A Pink + Sage Vinoy Wedding with a Pass-a-Grille Beach Ceremony in St. Pete

If you’re searching for a Vinoy wedding in St. Petersburg, a Pass-a-Grille beach ceremony, or wondering how to include your dog in your wedding — Bridget and Evan’s day is going to be your blueprint. This was a two-location, waterfront celebration that blended coastal romance, historic charm, vintage details, and one very well-dressed French bulldog.

REAL WEDDING

2/25/20264 min read

Some couples are romantic.

Some couples are elegant.

And then there are couples like Bridget and Evan... brilliant, quick-witted, deeply in love, and absolutely incapable of not roasting each other mid-sentence.

Both in the legal world, banter is their love language. And their wedding? It had the same energy.

Structured. Thoughtful. Strategic.

But fun as hell.

The Ceremony: A Pass-a-Grille Beach Wedding in St. Pete

Bridget and Evan chose Pass-a-Grille Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida for their ceremony, working with a local beach ceremony team to create a clean, romantic coastal setup.

The ceremony design included:

White ceremony chairs
A beautiful wooden arch
White calla lilies and lush greenery
A greenery-lined aisle
A waterfront backdrop that needed zero extra drama

This is what we love about a St. Pete Beach wedding : letting the Gulf do the heavy lifting.

But the real star?

Jefferson.

Their French bulldog walked down the aisle with the bride's dad before being handed off for safe keeping. Later, he joined them for the recessional.

If you’re planning a dog-friendly wedding in St. Petersburg, we're here for you and it can absolutely be done beautifully.

Transportation Done Right: The Jolley Trolley Wedding Experience

One of the smartest planning moves of the day was transportation.

Guests were transported between The Vinoy and Pass-a-Grille via the Jolley Trolley charter, creating:

Seamless guest flow
Zero parking stress
Built-in pre-ceremony energy
Amazing photo opportunities

If you’re planning a beach wedding in St. Pete with a hotel reception, transportation logistics matter more than you think. The Jolley Trolley turned what could have been complicated into something charming and fun.

The Reception: An Intimate Vinoy Wedding at Fred’s Patio

After the beach ceremony, guests returned to The Vinoy Resort in downtown St. Petersburg for the reception at Fred’s Patio. Which is a smaller, more intimate event space featuring a water element that added movement and glow to the evening.

When couples search for a Vinoy wedding venue, they often imagine the grand ballroom. But the patio space? It offers something different:

Waterfront ambiance
Indoor/outdoor flexibility
Layered lighting opportunities
Intimate dinner party energy

Bridget and Evan chose family-style tables for 64 guests, creating a warm, connected atmosphere instead of a traditional round-table layout.

Pink + Sage Wedding Design (With Personality)

The color palette was pink and sage. Just not the soft, pastel, or predictable kind.

This design leaned into:

Pink chargers
Vintage-sourced China
Eclectic bud vases
Layered candlelight
Warm uplighting around the sweetheart table

If you’re researching a pink and sage wedding theme, take notes: texture matters more than color matching.

The look was romantic but collected. Elevated but not stuffy. Warm without being overly formal.

A First Look Plot Twist (Because Why Not?)

Before their real first look, a groomsman came out wearing a dress to “surprise” the groom.

The reaction? Absolute chaos.

Then came the real first look in The Vinoy tea garden. Romantic, grounded, and cinematic.

If you’re planning a Vinoy wedding first look, the tea garden and bar areas offer stunning, private backdrops with natural architecture and filtered light.

Thoughtful Guest Experience Details

What makes a wedding memorable isn’t just the venue. It’s the layers.

Bridget and Evan included:

A phone guest book
Passed champagne during cocktail hour
Nothing Bundt Cakes and donuts alongside their main cake
A coffee station placed intentionally near the guests

This wasn’t a ballroom event.

It was a curated, personality-driven St. Petersburg waterfront wedding reception.

Timeline That Allowed Breathing Room

The ceremony began at 4:45 PM, followed by golden hour portraits on the beach.

Cocktail hour started at 6 PM at The Vinoy.

Dinner at 6:45 PM.

Cake cutting at 7:45 PM.

Open dance floor at 8 PM.

But here’s what mattered: First dances and parent dances were allowed to happen organically and not forced into rigid time slots.

When couples hire a St. Pete wedding planner, this is the goal: structure that creates freedom.

Why This Vinoy Wedding Worked

Because logistics were handled. Beach setup was timed. Transportation was coordinated. Vendor load-ins were structured. Florals were repurposed smartly. Reception layout maximized the water feature and guest flow.

This is what happens when highly organized professionals (hello, two attorneys) trust experienced planners to run the backend.

You can plan a wedding. You cannot coordinate your own wedding. Especially not across two waterfront locations.