did you expect?)

Lisa and Jason: Thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We wish you all the best in the years ahead. Please keep in touch and keep us in mind for your family portraits next time you’re in Treasure Island! Below are a few of our favorite wedding pictures. Please keep an eye on our website at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com for the rest in a few days!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Claire Copeland
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
Simple...Elegant...Perfect!

Lisa & Jasons's Wedding on Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, Florida

Gladys & Jeff’s Sunset Beach Wedding

Gladys and Jeff traveled all the way from Illinois to get married on the beautiful white sand beaches of Treasure Island, Florida. And even a thunderstorm couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm!

Gladys and Jeff were originally due to get married on Sunset Beach this past Friday evening, but the weather forecast didn’t agree. We had terrible weather all day…gray clouds, rain, thunder, lightning, the whole nine yards. We kept in touch with Gladys throughout the day, and offered her several options for a backup plan in case the rain didn’t go away. We offered to hold the wedding ceremony in their hotel – the beautiful new Residence Inn on Treasure Island, and we offered to do it in the Sunset Vista Pavilion on Sunset Beach. But Gladys and Jeff were having none of it.

“We came all this way to get married on the beach, and that’s what we want to do”, explained Gladys. So we offered to reschedule their beach wedding for the following morning, and they happily accepted. It turned out to be a good call – Gladys and Jeff enjoyed a crisp and sunny fall morning on Sunset Beach!

It was just the two of them for their intimate beach wedding, though they did bring along their teacup poodle, Lola, and a dolphin swam by about 20 yards away to check out the ceremony…it was perfect!

Afterwards, Claire had a blast taking their wedding pictures on the beach. She called them “a photographers dream”, as she had them rolling in the sand and surf (voluntarily of course)!

Gladys and Jeff: Thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We were honored to be a part of your beach wedding plans, and we’re glad the weather eventually cooperated. Below are a few of our favorite photos from your Sunset Beach wedding. Keep an eye on the slideshows page of our website at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com in a few days!

Sincerely,


Jeff & Claire Copeland

Simple Weddings…Simple…Elegant…Perfect!

Gladys & Jeff's Sunset Beach Wedding

Sara and Carlo’s Clearwater Beach Wedding

Carlo’s family has a vacation home on Clearwater Beach that he and his family have visited regularly for years. So when it came time for he and Sara to plan their beach wedding, it was a no brainer.

They had originally planned for the men to get ready at the Sand Pearl Resort and the women to get ready with the bride at the beach house. Then they were going to “meet in the middle” after a dramatic walk down the beach. However, their October wedding day turned out to be unseasonably warm (close to 100 degrees!) and humid, so those plans were modified slightly and the men drove to the wedding on Clearwater Beach!

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Sara’s Dad walked her across the beach and Sara couldn’t hold back her tears of joy. Thankfully her mother was quick with the Kleenex and their beach wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Jeff, went off without a hitch. They included their daughter, Josie, in the sand unity ceremony, then enjoyed an amazing Clearwater Beach sunset for their wedding photography.

Sara and Carlo: Below are a few of our favorite pictures from your wedding. Keep an eye on our slideshows page at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com for the rest of your pictures in a few days.

And thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings to plan your Clearwater Beach wedding! We wish you all the best and hope to see you for family portraits next time you visit the beach house!


Sincerely,



Jeff & Claire
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
Tampa-St Pete-Clearwater Beach Wedding Packages

Clearwater Beach Wedding Photos

Sylvia and Brian’s Sunken Gardens Wedding

Sylvia and Brian contacted us a few weeks ago and asked if we could perform their wedding at the Safety Harbor church, a historic chapel which is now a part of Largo Heritage Park. They had been working with the park staff and were told they could use the chapel on a walk-in basis. We were excited to be able to perform their wedding ceremony in such a quaint and historic venue.

Then Brian called us three days before the wedding to say that Largo Heritage Park had just informed him their policies had changed and he and Sylvia would not be able to use the chapel! Brian was in a state of panic, and rightfully so! But Claire told him to relax and give her a few minutes to make some phone calls and see what we could come up with.

Our first call was to our friends at Sunken Gardens. When Claire explained the situation, they were eager to help. Though they had another event scheduled for that afternoon, they offered to squeeze Sylvia and Brian’s wedding into their already busy schedule on short notice. Joyce and all of the staff at Sunken Gardens truly saved the day and we can’t thank them enough!

Sylvia and Brian’s Sunken Gardens Wedding Ceremony was amazing! They had an intimate wedding ceremony in Sunken Gardens’ meditation garden. Music was provided by our violinist, Laurie, and Claire provided the couples’ wedding photography. The ceremony itself was officiated by Jeff, but Sylvia’s sister, Rosa, led the group in a heartfelt invocation, and Sylvia and Brian shared their own personal vows – which had the entire group in tears (photographer and violinist included!). They opted to include our sand unity ceremony, and Rosa closed the ceremony with a lovely prayer.

Sylvia and Brian, you have a wonderful family. Thank you so much for making Simple Weddings a part of your special day! The slideshow below contains a few of our favorite pictures from your wedding. Keep an eye out for the rest in a few days on the slideshows page of our main website!

We wish you and your family all the best in the years ahead. Please keep in touch and keep us in mind for all of you photography needs!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Claire Copeland
Simple Weddings
Sunken Gardens Wedding Packages

Sunken Gardens Wedding

Maira & Patrick's Wedding on Indian Rocks Beach

Maira and Patrick are both in the military. She is in the Navy and stationed in Virginia; He is in the Army and is stationed in Tampa at MacDill Air Force Base. Maira was actually deployed overseas until just a few days before the wedding (in fact we had to reschedule it once due to her being delayed)!

The entire beach wedding was planned by Patrick's mother, Donna, and she did a wonderful job - She was a real trooper and held everything together despite the delays and the uncertainty!

Maira and Patrick's wedding ceremony was held on Indian Rocks Beach and was officiated by Ron. Claudette provided the photography, and our friend Laurie Vodnoy-Wright serenaded the wedding party with lovely classical violin wedding music! It was Simple...Elegant...and Perfect! (What did you expect? That is our motto after all!)

Donna, Maira, and Patrick: Congratulations and thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings! We wish you all the best in the years ahead. Below are a few of our favorite pictures from your Indian Rocks Beach wedding, and you can see the rest on our wedding slideshows page.

Sincerely,


The Simple Weddings Team:
Ron, Claudette, Laurie, Jeff & Claire

Maira & Patrick's Wedding on Indian Rocks Beach

Maria & Doug's Wedding at the Don Cesar

Maria and Doug are from New Jersey and were planning a vacation in Orlando, Florida. They contacted us when they decided to nip over to the coast for an intimate wedding on the beach. We recommended the infamous Don Cesar Beach Resort on St Pete Beach, Florida.

Maria and Doug have an interesting story - they lived in the same neighborhood and worked in the same building off and on over several years, but never met. Fate finally brought them together about a year ago, and they have never looked back!

Their wedding was held in the Don Cesar's West Pavilion, with the white sand beach of the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop. They had a beautiful floral arrangement from our friends at Seaside Florals on St Pete Beach, complete with rose petals on the ground around the ceremony and two bouquets on pedestals to frame their wedding ceremony.

After the ceremony, they spent some time on the beach with Claire for their wedding photos, then retired to the Maritana Grille in the Don Cesar for a romantic dinner (and a gigantic wedding cake)!

Maria and Doug, thank you so much for choosing Simple Weddings to plan your wedding at the Don Cesar Beach Resort! We hope you enjoyed the rest of your Florida vacation, and we wish you all the best in the years ahead. Below are a few of our favorite wedding pictures. Keep an eye on the slideshows page on our website at www.SimpleWeddingsFlorida.com for the rest in a few days!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Claire Copeland

Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography

St Pete Beach Wedding Packages

Simple...Elegant...Perfect!

Maria & Doug's Don Cesar Wedding