Esposito’s Italian Restaurant

Rehearsal dinner

Wedding Day

Saint Paul Catholic Church

Ceremony

The Barn at Crescent Lake at Old McMicky's Farm

Reception

Saucin Wings

After Party

Our Wedding

Our story began in 2015 shortly after the bride, Christina, started her first job at Smoothie king *shoutout to the best man*. Christmas was approaching and a dear friend and coworker, *shoutout to the matron of honor* suggested a Secret Santa gift exchange. So, everyone drew names from a hat and Christy drew the manager, ick. 🙄 But then, the last person to go picked themselves and so we had to start all over again; phew 😮‍💨. This repeated again believe it or not, same result, but third times the charm; and finally nobody got themselves and, Christy got….the manager, Jesse. So, since the hat insisted, now Christy had to get Jesse a gift, but if she was going to do it, she was going to do it well! She wanted to give Jesse a gift that felt genuine, and thoughtfully chosen. The simple desire to kick butt at getting gifts, opened the door to a fast friendship, deeper conversations, shared laughs, and eventually, 😆 a first date at a drive-in theater. A night full of nervous laughter watching Daddy’s Home and holding hands went no further. Literally, when the movie ended and it was time to go *tick tick tick tick* the tell tale sign alerted everyone that Jesse had embarrassingly let his car battery die playing the movie audio on his stereo. No worries though, the local Jeep club was on the job and we got home for curfew. Over the years, we’ve built a life together filled with adventure, faith, and love. We’ve faced college (go bulls!), the pandemic, career changes, and the joy of adopting our cat, Indi. We’ve traveled across the country, explored national parks, and spent countless weekends hiking, camping, and discovering new towns. Through it all, we’ve supported each other’s faith journeys and grown in our love for Jesus, finding strength and purpose in the path we’ve walked together. Jesse’s proposal at the botanical gardens—complete with a thoughtful surprise dinner surrounded by our closest friends—was everything Christy could have dreamed of. Now, as we prepare to marry, we’re filled with gratitude for the journey that brought us here. Three days after our wedding marks the 10 year anniversary of that dead battery, and we feel so blessed to kickoff the next decade with the people who have supported us along the way. Cheers to the journey behind us and excitement for what’s ahead.

Christina & Jesse

Christina & Jesse

Accomodations

Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Pkwy

Hampton Inn Odessa Trinity

Residence Inn by Marriott at NorthPoint Village