An Elegant Restaurant Wedding at Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

Carmen Griffin ( 34 and a high school music teacher) and Jacqueline (Jackie) Maldonado (36 and a pediatric registered nurse) met through Jackie’s teenage daughter.  Vintage elements reigned supreme at Carmen and Jackie’s romantic bookstore wedding. They let seasonal colors lead the way, opting for cool navy blue, slate gray, blush pink and burgundy.

On the advice of a friend, the two married at a restaurant/coffee shop/bookstore/novelty store in Tampa, Florida. As vintage lovers, they knew the moment that they saw the space that it was a perfect fit for their day. The ceremony took place on a patio attached to the restaurant with a retractable glass roof, white walls, green ivy, tealights and geometric metals. Jackie carried a wild, wintry bunch of anemones, burgundy dahlias, blue thistle and assorted greenery. The tiers of the naked cake were scattered with fresh strawberries and blueberries.

“Our guest book contained small envelopes made of decorative music paper asking guests to ‘leave a note,’” Carmen says of their sweet approach to the tradition. After the ceremony, guests snacked on staples like mini Cuban sandwiches while listening to jazz standards from a live band.

Carmen selected all the music for the day. The couple’s first dance was a live, acoustic version of “You & I (Nobody in the World)” by John Legend. “Jackie had no idea of any of the music—it was all kept secret, even our first dance,” Carmen says. “She was a great sport about it, a true test of trust.”