From the owner Michael S. Novilla:
Lindsey and Tyson exemplify that cute couple that everyone enjoys spending time with. Always warm, smiling and enjoying each other. Meeting here in downtown St. Petersburg to tour NOVA 535, that level of enjoyment got even a bit better for us all, knowing we are fellow Gator fans. They were a joy to work with, though Team NOVA handled much of the heavy lifting. Ruby and Team NOVA practiced The NOVA way – focusing on Tyson and Lindsey and their guests – making sure that their all’s experience from start to finish was delightful!! I’m so proud that everything was 5 Star!! Congratulations to Tyson and Linsey and of course Go Gators!
Why did you choose downtown St. Pete for your wedding location?
“We chose the Tampa Bay area, specifically downtown St. Pete, because it offered a lot of opportunities for us to have any kind of wedding we wanted. In the midst of planning, we decided that we were going to need to accommodate for a larger guest list, but still wanted an intimate setting and wanted to do something a little different than our friends, which lead us to choosing venue NOVA 535. An outdoor wedding ceremony was a must for the groom, who loves the outdoors.
How did you incorporate you and your husband’s personalities into the wedding?
Tyson really loves to be outdoors, and an outdoor ceremony was very important to him. The private courtyard at NOVA 535 served as the perfect place to have our ceremony.
From the beginning, the staff was so helpful. They went above and beyond to help plan and organize the details for our wedding, so we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Even the simplest fact that the staff sets up and tears down everything on the wedding day meant so much to us, because we knew our family and friends could really relax and enjoy themselves.
The Proposal:
Through a series of notes and gifts, I explored a day long scavenger hunt that included getting to see many close friends, even some from out of town. The scavenger hunt ended at Ballast Point Park, where Tyson was waiting for me. He had a friend secretly take pictures as he proposed in the gazebo in the center of the park.
Next, we headed to Tyson’s mom’s house to share in the excitement. Tyson informed me that he had kept her “in the dark” in regards to the proposal date and thought it would be fun for us to surprise her. As we pulled up to the house, both of our families from all over the state were standing on the front porch cheering! Another 25 or so friends from as far as Tennessee were gathered inside the house. There was food, cake, champagne and photos of us everywhere.
How would you describe your theme?
Sweet, romantic and fun. We really wanted our reception to be fun! Tyson and I love to dance. Our families love to dance. Our friends love to dance. Our hope was to have a big dance party…and we did!
What were your colors?
Purple is my favorite color so it was always going to be the main focus for the wedding. With a spring wedding, I wanted to go with more of a soft, romantic palette. Choosing the lighter purples and throwing in the pink, gray and nude really helped to make the palette interesting, but kept it really tasteful.
What were the deciding factors for choosing your venue?
NOVA 535 was our choice venue for many reasons. The venue provides so many opportunities to make your wedding your own. So many venues require you to rent lighting, tables, chairs, sound equipment, but NOVA 535 has it all and can customize anything to fit your vision.
My favorite part was the amazing staff at historic downtown St. Pete venue NOVA 535. Michael, the owner, was so helpful to answer all of our questions in the very beginning. Ruby, my wedding coordinator, made sure all the details came together exactly as I had described. If you want to walk in the day of your wedding, be completely blown away, leave the wedding and feel like the day couldn’t have been any better, choose NOVA 535.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: NOVA 535 Unique Event Space
Photographer/Videographer: Nate + Lori
Coordinator: Rubies and Pearls
Florist: Amazing Blossoms
Caterer: Delectables Catering
Cake: Chantilly Cakes
DJ: DJ Jaey at NOVA 535
Officiant: Anthony Rajski
Invitations: Minted
Transportation: St. Petersburg Looper Trolley
Dress Shop and Designer: Jon’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: New Identities Hair Studio
Anna Coats is a wedding blogger from Marry Me Tampa Bay which showcases local weddings in the Tampa Bay area. Her 11-11-11 St. Petersburg, FL wedding was featured on USA Today.