SoireEstate Weddings and Events Venue at SB Nursery and Gardens

Wedding Day

SoireEstate Weddings & Events Venue

Ceremony

Reception

Fort De Soto Park Shelter 6 (coordinates below)

Day After Beach Celebration

Our Wedding

Carissa's perspective: I was minding my own business at church, when a handsome young man sat next to me. His first words to me, "Are you using this pen?" gesturing to the pen on the chair between us. I said, "No, I have my own," and that was it. So romantic, right? Later that same week, I saw him again at bible study, where a mutual friend (shoutout to Arianna!!) noticed me getting red while talking to him (how embarrassing). She later told me about how great of a guy he was and that she thought we would be a perfect match. I was hesitant but intrigued. He later messaged Arianna on LinkedIn (what the heck!?) asking her if we all wanted to go to Barry's sometime with his guest passes. When she told me, I was like, "Why would he not message me? Is he interested in you? You're married!!" She reassured me he was probably just nervous, which he later admitted. Me being the extremely patient, non-aggressive person I am, messaged him on LinkedIn myself, asking if he was going to the Riverwalk Clean Up on Saturday. He said yes. There we bonded over both wanting to hike Machu Picchu. For our first official date, we went bouldering at a rock climbing gym in South Tampa (I do NOT recommend). Afterwards, we went to a fancy Italian restaurant in our 80s inspired workout clothes (did I mention it was 80s night at the rock climbing gym?). Super unique. Super us. The weeks to follow involved me being uncertain, Zack asking me to give him a chance (once or twice...), and me later falling extremely hard for him. He later asked me to be his girlfriend with sunflowers, and I ecstatically said yes :) Zack, I love you. I can't wait to marry you. Zack's perspective: If you know anything about me, you probably know that first impressions are not my strong suit... Flashback probably 1 - 1.5 years prior to our infamous pen "conversation", I too was minding my own business at church (sitting in the back corner closest to the exit door so I could make a quick escape) when I noticed an extraordinarily beautiful girl sitting towards the front of the room. I vividly remember her being dressed in all white (spoilers - she later told me she doesn't even own an all white outfit...) and to be honest, I have no idea what the pastor at that church was preaching on that day. I just knew that I had to get to know her better. So to affirm Carissa's point about me being nervous, I didn't try to talk to her that Sunday (that would have been way too bold...). I did notice, however, that she was talking to the pastor's wife after the sermon. Once she left, I caught up with the pastor's wife and asked her what Carissa's name was. The moment she told me her name was "Carissa" I knew that that was a unique-enough name that I'd have little trouble finding her on the socials 😅. I've always been kind of a contrarian, so when Facebook, Instagram, etc. were first getting popular back when I was in school, I never joined them because I thought that would make me "cool" and "mysterious". Or maybe that had to do with me being self-protective and introverted, but I digress. Anyway, I eventually found her on LinkedIn (the one social I did have lol), where I tried to "connect" with her. She ended up ignoring that message for like 1 - 1.5 years... I also was able to find her on Facebook, where to my extreme dismay I found out that she was in a relationship. It was at that point that I tried, with much difficulty, to put her out of my mind and move on. Flashforward 1 - 1.5 years, and I noticed that she had started to come back to that church (as I had never seen her at church again since I first saw her). One Sunday, I was serving as a door greeter (not my favorite job tbh) and I saw she was sitting by herself. In a moment of extreme courage for me, I decided to sit next to her, but not directly next to her as that would just be too much... I knew I had to say something to her, as this opportunity may not ever come back, so I looked around for inspiration, saw the pen on the empty chair between us, and I asked her for that pen. What she didn't know, though, was that I actually already had a pen (real smooth, right?). By God's grace, that actually broke the ice and we were able to more casually chat with each other until one day the unexpected happened - she accepted my long forgotten LinkedIn request and messaged ME to see if I was going to a clean up event. I couldn't believe it, I didn't even have to ask her out! It was a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life. Fast forward to today - Carissa is my absolute best friend and love of my life. She makes me so happy and fills my life with purpose like never before. She's gorgeous, a deep thinker, and is so so funny. Carissa, I love you so much and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Please use this <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/tpaspgi-dswb-6e2d089f-f574-4b31-b34a-b73c24bb255f/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">link</a> to book your room. The room block booking ends April 2. The room block is for a max of three nights, however, you do not have to stay all three nights. Located in Lutz, 16 miles from Saddlebrook Golf Course, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, private parking, a fitness center and a shared lounge. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, room service and a 24-hour front desk, along with free WiFi throughout the property. The property provides an ATM, a concierge service and luggage storage for guests. At the hotel, every room comes with a desk. Rooms come with air conditioning and a flat-screen TV, and certain accommodations at Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway have a safety deposit box. The rooms will provide guests with a fridge. A business center and vending machines with snacks and drinks are available on site at the accommodation. University of South Florida is 17 miles from Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway, while Adventure Island is 18 miles from the property. Tampa International Airport is 16 miles away.

Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway

Located in Tampa, 1.8 miles from Amalie Arena, Hotel Haya provides accommodations with a terrace, private parking, a restaurant and a bar. This 4-star hotel offers room service, a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi. The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, evening entertainment and a shared lounge. Guests at the hotel can enjoy an à la carte breakfast. Raymond James Stadium is 4.6 miles from Hotel Haya, while 1-800 Ask Gary Amphitheatre is 7 miles away. Tampa International Airport is 4.3 miles from the property.

Hotel Haya

AC Hotel by Marriott Tampa Airport has free bikes, outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center and shared lounge in Tampa. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, free shuttle service and a 24-hour front desk, along with free WiFi. Guests can use a bar. Guests at the hotel can enjoy a buffet or an American breakfast. AC Hotel by Marriott Tampa Airport has a sun terrace. Raymond James Stadium is 1.4 miles from the accommodation, while Hyde Park is 4.7 miles from the property. Tampa International Airport is 0.6 miles away.

AC Hotel by Marriott Tampa Airport

Travel

The Tampa Riverwalk is an approximately 2.5-mile-long paved scenic trail that runs along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. Anchored by&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Armature_Works_64637/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Armature Works</a>&nbsp;to the north and the&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Tampa_Bay_History_Center_63136/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tampa Bay History Center</a>&nbsp;to the south, the Riverwalk affords easy access to the Water Street Tampa and&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Channel_District_66773/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Channel</a>&nbsp;districts, and&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Sparkman_Wharf_66770/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sparkman Wharf</a>.&nbsp;Recent visitors were impressed by how well-maintained and clean the trail is, and noted that it's an ideal place to stretch your legs and get some exercise. Visitors can walk, bike, rollerblade and access any number of restaurants, stores, parks and playgrounds, bike rental shops and top attractions, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Florida_Aquarium_62020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Florida Aquarium</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/Glazer_Childrens_Museum_63165/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Glazer Children's Museum</a>, along the route. There is a Riverwalk&nbsp;<a href="http://www.visittampabay.com/riverwalk-pass/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">attraction pass</a>&nbsp;that lets you visit several riverside museums for one fee. A free, self-guided&nbsp;<a href="https://thetampariverwalk.com/visit/public-art-walking-tour.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">walking tour</a>&nbsp;highlights the public art along the Riverwalk.

Tampa Riverwalk

The Armature Works Heights Public Market – a 22,000-square-foot industrial market – is Tampa's go-to spot for foodies and architecture fans. The 1910 building was formerly the storage and maintenance facility for Tampa Electric's streetcars, contributing to the urban feel it embodies today

Armature Works

The largest park within the Pinellas County Park System, Fort De Soto park consists of 1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys). These keys are home to beach plants, mangroves, wetlands, palm hammocks, hardwoods and scores of native plants. Each of these species plays a vital role in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. Fort De Soto was&nbsp;named America’s Top Beach&nbsp;for 2009 by Tripadvisor, the world’s largest online travel community. In 2005, “Dr. Beach” named Fort De Soto the nation’s No. 1 Beach.

Fort De Soto Park

Pronounced&nbsp;ee-bore, this northeast enclave of Tampa was once a hotbed for hand-rolled cigars – at the turn of the 20th century factory workers rolled millions of cigars annually, making Tampa the "Cigar Capital of the World." Now, it's a mash of old and new; the lively bars and pubs represent the modern city; the brick streets and historic streetcar serve as a tribute to the neighborhood's past. A tour of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jcnewman.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">J.C. Newman Cigar Company</a>&nbsp;provides a peek into the only remaining cigar factory in Ybor City, appealing to both cigars smokers and nonsmokers.

Ybor City

Outdoorsy visitors and locals alike flock to Hillsborough River State Park, which sits about 20 miles northeast of downtown Tampa. Offering Class II rapids (a rarity in Florida), camping, four nature trails totaling more than 7 miles, beautiful scenery, wildlife viewing and historic sites, the park has a recreation opportunity for everyone.

Carissa & Zack

Carissa & Zack

C&Z

Wedding Day

4:30 PM–5:00 PM

Ceremony

6:00 PM–10:00 PM

Reception

Day After Beach Celebration