Married November 9, 2018
Bridal Prep: Downtown Condo
Ceremony & Reception: Southern Oaks Plantation
Band / DJ: Southern Oaks DJ
Videographer: Bella Productions
Florist: Bella Blooms
Bakery: Chasing Wang
Hair: Flawless Bride
Makeup: Flawless Bride
Bridal Boutique: Truly Forever Bridal in Tampa

How did you meet?
Ari and Annie met in downtown Saint Petersburg on a Sunday evening, December 7th, 2014. We always have a witty debate when describing exactly what type of establishment Ferg’s is when telling our story. See Ari likes to refer to the location as a “restaurant” while Annie is honest about the fact that it is more of a “sports pub.” Ari was simply picking up a quick bite to eat and preparing for his Monday meeting when Annie walked in with a friend. Being the gentleman that he is, Ari quickly offered her and her friend a seat and started chatting with the two ladies. Before they knew it, Ari and Annie had been chatting for a couple of hours. Before the night was over, Ari asked for Annie’s phone number and called her the next day and invited her to lunch at Seasons 52. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the spark was something special and we have been inseparable ever since.

Include a little bit about yourselves. What do you do?
Ari is the Regional Sales Director for Nextech, a cloud based medical software for plastic surgeons and dermatologists . Annie is the Director of Market Development and Client Relations at Auditwerx, a CPA firm specializing in IT and Cyber-security Audits.

what is your favorite thing about each other? Share a personal story.
I love Ari’s heart. He is the most sincere person in the world. He lives his life full of integrity and honesty.

I fell in love with Annie because she is so driven and a go getter. She also is a domestic goodess and beautiful.

How did the proposal go? Who proposed to who, were you surprised?
New Orleans has always been a special place to Annie. In fact, the very first time that she visited the city, after experiencing a 2nd line parade for the first time she stated, “I am either going to get married here or my funeral will be here.” She absolutely loves the culture of New Orleans. For months a trip to New Orleans had been planned to visit Annie’s favorite city and attend the USF vs Tulane football game. After a few days of delicious food, French Quarter shenanigans and Nola Jazz, Ari decided that October 21st on the stairs overlooking picturesque Jackson Square and the St. Louis’ Cathedral he would pop the question. In front of a sizable crowd, Ari (visibly shaking) got down on one knee and asked Annie the most important questions of their lives “Will you Marry Me?” She of course said, “YES!” after removing her spider themed fascinator and putting down her champagne to go cup. The crowd that had gathered cheered and the newly engaged couple made their way to the Halloween parade and then to the USF game to celebrate!

Where was your ceremony held and why did you pick this site?
Southern Oaks Plantation. The moment I walked on the grounds at SOP I knew that it was it! It’s gorgeous decor, personal staff, attention to every detail. It was just as magical as the hype. Absolute perfection!

What unique or special things did you do at the reception? 
We created features cocktails for the evening named after our 2 cats. My dad and I took several lessons and performed a choreographed dance together, all my bridesmaids participated in the cake pulls, we took a trolley to the wedding. Just a few of the special touches from the night.

Pick one moment in the day that was your favorite thing?
My favorite part was coming around the corner in the carriage with my Father. Our guests didn’t expect us to come from there and when they saw us, and the horse and carriage I heard a gasp in unison. It was beautiful. Also, the fireworks at the end made a perfect ceremony unforgettable.

Did it really go by as quickly as everyone says?
YES!!!! I wish the night would have lasted forever. We extended our reception, which I also highly recommend. I can’t imagine not having the extra hour. If you are paying all that money, go all in, you will be so happy that you did!

What was the inspiration behind picking the color palette and decor that you picked?
My nickname is Fancy. I had to have glitter and glam. I wanted my girls to love how they looked on my big day so I let them pick their own dresses (as long as they were int he pewter, gold, champagne tones), shoes and jewelry. It was the best decision. They looked stunning.

From the Bride – When you first saw the groom, what were you thinking/feeling?
All my nerves were finally calmed. He looked so handsome. I loved that we shared this moment together alone.

From the groom – When you first saw the bride, what were you thinking/feeling?
There were a lot of of emotions. I kept thinking how beautiful she is and how excited I was for the rest of the day!

Who was your baker, what was the flavor of your cake? Was it delicious?!
Chasing Wang. The cake was gorgeous. Exactly what I envisioned and we discussed. I selected almond white cake filled with berry chantilly. And Ari’s groom’s cake was chocolate with salted caramel buttercream.

Did you do a first look? If so how did you feel about it? If not, do you wish you had?
We decided to do a first look so that we could take as many pictures as possible pre-ceremony. It was extremely special. Just him and I (and the photographers but we forgot that they were there). I’m extremely glad we did it this way. I had so many emotions during the ceremony, i was glad I got to fully be in the moment the first time be saw me. He cried, which i was secretly hoping for and didn’t expect.

Did you have a coordinator or did you plan everything yourself? If you didn’t have a coordinator any advice for brides planning their own wedding?
I planned my entire wedding myself. I am a little bit of a control freak. =) My advice is start early, do not leave much for the last minute and if something is really important to you, stick by your guns. Create a notebook with tabs and print out everything for quick reference. I had so many lists and spreadsheets but it all made sense to me and I felt super organized at all times.