Rehearsal Dinner

The Ritz-Carlton Beach Club

Wedding Day

Events:  

Keep an eye out for us to update the site on fun things we will be doing throughout the week. Feel free to come hang out!﻿Friday Night: We will be poppin' around Siesta Key Village for our friend's birthday for anyone that wants to meet up!Saturday Night: We are planning on hanging out at O'Leary's Tiki Bar &amp; Grill after our rehearsal dinner on Saturday evening around 8:15pm! It is a laid back spot with live music until 10pm. It is located across from the Westin at 5 Bayfront Dr. The have food and drinks as well! Feel free to join us.Sunday Night:5pm Ceremony5:30pm-6:30pm - Cocktail Reception6:30pm-10:00 pm Dinner Reception There will be valet if you are driving to the wedding or feel free to utilize uber/lyft/car service! The ceremony &amp; reception are not at the main hotel. They are located at the Ritz Beach Club located a short distance away on Lido Key. The address is1234 Benjamin Franklin Dr. Sarasota!

ROOM BLOCK - WESTIN 

The room block that is reserved at The Westin in downtown Sarasota will have a cut off date of 3/23/2021!If you are planning on utilizing it please be aware there is not much time remaining. As of now the rate is $199 for a standard room with the room block. If you book after that date then it will go up to their everyday rates!

Our Wedding

It was about 10 years ago through mutual friends that we first met. One of us was living in Murfreesboro while the other was living in Brentwood.&nbsp;&nbsp;Back then, we didn’t see a whole lot of each other but were able to keep up with one another through our different friend groups &amp; feel like our paths crossed more often than we realized. We frequently joke that we were often at the same parties or events or in the same classes at MTSU since we had so many friends in common.&nbsp;&nbsp;We both went our separate ways living in various cities, traveling to other countries or states, working various jobs until one summer night in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, through mutual friends, we ended up hanging out one night when a group of us decided to meet up at one of the local bars in Cool Springs.&nbsp;&nbsp;We talked &amp; laughed &amp; had a few drinks. After that night, I could not wait to see her again. There was a lake weekend coming up &amp; I knew I had to ask Tara to come.&nbsp;Always down for a lake day, she agreed to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;All our friends were there but it felt like it was just us.&nbsp;That lake day, our “first date”, was awesome; still one of my favorite days out on the water.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was hooked after that &amp; we started seeing each other multiple times a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;It did not take long before things started to get more serious &amp; I knew I had found someone special.&nbsp;&nbsp;I had found my closest friend that I didn’t even know I was without all these years.&nbsp;&nbsp;I had a lot of best friends through the years but, with Tara, I had truly found that person that made my world come alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;I realized this early on but, in typical guy fashion, kept it close to the chest at first.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our relationship grew stronger &amp; we continued our “mini adventures” as often as we could.&nbsp;&nbsp;Every excursion or trip we took together made me realize more &amp; more that this was it, she was the one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now see, I knew I wanted to marry her &amp; ask her to spend the rest of her life with me, but I wanted the proposal to reflect something really special.&nbsp;&nbsp;I kept thinking about it &amp; we had gone to look at rings a few times, you know the subtle hints we guys get that the time is drawing near!&nbsp;&nbsp;So, at this point I had the ring &amp; had asked Mr. Glen for his approval which went something like “Well that’s just a fine idea!”. I was just trying to find the right time &amp; place.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was Christmas time in 2019 &amp; Tyler &amp; Kassie were in town for the holidays &amp; also preparing to move back to Tennessee early the next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tara is the best at planning those little family hangouts &amp; her &amp; Kassie had the four of us &amp; Lucas scheduled to go out on Christmas Eve.&nbsp;&nbsp;We were going to the Bobby Hotel in Nashville &amp; they set up private igloo huts on the roof &amp; I knew this could be my perfect chance.&nbsp;&nbsp;As the night went on, I started to get nervous because the igloo with five people in it meant it was pretty tight quarters. Not exactly ideal to get down on one knee!&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally, Tara said she had to go to the restroom &amp; I knew this was my opening.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was so worried that I was going to fumble the words &amp; not get them out the way I had rehearsed it in my head that I wrote everything down I wanted to say in a card just in case.&nbsp;&nbsp;When she came out of the bathroom I met her in the middle of the rooftop patio area with all the igloos aligned on the outside &amp; different sitting areas arranged around fire pits with a couple mini wooden cabins with red roofs at the far end.&nbsp;&nbsp;I asked to come down by the cabins &amp; look at something.&nbsp;&nbsp;She probably thought I was going to brag about one of the roofing projects I worked on for one of the downtown buildings.&nbsp;I took her hand &amp; lead her down to the far end &amp; said, “I wanted to give you one of your Christmas presents early.” She later told me she thought I may be about to propose at this point. I then handed her the card, which was neither of the things she was expecting. I think her initial reaction was “Oh, okay”.&nbsp;&nbsp;She started to open the envelope but before she could even get it open, I was down on one knee.&nbsp;&nbsp;We were so excited that we forgot about the card until later mid-celebration.&nbsp;&nbsp;We were lucky to have my brothers &amp; Kassie there to help us capture our special moment. Christmas time at the Bobby Hotel will forever have a special place in our heart.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are excited to share another special place in our life with everyone in Sarasota.&nbsp;&nbsp;We cannot wait to have all of you join us down there together to experience a place where we have spent a lot time together &amp; are always finding new adventures, new shops, or restaurants to experience. It is an incredibly special place to us &amp; we cannot wait to share it with all of you and make some new memories!!

Our Story

The Westin Sarasota 

Art Ovation Hotel, Autograph Collection

Embassy Suites by Hilton Sarasota

Sarasota 

Ritz Carlton 

Travel

Kayaking SRQ Tours & Rentals

Just a frisbee’s throw from the white sands of Lido Beach, St. Armands Circle attracts stylish shoppers and sidewalk-strollers to its fine boutiques, galleries, outdoor cafes and restaurants.&nbsp;

St Armands Circle

In addition to a wide, white beach that’s been named&nbsp;the nation's best, Siesta Key has a lively little village at the center of the island, with beachy bars, restaurants, shops and lodging. Steps away from wave- and dolphin-watching, you can catch lunch, buy a new bathing suit or cool off at watering holes like The Old Salty Dog, Siesta Key Oyster Bar and The Beach Club, where musicians rock the night.

Siesta Key Village

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida.&nbsp;

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Lido Key Beach

Guided horseback riding through the ocean!

Florida Beach Horses

High end cocktails &amp; food overlooking the bay. There's two locations, the other in St. Armand's Circle, but this one on Longboat Key is our favorite.

Shore Longboat Key

One of the oldest restaurants in world and is located in famous St. Armand's Circle! Make sure to try the Mojitos and Sangria!

Tara & Grant

Tara & Grant

Registry