A Colorful Florida Wedding with a Tropical Twist

Becca Goldring met Zac Wolf during spring break in Florida. But it wasn't what you may think—they were both visiting their hometown of Boca Raton. They bonded over a mutual love for television shows produced by J.J. Abrams. But it wasn't until about two years after that first meeting (and some long-distance flirting) that they started dating. Becca finished college in Gainesville and then moved up to Boston where Zac was attending school and had started a wedding photography business. Four years in, Becca came home from her job as an account exec at a marketing software company, and Zac told her to check out the new bow tie on their cat, Lolli. She bent down to give her a pet and compliment her on her accessory—and that's when she saw the engagement ring! With a last name like hers (Goldring), the yellow gold stunner was based off a sketch Becca had drawn months before the proposal.

When it came to picking a date and location, the duo opted for a winter wedding as that's typically Zac's slow season. And since they both hail from the Sunshine State, exchanging vows in Florida made perfect sense. They chose President's Day weekend (so they could spend plenty of time with their guests) and The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club for their big day.

With temps in the 70s and the sun in the sky, it was a perfect February day in Florida. And with 70 guests, it was a delightfully intimate celebration. Even better, the wedding was a complete and total reflection of the bride and groom. With help from their dream team of vendors, they brought their vision to life, and had their dream "ropical Floridian shuffleboard" wedding on Sunday, February 19, 2017.

The couple's friend Tyler Blake Littwin of Blake Ink designed the save-the-dates and invitation around a color palette that was inspired by the courts at their venue—a shuffleboard club. The deep hunter green and white pieces boasted fonts in a mid-century style to match the décor.

The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club set the scene for the couple's color palette and also let them have fun with their big day. "I've seen so many different types of venues through my work as a wedding photographer and wanted something that felt completely different and new," Zac says. "The club is nothing like anything you can find in New England and we knew that was what we were looking for."

Both and Becca and Zac chose the first look as their favorite moment of the day. Zac, because he knew how every part of the wedding was going to look except for Becca's dress. "I was so excited to see her," he says. "Her dress had been sitting in our bedroom wrapped up for months, so it was amazing to finally see her and the dress. I was a crying wreck."

The tears didn't start when Zac saw the dress—they started before. "Zac was crying before he even turned around," Becca says. "I found the whole experience so endearing and special and he looked so handsome. I'm so glad I got to have that private moment with him ahead of our ceremony."

Becca tried on about six dresses before finding "the one." She went to a sample sale at her favorite bridal boutique in Boston—Ceremony Bridal Shop—with low expectations of walking out with a dress. But she totally lucked out when she tried on a head-to-toe-beaded Rosa Clará number, which was a near perfect fit and only needed a bit of repair. "During our first look, Zac said the bead work 'looked like constellations,' and I loved that," Becca says.

Zac also looked out of this world, in his J.Crew Japanese chambray tuxedo. "I figured this was an opportunity to be bold," he says. "I have always had an affinity for vintage style and when I saw this tux online I had a feeling it would be a perfect fit for the day. Once I completed the look with the shirt, bow tie, and slippers, I was beyond excited with how everything came together."

A hexagonal backdrop from Ever After Vintage Rentals was dressed up with plenty of tropical leaves and bright flowers (like poppies) by Krissy Price of Pollen Floral Design to anchor the ceremony, which took place in the grandstands at the club.

Zac entered first, to John Mayer's cover of Beyoncé's "XO," and Becca followed. Their good friend Dylan officiated, and friends and family shared some well wishes and stories during the ceremony—which was a mix of sentimental, honest, and fun.

The couple wrote their own vows and jotted them down in Field Notes books, hers with a Massachusetts cover and his with Florida. "I vow to remain by you for the inevitable challenges that life will throw at us. In sickness and in health, we'll take them on together and end up back here at the shuffleboard club at 85," recited Becca. Zac countered with, "I promise to continue to explore the world with you. Or if you'd rather, I'll just stay in bed watching TV with you. I promise to be patient and try to keep my cool under pressure, as hard as that may be. And lastly, I vow to love you and stand by you, always."

"Watching professional wrestling is something Becca and I love to do together," Zac says. "Streamers are a traditional part of Japanese wrestling, and when your favorite wrestler enters the ring people throw streamers rather than applaud. We thought this would be a cool nod to that and fun for our guests."

Another fun part? Guests did the wave! "I loved seeing some of the older folks in the crowd get into it," Becca says. "Afterwards, people told us it was the most fun they have had at a ceremony. Truth be told, the streamers photo was supposed to be way more choreographed, but at the conclusion of the ceremony everyone got excited and started throwing them and our caught-off-guard pics ended up being some of our favorites."

Marisa and John are the couple's best friends—and wedding photographers who have traveled with Becca and Zac across the world. As people who have been a part of so many weddings, the bride and groom cherished having an intimate wedding party. The guys sported boutonnieres showcasing colorful ranunculus, and the women carried bouquets of anemones, garden roses, poppies, ranunculus, mimosa, and tropical leaves.

Everyone played shuffleboard during cocktail hour, during which Southern-style appetizers were served and poppy alt-rock music provided a light and fun vibe.

With so many cool spots to choose from, the couple posed for portraits all over the club. But one of their favorite snapshots was taken in front of the "Mr. Sun" mural nearby. "We had gone past this mural several times on our prep trips and every time there was a car parked in front of it," Becca says. "Somehow, during our portrait session, the coast was clear!"

As a nod to the shelves of authentic shuffleboard trophies in the clubhouse, trophy wine toppers were added to the bottles on the bar. It was just another way the couple embraced their location.

Becca and Zac's favorite detail of the wedding was the seating assignment display. As lovers of the work of artist and friend Brian Butler, one of their first thoughts during the planning process was how to incorporate him into it. They decided to create a custom ketubah, with drawings of each and every guest around the bride and groom on it. It turned out phenomenally. And from there, the individual illustrations were turned into escort cards. The board read "find your face and take a seat" and was a total surprise to guests, who had no clue they had been drawn. Only the names were visible until the card was pulled out from the paper pockets.

The color-loving duo were excited to embrace a "tropical Floridian palette" for their big day. Using hunter green as a base, they contrasted with pink, orange, yellow, and gold. The satin pink table linens gave a bit of glimmer, but were still neutral enough to use on the reception tables. "The chairs were my splurge and I do not regret it one bit," adds Becca. "Those Eames chairs traveled all the way from Miami and it was 100% worth it to bring the tablescape together."

"The contrast of lush greenery with matte gold silverware was A+," Becca says of the place settings. The palm leaf was an element that Becca and Zac knew they wanted from the beginning, and so monstera leaves were used as chargers below the beaded-edge dinner plates.

Diamond-shaped menus designed by Oh Hello Events tied in the stationery suite and added a geometric pop to the setup. Affixed to the top of each card was a pin originally designed for the club's shuffleboard league that was modified to include the couple's hashtag. The enamel pins were a surprise from Zac, with some help from their planner. "We loved seeing the pin on our friends' jackets or backpacks after the wedding," he says. "I'm glad we invested in a memorable favor that people really loved."

The couple's new last name was on display thanks to a small letter board sign—which they've since repurposed in the entryway of their home.

The newlyweds chose "Swept Away [Sentimental Version]" by The Avett Brothers for their first dance song. The tune was appropriate as they'd seen the group in concert on one of their first dates.

When you own a photo booth company, you have to go all out. So that's what Becca and Zac did. Oh Hello Events made a fringe backdrop for the Danger Booth setup. Over the years, the couple has seen a ton of different props and the giant pet head and faces always seemed to be a clear winner. So they made a big cutout of their cat, Lolli, and added an inflatable corgi balloon (Zac's favorite dog breed), some wrestling props, a bunch of streamers, a number of cute sunglasses, and a big "yay" balloon.

For several years, Becca had a baking blog, so the expectations were high for dessert. She and Zac found The Mini Doughnut Factory on Instagram and loved the concept—and that they had so many unique flavors in so many colors. Becca loved the s'mores flavored "campfire" one the most.

The donut holes were displayed on a palm-print cloth-covered table, in front of the same hexagonal structure from the ceremony. The couple also had a one-layer chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream so they could have a traditional cake cutting moment.

One of Becca’s mottos is "a good night ends in pizza" so it only seemed right that they had some at their wedding. At the end of the night, she and Zac snuck away to put on pizza costumes—and at 10 p.m. sharp, the Space Jam theme song started blaring as they ran out with several boxes each. "We both love pizza and it has actually become something of a tradition for us to send Dominos to cheer people up," Zac says.

Photography, Fer Juaristi

Location, St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club

Event planning, Oh Hello Events

Catering, Good Food Events + Catering

Flowers, Pollen Floral Design

Videography, Jason Mize Photography

Stationery graphic design, Blake Ink

Cake, Locale Gourmet Market

Doughnuts, Mini Doughnut Factory

Music, Grant Hemond and Associates

Rentals, Ever After Vintage Rentals; Lavish Event Rentals (chairs); Rent-All City

Bride's gown, Rosa Clará from Ceremony Bridal Shop

Bride's accessories, Goldsmiths Gallery engagement ring; Nine West shoes

Hair and Makeup, Lasting Luxe Artistry

Groom's tuxedo, J.Crew

Groom's accessories, The Cordial Churchman bow tie; Blank Label shirt; Broadland Slippers shoes

Lighting, Tampa Lights

Photo Booth, The Danger Booth